Early Review: Peachy Flippin' Keen by Molly Harper

Peachy Flippin' Keen by Molly Harper

Southern Eclectic 1.5

A prank war erupts in Lake Sackett, Georgia and coroner Frankie McCready has to turn to the gorgeous but surly new sheriff for help in Molly Harper’s newest Southern Eclectic novella, perfect for fans of Kristan Higgins and Amy E. Reichert.

The McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop has crickets running rampant in the store and hot sauce in the Snack Shack’s ketchup bottles. But as the county coroner, Frankie has enough on her plate without worrying about the increasingly mean pranks being played at her family’s business. And the arrival of Sheriff Eric Linden, both devastatingly attractive and painfully taciturn, is enough to push her over the edge.

Linden, who didn’t seem to get the memo about men in uniform and Southern charm, is condescending and cold, revealing absolutely nothing about his past as an Atlanta police officer, while also making Frankie’s job as coroner as difficult as possible. And with the town’s Fourth of July celebration coming up, it’s essential for McCready’s to be cricket-free and in good working order. Strangling the sheriff will make her job even harder. Can Frankie hold off the threats to preserve her own sanity?

PEACH FLIPPIN' KEEN was a fun little prequel novella to set up for the next book in the Southern Eclectic series. This time around Frankie is at the forefront, and while there's no complete story here, it was a fun romp to prep things for her full book. I really love this world and these characters, especially Frankie. So, I really enjoyed this teaser to set up for the "main show" to come.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:



Other Reviews:
     Always Reviewing
     Midnight Book Girls

Previous Books:
     1. Sweet Tea and Sympathy

Release Day Review: Veiled Enchantments by Deborah Blake

Veiled Enchantments by Deborah Blake

Veiled Magic #3

Still reeling from her unwitting involvement in murder and subsequent break up with a half-Dragon art forger, Witch-cop Donata Santori is grateful for the distraction when her ex-lover requests her help. Not only are Magnus's beloved dead suddenly haunting the Ulfhednar shapechangers in his tiny rural hometown in Maine, their patron god Odin has turned his back on them, and the members of their once tight-knit enclave are at each other's throats. Literally.

Magnus is relying on Donata's experience in dealing with the gods, along with her magical ability to summon the dead, to help him unravel this mystery in time to save his clan. Donata only hopes to survive the ordeal so she can return home to the city and her quiet job at the precinct.

But first, she must discover who or what is behind the terrible attacks on the Ulfhednar. And the clock is ticking, in more ways than one...

This series truly gets better with each book. I feel like I've really settled into the world and the characters this time around. I love Donata's character. She's come an incredibly long way from the witch we first met in book one. She's fierce and determined to do the right thing always, even when it could cost her greatly and I love her for it. She has to step up yet again in this book, and despite some pretty big opposition, she never once wavers. It made for an entertaining read to say the least.

In the previous books in the series, one of my biggest frustrations was with the romance. Over all they just weren't working for me, but I'm happy to say that the romance woes are in the rearview mirror now. Things settled greatly in VEILED ENCHANTMENTS and there wasn't any of that previous wishy washy stuff from before. That's not to say everything is sappy and perfect in Donata's love life, quite the opposite actually. It just felt more settled and building towards something rather than the tennis match back and forth of the previous books. Romance lovers should appreciate this new direction.

All in all, VEILED ENCHANTMENTS was an enjoyable installment in a series that I hope will have many more releases to come. I love Donata and the gang, and can't wait to see where things lead next.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:



Other Reviews:
     Tome Tender

Previous Books:
     1. Veiled Magic
     2. Veiled Menace

Early Review: Twice Bitten by Lynsay Sands

Twice Bitten by Lynsay Sands

Argeneau #27

For someone who’s been around for over a hundred and forty years, immortal Elspeth Argeneau hasn’t done a whole lot of living. Now that she’s moved away from her controlling mother, she’s tracking down rogue vampires and enjoying some overdue freedom. A fling would be fun. A life mate can wait. Yet to Elspeth’s surprise, her landlady’s hot grandson checks both boxes.

Wyatt fell instantly in love with Elspeth four years ago. He’s stunned to run into her again, especially as she has no memory of him. Then again, there are a lot of things about Elspeth that don’t make sense, like the miraculous speed with which her wounds heal. And the chemistry that transforms every touch into an explosion of desire. But with mysterious “accidents” besieging Elspeth, the ex-Special Forces soldier appoints himself her bodyguard. But time is running out to uncover the truth about her enemies—and rediscover the man determined to love her for eternity.

After twenty-seven books you would wonder if things are going to start gettting stale. But after reading TWICE BITTEN, I can assure you this series is still as strong as ever. Not only were the characters and romance fantastic, it was an absolute hoot too boot. I can't count how many times while reading it that I cracked up laughing out loud. 

I absolutely adored Elspeth's character. She's had to endure so much from her overbearing mother it was utterly insane. I wanted to reach through the pages and strangle that woman so many times, it's not funny. In fact it was impressive how humorous the book was in spite of how awful the mother was. So for Elspeth to have been such a strong character in the face of that opposition was nothing short of incredible, and I loved her all the more for it. And the hero, Wyatt? He was put through an incredible lot himself in a short time, but he took it all in stride. The two of them were very well paired. 

If you are looking for fun read that's full of heat, humor, and high stakes, TWICE BITTEN is the book for you. I love the Argeneau books, and all I can say is keep them coming!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:



Other Reviews:
     Next Book Around the Corner

Previous Books:
     1. A Quick Bite
     2. Love Bites
     3. Single White Vampire
     4. Tall, Dark, & Hungry
     5. A Bite to Remember
     6. Bite Me If You Can
     7. The Accidental Vampire
     8. Vampires Are Forever
     9. Vampire, Interrupted
    10. The Rouge Hunter
    11. The Immortal Hunter
    12. The Renegade Hunter
    13. Born to Bite
    14. Hungry for You
    15. The Reluctant Vampire
    16. Under a Vampire Moon
    17. The Lady is a Vamp
    18. Immortal Ever After
    19. One Lucky Vampire
    20. Vampire Most Wanted
    21. The Immortal Who Loved Me
    22. About a Vampire
    23. Runaway Vampire
    24. Immortal Nights
    25. Immortal Unchained
    26. Immortally Yours

Review: The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

Iskari #1

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be darkness—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death-bringer.

These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up learning in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.

Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend—a slave boy from her betrothed’s household—Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her.

I've always been a fan of dragon stories, but THE LAST NAMSARA may take the cake for uniqueness. At the opening, our heroine, Asha thinks Dragons are evil and has made it her life mission to hunt them all down. She's quite the little bloodthirsty killer, and good at her task. But in typical YA fantasy fashion, nothing is as it seems. I really enjoyed seeing Asha's progression from the role of killer, into something else as her world view slowly changed. Everything she thought she knew was a lie, and it sure made for a shakeup in her life, and the story itself. I was hooked watching her world fall around her, and then her standing strong picking up the pieces and fighting for what she felt was right. It just made for a very enjoyable heroine.

Moving onto the romance, and it's a forbidden one at that. Asha found herself in the unlikely situation of falling for a slave. It was interesting to see her trying to come to grips with her feelings as well as society's pressure around her, all the while her world view had come tumbling down. Oh and don't forget the conflict of her being betrothed to someone else. Torwin is both sweet, yet incredibly strong, refusing to give up despite knowing the risks. I really adored his character and I can't wait to see how thing progress with these two in future books.

All in all if you enjoy a good YA fantasy read about dragons that's full of twists and turns, look no further than THE LAST NAMSARA.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:



Other Reviews:
     Du Livre
     Gizmo's Reviews
     Hit or Miss Books

Release Day Review: Lake Silence by Anne Bishop

Lake Silence by Anne Bishop

The Others #6

Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others–vampires, shapeshifters, and paranormal beings even more deadly. And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget . . .

After her divorce, Vicki DeVine took over a rustic resort near Lake Silence, in a human town that is not human controlled. Towns like Vicki’s have no distance from the Others, the dominant predators that rule most of the land and all of the water throughout the world. And when a place has no boundaries, you never really know what’s out there watching you.

Vicki was hoping to find a new career and a new life. But when her lodger, Aggie Crowe–one of the shapeshifting Others–discovers a dead body, Vicki finds trouble instead. The detectives want to pin the man’s death on her, despite the evidence that nothing human could have killed the victim. As Vicki and her friends search for answers, things get dangerous–and it’ll take everything they have to stay alive.

While reading LAKE SILENCE I felt just a bit of deja vu, but in the best possible way. Many elements of the story felt similar to the first set up in the Others world. Everything was different, don't get me wrong, but similar feeling all the same with each setting bringing something different to the table. I had worried a bit that I would miss Meg and Simon and the Courtyard immensely, but these new characters and the Jumble pulled me in right from the start, making it feel like coming home again.

Just like in previous books in the series the main characters are fantastic, but the supporting cast is just as three dimensional and enjoyable. Our caretaker of the Jumble is Vicki. Like Meg, she's rather damaged, but very strong inside, and endears all of the Others two her. It put a huge smile on my face to see just how quickly the Others adopted her as well. Then of course you have all of the various humans and their shops on the good side of things. Plus a gruff but great cop named Wayne, and a seeing Intuit, Julian Farrow thrown in the mix that I really adored. Then getting into the Others, both large and small, they added a rich depth to the book. I particularly enjoyed the Sanquinati, Ilya, and the role he played in this book. He's scary but noble all at the same time, and I loved the juxtaposition. Add in the larger role the mysterious Elders play, and the Lady of the Lake, and LAKE SILENCE had one heck of a cast.

Then you have the plot, and oh boy was it a doozy. Vicki's claim on the Jumble is threatened, and to put it mildly, the Others do not take this well. You would think by now humans in general would know better, but I guess there's no limit to some people's greed. Their idiocy and shenanigans made for an interesting read, just seeing how bad things could get. 

All in all LAKE SILENCE was an incredibly enjoyable read. Fans of the first books in this series will be more than pleased with this new direction. I can't wait to see where things go next. 

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:



Other Reviews:
     Between Dreams and Reality
     Gizmo's Reviews
     Slapdash & Sunday

Previous Books:
     1. Written in Red
     2. Murder of Crows
     3. Vision in Silver
     4. Marked in Flesh
     5. Etched in Bone