Review: Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole

Kiss of a Demon King (Immortals After Dark #7) by Kresley Cole
Synopsis (Goodreads):

His obsession: the enchantress who surrenders her body, but not her heart.
After Sabine, the Queen of Illusions, lures and traps Rydstrom Woede in her lair, the ruthless warrior fights to resist her seduction. But his fierce demon nature lusts for her delicate body and won't be denied. Even as Rydstrom plots to escape, he still intends to claim Sabine as his own on his terms.

Her downfall: the battle-scarred demon who vows to keep her at all costs.
When Rydstrom breaks free, he abducts Sabine, turning the tables. Now she's the one struggling to resist his delicious torment. With each relentless encounter, Sabine hungers more for her merciless adversary.

They were never supposed to want each other this much...
If they can defeat the sinister enemy that stands between them, will Sabine make the ultimate sacrifice to save her demon? Or will the proud king lay down his crown and arms to keep his sorceress?

My Thoughts: It's been a while since I read my last IAD book. Mostly due to the fact that I have only picked up through book 6 in my original book buying binge. Now that I've rounded out the series, I'm itching to dive in and do some wallowing. The biggest thing is that I'd forgotten how much events overlap from book to book. The meeting between Rydstrom and Cadeon that's seen from Rydstrom's point of view in this book was touched upon in book 6. And let me tell you, Rydstrom seemed like a man on the edge when we saw it through Cadeon's eyes. Come to think of it, he *was* a man on the edge. That's what loving a Sorceri female who's been shaped by horrific events will do to you.

Sabine's life has not been easy. She's been murdered repeatedly, blackmailed with poison, and she guards her heart and her body zealously. To top it off, she has a creeptastic half-brother who's obsessed with her and is more than a little crazy. Yeah, it's not pretty. So, I liked Sabine. I mean, she's outspoken and she lies constantly but she's got a heart underneath all her brashness and when she falls, she falls hard.

Meanwhile, Rydstrom is a king who's lost his kingdom. His obsession revolves around duty and reclaiming his lands and crown so that he can help his people. And, man, is he lonely. He's nearly given up hope of finding his mate. Then Sabine traps him and torments him with her body and suddenly he has a chance to have the happiness he's been searching for. Of course, Sabine being Sabine, she doesn't make it easy on him. She has her own agenda, one that doesn't necessarily align perfectly with his.

These books are just so much fun. Plus, PLUS, there's an awesome Lords of the Underworld reference that made me all giggly. Come to think of it, in one of the last LotU books I read (I can't remember which one) didn't Tor spot Nix wandering around Budapest? Brilliant! I have mad crossover love going on here. Since I now own the rest of the books in the series (both series, actually), I can totally get my read on. Awe.some.

Books in this series
1. The Warlord Wants Forever
2. A Hunger Like No Other
3. No Rest for the Wicked
4. Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
5. Dark Needs at Night's Edge
6. Dark Desires After Dusk
7. Kiss of a Demon King - Paperback | Kindle
8. Untouchable (Deep Kiss of Winter)
9. Pleasure of a Dark Prince
10. Demon from the Dark
11. Dreams of a Dark Warrior

Author Links
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Review: Dumb Girl Logic: Social Networking Faux Pas by H.R. Highness

Dumb Girl Logic: Social Networking Faux Pas by H.R. Highness
Synopsis

Dumb Girl Logic is defined as a female acting or responding in a manner that defies all sound and sane logic. Dumb Girl Logic: Social Networking Faux Pas will take you through a comedic journey into the social networking world and how it is used by women.

My Thoughts: I'm flat out going to tell you that if you're a girl who doesn't have a sense of humor, don't read this book. I guess you can be a guy without a sense of humor, too. Who am I to discriminate? So, if you're a girl or a guy (perhaps this would be a good time to use the gender neutral "person") who has no sense of humor and can't appreciate a little snark, you should probably steer clear of this book.*

Now, I'm not a big fan of Facebook. In fact, I kind of loathe it. (True story: When Twitter and I run away to consummate are forbidden love, we're not inviting Facebook) This book pretty much illustrates why I can't spend more than 5 minutes at a stretch on it. It covers such hot-button topics as the too-frequent status updater, the TMI status updater and the "let's have a fight with my boyfriend via comments" updater.

H.R. Highness isn't gentle in his rebukes but he's damn funny about it. I wonder if I can slip a copy of this in the inbox of some of those serial updaters.

*In all honesty, you should probably stay away from my blog, too. I've been known to toss the snark around on occasion. Once or twice. It's subtle, though. You probably won't even notice it.

Books in this series
1. Dumb Girl Logic: Social Networking Faux Pas - Kindle
2. Dumb Girl Logic: Relationship Woes

Author Links
| Website | Twitter | Amazon |

Reading challenges: Ebook Challenge

Dumb Girl Logic was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Moon and the Tide by Derrolyn Anderson

The Moon and the Tide (Marina's Tales #2) by Derrolyn Anderson
Synopsis (Goodreads):

Just when things seem to be all figured out, Marina discovers that there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than she ever imagined. When a terrible accident exposes her secret, she discovers that her whole life has been one big lie, and has to cope with more than one kind of betrayal.

A dangerous enemy arrives on the scene, putting her bravery to the test and forcing her to use all of her new-found talents to protect her family. Will good win out over evil? Can love triumph over jealousy?

My Thoughts: This book took me a long time to work through. Considering how fast I read, that's saying a lot. I think my biggest obstacle was that I thought Marina was too mature most of the time. She had her occasional moments of teenage drama but she was so accepting and so willing to see everyone's side of the story (for the most part) that I had a hard time believing she was in high school. As a mom of an almost teenaged kid (Uggh, that hurts me to think about), I found it a bit unbelievable.

I'm torn about how I feel about both Ethan and Evie. Ethan comes across as controlling most of the time. I understand that he's concerned for Marina's safety but it was hard for me to get past the borderline control freak issues. Despite that, I still liked him. I just made crazy eyes at him when he'd throw down his puppy dog face and make Marina feel bad for needing the ocean like she does. As for Evie... wow. Once again, I get that she was trying to keep Marina safe and hidden but she's one of the most manipulative characters I've come across in a good long while. I'm not really sure why she kept her identity secret for as long as she did since knowing what they were up against could have armed both Marina and her father with knowledge if nothing else.

There were parts I genuinely enjoyed (the idea of muses and Marina's obsession with the sea) and I'm glad that Evie's role in Marina's life has finally been revealed but I wasn't fully invested in the book (as shown by how long it took me to finish it). I can't pinpoint where my disconnect comes from, I just know that I kept thinking "For the love of fancy cheeses, Marina! Get your head out of the surf and take a look at what's happening around you!" We got a few answers to some of the issues that were raised in book 1 but not a whole lot of overall arc progression until the very end.

I liked the book, I'm just not OMG!IN LOVE with it.

Books in this series:
1. Between the Land and the Sea
2. The Moon and the Tide

More books by Derrolyn Anderson

Reading challenges: Ebook Challenge
The Moon & the Tide was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Serial Killers' Featured Review: Last Breath by Rachel Caine

Want to know more about the idea behind Serial Killers? This post is the place to start.

This month's book is Last Breath the 11th book in the Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine. I'm the established reader and Odd is new to the series...

Synopsis (Goodreads):

With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace. She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone new to town-a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville's latest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn't merely human. But is he a vampire-or something else entirely?

Odd's Thoughts: Being that a) this was my first exposure to Morganville and b) I ain't all that into vampires in the first place, this book was a big solid meh for me. Caine writes wicked-snappy dialogue ("And you know if you screw it up with Claire, I'll rip your throat out and drink you like a juice box.") so all the characters sound like hip n' edgy folk you might find scribbling in their diaries at the local coffeehouse. And the plot, it did move along and there was a Big Bad and it Big Badded all over the place, but... 

At the end of the day, there was too much soap opera going on for me. I think it was just that I haven't been watching from book one, so things that 10-book loyalists probably squealed at, I was like, "So...okay. Then what?" Fifty pages more and I was thinking maybe put prozac in the Morganville town reservoir. 

So no, I'm not a convert to this series, but based on Caine's skill with dialogue, I'll be giving her weather witches series another try.

My Thoughts: I'm a pretty hardcore Rachel Caine fan and I've been reading the Morganville books for many moons now, so this book totally hit the spot for me. It dropped us back in the middle of Morganville and into the lives of Claire and her friends (and sometimes enemies) just as something big and nasty blows into town. Considering some of the bad guys they've faced in the past, this isn't necessarily something new but, at the same time, it's the worst thing they've ever faced.

With bad feelings mounting on both sides of the species line against Eve and Michael as they plan their wedding, Claire is beginning to see that her status as Amelie's human liaison can't protect her friends. She gets a rough awakening as to what Amelie is willing to sacrifice to protect her vampires and the level of human discontent continues to mount. On the plus side, she and Shane seem stronger than ever. Is it wrong that even though I adore the two of them together there's a little part of me that has a jonesing for Myrnin/Claire? I just love how crazy Myrnin is. The dude is whacked out and brilliant and I like him. I'd love to see him in a relationship but, let's face it, the last time he had one of those he ended up putting his lady's brain is a jar after a bad day. So, maybe that isn't the best idea.

Now, there's a big BIG thing that happens midway through the book (two things, actually, but I'm talking about the second part of it that fixed the first part <--cryptic), one that could have lasting repercussions on the overall arc. How will this affect things? I don't know. I am a wee bit excited to find out, though. There's also a BIG thing that happens at the end of the book that is a game changer and I am very, very curious how this event will alter the overall dynamic of the town.

Bottom line: I loved seeing the gang again and the bad guy is bigger and badder than anything the town has faced before. Claire is forced to face some hard facts and the entire town is balanced on the edge of destruction. In other words, it's a normal week in Morganville.

Kelly: So... do you hate me for making you read a YA vampire book?

Odd: Hate is such a strong word. Also, I didn't realize it was YA until you said something just now. But I think my main problem with it was that it was so very As the Fang Turns, you know? It was all wahpants and marriage proposals, which kind of led to "Oh no! The Big Bad [spoiler] that's going to kill the fuck out of everyone! ....HOW EVER WILL WE MARRY NOW?"

Rather than, say, "Okay, hands up everyone in the room with access to kill-grade bionuclear weapons. Let's put this thing DOWN."

Kelly:  *cackles madly* As the Fang Turns? You're dating yourself, Odd! I do, however, like your bloodthirsty attitude. Well played, madam. Well played.

Coming into the 11th book in a series, how's that working for you?

Odd: Quite a bit of what was going on felt like it was the culmination of 10 books worth of wangst and drama and the occasional fanging and oh noes destruction. I could definitely empathize with someone who'd been following faithfully along and now was hanging off every word all OMG YES CLAIRE/MYRNIN FINALLY. But as someone new to the series, I could've used less "Tina!" "Cord!" "...Tina?" "Cord!" *

What are the soap operas on nowadays? It's true, I have no idea. Bold and the Beautiful? Community? Jersey Shore? I have no idea. True Blood? That would make sense here.

Anyway, I'm babbling. What about you? As a long-term fan were you thrilled to tiny blood-soaked pieces?

Kelly: Yes. I'm a loud, proud Morganville fan and I'm not afraid to shout it to the world!

For the record, I dunno about today's soaps. My sister watches General Hospital or something but she fast forwards through the whole thing. It kinda makes me wonder what the point is in watching it in the first place. I mean, if she's just watching for the pretty and the sex, it would be a far better use of her time to just join Tumblr.

Wait. Who are Tina and Cord?

Odd: Who...are... *sigh* ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cord_Roberts

So you're continuing on with the series, then? And are you shipping Claire/Myrnin or what?

Kelly: I am completely overwhelmed by the amount of history I just read about Cord and Tina. *headdesk*

I am totally continuing with the series. I'm in it for the long haul, baby. I won't say I'm *shipping* Claire/Myrnin because I want her with Shane but... I just... He's Myrnin. I have a soft spot for the guy. And he shows these flashes of affection for her and my stone-cold heart melts a little. Holy Hannah! I am shipping them, aren't I?

Do I even need to ask if you're going to continue? Maybe start at the beginning? YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!

Odd: Oh, you mean start at the beginning of One Life to Live? Well maybe if they release it on DVD, sure. Also, tell me Cord and Tina wouldn't be the best vampires EVAH.

Kelly: Statements like that are why I love you!

Odd: Right back atcha, babe!


*I so watched that show, y'all. Original Tina might've looked like she ran into a door at high-speed in full makeup, but she knew how to keep three men on a string. And until I saw Cord shirtless, I'm not sure I really understood about pectoral muscles.

Split Decision

Books in this series
1. Glass Houses
2. The Dead Girls' Dance
3. Midnight Alley
4. Feast of Fools
5. Lord of Misrule
6. Carpe Corpus
7. Fade Out
8. Kiss of Death
9. Ghost Town
10. Bite Club
11. Last Breath - Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle

Author Links
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Review: Alcandian Quest by Mary Wine

Alcandian Quest (Alcandians #1) by Mary Wine
Synopsis (Goodreads):

Jessica's love life is a mess. She wants a man who will love her, make her heart pound with desire and her body melt from passion. Marriage is in there too, but finding the right guy is turning out to be mission impossible. Dumping Mr. Wrong, she heads to her cabin in the mountains, hardly expecting to be swept off her feet and out of this world—literally—into the arms of the sexiest man she's ever met. What she isn't prepared for is to get the man of her dreams—in duplicate!Dylan and Jett don't care which planet they discover their mate on, only that they find the woman who will complete them both. And when Dylan touches Jessica's mind and body, he knows it is his mate he holds in his arms.But Jessica is about to find her personal taboos stretched to the limit by these two sexy, powerful warriors. Offering her everything she ever wanted from a man, she finds out that sometimes what you wished for is a whole lot more than you can handle. But an Alcandian warrior never gives up until the battle is won…

My Thoughts: I've read a couple of Mary Wine books before so when I saw this one pop up as an Amazon freebie I was all over it. Plus, I'm a sucker for muscles and that cover has some nice ones. However, I had a few issues with Mr Muscles and his world and those issues ran deep enough that I'm really torn on how I feel about the book as a whole.

My biggest issue (and one that's admittedly personal) is that all of Jessica's wants (excluding the physical) were ignored or overridden by Dylan and Jett. Yes, they did agree to accommodate her in the end when she asked for more time but they treated her like a possession up to that point, one that was there specifically to pleasure them. Even they mothers acted deplorably toward the poor girl, bulldozing over her valid complaints with borderline passive aggressiveness. I really had a problem with the bathing and not allowing her any privacy and especially with giving Jessica a full body electrolysis without telling her what they were doing. It squicks me out that these women who had once been in her position showed her so little empathy.

I'm usually a big fan of the Alpha male (or males) claiming their lady but this scenario didn't work for me. I didn't like the way Jessica was treated and it tainted my enjoyment of the rest of the book.

More books by Mary Wine

Reading challenges: Ebook Challenge, Why Buy the Cow? Challenge
Alcandian Quest was a free Kindle download I picked up on 02/27/12.

Review: Natural Evil (Elder Races #4.5) by Thea Harrison

Natural Evil (Elder Races #4.5) by Thea Harrison
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Date read: 2012

Elder Races
1. Dragon Bound
2. Storm's Heart
3. Serpent's Kiss
3.5. True Colors
4. Oracle's Moon
4.5. Natural Evil - Paperback | Kindle
4.6. Devil's Gate
4.7. Hunter's Season
5. Lord's Fall
5.5. The Wicked
6. Kinked
6.5. Dragos Takes a Holiday
6.6. Pia Saves the Day
6.7. Peanut Goes to School
7. Night's Honor
8. Midnight's Kiss
8.5. Dragos Goes to Washington
8.6. Pia Does Hollywood
9. Shadow's End
9.5. Liam Takes Manhattan
9.7. The Chosen
9.8. Planet Dragos

Thea Harrison
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads)

Claudia Hunter is on a road trip through the Nevada desert when she sees the body of a dog on the side of the highway. Pulling over to investigate, she quickly determines that the enormous animal is clinging to life. While working to save him with the help of the local vet, Claudia realizes there’s something about the creature that seems more. Other. Wyr. Which makes this case of animal cruelty attempted murder.

Too injured to shape shift, Luis Alvaraz is reluctant to tell Claudia what he knows about his attack, afraid it will only make her a target. But the sheriff is corrupt, and his attackers know Luis is alive and vulnerable. To make matters worse, a sandstorm is sweeping into town, and if they're going to survive the night, Luis will have to place all his trust in Claudia.

Warning: Take a gorgeous man temporarily stuck in the dog house, add a strong, take-no-prisoners woman, mix in encroaching enemies and a raging sandstorm and stir to combine. Enjoy with a freshly opened can of whoop-ass.

My Thoughts:  Disclaimer for those that haven't heard me rave about Thea Harrison and her outstanding Elder Races series before: I am MADLY in love with this world. Madly. I have no problem whatsoever finishing up one of these books and then flipping back to the first page and starting all over again. Seriously, I am shameless in my love. Shameless.

This time around we're given the delectable Luis and the strong, silent Claudia. Claudia intrigued me. She's capable, smart and she has a feeling that the half-dead critter she rescues is more than just an abused dog. She gains Luis' trust when she protects him when he's at his worst and Luis finds himself falling for her.

Storyline-wise, I was very impressed by the twists and turns of the story. I loved how the title played into the overall arc and how we were left with a bit of an open-ended ending - I'm firmly of the belief that there was a beautiful off-page HEA (full of sweaty, Wyr sex and other delicious things), in case you were wondering.

Greed, loyalty, and unexpected connections make this a home-run in my book. Thea Harrison is officially on my fangirl flail list.

Review: Valentine's Day of the Undead (Megan Berry #2.5) by Stacey Jay

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Q: What could be worse than spending Valentine's Day alone?
A: Spending it with evil zombies!!

Megan Berry is no stranger to heartbreak, but spending Valentine's Day serving other happy couples hot dogs while mourning the loss of her one true love is almost more than even a highly trained Zombie Settler can handle. So when her recently estranged boyfriend, Ethan, texts her asking her to be his Valentine, she ditches her bodyguard and rushes to his side.

But soon, Megan's dreams of chocolates, flowers, and lingering make-up kisses take a turn of the rotted-corpse-and-maggot variety, and Megan fears that her first Valentine's Day with Ethan, may be her last.

My Thoughts: This novella gave us some nice closure to Megan's story. Which makes me all sorts of smiley because people who fight the forces of evil (whether they're related to you or not) should have a happy ending. Barring a happy ending, they should at least get to kick some serious ass. And possibly find out some disturbing information about your former best friend who tried to kill you and is currently inhabiting a reanimated corpse. Oh, good times. Good times.

So, I have kinda a funny story here. Okay, it's not *really* funny but I find it amusing. I've met Stacey Jay. We've hung out. Okay, we hung out once. And I've been to a few of her book signings. I can see Stacey in this book. I can hear her utterly exuberant and sparkly personality bubbling up in Megan's thoughts and her musings on cheese. I loved it! I love hearing an author's voice shine through like that.

Highly amusing (much like Stacey herself) and irreverent, I was pleased that Megan wasn't left dangling in mid-series hell. We got enough answers that I wasn't clawing at the walls begging for more and enough was left unsaid to let me imagine a happy ending for everyone in the Megan Berry universe. Except the bad guys. They don't get happy endings.

Thank you, Stacey Jay, for the closure.

Other books in this series
Book 1: You Are So Undead To Me
Book 2: Undead Much?

More books by Stacey Jay

Reading challenges: Ebook Challenge