Title: Mr. Real

Author: Carolyn Crane

Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

Series: Cody of Shadows (Book 1)

Publication Date: October 30, 2012

Format: Paperback, 328 Pages

ISBN-10: 1480134694 (Createspace)

ISBN-13: 978-1480134690 (Createspace)

Reviewed by: Anjelica

Synopsis:

He finds the girl of his dreams…with the secret agent of his nightmares.

Alix Gordon is a woman who doesn’t take life too seriously. What’s the fun in that? So when she stumbles across occult software that can bring any computer image to life, she conjures up lots of awesome outfits and accessories. And then, on one drunken, horny night, she conjures up Sir Kendall, the sexy TV ad spy . . . who looks exactly like Paul Reinhardt, the super-sexy martial arts teacher who kicked her out of class three years ago.

Fighter Paul Reinhardt has good reason to hate Sir Kendall, the character he brought to life to land a part in a TV ad; he’d do anything to forget him. A cross country road trip seems just the thing . . . until Paul finds himself inexplicably drawn to Minnesota and is shocked to discover Sir Kendall – in the flesh – with the girl he’d once loved from afar. He barges into Alix and Sir Kendall’s love nest, determined to stop the madness – somehow.

But is superspy Sir Kendall transforming into something more dangerous anyone can imagine? And what will Sir Kendall do when Paul and Alix finally give into their mad lust for each other?

Quick & Dirty: Being wild and carefree is who Alix has always been so it’s no surprise when she uses a magical computer program to bring her own sexual fantasy to life.

Opening Sentence: When Alix Gordon returned from a tromp in the woods with her dog, Lindy, she spied a sparkling little something on her porch- a piece of jewelry.

Excerpt: No

The Review:

Well, I can honestly say I have never read a book like Mr. Real. This is my very first adult smut and it was quite an exciting read. The main character, Alix, is a super fun but slightly out of sorts young woman who struggles with taking responsibility for her own actions. She is also very impulsive, so when she discovers that her laptop has become a magical device that will deliver any object she saves a picture of to her desktop, she immediately orders basic things like clothes and accessories without thinking twice. It doesn’t take long for things to take a different turn when’s he decides to order TVs sexiest man, Sir Kendall, the Denali commercial guy.

In the commercials Sir Kendall is a super hot spy man who always gets the girl and drinks Denali. So when Alix saves a still frame of him to her laptop, she thinks all she’s about to receive is a sexy man who has nearly constant sex with women. When he arrives, however, his super spy mentality is still in place and he believes Alix is actually also a spy who is working for his greatest enemy. Alix has no clue about this at first so the two have sex a lot. Like a lot, a lot.

Now getting away from the smut for a moment, we get to a rather dominating part of the plot where we learn the Sir Kendall is in fact played by Alix’s former martial arts teacher who she calls Hardass Paul because of his very strict, very focused mentaility. The Sir Kendall commercials are only meant to be played in Australia so Paul would never in a million years would think that a random but extremely attractive girl he kicked out of his class in America for being a distraction to him would see this commercial. It turns out that when Alix ordered Sir Kendall, the bizzare magic that calls him to her house, also calls Paul since they are in fact one in the same man. Another kicker is the fact that Sir Kendall was in fact a persona that Paul created when he was being tortured by his older brothers when they were growing up. Needless to say, Sir Kendall is not someone Paul wants to see on top of a girl he once liked but hasn’t seen in four years.

As if all of this is not quite crazy enough, it turns out that Mr. Hyko, Kendall’s supposed nemesis from the commercials, is also pulled from their dimension to Alix’s house. Hyko is a crazed lunatic. Who regularly kills people and destroys whole cities.

So here we have a horny, irresponsible woman, two men who hate each other with undeniable passion but also feel quite protective of one another, and a psychotic man with a serious vendetta and anger issues. Toss in all those sex scenes and Mr. Real is a real fun read.

Notable Scene:

Sir Kendall jerked sideways, wrapped his fingers around the butt of the gun, and extracted it, pressing it to the man’s neck. The man stiffened, stilled. “Loosen,” Sir Kendall grated out. “Slowly.” “Don’t shoot him,” Alix said. “Just- everyone be calm.” Lindy barked, racing back and forth between the couch and the fireplace. The man loosened. Contemplating moves. He was good. But Sir Kendall had the gun. “I’ll do it,” Sir Kendall said. “You’re the intruder.” He pushed the gun harder into his cheek.” Slowly the man relaxed his choke. Sir Kendall unhooked his legs, and, still on his back, planted a foot in the man’s gut, handily shoving him away. The man rolled and righted, lithe as a cat, and stared, horror shining in his eyes. Sir Kendall got to his feet, struggling to keep his expression neutral; the similarities between the two fo them were shocking. Face, build, fighting moves, stance-good lord, even the hands. A chill spread oer him. This was no random look-a-like, it was not plastic surgery, and he certainly didn’t have a twin. Hyko had cloned him. Stranger still, the clone seemed just as stunned, gaping at him. “No way,” The man said, as though he imagined uttering those words would banish Sir Kendall. “No way.” “Crap,” Alix said breathing hard. Clearly shew as surprsied, too. The clone turned his fiery gaze on her. “You-” He took a step toward her. “Are you okay?” “Oh no you don’t.” Sir Kendall jerked the gun at him. The clone turned to him, eyes wild. “no way,” he said again. There was somethign about the man. He had to be a clone-there was no other explanation, yet there was something about him. Again that sense of a dream he couldn’t quite recall. Of vulnerabilities. “It’s okay. I’m okay,” Alix said to the clone.

Code of Shadows Series:

0.5 Fire & Frost

1. Mr. Real

FTC Advisory: Carolyn Crane provided me with a copy of Mr. Real. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Title: Inbetween

Author: Tara Fuller

Genre: YA Paranormal

Series: Kissed by Death (Book 1)

Publication Date: August 28, 2012

Format: Paperback, 400 Pages

ISBN-10: 1620610833 (Entangled Teen)

ISBN-13: 978-1620610831 (Entangled Teen)

Reviewed by: Michelle

Synopsis:

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky — and unending — lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.

Quick & Dirty: A reaper falls in love, causing a ripple of events that throw the balance of the underworld.

Opening Sentence: “Tell me again.”

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

Tara Fuller’s Inbetween brings a different spin on paranormal. Death and reapers are mixed within a contemporary world. Inbetween has elements of forbidden love, and brings forth heavy paranormal details. I haven’t read a story based on reapers in a while, so it was refreshing to see this was on my list to read!

Emma has not had an easy life. Three years ago, she survived a crash, but lost her father. Since then, her days have been filled with haunted images, coincidental accidents, and hallucinations. Emma was sent away to return her sanity, but lately she is scared that it could all be happening again. Finn is a reaper. He continues his afterlife in between Heaven and Hell. The souls are kept in between these places, awaiting their placements with a chance to return to the living. Finn has made mistakes, mistakes that he will never atone to. Finn’s choices have affected Emma’s life. Now Emma’s life is in danger and Finn has to protect her, at whatever cost.

It was a little difficult for me to connect to the characters and the story. Inbetween has a deceivingly simple plot. In the general theme, Inbetween is about forbidden love. Fuller added paranormal elements and created her own world of reapers, death bringers, and gate keepers. But there was a lot going on, enough so that I couldn’t fully appreciate the story.

Emma is a troubled girl, feeling she has hallucinations real enough to endanger her life. Despite being a teenager, she had even more problems than normal. I couldn’t understand where she was coming from, at least not completely. I understood the dilemmas of going insane, but atop everything going on, it didn’t seem realistic. Maybe there was a lot of detail, too much which prevented me from fully making that bond with her.

Finn wasn’t my perfect guy, but he was someone to adore. He did the wrong thing for the right reasons. It wasn’t instant love, but he warmed up eventually. He was dependable and a constant to the insanity of their reality. He followed his heart, even if it wasn’t always the right thing to do. As the details revealed themselves, I understood him more and it was nice in the end.

The pacing of Inbetween was a little slow, only due to the amount of information and detail being told. There was a culture of the afterlife, the history of Emma, and the story of Finn. It felt like so many components trying to compete for attention rather than complimenting each other to make the perfect story. The dual point of view was nice, which I normally do not prefer. I think it added to the story and revealed all the right tidbits of information at the right time.

Inbetween is a unique love story of love and life. Some of my preferences may have prevented me from completely loving this story, but I don’t think that will happen to you. You’ll come for the different paranormal story of reapers and death and stay for the love between two people who were never meant to be.

Notable Scene:

That wouldn’t happen to this kid. He’d move on. He’d be saved for something better. Once I swallowed the lie, I took him by the arm and stepped into the twilight that swirled in front of us. I needed to get this over with. This kid, his words, they started fires inside me I didn’t know how to put out.

I was so damn tired of burning.

“Hey man,” he said, panicked. “You didn’t answer me. Where are we going? Heaven? Hell?”

I didn’t know what to say. So I just said, “Somewhere in between.”

Kissed By Death Series:

1. Inbetween

2. Blurred (July 2, 2013)

FTC Advisory: Entangled Teen provided me with a copy of Inbetween.  No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Title: Keeper of the Lost Cities

Author: Shannon Messenger

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Series: Keeper of the Lost Cities (Book 1)

Publication Date: October 2, 2012

Format: Hardcover, 488 pages

ISBN-10: 1442445939 (Simon & Schuster Kids)

ISBN-13: 978-1442445932 (Simon & Schuster Kids)

Reviewed by: Kayla

Synopsis:

In this riveting debut, a telepathic girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world—before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not comfortable with her family, either. And Sophie has a secret—she’s a Telepath, someone who can read minds. But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she’s not alone. He’s a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well…she isn’t. Fitz opens Sophie’s eyes to a shocking truth, and almost instantly she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

But Sophie still has secrets, and they’re buried deep in her memory for good reason: The answers are dangerous and in high-demand. What is her true identity, and why was she hidden among humans? The truth could mean life or death—and time is running out.

Quick & Dirty: A girl with many gifts learns she’s not only an elf, but an elf raised by humans for the purpose of a rebel group, the Black Swan.

Opening Sentence: Blurry, fractured memories swam through Sophie’s mind, but she couldn’t piece them together.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

Sophie always knew she was different. I mean, how many 12-year-olds are in high school? It isn’t until a field trip to a local museum that Sophie starts to realize there could be something more to her telepathic abilities. Thrown into a colorful world of special abilities and mythological creatures, Sophie starts a new life as a student in a prestigious elf school. But even with her new friends by her side, odd and mysterious things keep happening. Something bad is about to happen – and Sophie is right in the middle of it. Full of adventure, Keeper of the Lost Cities is a fun and high-stake story about friendship and trust, discovering who your friends and enemies really are and what a little bit of faith can do.

For a middle grade book, I would group this with the Percy Jackson series and Artemis Fowl. This book is filled with hilarious and witty characters, a twisty-plot and a gorgeous world of elves and magic. As a high schooler, I still found myself laughing and sympathizing with the characters.

Sophie in the human world is a child prodigy. She has a photographic memory and just so happens to be able to read minds (not that she tells anybody this). I feel bad for her as she’s thrown all of a sudden into the elf world without a single glance back to her human family. She’s just there one day and gone the next. Of course this is hard on Sophie because now she lives with adoptive parents that seem a bit distant. Although she’s 12 years old, she’s still relatable. Actually for a 12 year old she’s very strong willed, yet still vulnerable, reminding us that she’s still a kid who totally up and moved from one world to another.

And there’s still a bit of romance in this middle grade book. Nothing steamy, just something cute and light-hearted. Despite the misleading synopsis above, this book mainly focuses on Dex, a nerdy and protective boy from Sophie’s school. He obviously has a crush on Sophie, but she has a crush of Fitz, a child prodigy in his own way and also the son of Sophie’s protector (for lack of a better word…maybe lawyer is better?) Nothing happens (They’re 12 for peat’s sake), but it is cute.

Overall, this is a pretty entertaining book with a slow beginning (just until she finally gets to the elf world). There’s plenty of twists, and the way the school works sort of reminds me of Harry Potter. Beware: although not a major cliffhanger, the plot line is still left hanging.

Notable Scene:

“On your marks!”

Sophie’s hands clenched into fists. If she was going to beat Fitz, she was going to have to give it everything she had–and then some.

Adrenaline surged through her veins. The murmur of the audience faded, and she became aware of another buzzing in the back of her mind, like a back-up pool of energy she’d never noticed before. It felt stronger than the other energy. Could she draw from there instead?

“Get set…Splotch!”

Sophie threw her hands out, pushing toward the splotcher with her mind. Her brain seemed to stretch, like someone snapping a rubber band, and her ears rang, but she didn’t break her concentration.

She felt her force meet Fitz’s and rebound. The next thing she knew, she was flying backward across the room. She caught the surprised look in Fitz’s eyes as the same phenomenon happened to him.

For a long second she was weightless, then her back collided with the wall and the wind was knocked out of her. An almost simultaneous crash told her Fitz had met the same fate.

Pain shot through her whole body and she collapsed. The last thing she saw was Fitz crumpled on the floor. Then everything went black.

Keeper of the Lost Cities:

1. Keeper of the Lost Cities

2. Exile (October 1, 2013)

FTC Advisory: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing provided me with a copy of Keeper of the Lost Cities. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Title: My Lady Mage

Author: Alexis Morgan

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: Warriors of the Mist (Book 1)

Publication Date: July 3, 2012

Format: Paperback, 316 Pages

ISBN-10: 0451237447 (Signet/Penguin)

ISBN-13: 978-0451237446 (Signet/Penguin)

Reviewed by: Kristie

Synopsis:

A cursed destiny. A band of warriors. And one troubled kingdom.

It is whispered in Agathia that the legendary warriors of the mist—cursed by the gods—can be summoned only when a champion is needed and the cause is just. Gideon, their captain, knows this to be the one path that will lead his men to redemption—lest they face an eternity of damnation.

Years have passed since anyone has journeyed to the river’s edge, but times are desperate. Oppressed by a cruel guardian whose dark magic threatens to destroy her people, the beautiful and courageous Merewen calls upon the bespelled warriors. In Gideon she finds more than a champion, and in his arms, more than protection. However, their enemies are fighting with a power darker than anything than they imagined, and should Gideon fail, she will lose everything she holds dear—including her heart.

Quick & Dirty: A unique and fun fantasy read set in a magical world.

Opening Sentence: Merewen tripped over a twisted knot of tree root jutting up in the narrow game trail and pitched headfirst to the ground.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

My Lady Mage is the first fantasy romance that I had read in quite some time. While there were some ups and downs, this book really didn’t disappoint. Merewen is in trouble. Her uncle is slowly destroying her dead father’s town with his suppressive rule. As a female, Merewen cannot take over unless she is married and her evil uncle forbids her from any relationships. The only action she sees is resurrecting the Warriors of the Mist from the waters that they sleep in. (She read about them in her father’s library and isn’t entirely sure it will work but she is that desperate.)

Gideon and his group of warriors awaken to this woman wanting their help. At first, they don’t know if she is good or evil, just that the gods summoned them to help her. They follow the will of the gods but they don’t trust magic and they sense magic flowing from Merewen. Gideon is ready to protect her from the very beginning while the rest of the group is a little wary of her but it doesn’t take long for them to hear her tragic story and to know her kindness.

The Warriors of the Mist just want to be released from their immortal duties to the gods. They really hope to one day be able to have a family and grow old. They are only able to help Merewen for about three months before they are sent back to the water, so they have to take action quickly to help her and her village. Merewen has a type of magic that isn’t evil but it isn’t entirely helpful either. Her magic is what has helped her village prosper but as the last in a line of “caretakers” she has to remain alive to pass on her heritage.

Merewen is truly a good lady at heart. She holds no ill towards anyone except her evil uncle and the second hand man that obviously wants to beat and rape her. She just wants the best for her village and wants her people to live in happiness not fear. She does make a few rash decisions that are kind of head-slapping annoying that make you think: why did she do that? why didn’t she tell anyone? Gideon is a man on a mission. He wants to break the curse and he knows he has to help Merewen but what he never expected was to fall in love with her. He is great in battle decisions, strong and quite baffled with Merewen when she doesn’t listen to him.

Magic and mystery are what binds this fantasy novel into an interesting romance. The romance is slow to build but once they both feel an attraction the novel heats up. Gideon and Merewen know they don’t have much time left together but they are going to spend it happily. They know they will be left broken-hearted but they see it as a chance to pass on Merewen’s gift to another generation. The magic is a little different but I loved how each of the warriors had an animal to call.

My Lady Mage is told in the third person and it does jump around to many of the different characters including Merewen’s horrible uncle, Fagan. There is a feeling of helplessness in this novel because even though Merewen has called upon help, it is unclear as to how she will be able to escape this mess alive.

The Warriors of the Mists’ story is not over and there is an open ending to My Lady Mage. Merewen’s uncle is just the beginning. There is an even greater evil threat and there are many mysteries left unanswered that may have you wishing you had the next book, Her Knight’s Quest, nearby.

Notable Scene:

“Lady Merewen, it’s young Edric. He was inside the stable, helping with the horses. Too much smoke, I’m guessing, because he’s . . .he’s not—“

It was hard to say whether the man ran out of breath or whether he couldn’t bring himself to say the rest. He staggered toward her, the limp body of the young boy in his arms. Merewen immediately straightened up, her own struggles to draw a full breath obviously forgotten. She met the stable hand halfway.

“Lay him down,” she ordered as she knelt on the ground beside the too-still body.

Everyone else stopped what they were doing, their faces painted with soot and stark grief.

“Edric, stay with us,” Merewen pleaded as she looked around. “I need a knife.”

Gideon immediately offered his. She used the blade to split the fabric of the boy’s shirt. After setting the knife aside, she laid her hands on Edric’s thin body and started chanting. The words tripped off her tongue in a rough whisper, her throat obviously still fighting the effects of breathing in so much smoke herself.

He recognized the flow of her magic, although this time desperation swirled in and around the chant. The longer it went on, the less likely her gift would work this time. He moved closer, wanting to help but not sure how. Finally, he simply dropped to one knee beside her, unsure what to do. If the boy didn’t respond soon, Gideon would have to drag Merewen away before she burned herself out completely.

“My lady,” he started to say, but she shook her head and kept chanting, her voice growing fainter.

He risked a hand on her shoulder. The connection between them surged hot as his own life force lent its strength to hers. Immediately, her words grew stronger, ringing out clearly in the night air. Her efforts were rewarded when Edric’s chest moved like a bellows as he drew a gasp of air.

Warriors of the Mist Series:

1. My Lady Mage

2. Her Knight’s Quest

3. Honor’s Price (TBA 2014)

FTC Advisory: I purchased my own copy of My Lady Mage. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Title: Soulbound

Author: Tessa Adams 

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Lone Star Witch (Book 1)

Publication Date: February 5, 2013

Format: Paperback, 358 Pages

ISBN-10: 0451415043 (Signet/Penguin)

ISBN-13: 978-0451415042 (Signet/Penguin)

Reviewed by: Shirene

Synopsis: 

As the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter—and a member of Ipswitch’s Royal family—Xandra Morgan should be a witch of incredible power. But things don’t always turn out like you expect…

While she hasn’t lived up to her family’s expectations, Xandra has come to terms with her latent magic and made a life for herself in Austin, Texas, running a coffee shop where she makes potions of a non-magical nature. While things aren’t perfect, Xandra is happy—until she runs into powerful warlock Declan Chumomisto.

Xandra hasn’t seen Declan in years, and though she’s still overwhelmed by his power, she doesn’t trust him. And when her own powers awaken one night and lead her to the body of a woman in the woods bearing the symbol of Isis—the same one that has marked Xandra since the day she met Declan—she’s filled with a terrible suspicion, soon confirmed: the woman is connected to him.

Xandra doesn’t want to believe that Declan is capable of murder, but as the body count mounts, and Xandra’s own powers spiral out of control, she’s not sure she can trust her own instincts…

Quick & Dirty: Latent witch has grown used to her lot but comes into her power and struggles to understand her gifts.

Opening Sentence: I was born on a dark night, under a Dark Moon in a sky turned bloodred with power and prophecy.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

This story revolves around Xandra Morgan who is the 7th daughter to the 7th daughter in a Royal line of witches.  She is foretold and prophesied to have great magic but in the end Xandra has got nothing.  No magic at all and she couldn’t pull a rabbit out of her hat if she had to.  This premise, I felt had many possibilities for story lines including the struggle Xandra’s family has with her inability to be a witch.

The interplay in the early portion of the book between Xandra and her mother in particular really pushed the story along and helped to flesh out Xandra’s motivation and often her guilt about her family.  As always, the interchange between mother and daughter fascinates me in part because of the unique and ever changing relationship I have with my own mother.  In this portion of the storytelling, Ms. Adams nails the dialogue and angst perfectly.

However, the time it took to progress to other portions of the story was a bit of a buzz kill for me.  I wanted to see those relationships develop but also have the story move along faster.  We seem to get bogged down a bit in a juvenile mind set by Xandra which was a bit strange.  This is a 27 year old woman with a business that sometimes felt like a teenage instead.  She doesn’t think to ask the important questions of loved ones or the hero and demand answers.  This doesn’t compute with that type of personality but maybe that is my biases coming through.

Now our hero, Declan Chumomisto was a hard character to crack.  I was unsure nearly the whole way through the book whether, in fact, he was an anti-hero or not.  Maybe that is what Ms. Adams was going for but the relationship with Xandra can only be described as “off”.  There is just something not right but the reader does discover later why this does feel this way, however, I feel it could have been handled in a different manner and still had the same impact.

The side characters we are introduced to in this book often feel like an afterthought, which is a true shame.  A couple of them have staring roles later in the book, but aren’t given the character development that I would have preferred to see earlier on.

On a larger front, I am not sure about this book’s genre placement.  Seems to me that this book would have fit more squarely in Young Adult fiction.  Eighty-five percent of the book was squarely written in a Young Adult fiction format and only fifteen percent of the book is Adult content.  Maybe Ms. Adams was not sure which readers to write for, but I felt the distinct difference in writing and content.

Finally, this series has promise and I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a different spin on paranormal or shifter romances.  My hope is that book 2, Flamebound, will take all the strides forward that Soulbound has going for it and expand on those and ditch some of the extraneous noise that were distractions.  We shall have to wait and see.

Notable Scene:

“Declan, it’s been almost nine years since we’ve seen each other.  Frankly, the fact that you know where I live smacks of stalkerdom.”

“Eight years.”

“What?”

“It’s been eight years, five months and three weeks since I last saw you.  Not nine years.  And why should it upset you if I know where you live?  Have I ever bothered you?”

“You’re bothering me now.”

He makes the turn into Guadalupe smoothly.  “No, I’m taking care of you.  I thought the difference between the two was obvious.”

Lone Star Witch Series:

1. Soulbound

2. Flamebound (December 3, 2013)

FTC Advisory: Signet/Penguin provided me with a copy of Soulbound. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.