Bring on the Night by Jeri Smith-Ready (Review)

What's Blood Got to Do With It?

  Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin seems to finally have it all. A steady job at WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll. A loving relationship with the idiosyncratic but eternally hot DJ Shane McAllister. A vampire dog who never needs shots or a pooper-scooper. And after nine years, it looks as if she might actually finish her bachelor's degree!
  But fate has other plans for Ciara. First she must fulfill her Faustian bargain with the Control, the paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line. Turns out the Control wants her for something other than her (nonexistent) ability to kick undead ass. Her anti-holy blood, perhaps? 
  Ciara's suspicions are confirmed when she's assigned to a special-ops division known as the Immanence Corps, run by the Control's oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers. To a confirmed skeptic like Ciara, it sounds like a freak fest. But when a mysterious, fatal virus spreads through Sherwood—and corpses begin to rise from their graves—Ciara will not only get a crash course in zombie-killing, but will be forced to put her faith, and her life itself, in the hands of magic.


Review:

I always get nervous when reading the newest in a series that I love. How can the author keep building onto a world and not disappoint me. Can it be done, is it possible? I have been burned and hurt before by series before.

Turns out Jeri Smith-Ready, does the impossible and keeps getting better and better with every book she writes. It's like she writes with the motto "take that bitches!" referring to her previous novels. Because if you think past books in WVMP were good then you are going to completely orgasm at Bring on the Night. Jeri brought it on all right; she brought it on like Woah!

Everything kept topping each other. I had no time to catch my breath. All the Shane, the Zombies, the Monroe (whom no longer ranks amongst my graces), and the sad… yes I got teary-eyed, ok FINE I cried, so what! It was just too much with all the, well all the awesome. A lot of explosive shit happens! Bomb after bomb that no series have ever dropped! Jeri Smith-Ready also has successfully scared me about my never having chicken pox. I see somebody who I suspect has it and I run. Funny thing is...it’s usually children. You will understand the Chicken Pox thing once you read.

Still Ciara seems to get her happy ending which I like. Jeri understands me. Things don't need to end perfect for heroine but damn it, wrap it up and put a pretty bow on that shit! I do like the happily ever-err for right now despite it all.

I cannot wait for the next in the series though; true to form, I am nervous.
CatholicKittie


Eye of the Beholder by Ruth Ann Nordin (Review)

First review of the New Year and we've got ourselves a Beta!

*Click cover for author's page*

A homely woman who fears she will never marry becomes a mail-order bride. The man she comes for rejects her but another offers her marriage. She accepts, not believing love will result from the union. Love, after all, is for beautiful women. Isn't it?

It is no grand confession when I inform you guys that I am a paranormal romance down to my heart. With that non-surprising confession done I can also say that sometimes they get a bit much in their epic-ness and dark. A girl sometimes needs a break. That was where I was at when I turned to my book stash on my sony e-reader I call Gia. I needed a fast lite read and ya know me, it's gotta be romance.




I picked Eye of the Beholder by Ruth Ann Nordin. I had picked up a load of her e-novellas on smashwords a while back hoping they would one day get a chance with me.



I am so use to the alpha/uber-alpha in books I read so Hero, Dave Larson, knocked me flat on my ass and took my breath away with his beta. Damn, I liked it! He was this funny, handsome and gentle guy who knew what he wanted, how to get it and got it without clubbing you over the head growling "mine." My heart fluttered as I whispered, "Holy shit that is hot."



I also like Mary Peters, the heroine, though her bemoaning inner dialogue of her unattractiveness got a bit much and ground my nerves. She was a good girl and we get to see not only a man but also a whole entire town fall in love with a girl.



Mary is kind to the extreme and I loved seeing her ugly or plain looks (depending on whom you asked) evolve to pretty to beautiful as they got to know her genuine inner beauty and through a man's love who has always seen it.



I have never read an arranged marriage romance but now I am not sure I can stop. I highly suggest you pick this book up you will love it. Who knew Betas could be so drool-worthy?

  Want to read this book?  First person to ask for a copy I will buy it for you from Smashwords because it's no longer free. 
CatholicKittie

Demon Hunts by C.E Murphy (Review)

I count this series as one of my favorites…for numerous reasons but one of the highest was Coyote and of course the men. I have to be one of the only people who does not want Joanne with Captain Morrison. I like “Thor”. I like him…I really like him.


Alas, I have to admit though I loved this book it is not as good as the others in the series. It took me an insane amount of time to get into it and eventually it came down to me having to convince myself to read it. Don’t get me wrong once I did the convincing I’d enjoy reading but there was no excitement about it. I am not even sure why. The story was solid as where the characters but it seems to me that Joanne is not “growing” mentally. She is growing in her power and ability but she is staying the same “personality-wise” I can’t explain it. While I loved her at the beginning of the series her lack of growth is making her a bit unlikable. Does that make this book bad? Not at all, C.E Murphy has a talent of never writing a bad book. It’s not even disappointing I just expect a lot more from a protag at this point in the series. Coyote mentions her “growing up” I was asking myself where, when? I didn’t see it. I love you Coyote but nah babe, you are wrong.

But on to the story itself, I always get spooked reading these books. I am a chicken and the zombies, and evil always give me the chills now a serial killer that um eats people…eeks! I LOVE IT! I am biased towards the ending because I really can’t stand Morrison, I just don’t like him.

CatholicKittie

Iron Daughter-Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa (review)

Okay, I will admit it I am a person who talks, screams and curses at characters while I read and thanks to twitter I now also tweet what I think as well. It makes reading fun for me, when the book causes me to do this rather I am calling them idiots or cheering them on. The Iron Fey series does a little of both. Meghan got the most rants. I just find her on the too stupid to live side at times.


But that just tells you how good the series and the book are because it is one of the series I can’t live without.

In this installment Ash is a jerk. Even more so and Meghan runs after him like a weak little puppy. I just don’t get why YA series do this. Why have the heroine chase after a guy who treats them like crap…for whatever reason. I hate that, more than anything because I hate weak females and these books breed them. Ugh. Meghan is weak weak weak, but the story is good good good in spite of it.

I can’t say too much about the high point of the book because it is so spoiler-y…but yeah Puck is the awesome and I can’t say that I am Team Puck because I wouldn’t wish Meghan on anyone no matter how badly he thinks he wants her. Ash and Meghan deserve each other…both annoying and dumb but Puck, Puck is a classic character.

I hate Ash for reasons, not just oh my gawd I hate him so much. The reason, I hate more than life when a guy decides that he is going to stay away, push away and blah blah blah away from a girl because he loves her so much he wants to protect her. Screw that and screw you dude! That is her choice. Who do you think you are that you can make a decision for a woman and who are you to think SHE can’t protect herself?!

I know this sounds a bit I am woman, hear me roar but….*sigh* fine RAAAAWR!

I am a Iron Fey fan and I will say this story lacked Machina and I needs my Machina! But what it lacked in Machina it made up for in surprise bombshells, Meghan’s family history and the members being one. I hope that isn’t too much a spoiler.

I enjoyed reading this book because I was yelling and tweeting away and the book really pulls you in and involved and you feel invested.

Thank you NetGalley for the eGalley,
CatholicKittie

The Sleeping Beauty by Mercedes Lackey (review)

I am a huge fan of retellings and of Mercedes Lackey. Lackey’s style makes the tales that we have heard thousand times over unique and a page turner. Sleeping Beauty was no different. I love the way Lackey sets a scene and I could actually picture the world. I love the traditions and how it drives the story in the most unexpected ways. The fact that you know that the tradition will happen is a given but the “how” will it affect the characters is the surprise.


Rosamund, is the king’s daughter and I liked her straight away. I have to admit sleeping beauty is my least favorite fairytale but this version has completely changed my mind all due to Rosamund.

Though at times the story is a bit predictable, but it’s like that with a lot of retellings; Sleeping Beauty is worth the read because the ending is perfect!

eGalley provided by NetGalley Thank you!

CatholicKittie

[Repost from 7/1/2010]: Manifest by Artist Arthur (Review)

It is very rare to find a good African American novel with paranormal elements so Manifest was a breath of fresh air. I found once you start reading it is really hard to stop. You find yourself missing meals and time just flies by without you noticing or looking up until the last page when you let out a satisfied sigh and close the book.




Even though Krystal was hard to like at first it didn't take away from falling into the story and the rest of the characters are so well formed that you forget that this is fictional. The paranormal elements are a major part of the plot but somehow it doesn't overwhelm and over power the telling of it. The twist and turns kept me always guessing. Just when I thought I had it figured out...Bam! Something else came up and I had to rethink it.



I recommend this book if you have a few hours to devote to it because once you start you truly will not want to stop.

Catholic Kittie

So this is what a rut looks like?

So I am trying to see how long I have to go without blogging until I am no longer a blogger!  I kid, what you see here ladies and gentlemen, is a rut in full swing.  I can barely finish a book much less sit and write a review. 

And I have read some great books that are deserving of a review.  Sadly, I have not written them.  I do apologize and hope to remedy this rut as soon as I get settled into my new fulltime job schedule.

Thank you for your patience...I will post the awesome books I recently bought soon, because apparently being in a rut has not curbed my book buying addiction.

CatholicKittie