Astraea Press Book Club

Astraea Press has recently created a group on Facebook called the Astraea Press Book Club. On the first of every month they will be offering up a book for free. At the end of the month, you can go back and chat with the author and other readers about the book you've read. The first book will be offered on June 1st, and it's been reported to be a young adult fantasy novel that's been getting rave reviews. There will be a wide variety of genres offered though. So be sure to check them out!

Astraea Press Book Club

Review: Two Halves by Marta Szemik

Title: Two Halves
Author: Marta Szemik
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: My Lit Publishing (Nov 27th 2011)
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords


Goodreads Synopsis
Twenty-one-year-old Sarah is a child of a human mother and a vampire father and has suppressed her dark side with serums. The only memory of her mother is when Sarah killed her, soon after birth. Of her father, nothing—just a hatred for his vampire traits that made her kill her own mother. 

When a disturbing nightmare foretelling her bleak future stirs the superhuman traits, underworld creatures are beaconed. On the run with William, a man she knows from her dreams, Sarah tries to learn what’s been hidden from her, for a good reason. Had she known her destiny, she may have continued with the serums that kept her hidden.


REVIEW
Sarah is young woman who was raised by her aunt Helen when her mother died after childbirth. She's always known that she was different. She's had to inject a serum her entire life to suppress the vampire nature, to seem more normal though she was never normal. Sarah has always looked younger than she really is, so she was always teased or made fun of, but with two unwavering best friends, Mira and Xander, she's lived a relatively normal life. But what Sarah doesn't know is that Mira and Xander are demons who were charged with protecting her since she was a baby. They could shape-shift their appearance so that they too could appear as if they grew up with Sarah.

William is the only other half-breed, and Sarah has had dreams of him her entire life. She's felt this strong connection and love for him that she couldn't explain. William knew all about her and knew that the two of them together were apart of a prophecy that would save both the humans and the vampires from the likes of a power hungry demon lord.

Although I think the book started out a little slow, it definitely picked up. It was kind of like an action movie in terms of everything that was going on. Sarah and William are on the run from seekers who do the demon lords bidding. They can't always trust those around them as they might be shape-shifters. In this book, shape-shifters doesn't necessarily refer to a man or woman that can change in to an animal such as a wolf. It just means that they can change their appearance. I found the story to be a rather exciting ride, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Since I'm such a fan of romance, I was a little bummed out about the fact that Sarah and William could hardly touch each other without causing themselves pain. There was a spell put on them to keep them apart. But I still enjoyed their journey to try to find a way to be together. And Sarah would flash back to dreams where her and William could be together without the pain, so it wasn't as if there was no romance between them.

Now, although I don't mind a book that is written from different perspectives, I found Two Halves to be a bit confusing at times because of it. That's only because when the perspective would change to someone other than Sarah, it was almost always clearly marked who's perspective I was now reading. However, when it would switch back to Sarah's perspective, it wasn't stated. So I found that kind of annoying because I'd be thinking about whether I was still reading the previous person's perspective or did it change back to Sarah's, and I shouldn't have had to wonder about it. It should have been stated at the beginning of the chapter or even at the break if in the middle of a chapter.

Over-all I did enjoy Two Halves and wished that it hadn't ended where it did. I would have loved more of Sarah and William's story. But as I mentioned before, it is rather action packed with demons, vampires, witches and warlocks.

** I received a copy of Two Halves for review as part of the Knights of the Round Table group on Goodreads.**

Find Marta Szemik Online
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Review: A Stiff Kiss by Avery Olive

Title: A Stiff Kiss
Author: Avery Olive
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press (Feb 12th 2012)
Get it: Amazon | B&N


Goodreads Synopsis
Who knew kissing a corpse would change everything?

Death always hits Xylia Morana too close to home, but she likes it that way. She hangs out with the terminally ill, attends random funerals, and every so often, when the weather is right, she sleeps in open graves.

But after Landon Phoenix, the high school hottie, dies in Xylia's arms, she sneaks into the morgue to say goodbye. How could she know stealing a kiss from his corpse would wake him up?

With Landon returned to the living and suddenly interested in Xylia, life has new meaning. But what Xylia doesn't realize is that by kissing Landon back to life, she's thrown Life and Death off balance. The underworld demands a body, and it might just have to be Xylia's this time.


REVIEW

Xylia Morana has had a crush on Landon Phoenix for awhile now, but he doesn't really even know who she is. During a championship soccer game with which Landon was playing in, in the hopes of attracting the attention of scouts, Landon collapses. Dr. Morana, Xylia's father, is called to the field, and he asks Xylia to help him administer CPR. Despite all their efforts, Landon is pronounced dead on the way to the hospital. Having wished that she'd spoken to Landon when he was alive, Xylia decides to visit him in the morgue so that she can say goodbye. When she places a single kiss on his lips, he awakens ... some 2 1/2 hours after he died.


Dr. Morana tells Xylia not to speak about what happened because it could look bad for the hospital as well as himself. And Landon has been having dreams, since reawakening, of a girl with black hair and green eyes that are haunting him, and he doesn't realize that it's Xylia at first even though he now feels drawn to her. He knows that she knows something about what happened to him, but she's not talking.

This book was very different from the romances that I'm used to reading. You might think that since Xylia secretly had a crush on Landon and was, in a way, given a second chance to make her feelings for him known, she'd take it, but she doesn't. She tries so very hard to push him away even if that means being rude to him. So it takes a great deal of work on both their parts to finally let their feelings be known.

I found myself glued to the book, worrying whether or not they will ever be allowed to be together since there are those who are still after Landon's life to help put the world back in balance. Not to mention, Xylia herself keeps pushing Landon away when all she really wanted to do was pull him close.

I couldn't help finding myself irritated by the way that Xylia kept defying her father. He's all she has left, since the death of her mother when she was twelve, and she's all he has left. He worries about her. I understand that she had her reasons and that it could just be considered teenage rebellion, but I felt bad for Dr. Morana. They have such a close relationship, and Xylia hates to hurt her father, but that's exactly what she does to him by defying him. Despite that I thought the story was great! I love when a book can make me feel even if that means it makes me laugh, cry, worry, or even become irritated with a character. A Stiff Kiss did that. I can definitely see myself reading this book again, and I'm certainly curious as to what other stories Avery Olive comes up with in the future!

** I received a copy of A Stiff Kiss for review as part of the Knights of the Round Table group on Goodreads.**

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Review: Claiming Their Mate by Stacey Espino

Title: Claiming Their Mate
Author: Stacey Espino
Genre: Paranormal Erotic Romance
Publisher: Evernight Publishing (Apr 15th 2011)
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords 

NOTE: Book suited for mature readers, 18+, due to sexual situations and language.

Goodreads Synopsis
Carna and her sisters carry the last of the royal blood. Every male shifter in the world craves to mate with one of the elusive princesses to secure their place in history. Only royal blood will ensure the continuation of all shifter species.

Although she may be the heir to future generations, Carna wants no part in a forced seduction. She's independent and wants to make her own choices, and mate for love, not out of necessity. Carna and her sisters split up and go into hiding, but not for long...

When a rogue group of shifters captures Carna and insists she choose one of them as her mate, she puts up the fight of her life, escaping into the forest. Once on the run again, she quickly learns that running and hiding are taking their toll on her. She needs to settle down and why not with one or more of the sexy men begging for her affections? But can she find love amongst all the chaos?


REVIEW

Carna is a werewolf princess with royal blood, and royal blood is needed to continue the shifter bloodlines. When a group of five shifters kidnap her with the intention of mating her for her royal blood, Carna fights back, but they all feel the pull to her of a true mate, and she feels the pull to all five of them. Being of royal blood normally means having three mates of different species, but Carna doesn't want to be forced to mate ... she wants love. The group of shifters who kidnapped her aren't her only concern though. There is a group of hunters that are capturing and/or killing wild animals.

Claiming Their Mate is the second book by Stacey Espino that I've read. The first being Catch Me If You Can which I really liked, so I was looking forward to reading more of Stacey's work. Claiming Their Mate is a paranormal romance, and it is one of my favorite genres to read. And I hate to say this, but I didn't enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed the other one. I liked it for what it was but was just a little disappointed, even a little confused at times. I found it a bit difficult keeping track of whose perspective I was reading at times.

As you might expect with a story like this, it's primarily about Carna and the shifters in which she's attracted to. There is a little bit at the beginning that explains about Carna and her sisters, about how they have been hiding in separate locations not even aware of where the others are. So then the bulk of the story consists of Carna's attempt to escape capture while unsure about her feelings towards the five shifters that had originally kidnapped her. Now, while you do get to know a little bit about the shifters themselves, I just felt like there wasn't enough of the storyline. I guess you could say that the story was mainly about the actual mating of Carna with Blue (black panther), Marcus (tiger), Jacob (bear), Austin (wolf) and Caleb (fox). But I would have liked to get to know the characters better. It seemed that as soon as I felt like I could connect with a character, the story would switch to another, and I would loose that connection with the previous character. And in the end, I didn't really feel connected to any of them.

Although I was disappointed with this book, I am still looking forward to reading more of Stacey Espino's work.

Find Stacey Espino Online
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Review: Catch Me If You Can by Stacey Espino

Title: Catch Me If You Can
Author: Stacey Espino
Genre: Western Contemporary Erotic Romance
Publisher: Evernight Publishing (Jan 14th 2011)
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords 

NOTE: Book suited for mature readers, 18+, due to sexual situations and language.

Goodreads Synopsis
Christina is an ordinary woman, working a dead-end job as a bank teller. When her late grandmother gives her the gift of a luxury vacation, she looks forward to the break from reality. But instead of an upscale resort, she arrives at a working ranch with three dead sexy cowboys. They may not offer to give her the spa treatment, but they're eager to please her in other ways.

Just when the relationship between Christina and her cowboys moves to the next level, she's forced to leave the ranch in order to protect the men she loves. She runs from them, knowing that if they catch her, she won't be able to stay away. But being together seems destined to failure. Can they overcome the obstacles facing their loving ménage?


REVIEW 

Christina is a 27 year old woman who works at a bank, still lives with her parents to help them with the bills, and hasn't had a real relationship with a guy since a disastrous relationship with her high school crush. Really, she doesn't have much of a life at all.

When her grandmother dies, Christina if gifted the opportunity to spend two months in the country, which she loves, at a luxury resort ... or so Christina thinks. In reality, she ends up at a slightly run down ranch with bothers Noah and Jake and James, the guy that Noah raised when their father took James in but then he abandoned them all.

Although Christina doesn't think much of her own looks, because she's not particularly tall and she's curvier than she thinks most guys would like, all three cowboys feel a strong attraction to her. And she finds herself attracted to all three of them as well. She thinks maybe one of them will be just the man she's been hoping for. What she didn't expect was to fall in love with all three of them.

Life on the ranch isn't all perfect though. A businessman is out to destroy the wild mustangs that roam over the land, including the Golden Acres ranch, because they are holding up his building plans. The men will do whatever it takes to protect the horses, but now not only do they fear for the horses lives but also Christina's.

I really enjoyed this book. Apart from the menage aspect of the book (which I definitely enjoyed), I could really relate and connect with the character of Christina. She's just this genuinely nice person who wants to believe that there is good in everyone. She knows that James is hurting inside, though he doesn't want to admit it. His mother gave him away to Noah and Jake's father, though he didn't really care for James. Their father never seemed to care for anyone or anything except women and booze. Noah just wanted to keep his promise to Christina's grandmother and make sure that Christina had a good time while at the ranch. With their age difference, he figures that if Christina were to choose one of them, it would most likely be his brother Jake. So he's a little hesitant to pursue her. As for Jake, he, in a way, lived a life similar to their father's in that he went through woman like water and never had a lasting relationship, but when he meets Christina, he feels that things could be different with her. He realizes that he doesn't want the life he's been living. He just wants her.

I have to admit, I would have loved more of their story. There was a conclusion, of course, but I wasn't quite ready to leave their world yet. I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Stacey Espino's work!

Find Stacey Espino Online
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Review: Want by Stephanie Lawton

Title: Want
Author: Stephanie Lawton
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing (Jun 7th 2012)
Get it: InkSpell Publishing


Goodreads Synopsis
Julianne counts the days until she can pack her bags and leave her old-money, tradition-bound Southern town where appearance is everything and secrecy is a way of life. A piano virtuoso, she dreams of attending a prestigious music school in Boston. Failure is not an option, so she enlists the help of New England Conservatory graduate Isaac Laroche.

Julianne can’t understand why Isaac suddenly gave up Boston’s music scene to return to the South. He doesn’t know her life depends on escaping it before she inherits her mother’s madness. Isaac knows he must resist his attraction to a student ten years his junior, but loneliness and jealousy threaten his resolve.

Their indiscretion at a Mardi Gras ball—the pinnacle event for Mobile’s elite—forces their present wants and needs to collide with sins of the past.

Will Julianne accept the help she’s offered and get everything she ever wanted, or will she self-destruct and take Isaac down with her?


REVIEW

When Julianne's long time piano mentor and stand-in grandfather, Mr. Cline, has a stroke, she is placed in the capable hands of Isaac Laroche, Mr. Cline's nephew. Robert Cline feels that Juli and Isaac are very much alike and can help each other with more than just music.Juli is hiding a terrible family secret that she fears will destroy the reputation of her family if it's made public. Isaac's reputation had already been destroyed when he was 17, and though it's been 10 years, the town hasn't forgotten what happened. However, Juli is unaware of Isaac's past both in Mobile and in Boston.

The synopsis doesn't do this book justice! I don't mean that in a bad way though; I mean there is so much more to this story than what is in the synopsis. I would love to talk all about that, but I don't want to ruin anything. I loved reading this book, but at the same time, it was a little hard to read. There were some aspects of Juli's story that just hit too close to home for me. I found myself crying throughout the book partly because of that, but I'm sure that even if it didn't hit close to home, I would still find the story emotional.

There were characters that I loved and some that I didn't like so much. One ... well, there was one that I just couldn't help but hate even though there was a medical issue involved in their actions. I really did like the relationship that developed between Juli and Isaac, then one of Isaac's friends comes into the picture. Dave Gaston is another piano prodigy who went to the New England Conservatory with Isaac. When Dave shows up he's very flirtatious towards Juli, and he's very impressed with her musical ability. A bit of a love triangle develops, though I hate to use that term because I don't want to turn anyone off of reading this story because of a dislike for love triangles, but as I said, Dave flirts with Juli every chance he gets. First you don't know if it's just his personality or if he's serious. When I realized that he was serious, I wasn't sure who I wanted to root for. I mean, Isaac seems like the perfect person for Juli despite the age difference, yet Dave is such a fun-loving, playful, caring person. I loved the way Dave teased Juli, making her laugh even when all she wanted to do was cry.

I felt like I was pulled into the story, and I found myself fearful of what would happen to Juli or what would become of her. Juli's life certainly has some serious ups and downs, and I did like how it ended, but I will admit, I would love to read more of her story. I know I'm being vague regarding things, but again, that's because I don't want to spoil anything! You'll just have to read it for yourself! I definitely recommend this book.

** I received an eARC copy of the book from InkSpell Publishing for review.**

Find Stephanie Lawton Online
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Review: The Mating by Nicky Charles

Title: The Mating
Author: Nicky Charles
Genre: Romantic Paranormal Suspense
Publisher: Nicky Charles (Jan 1st 2010)
Get it: B&N | Smashwords

NOTE:  Story is for mature readers due to some sexual content.

Goodreads Synopsis
Elise had no idea when she came home that day that she'd end up mated to a complete stranger. A new Alpha and the need for an alliance between packs have made her a pawn

Excerpt: She lay beside him, staring blankly at the ceiling. The deed was done. They were mated. It didn't matter that she had no love for him nor he for her. Political alliances were more important than feelings...


REVIEW

In order to create an alliance with a neighboring pack, Elise's father (the Alpha of her pack) arranges for her to mate with Kane, the new Alpha of the pack to the East. The thing is, Elise is in love with Bryan, one of your own pack members, whom she grew up with and who recently told her that he was going to ask her father for permission to mate with her. But knowing that it would be pointless to argue with her father, and knowing that it is for the good of the packs, she doesn't resist.

Once mated, Kane takes Elise back to his pack to get her settled in to her new life. Although Elise meets a lot of nice new pack members, there is one, Marla, who she doesn't trust or like. Marla seems to be after Kane's affections, despite the fact that he's already now mated with Elise.

Although a strong connection develops fairly quickly between Kane and Elise, Kane doesn't have much time to spend with Elise due to problems that he's having to deal with: an oil spill that contaminated their water supply, an Oil Company fighting to gain rights to part of their land for drilling purposes, and Kane's half brother who seems to be causing trouble for the pack after losing the right to become the new Alpha when the previous Alpha died.

With the pack in danger, from within it seems, Elise tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together before anyone else gets hurt.

I really enjoyed this book. I've not read a lot of romantic paranormal suspense, so this was a nice change. I've read plenty of paranormal romances, but I really enjoyed the suspense aspect. Granted, it seemed a little obvious to me who the bad guys were, and although I had one correct, the other I was wrong about. The characters were great. I really liked most of them. Can't say I was too fond of Marla, of course, but then again I hate people like her. So, needless to say, her character was written well or otherwise I wouldn't have this hatred for her. LOL

About the only thing that kept me from giving the book a five star rating was the fact that I felt that certain scenes where perhaps cut short or that there wasn't quite enough written. There seemed to be more dialog than actual narration at times. Don't get me wrong, I've read books that had so much narration and very little dialog in certain scenes and wished for more dialog. But I just felt that there could have been a little more story building at times.

Overall though, I very much enjoyed The Mating, and since there is one part of the story that is unresolved by the end, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series to see what happens next!

All of Nicky's books are free at the following sites: Barnes & Noble, Feedbooks, Smashwords, Kobo and others. Feedbooks has one additional book by Nicky that the other sites don't offer.

Find Nicky Charles Online
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Review: Diary of a Vampire Stripper by Cinsearae S.

Title: Diary of a Vampire Stripper
Author: Cinsearae S.
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: lulu.com (Jun 1st 2012)
Get it: Coming soon. 

NOTE:  Story is for mature readers due to some sexual content.

Goodreads Synopsis
Her best friend is a werewolf. Her boyfriend is a ghoul. And she really, REALLY can’t stand her vampire husband.

Trying to juggle college tuition and rent, young Audra Perez seeks a fast fix to her financial woes by auditioning as a stripper for the Hoochie Coochie Club. What she didn’t expect was to actually be chosen! Barely a few months into her new job, she becomes acquainted with a mysterious, distinguished gentleman by the name of Darren Von Eldon, and they secretly begin dating against club rules. Then one passionate night at his beach house changes Audra’s life forever.

Now as a newly-awakened vampire, this only adds to her day-to-day mundane burdens. Refusing to drain humans, she hunts birds for nourishment, and finagles a way to avoid going to classes during the day. But bigger problems loom ahead. Radical cops that know about her kind roam the night, seeking to destroy any and all ‘monsters’, and her best friend’s family has a bone to pick with Audra’s. Headless bodies are turning up on vamp and were turf, each side blaming the other for the murders. It’s up to Audra and her friend Lu to figure out who’s doing the killings, and their search leads them beneath the city streets to encounter an abomination neither one of them will ever forget.

And the relationship issues? Well, it’s not easy dealing with a boyfriend and a vampire husband, so let’s not even go there…


REVIEW

When I received an email from the author of Diary of a Vampire Stripper asking me if I would be interested in reviewing her book, I was very curious. I didn't have a clue what to expect though I did read what the book was about before accepting. Diary of a Vampire Stripper is so different and original and just plain fun to read.

Audra, or Claudia (as she's referred to by her stripper name in the beginning), is your average 27 year old woman just trying to pay for college and pay her rent. She lands a job as a stripper despite not being very good at it. That's when she meets Darren Von Eldon, a man she notices has been coming by the club daily just to watch her. What she isn't aware of, at first, is that Darren is a vampire. During a weekend away together, Darren changes her into a vampire, unbeknownst to her. Once she realizes what's happened, Darren up and leaves her high and dry with only a note telling her that he will return. After that, she ends up meeting Paul, another guy who seems to visit the club just to watch her. They begin a relationship because it's been months since Darren left, and Audra isn't even sure that Darren will ever return. Audra also befriends Lucinda, one of the other woman who works at the club.

Audra does her best to hide the fact that she's a vampire from everyone, and certain things about Lucinda makes Audra think that she might just be a vampire too. As for Lucinda, she knows that there is something different about Audra, but vampire wasn't what she initially thought. Lucinda thought Audra was like her ... a werewolf. Once they know each others secrets, Lucinda clues Audra in to the fact that vampires and werewolves are generally enemies, and although the two of them are best friends, their respective clans don't really get along well. Plus, there is a string of murders occurring that Lucinda's family believes is being perpetrated by the vampires.

This story is so real and, at times, blunt! Now, the thought of creating a character that is flatulent might seem unusual, unless it's a very minor character that is hardly a blip on the radar, but in this book, it's one of the main characters. And oddly enough, he becomes a very endearing character. My initial reaction was to laugh because it was so unexpected, but at the same time, it's realistic. That happens, you know. As strange as it sounds, I liked that this particular character wasn't perfect. I liked that he had an embarrassing flaw, yet you just can't help but fall in love with him.

At the beginning, I was a little iffy about whether or not I would like the character of Audra because of the mean things that she thought about Lucinda before she even had the chance to know her. But Audra is a cool character and I was really glad that she became friends with Lucinda. Although Lucinda's family, particularly her grandfather, doesn't like or trust vampires, the two work together to try to figure out who is murdering people before a war between vampires and werewolves erupts.Not to mention, they have to fight off a group of cops hell bent on destroying them all.

I could probably just go on and on about this book, but then I'd end up telling you the whole story, and I don't want to do that! I say you should read it for yourself. If you are a fan of paranormal romances with a touch of mystery and a lot of fun, then I recommend Diary of a Vampire Stripper! My only complaint was that I felt that the way it ended was abrupt. There was so much more to the story, and I wasn't expecting it to end where it did. Thankfully, Diary of a Vampire Stripper: Choices, book two in the series, will be released later this year.

Find Cinsearae S. Online
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NOTE: I received a ebook copy of Diary of a Vampire Stripper from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Half-Breed Vampire by Theresa Meyers

Title: The Half-Breed Vampire
Author: Theresa Meyers
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Harlequin (Feb. 21st 2012)
Get it: Amazon | B&N

NOTE:  Story is for mature readers due to some sexual content.

Goodreads Synopsis
Ignorant of his true heritage, half-breed Slade Donovan is fated to feel like an outsider among his clan. Until a mysterious woman arrives with the ability to unlock his secrets—and make him crave a future he never believed he could have…. As a game warden, Raina Ravenwing has only one mission in the Cascade Mountains: to hunt down a pack of rare wolves that is terrorizing her tribe. Her instant attraction to Slade is a distraction the beautiful wolf whisperer can't afford, unless she agrees to let him help her. Yet working so closely together only intensifies their passion… even as the unfolding truth of Slade's identity threatens everything Raina holds sacred.


REVIEW

The Half-Breed Vampire is book three in the Sons of Midnight series. I have not, as of yet, read the other books in this series but would certainly be interested in doing so at some point. This review may contain spoilers. I try my best not to give anything away, but in this case, it might be difficult. You've been warned!

Slade Donovan has only been a vampire for about a decade but is one of the best Shyeld's (vampire guards) that the Cascade clan has. Though Slade's specialty is explosives, he's the best tracker they have as well.

Raina Ravenwing is a game warden who has been investigating the disappearance of a teenage boy from her tribe. It's been reported that he was taken by wolves. Raina is in need of Slade's help in order to locate one of the unusually large wolves that have been spotted in the area so that she can tag it and track it.

Slade's commander, Achilles, orders him to help Raina with her mission to locate the wolves. Although he's reluctant (he dislikes cops), Slade won't go against orders. Slade has been dealing with what the clan doctor has termed 'moon sickness', but while he's out tracking the wolves with Raina, he experiences the worst case of moon sickness that's he's ever had. He just doesn't understand what's happening to him, and it's only getting worse.

With the time that he spent with Raina tracking the wolves, Slade not only learns more about Raina, but he learns about his past, a past that he could remember nothing of. Slade learns that he has the Were virus in his blood, which means that although he is now a full-blood vampire, he could transition into a wolf at any time, thus the term 'half-breed' vampire. The only problem is, Slade is afraid of what would happen if that occurs. He's sure that the vampire clan would no longer want him around (he'd be a security risk), and the Were clan wouldn't accept him either. As for Raina, she's her tribe's Wolf Whisperer, the one who connects her tribe with the spirits of their ancestors.

Okay, let me just start out by saying that I did enjoy the story! I liked Theresa's take on vampires and their abilities. I've read other vampire stories where the vampires could transport themselves wherever they needed to go. Well, Theresa's vampires can do the same though maybe in a slightly different way. Plus, they can manifest whatever they need as if by magic, they can turn invisible, and they can be outside during the day, though they don't like to be.

The relationship that developed between Raina and Slade was sweet. She has a thing for bad boys and tries very hard not to think about Slade in any other way than a professional manner. Slade, as I mentioned, he doesn't like cops, and he also tries his best to stay professional when it comes to Raina. Of course, it doesn't work for either of them. :) And as romances are my favorites, I do enjoy a good love scene, but the main love scene in this was kind of disappointing. It was over far too quickly.

Now, although I did like the story, I must admit that I do have some issues with it. In the beginning when Slade takes Raina out to track the wolves, he keeps reminding himself that humans may be aware of vampires now, but they are not aware that Weres exist. So when Slade talks with Raina about the wolves, he intentionally keeps that little tidbit to himself. However, at one point, he says to Raina: "Most shifters don't come out until dusk."  I believe that may have been a mistake because once Slade says that to her, she didn't question his use of the word "shifter'. Something else that confused me was that when Slade does eventually tell Raina about Weres, she actually thinks he's kidding and doesn't believe him. Yet, after they return to the clan complex, Raina tells Slade that her and Achilles believe that Slade is part Were. Unless I missed something here, that didn't make sense to me. Raina didn't know anything about Weres, and suddenly she's telling Slade that her and Achilles believe that Slade is part Were. I even read the book twice which is when this part actually caught my attention. So yeah, I felt there were some inconsistencies within the story plus some spelling and grammatical errors.

As I've already stated, I did enjoy the overall story! And I am interested in reading more of Theresa Meyers' work.

** I received a copy of The Half-Breed Vampire for review as part of the Knights of the Round Table group on Goodreads.**

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Cover Reveal: Unchained by J. Lynn

I'm thrilled to have the chance to do another first here with a cover reveal for J. Lynn's upcoming novel Unchained, book one of the Nephilim Rising series. You may be more familiar with J. Lynn's work under her young adult pen name: Jennifer L. Armentrout. 

Have a look at the cover, read the blurb, and then tell me what you think of it all. I personally think the cover is great. I love the overall design and color scheme. Plus, I really like the title: the font, the coloring, the added wing, and that J. Lynn's name is a different color from the title itself. :) I can be very picky about text on designs, and I think it's done really well here! As for the story, it sounds like something that I would love. I have really enjoyed the Nephilim related books that I've read thus far, so Unchained is definitely going onto my TBR list!

Please be aware that Unchained is a book for adults and not young adults.

Official blurb: 


Between the pissed off creatures that want demon-hunter Lily Marks dead and the fallen angel who just...wants her, Lily is about ready to trade in forever for a comfy job in a cubicle farm.

The fact that she and Julian are civil to one another is enough to have her thrown out of the Sanctuary, but she can't shake her not-so-angelic stalker or how he brings her dangerously close to ecstasy.

Her forbidden relationship with Julian provides the perfect fuel for suspicion when a traitor is discovered to be working within the Sanctuary. Lily quickly finds herself hunted by well, everyone.

Her only hope is to discover the real traitor before she loses everything--and she'll need Julian's help. That is, if Julian is really there to help her...and not destroy her.

Yeah, being a Nephilim isn't everything it's cracked up to be.


UNCHAINED will be available in mass trade size wherever books are sold on October 16, 2012 and you can pre-order your copies at Amazon, B&N, Book Depository, and BAM 

Want a taste of J. Lynn’s adult work and can’t wait till October? You can purchase her contemporary romance, Tempting the Best Man, which is available on B&N and Amazon. Please note that this is an adult romance, which does contain scenes that could be perceived as naughty, naughty and you should be an adult if reading! 

Or you can always check out her Young Adult series, The Covenant (Half-Blood) and Lux Series (Obsidian) under the name Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Capture Blog Hop: Brina Courtney Guest Post + Giveaway!

I'm happy to be participating in author Brina Courtney's blog hop to promote the release of her latest YA sci-fi novel Capture which is book #2 in the Cryptid Tales series. So please welcome Brina Courtney to Novelly Nice!

YA SciFi is hot, or is it cool? A guest post by Brina Courtney

YA SciFi is an often overlooked genre, especially by teen girls. But let me tell you, there is some hotness going on up in hurrr. Most SciFi has some epic hero, who if we’re lucky takes his shirt off at some point. He’s also usually a bit geeky and super smart, which means his humor is probably decent. In my YA SciFi novel I decided to make a female heroine. I like a kick butt kind of super smart girl. And although Shay needs some time to absorb everything she is and has to offer, she takes it all as a teen would. It doesn’t matter what race (alien, parahuman, cyborg) the character is, we, as authors, give them all very humanized problems and feelings. So go ahead, take a chance on SciFi, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, I mean you read the part about cyborgs and kept reading didn’t you? :D

Thank you Brina! I look forward to reading the Cryptid Tales series!

Feel free to leave a comment or perhaps a question for Brina, and then be sure to have a look at all the sites participating in the Capture Blog Hop. There are prizes to be had!

Prizes include:

Ebook package for each site of Reveal and Capture

$15 Amazon Gift Card

2 Signed Paperbacks of Reveal (not international)

 Enter Giveaway
In order to enter to win the ebooks of Reveal and Capture, use the Rafflecopter form below. In order to enter to win either the Amazon Gift Card or one of the signed paperbacks, you must leave a comment on this blog post. The more blogs that are participating in this hop that you comment on, the better your chances of winning. One entry per person. Must be at least 13 to enter. Good luck!