Category: Non ARC

My Fair Assassin(Paranormal Misfits: Book 1) by C.J. Anaya

Publisher: C.J. Anaya Publishing LLC

Date of publication: March 26th, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairies, Fae, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Magic, Novella, Urban Fantasy

Series: Paranormal Misfits

My Fair Assassins—Book 1

My Fair Traitor—Book 2

My Fair Imposter—Book 3

My Fair Invader—Book 4

My Fair Princess—Book 5

Where you can find this book: Amazon | AbeBooks | Alibris | BetterWorldBooks

Goodreads synopsis:

NEW AND EXTENDED VERSION

It’s not everyday a teenage girl is singled out for assassination.

Crysta has come to accept the fact that she is freakishly different. Her shocking white hair, creepy powers, and weird eating habits have prevented her from fitting in with her various foster families. Now that she is fully emancipated and providing for herself, she hopes that life will settle down and become something halfway normal.

Her hopes are shattered when a dangerous man with lethal intent breaks into her apartment, but this enticing stranger isn’t what he seems. Is he here to kill her or protect her from others who will?

My Fair Assassin is a romantic short story with elements of paranormal and urban fantasy woven in for an entertaining read. It also touches on social issues involving personal self-esteem and acceptance. Adults and teens alike will enjoy getting lost in the pages of Crysta’s story as she finally comes to accept who she is…or rather what she is.

When I started reading My Fair Assassin, I was “meh.” Who would be OK with a strange guy appearing in their apartment and announcing he was there to kill her? Not me. I would be running around the apartment, screaming my fool head off. Crysta was laid back about it. Once I got past that first chapter, the book gets much more interesting.

I liked Crysta’s character. She looks different, is a vegan, and she has powers. She is down-to-earth, funny, and sarcastic. She suffers from poor body image. She filed her ears down to fit in and dyed her hair blonde. I felt sad when she explained why she did that. It reflects what teenagers are going through in today’s society.  As a teen girl’s mother, it is refreshing to see these issues addressed.

Jareth is a hottie. Think of a male version of Crysta but with more powers. I didn’t like that he knew everything and let it trickle down to her. Considering her self-esteem/trust issues, it was a wise choice, and you could tell how much he cared about her.

I didn’t care for the Instalove BUT it went well with the story. Jareth had Instalove first. It made sense. You need to read the story to understand what I am saying.

The ending was interesting. Things came out that surprised me. One of those things, I figured out as soon as Jareth appeared in Crysta’s apartment. The other main thing surprised me and made me sad for Jareth.

I would recommend My Fair Assassin to anyone over 16. There is some violence, mild language, and some kissing.

If you enjoyed reading My Fair Assassin, you will enjoy reading these books:

The Descendant (Guardians of the Worlds: Book 1) by Ally Capraro

The Descendant (Guardians of the Worlds Book 1) by [Capraro, Ally]

Publisher: Capraro Press

Date of Publication: March 29th, 2016

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Action

Series: Guardians of the Worlds

The Beginning—Book 0.5

The Descendant – Book 1

The Enchantress—Book 2

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis:

Possessed villains. Intriguing guardians. Multiple worlds.
Ava Davenport is in the midst of her wedding preparations when her world is thrown upside down by a night visitor. He has a mind blowing message and Ava can’t keep her mind off it and… off him.

˃˃˃ The Contact
When she can no longer tell the difference between dreams and reality, she visits a shrink and a shaman. But when neither of them truly understand her, Ava gets closer with her visitor who explains why she is the most sought after person in all the worlds.

˃˃˃ The Descendant
Ava is not a regular human. She possesses abilities no other being in any world can imagine. She is the key to the evil Xemlix plan of enslaving Earth.

After being almost captured by the cruel villains, she is rescued by Meldrick Richglow, her night visitor, and she crosses the portal to the Lapo civilization, the land of milk and honey, where she is safe, but not for long.

The evil Xemlix are terrorizing Earth and can only be defeated with Ava’s supernatural abilities, which haven’t yet awakened.

˃˃˃ The Series
“The Descendant” is the first YA sci-fi/fantasy romance novel in the “Guardians of the Worlds” series. It features fast paced action, side-splitting comedy and out of this world romance.

If you are looking for the perfect pool/beach/laying in the sun on a cruise ship book, this is it.

I enjoyed reading The Descendant, even if it did annoy me in some spots. All the people, including the aliens, were gorgeous. Ava, Chloe, Victor, Barry, and Meldrick, are all good-looking. I was looking for someone who wasn’t model material in this book but didn’t find anyone. But hey, more eye candy for me to imagine.

I liked Ava’s character. She seemed a little needy and fell into Instalove easily. She was sweet and naive, and I could see us being friends. She seemed to need someone to protect her from the Barry’s in life, so I didn’t care for Chloe at first. She wasn’t there for her.

When she met Meldrick in a dream, she did what any sane person would have done and went to a shrink. When that didn’t work, she went to an alternative shrink. I was dying laughing during that scene. Whenever I see the phrase “beautiful soul,” I will forever think of Glenn Wiley.

Speaking of Meldrick Richglow. He came off as stalkerish in the beginning. Coming into a girl’s dream is weird, and it will make said girl run to a shrink.

Lord Slith is an evil alien who wants to take over Earth. To open the portal between his realm and Earth, he has to fuel it with fear. Which he has no problem getting from Earth. He is after Ava because he believes that she is the girl from the prophecy.

The ending of this story was good. I wasn’t expecting the twist that was put in there and wanted to cry. The author left it open for the next book.

I would recommend The Descendant to anyone over 16. There is no sex and some violence

If you enjoyed reading The Descendant, you will enjoy these books:

Dusk to Dust: Something to live for. Something to die for…. by Adrian Felder

Publisher: Adrian W. Felder

Date of publication: August 8th, 2015

Genre: Science Fiction

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Peacekeepers believe that there is only Good and Evil in the Galaxy, But for David Carpenter, morality is not about absolutes. His true path lies somewhere in the shadows.

The planet of Prospect was once a bastion of hope and prosperity for humanity. It’s wealth and promise drew the powers of Earth to it like moths to a flame. Centuries later, after endless exploitation and war, Prospect has devolved into a run down and neglected corner of the galaxy. A corner of the galaxy that veteran smuggler David Carpenter is very familiar with. But after accepting a contract from the notorious Windham Corporation, he finds himself in over his head. Trapped between warring criminal and government factions in some of the most unforgiving environments known to man, he discovers a terrifying truth that could change the future of humanity forever. Now David must navigate a labyrinth of lies, deceit, and villainy if he hopes to save his own life, let alone the dystopian world he calls home.Immerse yourself in the Epic where the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.

It has been a while since I have read a good science fiction book. Dusk to Dust is one of those books, and I enjoyed reading it.

David Carpenter is a smuggler who has taken on a huge assignment with his partner. They are heading to a planet called Prospect to meet with the Windham Corporation about a job.

I loved David’s (or Carp’s) character. He was loyal, and he would do anything to make sure that he got the job done. His relationship with Alana was complex, but the author did the right thing by not making them have a relationship. Later, his military training and moral compass were showcased when he teamed up with Letsego and the Peacekeepers.

I was less thrilled with Lesego’s character. He was strong-armed into following Carp and Alana by his captain. He made the job personal after a team member was killed and another was blinded. But he did redeem himself when he helped Carp on the raider’s space station and then again at Windham’s dig site.

The amount of violence in the book put me off in the beginning. Once I started reading and got into the story, I saw how violence was essential to the plot.

The ending/epilogue was perfect. There was a twist that I didn’t see coming, and I was blown away by it. Not giving anything away, but it was perfect!!!!

I would recommend Dusk to Dust to anyone over 21. There is sex, graphic violence, and language. There is also a torture scene (fingernails get pulled off)

Beneath Crimson Sky by Adrian Felder

Beneath Crimson Sky: (Dusk to Dust) by [Felder, Adrian]

Publisher: Adrian Felder

Date of publication: August 8th, 2015

Genre: Science Fiction

Where you can find this book: Amazon 

Book synopsis:

The Peacekeepers believe that there is only Good and Evil in the Galaxy,

But for David Carpenter, morality is not about absolutes. His true path lies somewhere in the shadows.

The planet of Prospect was once a bastion of hope and prosperity for humanity. It’s wealth and promise drew the powers of Earth to it like moths to a flame. Centuries later, after endless exploitation and war, Prospect has devolved into a run down and neglected corner of the galaxy. A corner of the galaxy that veteran smuggler David Carpenter is very familiar with. But after accepting a contract from the notorious Windham Corporation, he finds himself in over his head. Trapped between warring criminal and government factions in some of the most unforgiving environments known to man, he discovers a terrifying truth that could change the future of humanity forever. Now David must navigate a labyrinth of lies, deceit, and villainy if he hopes to save his own life, let alone the dystopian world he calls home.

Immerse yourself in the Epic where the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.

My review:

It has been a while since I have read a good science fiction book. Beneath Crimson Sky is one of those books and I enjoyed reading it.

David Carpenter is a smuggler who has taken on a huge assignment with his partner. They are heading to a planet called Prospect to meet up with the Windham Corporation about a job.

I loved David’s (or Carp) character. He was loyal and he would do anything to make sure that he got the job done. His relationship with Alana was complex but the author did do the right thing by not making them have a relationship. Later on, when he teamed up with Letsego and the Peacekeepers, his military training and moral compass are showcased.

I was less thrilled with Lesego’s character. He was strong-armed into following Carp and Alana by his captain. He made the job personal after a member of his team was killed and another one was blinded. But he did redeem himself when he helped Carp on the raider’s space station and then again at Windham’s dig site.

The amount of violence in the book put me off in the beginning. Once I started reading and got into the story, I saw how the violence was essential to the plot.

The ending/epilogue was perfect. There was a twist that I didn’t see coming and I was blown away by it. Not giving anything away but it was perfect!!!!

How many stars will I give Dusk to Dust? 4

Why? Like I said when I started this review, I enjoyed the book. There was a ton of action and the ending was perfect!!!

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range? Adult

Why? While no sex (clean in that sense), there is graphic violence and language. Also a scene of torture (pulling off of fingernails….shudder).

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Diner Delight (Sexy Secrets: Book 1) by April Fire

Diner Delight (Sexy Secrets Book 1) by [Fire, April]

Publisher: 

Date of publication: August 10th, 2016

Genre: Erotica, Romance

Series: Sexy Secrets

Diner Delight—Book 1

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis:

What if you had a husband who hadn’t been as loving as you’d like?

What if he’d been too busy to satisfy the hunger burning inside of you?

What if a handsome stranger walked into your workplace and offered to fulfill your most secret desires?

What if you had a Sexy Secret that you didn’t want revealed to anybody?

Diner Delight is a short story about a married woman and her sexual adventures that will keep you at the edge of your seat and leave you begging for more.

When the author asked me to review her book, I went back and forth on it. While I like to read erotica, I am hesitant to review them. I decided to take a chance and review Diner Delight, and I loved it!!!

The wife gets turned on by the gym rats who come into the diner nightly. So she goes into the bathroom to get off. She reminisces about her past exploits with men and women while she masturbates. I should add that her husband owns the diner, and she is a waitress.

One night, a gym rat who smells like soap (which means he showered people!!) finds her getting off in the bathroom, and shenanigans ensue. Not going to go into it too much, but it was scorching. Of course, I am left wondering, why does every guy in erotica need to have a supermax dick?? It is my question of the day, I guess.

The ending was super sweet, and it was a cliffhanger. Grrrrrr.

I would recommend Diner’s Delight to anyone over 21. There is explicit sex and language.

If you enjoyed Diner’s Delight, you will enjoy these books:

Skin Trade (Jake Brogan Series: Book 2) by Michael K. Murphy

Publisher: Michael K. Murphy

Date of publication: July 20th, 2016

Series: Jake Brogan

Deadbeat – Book 1 (review here)

Skin Trade – Book 2

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis:

Jake Brogan, retired U. S. Army Special Forces, is hunting for his daughter’s killer. But in the course of his search, he stumbles upon a mother whose daughter has been kidnapped by a ring of human traffickers, and their tentacles reach all the way to Washington, D. C. Jake agrees to detour from his search in order to help recover the missing girl. They don’t know it yet, but the traffickers have just messed with the wrong person.

Back in February, I reviewed Deadbeat and loved it. When I got contacted by the author to review Skintrade, I was excited about reading it.

I wasn’t disappointed.

Jake was his usual badass self and was continuing his search for Donnie. While he was in Nashville, he meets Heather. He finds out that her daughter was kidnapped by human traffickers. Jake decides to look for Kelsey after hearing that the local cops aren’t squatting about it. That sets in motion a series of events proving his badass.

I have a bit of a book crush on Jake. This guy is unflippingbelievable, and in my eyes, he walks on water. He is the total package for a book crush. Who else can walk away from being captured by mercenaries and turn it around on them? Jake can!!!

There was very little of Randy in the book, but that’s OK. I dealt with it. I did get to meet Grey and Russ (hopefully, there will be more Randy in his next book!!!).

The ending of the book was perfect. I must say that everyone got what was coming to them. EVERYONE got what they deserved.

I would recommend Skin Trade to anyone over 21. There are sexual situations and violence.

Protect Me (The Donovan Family, Book 6) by Margaret Watson

Protect Me (The Donovan Family Book 6) by [Watson, Margaret]

Publisher: Dragonfly Press

Date of publication: November 11th, 2015

Genre: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance

Series: The Donovan Family

Love Me—Book 1

Watch Me—Book 2

Find Me—Book 3

Trust Me—Book 4

Cover Me—Book 5 (Review Here)

Protect Me—Book 6

Save Me—Book 7

See Me—Book 8

Catch Me—Book 9 (review here)

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Goodreads Synopsis:

Police officer Mia Donovan is studying for the detective’s exam when her captain offers her an assignment – be Finn O’Rourke’s personal bodyguard for the next three weeks. He’s in town to film a movie, he has a stalker, and the threats are escalating.

Mia isn’t interested – she’s focused on the looming exam. But her captain convinces her that successfully protecting Finn will look very good on her record when promotion decisions are made. So, reluctantly, she takes the assignment.

Finn isn’t the arrogant, egotistical actor Mia expected. There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the ‘most hated man in America’, Finn’s nickname since he cheated on his girlfriend, a beloved pop star.

But his stalker is lurking and the threat is escalating. Although Mia’s feelings for Finn are growing, her job is to protect Finn, not fall in love with him.

“Margaret Watson, a star in the world of contemporary romance, grabs you on the opening page and keeps you reading to the happily ever after.” –New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips

This book is electric, right from the get-go.

Mia Donovan is what my mother-in-law would call a firecracker, and I loved it. I didn’t expect any less and would have been disappointed if the author had written her any other way. Even the way she introduced herself to Finn was gold. I loved it!!

I didn’t care for Finn’s character at first. I get he’s an Alpha male and thought he could protect himself from his stalker. To take the risks he did the first day was stupid, and he didn’t listen to Mia. Made me want to slap and shake him.

I was shocked at how fast they had sex. They didn’t even know each other for a week. The more I thought about it, and it made sense. They were together 24/7, with no breaks, and attracted to each other. I liked that they entered the relationship as adults. Except for the no-condom sex and taking each other’s word that they were clean. You couldn’t pay me any money to do that with someone I had just met.

Mia being undercover was a hoot, and I giggled when she became an airhead. It cracked me up. I laughed at every single scene.

Finn’s issues with his ex weren’t funny. He let her put his name through the mud because he’s nice. I will say that it reminds me of the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard saga going on.

The stalker’s identity and the end of the book were a little bit of a shock to me. The stalker wasn’t who I pegged. I wasn’t expecting the book to end the way it did. I did get a little misty-eyed at it !!

I would recommend Protect Me to anyone over 21. There is sex, language, and violence.

If you enjoyed reading Protect Me, you will enjoy reading these books:

Death Unmasked by Rick Sulik

Death Unmasked by [Sulik, Rick]

Publisher: Christopher Matthews Publishing

Date of Publication: December 1st, 2015

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Purchase Links: Amazon | AbeBooks | Alibris | Powells | Indigo | BetterWorldBooks

Goodreads Synopsis:

A reincarnated evil is stalking the women of Houston. With each murder, the madman quotes an excerpt from the Oscar Wilde poem, “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.” A huge smokestack belching smoke, a ragged flea market double-breasted wool coat, and an old antique picture frame, bring the distant past back to haunt Houston Homicide Detective, Sean Jamison. With those catalysts, Jamison knows who he was in a past life and that he lost the only woman he could ever love. Searching for his reincarnated mate becomes Jamison’s raison d’être as he and fellow detectives scour Houston for a brutal serial killer. The memory of timeless love drives Jamison’s dogged search for a serial killer, determined to finish what he started decades earlier.
Each clue brings Jamison closer to unmasking his old nemesis. Tenacious police work, lessons learned in the past, and intuition may be the only weapons he has in preventing history from repeating itself.

I wasn’t sure what to think of this book in the first couple of chapters. The book was slow in the first couple of chapters. I struggled through those chapters because of the above issues. Get past those first few chapters; the book is a great read!!!

I enjoyed the storyline. A serial killer comes back. A cop remembers his past life, tries to find his lost love, and develops psychic premonitions. How all 3 are melded together makes a fascinating story. Throw in some very creepy stanzas from “The Ballad of Reading Gaol,” and the story becomes chilling.

From the minute I met Sean Jamison, the pace of the book picked up. When all his past lives return, he becomes obsessed with finding his long-lost soul mate. When he finds her, he is devastated that she doesn’t remember him or their lives together. But not is all that it seems, and there was a twist in that storyline that made me go, “Seriously.”

I wish that there were more scenes with the serial killer. He was a creeper, and I wish the author had spent more time in his brain. Once Darla was killed, the serial killer wasn’t in the story until the end.

The author shouldn’t have made Sean’s captain fall in love with him. Only Sean dropped that past-life tidbit on her in the office. It went from being cute and obsessive after finding his soul mate to creepy and gross.

The ending was great and, for the book, perfect. The author brought all the storylines together in a way that satisfied me. Nothing was left open-ended, which was great.

I would recommend Death Unmasked to anyone over 21. There is violence, rape, and murder.

If you enjoyed reading Death Unmasked, you will enjoy reading these books:

Cover Me (The Donovan Family: Book 5) by Margaret Watson

Cover Me (The Donovan Family Book 5) by [Watson, Margaret]

Publisher: Dragonfly Press

Date of Publication: April 28th, 2015

Genre: Suspense, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery

Series: The Donovan Family

Love Me—Book 1

Watch Me—Book 2

Find Me—Book 3

Trust Me—Book 4

Cover Me—Book 5

Protect Me—Book 6 (review here)

Save Me—Book 7

See Me—Book 8

Catch Me—Book 9 (review here)

Product Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo |

Goodreads Synopsis:

Chicago cop Brendan Donovan loves the adrenaline rush of his role on a tactical team. So when he’s assigned to an undercover job to ferret out the supplier of a new and deadly sex drug, he’s thrilled. His partner is Cilla Marini, a detective he’d met recently during a traffic stop. He’s intrigued by Cilla, but his sister told him that Cilla doesn’t date cops. Which is exactly what they have to pretend to do. Brendan loves a challenge.

Cilla is shocked to find out that Brendan is her mystery partner. After an incident that forced her to transfer from her district and isolated her from her fellow cops, Cilla knows relationships with cops are off the table. But she’s spent far too much time thinking about Brendan since he pulled her over for speeding. Now, not only are they working together, they have to pose as a couple to find the source of the sex drug that’s already killed several men.

As the action heats up, Cilla and Brendan don’t have to pretend they want each other. But when secrets put them both in danger, will they have each other’s back? Or will their quarry divide and conquer them before they can find their way to happily ever after?

I was surprised by this book. As you all know from previous book reviews, I wouldn’t say I like reading books out of order in a series. They are hard to read because there are references to the other books that have come before in the series.

But not this book. You can read Cover Me as a standalone book. There are references to the other books, but (and stress but) they are for the story only. Which is another reason why I liked this book.

I first met Brendan Donovan as he was sitting outside a drug house, doing surveillance. When a vintage Mustang speeds past him, he assumes it was stolen. So he gives chase and pulls the car over. Imagine his surprise when not only does he pull over a woman, but she is a cop and a hostage negotiator on her way to a scene. Her name is Priscilla (aka Cilla) Martini.

Brendan and Cilla do meet again. This time they are partners and are looking for the dealer(s) of a deadly street drug that has killed 5 people. This drug is used as a sexual stimulant like Viagra. Cilla is going undercover at the pub where the drug seems to be dealt. Brendan is going as a pub regular who starts to have a relationship with Cilla after meeting her there. Cilla got a heads up about a serial rapist that is striking the local clubs/pubs in the area and to keep her eyes open.

The sexual attraction and the heat between Brendan and Cilla were unfreakinbelievable. Cilla could get aroused by a look from Brendan, and Brendan from Cilla was awesome. When they finally do have sex, it rocketed off the page.

What I loved about this book was that the sexual tension was the second fiddle to the story. The author used the sex scenes as delicious interludes to Brendan and Cilla’s police work. This is how a romance is supposed to be. The storyline and then sex. Not sex and then storyline!!!

I did get frustrated with Cilla and her not wanting to have a relationship with a cop. Which was based on her aunt’s experiences. Her aunt’s experience was bad. But it is something that shouldn’t have been reiterated to a child over and over and over again. I didn’t like that Cilla was the fixer for her family. Every time someone had a problem, they called her. Her mother acted like a small child when Cilla kept telling her to see her Uncle Donny get her brakes fixed. I wanted to reach through the book and smack Cilla and her mother.

I did figure out who the serial rapist was early on in the book. No fault of the author, but the fake name (and Cilla’s reaction to it) was a dead giveaway. I liked that it led to another storyline and that one was left open-ended at the end of the book.

I didn’t understand why ratting out a fellow cop for doing something bad was so bad. Cilla handled herself when meeting Ward was very classy and NOT how I would have handled myself. Also, Brendan and Connor’s defense of her was great too.

The ending was great, and I was surprised at who the dealer was. I didn’t think it was who I thought it was.

Oh, and I want to say I love Australian shepherds. Hehe.

I would recommend Cover Me to anyone over 21. There is sex, language, and violence. There is also drug use and one scene of attempted rape.

If you enjoyed reading Cover Me, you will enjoy reading these books:

The Byzantine Connection (Stella Hunter Mystery Series: Peacetaker: Book 3) by Edita A. Petrick

Publisher: Edita A. Petrick

Date of Publication: January 27th, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Series: Stella Hunter Mystery Series: Peacetaker

Ribbons of Death—Book 1 (review here)

The Harmony Scroll—Book 2 (review here)

The Byzantine Connection—Book 3

Arachne’s Challenge—Book 4

Doomsday Hand—Book 5

Seals of Eternity—Book 6

Purchase Links: Amazon | Alibris | Powells

Goodreads Synopsis:

In St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, Detroit, Carter witnesses the miracle of youth returned, and stigmata where none should be. The bleeding statue is no miracle: it is the embodiment of an ancient curse that draws people in by granting their deepest wishes—but at the price of serving an evil force, ultimately paid for with their lives.
In a race against time to get to the bottom of the mystery, Carter and Stella have only the words of old friend and priest Father Malvan to guide them—yet he is long gone, turned monster then to dust.

This book takes place a year or so after The Harmony Scroll ends. I was delighted to find out that Carter and Stella are a couple. Stella has trouble coming to terms with their relationship during the book. Their interactions during this book cracked me up.

They are sent on a mystery after Stella’s friend contacts them about a mysterious statue. The events become a race against time to stop a powerful lawyer from fulfilling a prophecy.

The action was insane. Throw in the mythological element, which got my heart pounding at some points.

The ending was unexpected, and its twist threw me for a loop. I should have seen it coming; I should have but didn’t.

Would recommend The Byzantine Connection to anyone over 16. There is violence and language but no sex.