Review: A Patch of Darkness by Yolanda Sfetsos

A Patch of Darkness
Author: Yolanda Sfetsos
Release Date: May 15, 2012
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Sierra Fox Book #1
ISBN13: 6781609286880
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Author

In a perfect world, Sierra Fox would have stayed away from the Council she left years ago. But in this world—where spirits have the right to walk among the living—it’s her job to round up troublesome spooks and bring them before that very same Council.

Though her desk is piled high with open cases, she can’t resist an anonymous summons to a mysterious late-night meeting with a bunch of other hunters, each of whom seems to have a unique specialty. The news is dire: something is tearing at the fabric of the universe. If the hunters can’t find who or why in time, something’s going to give in a very messy way.

As current cases, family secrets, new clues and her tangled love life slowly wind themselves into an impossible knot, Sierra finds herself the target of a power-sucking duo intent on stealing her mojo. And realizing she holds the key to the last hope of sealing the widening rift.

Product Warnings: Spook catching: may contain traces of ectoplasm and otherworldly nasties. Not recommended for those with allergies to ghosts, demons, and with boyfriends who think your power is theirs. While reading, avoid dark patches and stay to the light.

Sierra is a spook catcher and her job and seeing how she does things was definitely the best part of A PATCH OF DARKNESS. The book had a good array of characters and I felt that Yolanda did a good job with their overall development of them. Yolanda plugged in to Sierra's past with the Council a lot and It was nice to see the back story and get a feel for what Sierra had been through. Sierra gets a mysterious note one night and finds herself in a new supernatural hunter type group yet the group really didn't do anything. I thought it was a bit weird to introduce it yet not really have them all work together. Sierra did see some of the others outside the group and a few helped her out but like I said as a group nothing was accomplished.

The whole relationship between Sierra and her boyfriend Jonathan annoyed the heck out of me. I mean how is she still with him at the end? Just don't understand it. She is portrayed as so incredibly strong in everything else about the novel and has dealt with dirt bag men in her past yet she ignores just about every sign that Jonathan is hiding something and just might not be on the up and up and when she finds out she doesn't drop him immediately?

A PATCH OF DARKNESS gave us plenty of action but most of the time while reading I was frustrated or just not that attached to the scene. I think the series has some potential but only if book 2 address' some holes and gives Sierra some better judgment towards her relationship.  

I gave it 2.5/5 stars

New Releases: 5/13-5/19

Tues May 15

As Dead As It Gets (Bad Girls Don't Die #3) by Katie Alender
Immortal Hearts (Vampire Kisses #9) by Ellen Schreiber

Happy Reading!!

Review: Hunting the Shadows by Alexia Reed

Hunting the Shadows
Author: Alexia Reed
Release Date: May 7, 2012
Publisher: Carina
Shadow Ops Project Book #1
ISBN13: 9781426893735
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Author

Amy has spent her life in isolation. Locked away in the Centre, a secret government facility where children with extraordinary abilities are raised as highly skilled fighters, she longs for a normal life. A life where being around people doesn't overload her sensitive telepathic mind. A life where she can't see through the eyes of a murderer as he hunts down his next victim...

J.C. Nikolaiev was a top researcher, but when his conscience got the better of him, he tried to destroy his work and free his subjects—and was imprisoned as a traitor. To save himself and prevent more people from dying, J.C. must catch the serial killer stalking the halls of the facility. But his only leads come from a woman whose thoughts have invaded his mind...

Finally out of the psych ward, Amy joins forces with J.C. to find the killer before he closes in on them. Can their growing attraction withstand the truths they uncover?

Both J.C and Amy grew up in a research program. J.C was groomed to fight and has become a top researcher but Amy was hidden away due to her mental abilities and continues to be hidden away and tested on. That all changes when J.C gets sick of the way the test subjects are treated and hatches a plan to free them that does not go as expected. J.C. and Amy are brought together and help each other find the saboteur and killer before its to late. 

The story starts with action and ends with action. I enjoyed both of the main characters but Amy was my favorite out of the two. She has been through a lot in her life hidden away in the mental hospital area of the compound she grew up in not able to be around others without her brain going haywire from the voices. She was alone and scared and latched onto J.Cs mind at the right moment to help him out. She went from a weak girl to a fierce woman with J.C.s help and J.C. was better having Amy in his life as well. J.C was the type of man that fights for his beliefs and the people he cares about. The world that he lives in is a hard way to grow up but he has never known anything else and still doesn't want his subjects to go through what they are going through. I didn't always agree with or like what he did in the book but he was a good man and you cant help but like him. There was an instant connection between the characters upon meeting each other. Their relationship was not easy but it flowed well and was believable. The world that the characters live in was interesting and kept me thinking. The mystery of who the killer was, was pretty good. I didn't feel like I had a grip on who it was throughout the story and I didn't guess who the real killer was until he was revealed. Overall I enjoyed HUNTING THE SHADOWS.


I'm not sure what book 2 will be about but I would assume this is one of those series that follows a different love story in each book but continues the plot throughout. I'm intrigued enough to keep reading more.


I gave it 3.5/5 stars

Week in Review: 5/6-5/12

Books Ive Bought/received

* All Spell Breaks Loose by Lisa Shearin- Publisher

* Blood Kin by M.J. Scott- Publisher

* Cursed by Benedict Jacka- Publisher 

* Shadow Sights by EJ Stevens-eARC-  Author


* Echo Falls by Jamie McDougall-Ecopy- Bewitching Book Tours

* Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein- ARC- Librarything win 

* Kitty Steals the Show by Carrie Vaughn-Arc- Publisher


* Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson-Arc-Author


Books I read

The Mayfair Moon by J.A. Redmerski
Blood Before Sunrise by Amanda Bonilla
All Spell Breaks Loose by Lisa Shearin
Blood Kin by M.J. Scott

Reviews posted


Just One Drop by Quinn Loftis
The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova
A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer

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

* Monday Quinn Loftis was here with a sneak peak of her newest release Just One Drop. She also put up a giveaway.

* Tuesday Sara Grant was here to promote her book Dark Parties. She provided a guest post and giveaway.

* I recently lost my job so giveaways that are solely put out there by me (about 40% of the giveaways I do) will not be as plentiful until I find a new one. I pay for the shipping all on my own and with no income on my part coming into the house I just cant justify doing it at the moment.


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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.

Winner: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

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Early Review: A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer

A Blood Seduction
Author: Pamela Palmer
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Publisher: Avon
Vamp City Book #1
ISBN:  0062107496
ISBN13: 9780062107497
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Edelweiss

Vampires live only for lust and pleasure in the eternal twilight of Vamp City. But the city’s magic is dying. The only person who can restore it? A beautiful woman from the mortal world...one who knows nothing of the power she wields.

Quinn Lennox is searching for a missing friend when she stumbles into a dark otherworld that only she can see—and finds herself at the mercy of Arturo Mazza, a dangerously handsome vampire whose wicked kiss will save her, enslave her, bewitch her, and betray her.

What Arturo can’t do is forget about her—any more than Quinn can control her own feelings for him. Neither one can let desire get in the way of their mission—his to save his people, hers to save herself.

But there is no escape from desire in a city built for seduction, where passion flows hot and blood-red. Welcome to Vamp City...

A BLOOD SEDUCTION is a great Dark Fantasy for those who like dark violence and a little twist with vampires living on a parallel world. 

Quinn was way to trusting in my opinion, I wanted to smack her upside the head more then a few times. I liked her abilities and the explanations of them. Reading about Arturo and his dual persona's was akin to experiencing whiplash. When his good side was showing he was swoon worthy and easy to like but then bam he is someone cold, heartless and all around a piss poor man. I still cant tell what his motives are as they seemed to be hidden and changed so darn often. The relationship between Quinn and Arturo was a bit weird. He wants her and she wants him but they lie and scheme against each other at ever turn. The world building was fantastic. It was well thought out and executed. I enjoyed Pamela's writing style but I cant say I was totally sold on the story as a whole.

I wasn't crazy about the ending but it was a good way to throw a wrench into things. It seemed like it was going good and you knew what was really happening and then bam nothing is as it seems.

I gave it 3/5 stars

Review: The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova

The Vicious Deep
Author: Zoraida Cordova
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
The Vicious Deep Book #1
ISBN:   1402265107
ISBN13: 9781402265105
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Netgalley

For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.

He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back.

I have enjoyed many of the mermaid books out there lately and THE VICIOUS DEEP is just as good with a slightly different twist since the main character is actually a merman.

Tristan's voice throughout the book was easy to follow and fall into. His character was well portrayed and his story was eventful. Layla was my second favorite character and as Tristan's best friend she had a high place in the book. Tristan and Layla have been best friends forever and now have feelings for each other but neither is willing to throw that out there first. Tristan is known to his friends as some what of a man whore so its pretty entertaining watching him try to get Layla to see him as more then a friend. The whole relationship was frustrating and sweet at the same time. There were a lot of great characters thrown into THE VICIOUS DEEP that also helped bring the story out and you really cant help falling in love with all of them.


Lots of stuff is left in the air but THE VICIOUS DEEP was the first book in The Vicious Deep Trilogy and you can tell the whole series will be nothing but entertainment, suspense and action. I'm looking forward to Tristan's continued fight to find the final pieces of the Triton.


I gave it 4/5 stars