Early Review + Giveaway: Flameout by Keri Arthur

Flameout

Author: Keri Arthur

Release Date: July 5, 2016

Publisher: Signet

Souls of Fire Book #3

ISBN:   0451477901

ISBN13: 9780451477903

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Publisher

Emberly and her red hot partner, Jackson, have hit an impasse in their battle against the crazed humans infected by a plague-like virus derived from vampire blood. Their quest to unearth the leader of the group leads them into an ambush—and leaves Emberly at odds with her former lover, Sam, who’s pressuring her to join his Paranormal Investigations Team.

To make matters worse, three local witches have been kidnapped—and if their spells fall into the wrong hands, Emberly’s powers could end up smothered. With time ticking until the virus consumes the world, Emberly and Jackson must race to save the witches, find a cure, and smoke out their nemesis—or go down in a blaze of glory...

I'm finding FLAMEOUT a little hard to review. I have really enjoyed the characters of this series as well as the storylines, but FLAMEOUT was not my favorite installment of the Souls of Fire series so far and I can't put my finger on what it is that makes me feel that way. I will try to figure it out as I write this review.

Let's just jump right in. The relationship between Emberly and Jackson has just sort of lost it's luster to me. FLAMEOUT has the characters hiding out and constantly on the move so they don't really have the time to connect and some other things came out in FLAMEOUT that makes me think that their relationship was meant to feel like that at this point. Then there is the person she loves in this lifetime, Sam. He seems to be a little more open to her, but I don't know if anything will ever come to that or if Emberly will be in a position to actually take him if he wants her. There is a lot of hurt there.

On top of the lack-luster relationship part of the book, I felt like I was reading the first two books in the series. I wanted something to really make FLAMEOUT stand out. Although it developed the overall series storyline, I didn't really feel that anything HUGE happened to set it apart from the other books until the end. There is a LOT of feels going on at the end of FLAMEOUT. Tons of action and a little something I saw coming, but didn't think would really happen. I honestly have NO clue what will happen next. I will admit that I was a little devastated though.

Ok, I guess I figured out what my issues were after all. No matter what, FLAMEOUT is a continuation of the overall storyline of the series. If you have enjoyed it so far, FLAMEOUT can not be skipped, you must pick up a copy and find out what happens next. The ending alone makes me want to read more.

I gave it 3/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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New Releases: 6/26-7/2

Tue. June 28th

 Addicted (Outlaws #2) by Elle Kennedy

 Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire #1) by Michael J. Sullivan

 And I Darken (The Conquerors Saga #1) by Kiersten White

 The Curse of Tenth Grave (Charley Davidson #10) by Darynda Jones

 The Darkest Magic (Spirits and Thieves #2) by Morgan Rhodes 

 Empire of Dust (Blood of Gods and Royals #2) by Eleanor Herman

 Eternal Sacrifice (Mortal Enchantment #4) by Stacey O'Neale

 Forevermore (Darkest London #7) by Kristen Callihan 

 Hope and Red (Empire of Storms Trilogy #1) by Jon Skovron

 House of Judges (House of Royals #4) by Keary Taylor 

 Icon (Persona #2) by Genevieve Valentine

 Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg

 The Perdition Score (Sandman Slim #8) by Richard Kadrey  

 Shadow Rider (Shadow #1) by Christine Feehan

 United as One (Lorien Legacies #7) by Pittacus Lore 

 Wolf's Empire: Gladiator by Claudia Christian, Morgan Grant Buchanan 

Happy Reading!

Early Review: Shadow Rider by Christine Feehan

Shadow Rider

Author: Christine Feehan

Release Date: June 28, 2016

Publisher: Jove

Shadow Book #1

ISBN:  0515156132

ISBN13: 9780515156133

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Review Copy Source: Publisher

The #1 New York Times bestselling “queen of paranormal romance”* is back with a sexy new series starring a Chicago crime family that hides a dark, mystical secret...

Whether it’s fast cars or fast women, Stefano Ferraro gets what he wants. When he’s not fodder for the paparazzi, he commands Ferraro family businesses—both legitimate and illegitimate.

While their criminal activity is simply a rumor yet to be proven, no one knows the real truth. The Ferraros are a family of shadow riders capable of manipulating light and dark, an ability Stefano thought ran in his family alone—until now…

With little left to her name, Francesca Cappello has come to Chicago in hopes of a new life. She wasn’t expecting to attract the attention of a man with primal hunger in his eyes, driven to claim her as his to protect and to please. And if he discovers her secret, it could ruin her...

I absolutely loved everything about SHADOW RIDER. I didn't want to put it down and when it was over I raced to Goodreads and the authors website to see if I could find out when the next book would be coming out and I was so sad when I couldn't find out any information about it. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long to get my next fix.

I have absolutely nothing to complain about when it comes to SHADOW RIDER. I thought every scene was interesting and I thought all the characters brought a little something extra to the story. I honestly can't wait to learn more about each of Stefano's family members. The action scenes were both highly entertaining and full of surprises. I loved the world and the different parts that made up the shadow community. What an interesting ability. The family has a hard job, but they do it the right way in my opinion.

Let's talk about the relationship of the story. Stefano comes off really strong and he's definitely over protective, but he loves with everything he has and treats Francesca like a queen. Francesca is hiding a lot and takes a while to open up, accept the new world and relationship she found herself in and really show how much she cares, but when she does she jumps all in. Together Stefano and Francesca are so much more than I can even explain. They complement each other perfectly and are HOT in the bedroom.

I can't wait to see what will come next for this series. If book two is anything like SHADOW RIDER I predict that it will be a must have series on my bookshelf. CAN'T WAIT for more!

I gave it 5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Week in Review: 6/19-6/25

Books Received for Review

Nightshades by Melissa F. Olson
Dragon in the Blood by Juliette Cross

Books I've Read

Chaos Rises by Pippa DaCosta
Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter
Nightshade by Melissa F. Olson
Dragon in the Blood by Juliette Cross

Reviews Posted

Boundary Born by Melissa F. Olson
The Curse of Tenth Grave by Darynda Jones

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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

* Monday- Guest Blog + Giveaway for Worth Dying For by Kory M. Shrum

* Tuesday-  Release Day Giveaway for Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole

* Wednesday- Promo + Giveaway for Phantom Embrace by Dianne Duvall

* Friday- Cover Reveal for Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

BlogLovin

Networked Blogs

Facebook
Pinterest Board

You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.

Twitter

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

Cover Reveal: Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Heart
Guild Hunter #9
Release Date: November 1, 2016
PreOrder   Goodreads

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us into a dangerous and exhilarating world where a deadly, beautiful archangel and his once-mortal consort are caught in a fury of twisted darkness…

One of the most vicious archangels in the world has disappeared. No one knows if Lijuan is dead or has chosen to Sleep the long sleep of an immortal. But with her lands falling into chaos under a rising tide of vampiric bloodlust, a mysterious and ancient order of angels known as the Luminata calls the entire Cadre together to discuss the fate of her territory.

Accompanying her archangelic lover Raphael to the Luminata compound, guild hunter-turned-angel Elena senses that all is not as it seems. Secrets echo from within the stone walls of the compound, and the deeper Elena goes, the uglier the darkness. But neither Raphael nor Elena is ready for the brutal truths hidden within—truths that will change everything Elena thinks she knows about who she is…

Nothing will ever be the same again.

__________________________________

Nalini Singh is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling, Guild Hunter, and Rock Kiss series. She lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing.

If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts and free short stories on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. The Rock Kiss books are all stand alone and can be read in any order.

Find Nalini and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

__________________________________

Early Review: The Curse of Tenth Grave by Darynda Jones

The Curse of Tenth Grave

Author: Darynda Jones

Release Date: June 28, 2016

Publisher: St. Martins Griffin

Charley Davidson Book #10

ISBN:  1250078199

ISBN13: 9781250078193

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Publisher

As a Part-time PI and fulltime grim reaper, Charley Davidson has asked a lot of questions throughout her life: Why can I see dead people? Who is the hot supernatural entity following me? How do I get gum out of my sister’s hair before she wakes up? But, “How do I trap not one malevolent god, but three?” was never among them. Until now. And since those gods are on earth to kill her daughter, she has little choice but to track them down, trap them, and cast them from this dimension.

There’s just one problem. One of the three stole her heart a very long time ago. Can the Razer, a god of absolute death and destruction, change his omniscient spots, or will his allegiances lie with his brothers?

Those are just a few of the questions Charley must answer, and quick. Add to that a homeless girl running for her life, an innocent man who’s been charged with murder, and a pendant made from god glass that has the entire supernatural world in an uproar, and Charley has her hands full. If she can manage to take care of the whole world-destroying-gods thing, we’re saved. If not, well…

THE DIRT ON NINTH GRAVE felt a little bit like a time out and reset sorta book, THE CURSE OF TENTH GRAVE brought us back to the normal side of Charley's life—if you could ever call it that.

I always look forward to getting my hands on the next Charley Davidson book and after THE DIRT ON NINTH GRAVE I was very interested in seeing how Charley would do re-entering her life again. She jumped in full steam ahead and re-entered her life as she always does, with determination and her own personal flair. There is a lot of action, there is a lot of danger and the emotions are up, down and off the wall.

There has been one major thing that has been bothering me for a really long time. The constant misunderstandings between Charley and Reyes causing bigger issues because they just won't open their mouths and talk to each other. I just don't get it. At this point in their relationship, after everything that they have been through, after all that they mean to each other, you would think that they would know better by now. THE CURSE OF TENTH GRAVE definitely wasn't as bad with this as some of the previous installments, but it's still present. They really need to start putting everything out there. I will admit that Cookies resolution to their current misunderstanding was pretty awesome.

So what will happen next with Charley and her gang? Who the heck knows. ELEVENTH GRAVE AT MIDNIGHT won't come out until January 2017 so I will have a while to dream of what I want to happen before I get it into my hands. This is hands down one of my favorite series. Thank you Darynda Jones for continuing to keep me entertained.

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Boundary Born by Melissa F. Olson

Boundary Born

Author: Melissa F. Olson

Release Date: June 21, 2016

Publisher: 47 North

Boundary Magic Book #3

ISBN:   1503936163

ISBN13: 9781503936164

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Review Copy Source: NetGalley

Something wicked is at work in Colorado’s supernatural community. Vampires are being paralyzed or killed with poison…a weapon favored by witches. This offense threatens to break apart the already-fractured alliance between witches and the undead.

The state’s cardinal vampire, Maven, summons boundary witch Allison “Lex” Luther to stop the killing before it ignites a war. Lex has barely started investigating when she gets another surprise: the biological father she’s never met arrives on her doorstep. He has answers to all of Lex’s questions about her bloodline, but getting answers could mean betraying the life she’s already built.

Then the next vampire is poisoned—and this time it’s Maven herself. The new evil that hunts Lex is powerful and ruthless enough to stop the strongest supernatural creature in the state. In order to find such a killer, Lex will have to face down her own birthright and call on every ally—both living and dead.

I have really enjoyed getting to know Lex. She loves fiercely and will do anything to protect her family, which she proves time and time again. I love how bad-ass she is and I love watching her overcome the obstacles and dangers that have been thrown at her in each installment of the Boundary Magic series.

In BOUNDARY BORN she does more of what she does best, saving the day! There is ton of action as she fights to save herself and her friends from a foe she never saw coming.  Her relationship with Quinn is still pretty present and growing. One thing that I missed in BOUNDARY BORN though was Charlie. We don't 'see' her once. I am not really sure what else I can say about BOUNDARY BORN without giving away spoilers so I will leave my review at that.

I'm not sure if the Boundary Magic series is over or not. Olson states that she is taking some time off for a bit to work on other things. I really hope that it doesn't take long because there is SO much more Lex and friends to be had. I will miss them all until I see them again.

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.