Tag: paranormal

The Aureate Spectacles by Eliott McKay

The Aureate Spectacles: A Vampire Romance Novel by [McKay, Eliott]

4 Stars

Publisher: Inkitt

Publication date: December 31st, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Michaela was a seemingly normal high school senior, hiding behind a pair of hideous spectacles that masked her true identity. When she’s abducted by an intriguing werewolf, she learns that her father was a powerful vampire, and she has been chosen to protect his city from her predatory kin.

As the situation grows dire, the fate of the city rests in her hands, and she must choose between peace for her people or the man she’s growing to love.

My review:

Michaela has lived with her Aunt Hazel for as long as she could remember. Her parents were killed in a hiking accident when she was three years old, and Hazel had raised her since. Hazel was an icy, uncaring person who ignored Michaela unless she had to pay attention to her. It was a lonely existence made even more so because Michaela had to wear hideous, rhinestone-encrusted, yellow lens spectacles.

The glasses were a bane of her existence. The older she got, the more hideous the glasses got. She was bullied relentlessly and had no friends. By the time Michaela was almost 18, she had somewhat resigned herself to her life until she found a pocket watch with a miniature portrait of a beautiful dark-haired woman in it.

The portrait made her feel loved and filled by looking at it. During this time, she started having dreams of a mossy pond in a courtyard of stone and a voice that called her name, Kayla. She would also hear a song that she couldn’t quite catch and would hum the melody. But once she realized what she was doing, the song would disappear.

Then there came the night that Aunt Hazel woke Michaela from a nightmare. One where she was talking French and calling for Conrad. During Aunt Hazel’s interrogation, the pocket watch was discovered and Aunt Hazel went nuts.

Aunt Hazel freaked out. She fitted Michaela with what she considered a dog muzzle with straps coming out of it. That apparatus was to hold the glasses in place while Michaela slept. Aunt Hazel upped up security around the house to an almost wild pitch. She went as far as to board up Michaela’s windows, made it so the door locked from the outside only and was outfitted with a triple lock. Michaela had no idea why, but she believed that it had something to do with why she had to wear those ugly glasses all the time.

She ends up making a break for freedom after Hazel takes to locking her in her room. Getting rid of the spectacles, she is a hit at school. After school, as she is walking down the street, she runs into a mysterious young man whom Michaela feels that she knows and who knows more than he is letting on.

Returning home, she has a confrontation with Hazel that was a long time coming. She learns that her mother had sent her to Hazel. Her mother believed that she would be safer with Hazel. The man who delivered Michaela to Hazel told her that she would be safer if her eyes were hidden and faked Michaela’s death. Michaela was able to pry out her mother’s name and her father’s name from Hazel. Hazel also told her that her last name was fake. Instead of Morley, it was Mohrlock. Hazel also implies that Julian is still alive.

The next day Michaela was whisked away by a mysterious man. After being out of commission for four days, Michaela wakes up to find herself on a boat in the middle of the Black Sea. What the man tells her, stuns her.

She is the heir to a land called Mons Maledictio Ruwa (rough translation: Cursed Mountain of Thunder), and her name is Michaela Alandria de Mohrlock Comptesse. She is the daughter to Julian Philip Benoit de Mohrlock and Marguerite Emmaline Fitzwallis…both deceased.

It is after she arrives at the castle that her adventures begin. After attempting to escape the castle by climbing down the side (and getting stuck), she is put right away into intrigue. Every year, she is supposed to go to a summit with the people who live on the other side of the mountain. They are called the Sylva, and they have a shaky treaty with Michaela’s people.

Michaela was a hoot to read, and I loved her character. She was loyal, loves deeply, and is willing to do anything to protect her people from the Sylva. I loved her misadventures.

Conrad was such a mystery, and I liked how the author drew out Conrad’s secrets. He was also perfect for Michaela.

The romance between Michaela and Conrad was cute to read. Painful in some parts but very cute.

The secondary characters are what made this book. They were well written and didn’t fizzle off into the background once their storylines ended. The author kept them in the story. When the bad things happened in the book, and yes, some pretty upsetting things happened, these same secondary characters were right there with Michaela and Conrad.

The end of the book was bittersweet. I wish that there was an epilogue that followed up with the characters. Some of the storylines were not wrapped up, including the V and W storylines. I wonder if there will be a second book. I have questions about certain characters that I would like to see answered.

I would give The Aureate Spectacles an Older Teen rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread The Aureate Spectacles. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Deadlight Jack (The Faceless One: Book 2) by Mark Onspaugh

Deadlight Jack (The Raven and the Canary Book 2) by [Onspaugh, Mark]

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Hydra, Hydra

Date of Publication: January 3rd, 2017

Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal

Series: The Faceless One

The Faceless One – Book 1

Deadlight Jack – Book 2

Where you can find this book – Amazon

Book synopsis:

Worse things than gators lurk in the Louisiana swamp. . . . The author of The Faceless One fuses the twisted imagination of Fritz Leiber with the razor-sharp plotting of Joe Hill in this rollicking horror thriller.
 
Appearances can be deceiving. Take Jimmy Kalmaku. Anyone passing him on the streets of Lake Nisqually, Washington, would merely see an elderly man. But Jimmy is actually a powerful Tlingit shaman, with a link to the god Raven and a résumé that includes saving the world.
 
Or take his friend and roommate, George Watters. Another ordinary retiree, right? Wrong. Like Jimmy, George is more than he seems to be. He too has a link to the supernatural. He too has saved the world.
 
Then there’s Professor Foxfire—also known as Deadlight Jack. Dressed in the garb of a stage magician, he seems a figure of magic and fun. But he isn’t fun at all. He isn’t even human. And his magic is of the darkest and bloodiest kind.
 
When George’s grandson vanishes on a family vacation to the Louisiana bayou, George and Jimmy fly across the country to aid in the search. Once they arrive, family feuds and buried secrets bring George face-to-face with the ghosts of a forgotten past; Jimmy finds his powers wilting under the humid Southern sun; and deep in the swamp, Deadlight Jack prepares his long-awaited revenge.

My review:

Deadlight Jack is not a book to read at night.

Repeat.

Deadlight Jack is not a book to read at night.

I generally don’t scared of books but this one, well it scared me, big time. Take the cover, for instance. The one orange eye and the salamander are creepy. Then add the swamp, and the creepiness factor goes up.

Deadlight Jack starts after the events of The Faceless One. Jimmy and George are living together, but not together if you know what I mean. After saving the world in the first book, they are expecting to be left alone and live out the rest of their lives together.

Life (and the Gods) have other plans.

Jimmy is visited by Dabo Muu, a giant albino alligator that tells Jimmy that he needs to get down to Louisiana. It was more of an order, and Jimmy feels that there is more going on than what Dabo Muu is letting on.

George gets a phone call from one of his sons. His grandson, Donny, has gone missing while on a camping trip with his moms and older brother in Louisiana. He and Jimmy decide to head on down to help and offer Mel and her wife moral support while they search for Donny.

When George tells Jimmy that Donny is missing, Jimmy immediately cancels plans that were taking him to Boston to visit his son, daughter in law and granddaughter to go with George. During the flight down to LA, George tells Jimmy about his tragic past. All about his kids, his wife, and the tragedies that happened. He warned Jimmy that his daughter, Delphine, will be there, and it will not be pleasant when she finds out George is there. Delphine is holding on to the hurt and resentment from the past, and she will make things very difficult for George.

And she does. She had to have been the most self-centered secondary character that I have ever read, and I wanted someone to put her in her place sooner than they did. I understand that she had issues with George, but there is a time and a place for everything and to be a rude asshole to him, and making an already tense situation even tenser wasn’t cool.

I loved how George had to come into his own during the book. He had to accept his past to save his grandson and the other children.

I wish that I had read the first book. That would have helped me connect with Jimmy a little more and would have helped me understand his character a bit better. I would have loved to read more about shamanism and the indigenous people of Alaska.

The paranormal/horror aspect was fantastic. Like I said above, this is a book that you really shouldn’t read at night. Not only did it feature a swamp (which is creepy in its own right), but Professor Foxfire was genuinely scary. I mean, anyone who has tattoos that come alive and off their face has a special place in the creepy hall of fame. But add that he can make children into ghosts and he kidnaps even more kids to turn them into either food/more ghost children, he is vile.

The end of the book was excellent, and I loved the showdown. I was expecting something to happen, just not on that scale. I also liked that the author set up for book 3.

I would give Deadlight Jack an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Deadlight Jack. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Lost in Time (The Fine Art of Deception: Book 3) by Alyssa Richards

Lost in Time: A Time Travel Romance Book Series (The Fine Art of Deception 3) by [Richards, Alyssa]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: November 22nd, 2016

Genre: Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller

Series: The Fine Art of Deception

Undoing Time – Book 1 (Review here)

Somewhere In Time – Book 2 (Review here)

Lost In Time – Book 3

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Searching for the answers she needs, will Addie lose everything she has?

Adeline “Addie” Montgomery is searching for the truth. As she and Blake travel back to 1922, she expects her nemesis Otto is behind a string of art forgeries. The only problem is that the villain has completely disappeared. Addie must now find Otto without blowing her cover to keep the past intact, as long as a lover from a past life doesn’t get in the way…

Blake Greenwood wants nothing more than to catch Otto and return to the present with Addie, the love of his life. When his mother goes missing as well, he leaves Addie alone with his half-brother to save his family. As the future begins to change in unexpected ways, Blake and Addie begin to question everything. Can they find Otto and save their relationship before what they had disappears for good?

Lost In Time is the third book in an absorbing series of paranormal romance time travel novels. If you like museum capers, psychic powers, time travel, and steamy romance, then you’ll love Alyssa Richards’ thrilling conclusion to the Fine Art of Deception Series.

My review:

Lost in Time starts two years after Addie, Blake, and Philippe were sent through a painting by Otto. After making sure they weren’t able to get home, Otto then kidnapped Carolena, Blake’s mother and disappears. Blake has searched tirelessly for the paintings. Also, in the past with them are Addie’s father and grandfather, also banished there by Otto.

Addie and Blake have been cautious about who they talk to in the past. They do not want to change future events. That comes to a head when Blake meets Sarah, who Addie is reincarnated as in the future, and Addie meets Jack, who is Blake reincarnated in the future. Taken by surprise by a kiss, Addie warns Jack to be careful. What happens with those words changes her and Blake’s future and present in a big way

Addie also has become very irritated by her relationship with Blake. In the two years that they have been there, he has become very focused on finding his mother and a way home, leaving Addie feeling alone and abandoned. The only way that they connect these days is when they have sex, and even then, Blake is holding a piece of himself back.

Then they get word that Carolena is definitely in Paris, and they all head there to get her. Meanwhile, back in the future, Addie’s grandmother notices that a weird cloud is covering Blake in every single picture that they have. She finally realizes that something must have happened in the past for Blake to start being erased and sends word to Addie through the first edition of an F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book. They use that book to communicate with everyone.

I loved that the author chose to make Blake and Addie got through relationship difficulties, instead of everything is peachy keen. The ups and downs of their relationship were so realistic and added so much to the book. I mean, even Addie pleading with Blake to please open up, to please let her in, is something that everyone is relationships have said at one point.

Addie was a fish out of water in the early 1920s. I don’t know if I would have been able to pull off what society expected a woman in the era to be, and I give her props for doing it.

I was a little disappointed that we didn’t see Addie’s gifts in full force in this book. I mean, she did talk to 2 ghosts, she was able to pick up on Carolena just by touching a tub, and she used her abilities to see if the paintings were a forgery or not (and her other gift was also used). I just wanted to see her interact more with the ghosts. I know, weird.

Blake had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and I felt terrible for him. He was trying to protect (or control, depends on how you look at it) Addie, find his mother, find Otto, and find the paintings that can bring them home. Blake has been at it for two years, and I am surprised that he didn’t crack under pressure. He was at one point in the book, starting to act just like his father. I wanted to reach through and give him a smack on the back of the head and tell him to knock it off.

The sex scenes between Blake and Addie was as hot as ever. Those scenes scorched the pages; they were so hot, which was very good.

The end of the book was sad, in places, and it was what I expected. All of the storylines were resolved in a very satisfactory way. I will say that I didn’t expect the people to stay in the past who stayed. Looking back, there were signs, but I was still surprised.

The series as a whole was excellent. I think I learned more about art from this series of books, then I expected.

I would give Lost in Time an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Lost in Time. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Blood Divine by Greg Howard

Blood Divine by [Howard, Greg]

4 Stars

Publisher: Anakim Press

Date of publication: November 28th, 2017

Genre: LGBTQIA, Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Cooper Causey spent a lifetime eluding the demons of his youth and suppressing the destructive power inside him. But a disconcerting voicemail lures Cooper back home to the coast of South Carolina and to Warfield—the deserted plantation where his darkness first awakened. While searching for his missing grandmother, Cooper uncovers the truth about his ancestry and becomes a pawn in an ancient war between two supernatural races. In order to protect the only man he’s ever loved, Cooper must embrace the dark power threatening to consume him and choose sides in a deadly war between the righteous and the fallen.

My review:

Cooper Causey is a love them and leave them type of guy. He is unable to form any long-lasting relationship after a disastrous one in high school that ended with the guy in a coma and Cooper blaming himself. So he took off and eventually landed in Nashville, where the story begins.

Well, it began 20 years previously, when Cooper was 8. On a dare, his older brother, his brother’s friends, and Cooper go to an abandoned, haunted manor called Warfield. While they were there, the boys get spooked, and all leave. Well, all but Cooper, who ends up crashing his bicycle into a tree and loses his glasses. He ends up seeing a ghost called Blue. Blue corners Cooper when he falls on top of his bike, holds his head and shoots energy into Cooper’s head. Then Cooper passes out.

When Cooper was with his latest one-night stand, his grandmother, Lillie Mae, calls him and leaves a cryptic voice mail. Panicking (like anyone would when their grandmother doesn’t answer the phone), he heads back to Georgetown, SC, to check on her.

What ends up happening once he gets there is something he doesn’t expect. He calls the police to report Lillie Mae missing, and the officer that shows up is none other than his deceased brother’s best friend and Cooper’s old crush, Randy. After filing the report and Randy leaves, Cooper decides to head to the one place that terrifies him. Warfield.

It is there that his world kind of gets turned upside down, and I am not going to get into it.

I loved the fantasy and paranormal aspect of this book. The author put a great spin on Biblical stories which I enjoyed reading. I also really liked the spin on vampires/witches. He didn’t release all the information on either of them at once. Instead, it was leaked, slowly, throughout the book, and that was more than enough to keep my attention.

The ending was excellent, and I loved that Cooper finally found happiness. The way it ended, though, suggested at a book 2. If so, I will be eagerly awaiting it!!

I would give Blood Divine an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Blood Divine. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Somewhere in Time (The Fine Art of Deception: Book 2) by Alyssa Richards

Somewhere in Time: A Time Travel Romance Book Series (The Fine Art of Deception 2) by [Richards, Alyssa]

4 Stars

Publisher: 

Published: November 9, 2015

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Series: The Fine Art of Deception

Undoing Time – Book 1 (review here)

Somewhere in Time – Book 2

Where to find: Amazon

Book synopsis:

One wrong touch could ruin everything…

Adeline “Addie” Montgomery has finally found her soulmate in Blake Greenwood. As the forgery trial begins for her former boss, Otto, her happily-ever-after seems to be taking shape. But when Otto puts everyone she loves back in danger, Addie must look to the past to make her future possible.

As Addie and Blake make progress finding her missing family, demons who’ve hunted her for centuries threaten to destroy the life she’s come to love. Once again, it all comes down to a choice: loyalty for her family or love for her soulmate. Her decision could transform the world…

Somewhere in Time is the second book in the Fine Art of Deception series, a set of supernatural romance mystery novels. If you like delicious plot twists, alternate histories, and well-executed time travel, then you’ll love Alyssa Richards’ can’t-miss series.

My review:

This book starts off a month or so after the first book ends. Addy and Blake spent a month in Paris, getting to know each other and just falling even more madly in love. But reality sets in when they get home. Addy and Blake are set to testify in Otto’s trail of art forgery and theft. Understandably, Addie is a bundle of nerves about testifying against him. Otto was a scary man with connections everywhere.

Leaving Addy at their penthouse, Blake heads over to the courthouse to testify against Otto. Only thing, he doesn’t exactly make it into the courtroom. He is attacked by two men, taken into an alley, given what was supposed to be a lethal dose of something (it wasn’t stated) and left in the alley to die.

Meanwhile, Addy gets an ominous phone call from Ellen, her ex-co-worker basically warning her that she better have another plan set up in case Otto’s trial doesn’t happen or he gets off scot-free. Addy is unnerved, as I would have been, and throws up her lunch. This disturbs her to the point where she feels a migraine coming on and she decides to go to her house to get her medications and some family keepsakes.

While she was there, her migraine gets oh so much worse, even with her taking her medication and she lays down with a wet washcloth and club soda (which made me go yuck) to have a quick nap. After waking from her nap, she immediately senses a man’s presence in her house and guess who that was? Otto. See, all of Otto’s witnesses have miraculously decided not to testify against him. Otto decides to lay everything on the table with Addy. He wants her to work with him on a special project of his…using her talents to tell Otto which paintings were fakes and which ones were real and he would sell the real ones and make a killing on them. He also wants to possess Addy like he possessed Carolena, Blake’s mother. He also dangles a carrot in front of her. She helps him and he helps her find her missing grandfather and father and he leaves Blake alone. If not, well, he doesn’t help her and he doesn’t leave Blake alone. Simple enough. So she decides to think about it.

Basically, the story after this point is Blake and Addy trying to outsmart and outmaneuver Otto while trying to solve the mystery of what exactly happened to her father and grandfather.

Blake and Addy were still going on strong and their sex scenes were beyond hot. More glimpses into their past life as Sassy and Jack were seen and Otto was introduced as also being connected to them as Gary, Sassy’s fiance or boyfriend (the book wasn’t exactly clear as to what he was). Which explains why Otto was so intent in going after Addy and Blake. It was history repeating itself and it was kinda freaky.

The last part of the book was probably the most interesting part for me. There was a small twist and a huge twist thrown into what I thought was going on. What I didn’t like is that it ended in a cliffhanger. I absolutely do not like cliffhangers. But this one was pretty good and it definitely makes me want to read book 3.

I would give Somewhere in Time an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Somewhere in Time. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Esper Files (Esper Files: Book 1) by Egan Brass

Esper Files

4 Stars

Publisher: Inkitt

Date of Publication: October 26th, 2016

Genre: Science Fiction, Steampunk, Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal

Series: Esper Files

Esper Files – Book 1

Esper Files: The Sky Cult – Book 2 (expected publication date: January 25th, 2017)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book Synopsis:

When an experiment goes wrong in Victorian London, Espers, people with supernatural abilities are created. In order to counter this new potential threat, the Institute is set up to teach Espers how to use their abilities for good and how to hunt down those who want to use their powers for evil.

Gifted with a formidable but self-destructive ability, Nathan is one of the Institute’s top agents. When the evil Baron executes his plan to control the minds of London’s political leaders, peace is dependent on Nathan and his team.

Will he learn to control his powers in time to save the world? Or will he succumb to their self-destructive nature?

My review:

I was so excited when I realized that this was another steampunk novel. I must have missed it in the blurb.

This book is fascinating. It starts with the Professor giving a demonstration on Electro-Magnetic energy at The Oxford Academy of Science to a crowd of people, including some influential Lords. Unfortunately, there was an accident involving a storm that blew up the lab, which was called the Great Storm. But not only the lab was destroyed in the Great Storm. Something was released, and it began to affect 20% of the Earth’s population with paranormal powers and natures. That was the day that the Espers were created.

Fast forward 30 years into the future, and Nathan and James, who are Espers, are introduced. They are about to jump off an airship and use James’s power of teleportation (he can teleport anywhere he has seen once) to the Bank of England, where there is a robbery occurring. After a bloody and fire-filled fight (one of the rogue Espers could control fire), they end up back at the Institute with the rogue Esper, who was robbing the bank.

While Nathan is being healed that it is disclosed that he has a rare paranormal ability. Just by touching another Esper, he gets their abilities and the emotions associated with them. It is while interrogating Firebrand (the rogue Esper), they find out that there is a diabolical plan being set into action by a mysterious Esper named The Baron. The first plan was to rob the Bank of England for a mind-control device. The second plan is to kidnap a 9-year-old Esper called The Siren. The reason the boy is called The Siren is that he has a voice that can hypnotize people, and The Baron needs him for his diabolical plan.

That’s when Freya is introduced. She is The Siren’s (aka Cyrus) older sister and his protector. Freya is also an Esper, but she has repressed her powers until the night that a trio of blood-drinking Espers brutally murders her adoptive mother and father. After that, her brother is kidnapped by The Baron’s assassin.

Freya is rescued from the ice block she made of her house and neighborhood by Nathan and brought back to the Institute. There she is told about the plan to use Cyrus for a nefarious reason. That is when she decides to take action.

I felt terrible for Freya at first, but then she got on my nerves. She didn’t listen and found herself in some pretty dangerous situations while not knowing how to use her powers. I said to my Kindle, “Just listen to Nathan, you silly girl” during the last battle.

I liked Nathan, but I couldn’t imagine the toll his power had on him. What I liked, even more, was that he used Tai Chi to ground himself and to keep his emotions in check after gaining a new power. Plus, he was able to use it in battle at the end of the book when his powers wouldn’t have been able to help him, and I liked that. He was also a sarcastic, cheeky son of a gun, and his mouth did get him in trouble (and made me laugh).

Not going to go into the story from there but man, it was full of action and evil people doing evil things. There is one scene of an Esper taking over another Esper’s mind that freaked me out. Also, The Baron at the end of the book was downright spooky.

Not going to go into the story from there but man, it was full of action and evil people doing evil things. There is one scene of an Esper taking over another Esper’s mind that freaked me out. Also, The Baron at the end of the book was downright spooky.

There wasn’t a happy ending with this book. Some storylines were wrapped up, others were left open, and new ones were started. It paved the way for a second book, which I can’t wait to read

.

I would give Esper Files an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is mild language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Esper Files. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Necrobloods by Lauren Stock and Robert Stock

Necrobloods by [Stock, Lauren, Stock, Robert]

5 Stars

Publisher: Dragon Girl Press

Date of publication: November 10th, 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

16 year old Celeste Boyd casts Elemental magic. With the great battle coming, she and her best friend Gena are learning more about their abilities. Even more pressing, though, are the basketball finals and the mysterious new boy in school, Carter Wells. Celeste now has to choose between her crush and Carter, who is showing quite the interest. And then there are the crazy dreams with the huge dragon eye…

My review:

Another great book from the authors Lauren and Robert Stock. Also, another book that is going on my “must get B when she turns older” shelf. I seriously have a list of books that I am getting her which includes Lauren and Robert’s Tamzin Clarke series.

I liked Celeste. She was your typical teenager with a twist. See, she lives in Salem MA and she can cast Elemental magic. She also plays basketball and is crushing on her friend Gena’s older brother and the popular boy in school. Life is good for her.

Then the principal of her high school is murdered, and she meets Carter, the gorgeous new kid in school. Sparks fly between them, which I thought was cute. Later on, that night, while she was lying in bed, her nightmares begin. The next day, at Gena’s pool party, Luke and Sean get into a fight over her, and Celeste faints. While she faints, she has a bizarre and gross vision involving blood and Luke.

Fast forward a few days, and Gena fills Celeste in on something that her parents had been keeping from her. Every thousand years, there is a war for dominance between Elementals and Spirituals. 10 people from each faction are called to an arena, and they fight each other to the death — the last faction standing rules for the next thousand years. Anyone from the ages of 16 on can be chosen. And guess what, the thousand years are about to be done with. Of course, Celeste is pretty upset that her parents never told her.

From this point on, the book gets pretty impressive. Another character is introduced, Camille, who is a Spiritual and who seems to hate Celeste on sight. Carter and Celeste’s relationship heats up, as does her relationship with Sean. I was wondering who she was going to choose and wasn’t surprised by her choice.

There are a couple of twists in the book that took me by surprise and a couple I did see coming but weren’t prepared for.

The ending of the book was great, and everything was wrapped up perfectly. I was left wondering if there will be a book 2.

I would give Necrobloods an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread Necrobloods. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Undoing Time (The Fine Art of Deception: Book 1) by Alyssa Richards

The Fine Art of Deception: A Time Travel Romance Book Series (Book 1) by [Richards, Alyssa]

Publisher: 

Date of publication: January 18th, 2015

Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller

Series: Undoing Time

The Fine Art of Deception – Book 1

Somewhere in Time – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Art appraiser Addison Montgomery just wants a normal life. One where she can ignore the vicious ghosts who follow her. One where she’s free from her “gift” of touching an object and seeing the owner’s deepest secrets. And one where she can fall in love without having all of the above get in the way.

But when tall, dark, and dangerous gallery owner Blake Greenwood enters her life, normal is the last thing she’s feeling. The man has more secrets than the priceless art he sells, giving Addison’s quest for normal no chance. That, and he may just hold the key to uncovering the truth behind her father’s unexplained disappearance.

Despite her paranormal gifts warning her to stay away, she feels an inexplicable, captivating fascination for him, something that goes deeper than attraction. There’s something between them that’s older than time, and if she can learn to give him her trust, it may just save her life.

My review:

I felt awful for Addie in the first few chapters of this book. She had a horrific breakup with her ex-fiance. At first, she glossed over the details. He left her to be with her best friend But, no, her ex-bestie and himself decided to ruin Addie at her job. The author didn’t get into what they did, but whatever it was, it was awful and caused Addie to become a hermit of sorts. She didn’t find comfort at home. Addie has special psychic powers. She is an empath, can see and talk to ghosts, and if she touches an object, she can see past owners and events attached to the object. All 3 of these “gifts” have made her life a living hell.

I couldn’t even imagine living as she did. She barely slept, barely went out, and lived like a hermit. I am a homebody, but it would drive me nuts to not run to the store. Her only comfort is a sapphire ring that she bought while in Paris. For some reason, she dreams that she is the woman (named Sassy) and she has a lover named Jack.

She decides to apply for a job at her grandfather’s old art agency that is now being run by her grandfather’s partner. She has always loved art and decided that this would be a great career for her.

Now, this is where the book got fascinating. Addie meets Blake and has an instant attraction to him. She was almost pulled to him, and she was scared to death. I mean, who wouldn’t be after what she went through.

Speaking of Blake, I liked him…even when he was less than honest with Addie. But he did get on my nerves, a little bit, with his secretiveness. While I understand why he was so secretive, it still bugged me— what a way to start a relationship.

I also liked that the book was pretty cut and dry with who the bad guy was. No guessing, no red herrings…which was excellent.

The chemistry between Blake and Addie was intense, and the sex was through the roof. I did think that they were going to go “let’s go bareback because you haven’t had any partners for a while and I am clean” but it didn’t. I did a fist pump and praised the author for doing that. Hooray for fictional safe sex.

I will say that the ending was pretty satisfying. More secrets come out, and there were a couple in there that surprised me. Kept me interested enough to want to read the next book and see how everything is resolved.

How many stars will I give The Fine Art of Deception? 4

Why? Great storyline and great characters.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, language, some violence

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

Her Steamy Viking (Her Viking’s Desire: Book 2) by A.J. Tipton

Her Steamy Viking: A Paranormal Romance (Her Viking's Desire Book 2) by [Tipton, AJ]

Publisher:  Self Published

Date of publication: August 2nd, 2014

Series: Her Viking’s Desire

Her Fiery Viking – Book 1 (Review here)

Her Steamy Viking – Book 2

Her Winged Viking – Book 3

Her Rock Hard Viking – Book 4

Her Christmas Viking – Book 5

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

ATTENTION READERS: This is a sexy SHORT novella. Bite sized for your reading pleasure. 

A cursed Viking trapped in a watery prison. A modern-day witch digging into her past. What they discover could bring them together…or tear them apart.

Over a thousand years ago, Bram and his brothers were cursed. The Viking has spent centuries trapped in a Scottish loch as an invisible water wraith, despairing of ever breaking free. But when a gorgeous woman splashes into his world, Bram finally has a chance to make things right. 

Audrey is a tenacious witch exploring the grounds of her grandmother’s secret Scottish cabin. When she feels drawn to the beautiful waters of a nearby loch, she discovers she is not alone. Will her magic be enough to free her aqueous lover?

Her Steamy Viking is a hot paranormal romance novella. If you like smoldering love stories, magical adventures, and fun in the water, then you’ll love this standalone installment from the Her Viking’s Desire series. 

My review:

I went into this book with the expectation of it falling a little short from the first story. I am happy to say that I was proven wrong.

This book was great. Short but great.

Audrey had inherited a cottage on a remote island from her grandmother. She came to the island expecting a rundown cottage and finds a castle. After poking around for a bit, she decides to take a rowboat out onto the loch. While she’s out there, she decides, “Hey, isn’t it a wonderful idea to sunbathe naked in the rowboat.” Not thinking of splinters or people coming upon her while she is naked in the rowboat. She thinks, “It’s remote, and no one will be here, so let’s do it.” If I decided to sunbathe naked in a rowboat, I would get a splinter in my butt and a plane would fly over and get an eyeful. So glad that didn’t happen in this book.

Bram is a Viking warrior who has been cursed to be water because the witch that cursed him accused him of being spineless. The curse went like this:

I curse you to truly be the spineless puddle you are. Not until you prove the strength of your conviction and two households work together for your release, will my curse be broken.

So he spent a thousand years at the bottom of the loch until Audrey rows on by and disrobes. He immediately becomes aroused at the sight of her. Not getting laid for a thousand years will do that to a guy. When Audrey drops her necklace into the lake and dives after it, does he get a chance to make his move.

And oh boy, did he ever. Not going to go into the rest of the book but there oral sex (on both ends) and one explosive sex scene. I had to fan myself during those scenes. They were so hot!!

How many stars will I give Her Steamy Viking? 4

Why: The sex was out of this world and I loved that Bram was a Viking with a conscience. Audrey was pretty awesome too. She had spunk…lol.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, sex, and more sex.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book

Agrathias by Conor Nicholl

Agrathias by [Nicholl, Conor]

Publisher: 

Date of publication: August 5th, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

900 years ago, Dogane fell at the hands of Ubinion and Ramas. That day, the people rejoiced to the heavens, which had finally removed its dark veil and given them the warmth they deserved for so long. Since then, nearly everyone had forgotten the power that almost tore Agrathias apart.

…

But Ubinion and Ramas had always warned of the corruption they were never able to completely rid the world of. A corruption that now allows one sorcerer the chance to rule Agrathias…forever…

My review:

This book was fantastic, and I loved reading it.

Agrathias starts with a mystery man sitting in a tree, surrounded by monsters called Arcams. He is full of grief and guilt over leading them to his village and the death of his sister. The chapter ends with a battle between him and the Arcams. This unknown man is a sorcerer and he controls ice. He did take out a ton of Arcams before being captured.

The next chapter, Arone is approached by a strange man and is demanded to give back what is his. Arone does what any sane person would do being confronted by a weirdo, he turns around and leaves. But he gets attacked by a strange guy and injures him with fire, which startles Arone. At this point, Arone’s brother shows up and they head to the village to let the mayor know.

The mayor gives Arone an egg-like object and tells him to head to the capital to talk to the king. Before that could happen the Arcams attack the village. While Arone is helping defend, he is told to find his parents by their friend. He witnesses the destruction of his village and the death of his brother while escaping.

Arone is grief-stricken. He makes it to the city and sees the king, who has the same reaction that the mayor had. The king put Arone up at a tavern and has him meet his sorcerer, Tyris.

Arone discusses magic with Tyris. He can’t understand where his fire magic comes from. That night, he goes back to the tavern and realizes that his egg-like object has hatched, and it is a baby griffon. He tells Tyris, who advises him on how to handle a griffon.

After that, the book gets epic. Arone, Aine, Akadi, Abnoba, and a motley crew that they pick up in their adventures. I loved Lupercus and Gunnolf’s characters. Kathara, I didn’t care for her. She was too prickly for me to like. Urana’s and the Ragmar’s characters weren’t gotten into until almost the very end.

The adventures that crew went on were epic and very well written. I felt that I was in a quest with them all.

I did feel bad for Dogane. While he was evil, he didn’t start that way. He was made that way by being abused by a tutor that his father hired. He did try to tell his father, and his father looked the other way. It was heartbreaking reading that but it explained a lot.

The ending of the book was fantastic. All the storylines were ended. But there are still unanswered questions that will be explored in the next book. I would love to know, what happened to Arone’s parents? Are they still alive?

How many stars will I give Agrathias? 4

Why? A great, well-written fantasy novel. This book takes you away to a land where magic is the norm, griffins are real and friendships that are forged are forever.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range? Teen

Why? To be honest, I would have no problem with my 11-year-old daughter reading this book. It is very clean (no sex, no swearing) with minimal violence.

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