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Showing posts with label series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label series. Show all posts

Monday, December 31, 2012

Review: Kindred by Nicola Claire


Title: Kindred
Series: Kindred #1
Author: Nicola Claire
Published: May 2012
Tour: No
Format: Ebook provided by author for review

“You may not be aware, ma douce, but not all vampyre have a kindred, some will live out their existence without such beauty in their lives. I have waited five hundred years for you."

Vampires, shape shifters, ghouls and magic users abound in a world where the Norms, (those humans without paranormal abilities) are ignorant of the creatures of the night and the supernatural species that live alongside them.

Lucinda Monk is a bank teller by day and a vampire hunter by night, but she wasn’t always a part of this world. Thrown into a heady mix of powerful people and sensual beings, she’s had to find her way practically blindfolded in amongst the creatures of the night. But she’s a capable and realistic kind of girl. Her motto: never show fear. But, there's something different about Lucinda, something those creatures she hunts, want. In order to stay one step ahead of the enemy she has to let the enemy in. In all his compelling, seductive and delicious ways. Sleeping with the enemy has never meant so much before. But, can she trust him?

From the urban streets of the city, to the dark alleys and sinful bars that promise a wickedness a girl from the farm has never before been exposed to, Lucinda gets drawn irreversibly into the dark side of life. And if the Master of the City had his way, she would always be his. For eternity.

I have just one complaint about this book – the cover. It makes me think some romcom type fantasy will be inside. It doesn’t lend anything to the real story (which is awesome) within. With that said, every other single part of this book was terrific. When I go to cross post on the sites with ratings, its getting a 5 star review.

“Hunters have been preyed upon for centuries, my dear. It’s nothing new.”

In a world where vampires have power that is tangible, Lucinda (a name I love, btw) is a kickass vampire hunter in New Zealand. She’s got the kickass style, the attitude, the quick comebacks. And a Master Vampire in her corner, which she is only just realizing exactly what that means. She is tough and strong, both in body and mind. She is fighting for the greater good. With most characters their likeability factor with me can ebb and flow, but with Lucinda I was totally into her the entire way through.


The Master vampire in her corner is Michel, and yes, he’s hot and French. In the beginning he is very diplomatic to Luce, and I couldn’t quite figure out why. I mean here they were having meetings and speaking, and I couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t staking him. Sure, she had some buried attraction to him, and he is a level one master who’d probably clean the floor with her if she tried… but still. It wasn’t long before everything became clear. And Michel, well, he is all types of wonderful. I really loved his character. Again, the same with Luce, I never found a spot in this book when I wanted to say I didn’t like him.

And then there is something coming along to bring these two characters together in a way that will make them inseparable, and liable for eachother. I am not going to get too in depth on that because its not listed in the blurb. But it really is the main focus of the book. Nosferatu and Nosferatin. It was an amazing and unique twist, and its results were literally breathtaking when Michel and Luce would give in to their base needs. And good luck for us, it was often. The two of them together felt so right and magical, it was absolutely the biggest draw in the book for me, personally.

This book has a lot of action. I mean seriously, a lot. Some of it was chemistry, some was sexual heat, and a lot of it was good ol fashion battle action. A lot of things happened in these pages. There are several kidnappings, a friendship in danger, and a budding romance that is all consuming. I was excited through every page, no skimming or reading fast through this one. Every page had something new and exciting. Of course I adored the main characters, but the secondary characters that came and went, or stayed, were all fantastic and lively. The world Nicola Claire has created in Auckland, New Zealand is really wonderful. I definitely recommend this book, and I think you need to read it!! Looking on Goodreads, I can see this series is up to book eight, so I am very far behind. But I am definitely going to read every book in this series – its that good.

Find Nicola Claire Online:

Review: Kindred by Nicola Claire


Title: Kindred
Series: Kindred #1
Author: Nicola Claire
Published: May 2012
Tour: No
Format: Ebook provided by author for review

“You may not be aware, ma douce, but not all vampyre have a kindred, some will live out their existence without such beauty in their lives. I have waited five hundred years for you."

Vampires, shape shifters, ghouls and magic users abound in a world where the Norms, (those humans without paranormal abilities) are ignorant of the creatures of the night and the supernatural species that live alongside them.

Lucinda Monk is a bank teller by day and a vampire hunter by night, but she wasn’t always a part of this world. Thrown into a heady mix of powerful people and sensual beings, she’s had to find her way practically blindfolded in amongst the creatures of the night. But she’s a capable and realistic kind of girl. Her motto: never show fear. But, there's something different about Lucinda, something those creatures she hunts, want. In order to stay one step ahead of the enemy she has to let the enemy in. In all his compelling, seductive and delicious ways. Sleeping with the enemy has never meant so much before. But, can she trust him?

From the urban streets of the city, to the dark alleys and sinful bars that promise a wickedness a girl from the farm has never before been exposed to, Lucinda gets drawn irreversibly into the dark side of life. And if the Master of the City had his way, she would always be his. For eternity.

I have just one complaint about this book – the cover. It makes me think some romcom type fantasy will be inside. It doesn’t lend anything to the real story (which is awesome) within. With that said, every other single part of this book was terrific. When I go to cross post on the sites with ratings, its getting a 5 star review.

“Hunters have been preyed upon for centuries, my dear. It’s nothing new.”

In a world where vampires have power that is tangible, Lucinda (a name I love, btw) is a kickass vampire hunter in New Zealand. She’s got the kickass style, the attitude, the quick comebacks. And a Master Vampire in her corner, which she is only just realizing exactly what that means. She is tough and strong, both in body and mind. She is fighting for the greater good. With most characters their likeability factor with me can ebb and flow, but with Lucinda I was totally into her the entire way through.


The Master vampire in her corner is Michel, and yes, he’s hot and French. In the beginning he is very diplomatic to Luce, and I couldn’t quite figure out why. I mean here they were having meetings and speaking, and I couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t staking him. Sure, she had some buried attraction to him, and he is a level one master who’d probably clean the floor with her if she tried… but still. It wasn’t long before everything became clear. And Michel, well, he is all types of wonderful. I really loved his character. Again, the same with Luce, I never found a spot in this book when I wanted to say I didn’t like him.

And then there is something coming along to bring these two characters together in a way that will make them inseparable, and liable for eachother. I am not going to get too in depth on that because its not listed in the blurb. But it really is the main focus of the book. Nosferatu and Nosferatin. It was an amazing and unique twist, and its results were literally breathtaking when Michel and Luce would give in to their base needs. And good luck for us, it was often. The two of them together felt so right and magical, it was absolutely the biggest draw in the book for me, personally.

This book has a lot of action. I mean seriously, a lot. Some of it was chemistry, some was sexual heat, and a lot of it was good ol fashion battle action. A lot of things happened in these pages. There are several kidnappings, a friendship in danger, and a budding romance that is all consuming. I was excited through every page, no skimming or reading fast through this one. Every page had something new and exciting. Of course I adored the main characters, but the secondary characters that came and went, or stayed, were all fantastic and lively. The world Nicola Claire has created in Auckland, New Zealand is really wonderful. I definitely recommend this book, and I think you need to read it!! Looking on Goodreads, I can see this series is up to book eight, so I am very far behind. But I am definitely going to read every book in this series – its that good.

Find Nicola Claire Online:

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Review: The Knight Of The Rose by AM Hudson



Title: The Knight Of The Rose
Author: AM Hudson
Format: Ebook, personal purchase
Published: March 2012























Love was only the beginning of her nightmares. 


When Ara discovered the existence of vampires, she was given the choice between a life as one of them, or a life without her true love.


But fate has a funny way of making choices for you. 


After breaking the heart of the boy she loves with a truth he cannot bear, Ara will find herself in the arms of a predator who will steal her innocence and force the hand of fate. 


Will David Knight become her rescuer once again, or will he be too late?

Oh my goodness, what can I say about this book?  In the first book we met Ara and David, and they fell in love.  But like the blurb says, “fate has a funny way of making choices for you”.  In Knight Of The Rose the pair have a short time together, because David must leave.  Ara doesn’t want to give up her chances of having a family of her own – or seeing her deceased mother and brother in the afterlife, so she refuses to become a vampire with him.  But he can not stay.  And worse, now Mike is coming to visit from Australia.  If you’ve read book one, you’ll remember Mike is her best friend.  But possibly now a best friend turns into more?
He told me once, so long ago, that the touch of human skin to a vampire is like a thousand kisses of ecstasy; like satiating an eternal hunger with the warmth of one

This book… it had me in tears.  I was bawling like a baby.  There were several times I had to put it down, I couldn’t take the emotions it was giving me.  There were other times I literally stayed up so late that I got about two hours of sleep before work.  I am in love with these characters and this world that AM Hudson has created.  I want to crawl inside her head and live there, forever in peace with all of these people she has given us.  Well, except they aren’t in peace, not always.  Where is the fun in that??

I gushed over book one, and book two is no exception.  I have book 3, but I am trying to wait because it is just such an emotional read I felt a bit… dry afterwards.  You know what I mean?  Like when you’ve just used up everything you have on this journey – but in the best possible way.

David leaves in this book.  He has to.  He has no choice.  And I was so mad at him!!  How could he do that?  There is always a loophole, isn’t there?  And then Mike is there, and he is getting all too comfy, and I’m sure he is a good guy – but let me get this straight – I don’t like him.  I want him away from Ara.  Ara is this strong and gentle character, and she seems to have a hard time making her mind up.

I’m not going to go over the plot a million times in this book.  Firstly cause its second in the series and is not a standalone work, but secondly, because I want you to read it.  There is some very real danger in this book, something that happens that will just change everything.  And it also brings up more mystery.  This story is eerie, beautiful, romantic, heartbreaking and just perfect.  Read it.  Now.



I knew a love more perfect and more devastating than any other feeling I’ve ever had in my life, and I owe that to this man, who has very unfortunate timing. Our eyes met in a standstill of anguish and indecision. Neither of us could find the words to make everything okay—it would never be okay.



Previously Reviewed Titles By AM Hudson
Tears Of The Broken



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


Author Bio: 

A.M. Hudson started writing full-time after her third child. She lives a more than ordinary life in Australia with her husband and children. When she's not writing, she sings in a duo or can be found under a pile of books.



Website
Facebook
Twitter         


Right now you can get the first book, Tears of the Broken for FREE on Amazon!  Click HERE

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Spotlight/Giveaway - Just Call Me Angel Series - SR Claridge

Today I am featuring the Just Call Me Angel series by SR Claridge.  Check out all the info, I'm sure you will like it!  And at the end there is a giveaway for a full set of the series!!  That is FOUR books!  The prize is through Smashwords, so it will be open internationally and for any ereader!  Woohoo!  Thank you so much to Susan for letting me give this prize to my awesome readers!  And readers, I'm sure you will be interested, so enough of my babble, let me get on with the promo!


*******************



Tetterbaum's Truth
Just Call Me Angel Series
Book 1
SR Claridge
Angel Martin plans to marry Tony and live happily ever after... until Tony disappears. Nursing a broken heart, she takes a job at Tetterbaum's Pub, unaware it is the most prestigious Mafia hangout in Chicago. In a world filled with a pretense of innocence and a past filled with iniquity, Angel's life hangs in a twisted balance of deception and revenge. Through an unlikely turn of events, Angel discovers her entire life has been a carefully orchestrated lie. No one is who they say they are and everyone has an agenda of their own. Finding herself in the middle of a revengeful scheme from a past she's never known and a Mafia blackmail scandal that s already left several dead, Angel races to find answers. The trouble is, the closer she gets to hidden evidence and tainted truths, the more the crime families want her out of the way. With her true identity now exposed, learning who she can trust becomes a matter of life and death and unraveling the past is her only hope for staying alive.





 Traitors Among Us
Just Call Me Angel Series
Book 2
SR Claridge
With Tetterbaum's Truth revealed and her true identity exposed, Angel Martin tries to adjust to her radically new role as head of the Chicago Maratinzano family. Unfortunately, Mafia life offers little down time.The sudden kidnapping of her mother and Aunt Olga leads Angel on a path to a past she's never known and an adversary she is unable to find. When an FBI mob bust against her family is fueled by administration level information, Angel turns to the other Chicago Bosses for answers; but every trail dead ends and every person is not who they seem.Racing to save the people she loves most, Angel must learn to trust her instincts, even when she comes face-to-face with the scariest truth yet... there are Traitors Among Us.



Russian Uprising
Just Call Me Angel Series
Book 3
SR Claridge


After a brutal attack on Tetterbaum’s Pub...the five Chicago families are infiltrated by the Russian Bratva. Angel is forced to take drastic measures to flush out the infiltrators before more people die. Traitors are friends and friends become enemies in this deceptive Mafia world, where Angel’s only hope of stopping the Russian uprising is to turn against her own blood.




 Death Trap
Just Call Me Angel Series
Book 4
SR Claridge

A jet explodes. Angel is presumably on board. Learning that the explosion was a well-planned attack, Angel’s men set out for revenge. Unknown to anyone, Angel is alive,forced into hiding from the terrorist group exacting revenge on her grandfather, Salvatore. Emotions run high as Angel must face the suffocating reality that her only hope for staying alive is to play dead.

*~*~*~*~* 

Find Susan Online:


Here are some excerpts to get you started! (Opens in new window)




Susan Renee' Woods Claridge (writing under the penname S.R.Claridge) grew up in St. Louis, Missouri graduating from Lindbergh High School and furthering her education with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Missouri, Columbia.  Susan has lived in Los Angeles, CA., Boulder, CO. and Kansas City, KS; and now resides in Broomfield, Colorado with her husband and two children. 

She began her writing career being published for her poetry, lyrics and greeting cards; but has found her niche in the fiction world of mystery and romantic suspense.  She says it is her background in theatre and psychology that help her fill the pages with enough dramatic suspense to keep her readers guessing until the very end. 

S.R. Claridge is a romantic at heart, creatively seduced by the allure of a full moon, a glass of red wine and the glow of candlelight.  She likes to blast music really loud and dance around like a wild woman until her kids fall over laughing.  She believes in true love and that people can indeed change.  Rooted in a strong faith, she believes in forgiveness, in Jesus, in miracles and angels, and in the power of prayer ... professing openly that any good thing in her comes from God.

Similar to the writing styles of best-selling authors Janet Evanovich and Mary Higgins Clark, S.R.Claridge's novels are sure to grab your attention, keep you guessing, stimulate your senses and ultimately warm your heart.  ~


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