Review: Cursed by S.J. Harper

Cursed

Author: S.J. Harper

Release Date: October 1, 2013

Publisher: Roc

Fallen Siren Book #1

ISBN:   0425263290

ISBN13: 9780425263297

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher

Meet FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.
She's cursed. He's damned. Together, they make one hell of a team.

Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.

Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.

Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal, and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.

Emma is a very very old Siren. She has walked the earth cursed by the Goddess Demeter for failing to her daughter Persephone. She is not allowed to love a man or he will die at the Goddess' hands and she must save woman until Demeter considers her debt paid. 

Emma is an agent with the FBI. Being a Siren lets her solve missing person cases faster but of course nobody knows that. She worked with Zack on an out-of-state case in the past. She knew he was a werewolf right away, they got very close and she made it clear that she did not want a relationship with him. She thought about him often but thankfully he was states away. That is until he shows up as her new partner. No matter how much she tries to keep their relationship professional it just is not happening. They have electric chemistry and are drawn to each other. This is strictly because I am a romantic at heart but I was disappointed with the ending events. *sad face* Just not fair. I know the events will be revisited and it's not anywhere near over but Demeter is a uber biatch and I want to punch her. Sorry, books make me violent.

I enjoyed the case they worked on together. The case came together at a nice pace and the paranormal elements of the missing made it even better when all was revealed. Emma's best friend was a great supporting character that I know will continue to be a breath of fresh air in the middle of any disaster that is thrown Emma's way. There is a bit of Greek Mythology going on but not as much as I thought there would be so I am interested in seeing if the authors will dive into that more. I think any Urban Fantasy Fan will enjoy CURSED and I will picking up book 2 when it comes out.  

I gave it 4/5 stars

New Releases: 9/29-10/5

Tue Oct 1

 Born in Chains (Men in Chains #1) by Caris Roane 

 Cursed (Fallen Siren #1) by S.J. Harper

 Eat, Brains, Love by Jeff Hart

 The Enchanter Heir (The Heir Chronicles #4) by Cinda Williams Chima

 Endless Knight (The Arcana Chronicles #2) by Kresley Cole

 Evanescent (The Chronicles of Nerissette #2) by Andria Buchanan 

 Hereafter (Shadowlands #2) by Kate Brian 

 My Immortal Highlander (MacNachton Vampires #3) by Hannah Howell, Lynsay Sands 

 My Lady Quicksilver (London Steampunk #3) by Bec McMaster

 Perfect Ruin (The Internment Chronicles #1) by Lauren DeStefano

 Possession (Fallen Angels #5) by J.R. Ward 

 Redemption (Soul #1) by C.J. Barry 

 Skulk by Rosie Best 

 Year of the Demon (Fated Blades #2) by Steve Bein

Thur Oct 3

 Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

 Shadowed (Dark Protectors #6) by Rebecca Zanetti

Happy Reading!

Review: On Midnight Wings by Adrian Phoenix

On Midnight Wings

Author: Adrian Phoenix

Release Date: September 24, 2013

Publisher: Pocket

The Maker's Song Book #5

ISBN:  1451645341

ISBN13: 99781451645347

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Edelweiss

A DESPERATE SEARCH. A DARK AND DANGEROUS JOURNEY. AND EVERY STEP COULD DESTROY EVERYONE DANTE LOVES.

ONLY ONE MORTAL WOMAN CAN SAVE HIM . . .

As Dante Baptiste’s true identity as both True Blood and Fallen ripples throughout New Orleans, he and Heather struggle for their lives against different foes, fighting their way back to each other. To free herself from her father’s treachery, Heather accepts help from an ally–and steps into even greater danger. Dante, lost to his brutal past, wavers between his own sense of self and the Bad Seed-programmed S that lurks within, between the never-ending Road and the Great Destroyer. And the danger of becoming both.

. . . UNLESS THE FALLEN REACH HIM FIRST.

Lucien searches frantically for the lovers, all too aware that time is running out. Dark forces continue to gather, eager to possess and manipulate the young vampire for their own ends. The fate of mortals, nightkind, and the Fallen pivots around Dante as he struggles to piece together his shattered psyche and gain control of his power before he rips all three worlds asunder.

It has been 2 years since the release of book 4 ETCHED IN BONE and Adrian Phoenix is the queen of cliffhangers so they have been loooong years. I was very worried that I would not remember what happened in book 4 but thankfully Adrian did a pretty good job of recapping events without over recapping events and boring us. There were a few points where I got a bit lost, or had a hard time catching the events that brought the character to a point but for the most part everything flowed well.

The story was just as fast paced and action filled as earlier books in the series. All of the main characters have a voice, and there is plenty of conflict with each of them dealing with their own things. I got a bit annoyed with Dante once again being super broken and away from his allies and thinking about the past with the present and so on. You can only take so much of reading the same events over and over and I feel we have reached that point so I do hope that we get a bit of relief from it in the next book.

Over all this was another great installment, that left us with another huge cliffhanger. PLEASE don't make us wait 2 more long years for book 6. Any fan of the series will enjoy ON MIDNIGHT WINGS.

I gave it 3/5 stars

Week in Review: 9/22-9/28

Books Ive Bought/received

* Hell Bent by Devon Monk- ARC- Publisher

* The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin- ARC- Publisher

* Sea of Shadows Kelley Armstrong - eARC- Edelweiss

* Trancehack by Sonya Clark- eARC- Author

* Four Weddings and a Werewolf by Kristin Miller- eARC- Netgalley

Books I Read

On Midnight Wings by Adrian Phoenix
The Gredel Affair by Lisa Shearin
Hell Bent by Devon Monk
Trancehack by Sonya Clark

Reviews Posted

Celtic Moon by Jan DeLima
Bound By Night by Larissa Ione

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

* Monday- Guest post and Giveaway for Would-Be Witch by KimberlyFrost

* Wednesday- Guest Post and Giveaway  for A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway

*Thursday- Interview and Giveaway for Cold Blooded by Amanda Carlson

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

Review: Celtic Moon by Jan DeLima

Celtic Moon

Author: Jan DeLima

Release Date: September 24, 2013

Publisher: Ace

Celtic Wolves Book #1

ISBN:   0425266206

ISBN13: 9780425266205

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Publisher

Like father, like son…

Sophie Thibodeau has been on the run from the father of her son for more than fifteen years. Now her son, Joshua, is changing, and her greatest fears are about to be realized. He’s going to end up being just like his father—a man who can change into a wolf.

Dylan Black has been hunting for Sophie since the night she ran from him—an obsession he cannot afford in the midst of an impending war. Dylan controls Rhuddin Village, an isolated town in Maine where he lives with an ancient Celtic tribe. One of the few of his clan who can still shift into a wolf, he must protect his people from the Guardians, vicious warriors who seek to destroy them.

When Sophie and Dylan come together for the sake of their son, their reunion reignites the fierce passion they once shared. For the first time in years, Dylan’s lost family is within his grasp. But will he lose them all over again? Are Joshua and Sophie strong enough to fight alongside Dylan in battle? Nothing less than the fate of his tribe depends on it…

Pregnant and feeling like a prisoner Sophie took the chance and ran from her husband and his pack to protect herself and her son. 15 years later she finds herself running back into her husbands grasp. Dylan has been looking for Sophie since she left. He thinks about her and his child constantly. When she calls him for help he says anything to get her back where she belongs.

Sophie does not return the same person she was when she left. I loved her "Don't f*** with me or my family attitude". She had NO issues sticking up for herself, her mom or Joshua and I loved every second of it. I also loved that she put her child before her own fears. She did not hesitate to rush back into a pack that did anything to make her feel unwelcome and pushed around. As for Dylan he is the definition of alpha male. He is stubborn, bossy, protective and beyond sexy. He did not handle things well in the past and he finds himself making the same mistakes now. He is manipulative and jerky when he could be open and loving and get a better outcome. There is a lot of trial and error on his part and he eventually discovers where his mistakes are when dealing with his wife. Sophie and Dylan have tons of chemistry and I liked how everything revealed itself and played out.

CELTIC MOON was a great start to a promising series. I enjoyed the character development and the rise of conflict that will span the series. DeLima did a great job introducing her characters while also growing them and introducing the storyline and their past. The blending of Celtic mythology and the wolves history blended well and kept me reading. I'm excited to learn more.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Interview & Giveaway: Cold Blooded by Amanda Carlson

UFI welcomes Amanda Carlson Author of The Jessica McClain Series. Thanks for Joining us!!

Character This or That: Jessica McClain

Coffee or Tea: Black coffee

Cold or Hot: Hot

Pizza or Pasta: Pasta, but I wouldn't turn down a slice of pizza

Boxers or Briefs: Boxer briefs

Coke or Pepsi: Coke

Up or Down: Up

Cats or Dogs: That's a tough one, lol. Both. If you would've polled me last year, it would've been dogs all the way, but now...things have changed

Left or Right: Right

Knives or Guns: Knives. No supe worth his weight uses a gun

Morning or Night: Night

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Amanda is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, with a BA in both Speech and Hearing Science & Child Development. She went on to get an A.A.S in Sign Language Interpreting and worked as an interpreter until her first child was born. She enjoys playing Scrabble to an unhealthy degree, shopping trips to Ikea and has a great weakness for tropical beaches. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three kids.

Find Jessica and her books

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Cold Blooded
Jessica McClain #3

Jessica arrives back in town to find her best friend missing and the most powerful witch in the country is blaming her for it. But before they can move to save her, the group is attacked.

On the run, Jessica and Rourke head to the mountains. Several surprises await them, but in order to save her father they are forced to leave for New Orleans early.

Arriving on the Vampire Queen's doorstep unexpectedly, and bringing trouble on their heels, the Sects are thrown into an all out war. The vicious
skirmish ends up forcing the vamps and Jessica to fight on the same team.

The Vamp Queen ends up owing Jessica, but what Jessica doesn't realize is just how soon she'll have to cash it in...

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 Tour Wide

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post & Giveaway: A Study In Silks by Emma Jane Holloway

UFI welcomes Emma Jane Holloway Author of A Study In Silks. Thanks for Joining us!!

The Temptation of a Steampunk Heroine

by Emma Jane Holloway

Temptation wears many faces, and the Victorians were quick to point out (rather gleefully at times) all the ways a young girl could go wrong. Reputations could be ruined in an instant, based on little more than a careless word or a minute spent alone with a man in a closed room. Ruin could mean anything up to being cast out penniless on the streets.

In A Study in Silks, my steampunk heroine, Evelina Cooper, is all too aware of what a misstep might cost her. Her position in Society is by no means assured, and the fact that she knows how to work magic—a crime punishable by public execution, if she’s is lucky—means she’s extra paranoid. But temptation keeps leaving her calling cards like a persistent salesman.

First, because she is a pretty young woman of marriageable age, there are suitors. One is Tobias—handsome, clever, rich, and heir to a title. He’s the flashy sports car model—breathtaking, but not really practical. And then there is Nick, her childhood sweetheart and a performer with the circus where Evelina spent her childhood. He has all the street-smarts and passion a girl could want, but whenever her magic and meets his, the results are about as subtle as a poltergeist on amphetamines. That’s all too dangerous when one is trying to hide rogue talents from the authorities.

But where Evelina can (mostly) resist the lure of romance, she has her future to think of.  Security was a powerful motivator during a time when people literally starved in the streets. She may not be dazzled by money, but she’s been poor and knows all too well what hunger means. It was around this time that the Salvation Army was first established because the living conditions in some parts of London were so dire. Marxists, anarchists, and trade unions were active as well, each trying in their own way to alleviate the suffering. The streets of nineteenth-century London were a volatile place to be. They were, after all, the playground of Jack the Ripper.

But what she wants even more than pure safety is the kind of independence and intellectual freedom her uncle, Sherlock Holmes, enjoys—a faint hope for an unmarried woman of modest means. Lucky for her that this is a steampunk world, and she’s inherited dual talents for magic and science. And this is where Evelina does falter. When the sorcerer Magnus offers to teach her how to use her magic to full advantage, she wavers.

Unfortunately, Magnus is tainted by death magic and is exactly the type of practitioner she has been taught to revile. But he might hold the solution to all her troubles, if only she would consent to learn what he has to teach. The price wouldn’t be high—possibly just her soul. But in the end, what wouldn’t we pay for self-knowledge? For freedom and the chance to chart our own course in the world? The worst demons, the worst temptations, are always within ourselves. Over the three books of The Baskerville Affair, this is Evelina’s struggle. 

What is the most interesting internal conflict you’ve read about?  Do you think this kind of inner struggle is a key feature of urban fantasy?

 

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Ever since childhood, Emma Jane Holloway refused to accept that history was nothing but facts prisoned behind the closed door of time. Why waste a perfectly good playground coloring within the timelines? Accordingly, her novels are filled with whimsical impossibilities and the occasional eye-blinking impertinence—but always in the service of grand adventure.

Struggling between the practical and the artistic—a family tradition, along with ghosts and a belief in the curative powers of shortbread—Emma Jane has a degree in literature and job in finance. She lives in the Pacific Northwest in a house crammed with books, musical instruments, and half-finished sewing projects. In the meantime, she’s published articles, essays, short stories, and enough novels to build a fort for her stuffed hedgehog.

Find Emma Jane and her books

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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A Study In Silks
The Baskerville Affair #1

Evelina Cooper, the niece of the great Sherlock Holmes, is poised to enjoy her first Season in London’s high society. But there’s a murderer to deal with—not to mention missing automatons, a sorcerer, and a talking mouse.
 
In a Victorian era ruled by a council of ruthless steam barons, mechanical power is the real monarch, and sorcery the demon enemy of the empire. Nevertheless, the most coveted weapon is magic that can run machines—something Evelina has secretly mastered. But rather than making her fortune, her special talents could mean death or an eternity as a guest of Her Majesty’s secret laboratories. What’s a polite young lady to do but mind her manners and pray she’s never found out?

But then there’s that murder. As Sherlock’s niece, Evelina should be able to find the answers, but she has a lot to learn. And the first decision she has to make is whether to trust the handsome, clever rake who makes her breath come faster, or the dashing trick rider who would dare anything for her if she would only just ask.

Read the first 50 pages here: http://sf-fantasy.suvudu.com/2013/09/50-page-fridays-emma-jane-holloway.html

Read the prequel short story here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2013/09/06/emma-jane-holloway-study-in-silks-prequel-wollaston-ritual/2772697/

 
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 International

Answer one of the questions above, and you’ll be entered into a draw for these earrings. They are adorably perfect for book lovers!  They’re hand made in Scotland and are tiny bound books with real pages. These are covered in a dark brown hand-made paper and ornamented with tiny silver keys.

ENDS  10/2/13