Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance/Sci-fi/

*Note: May contain mild spoilers. But nothing that will ruin your enjoyment*

Mercy was one of those books I had stored on my Kindle for a very long time and just didn't get around to reading. One of my problems is that I go through phases of reading certain types of books and at that time I was just sort of going out of my paranormal phase. I'm glad I waited because this book is incredible and I would have hated to have read this with a slightly disinterested mind. Anyway, here's a bit more info for you.

Mercy wakes up to find herself in the body of another, as has happened to her countless times before, though she still struggles to get used to it each time.  This time, she wakes up in the body of Carmen and is slightly puzzled as to why since each time she wakes up she's supposed to help said person with problems they may be having, but Carmen appears to have a decent life.
After getting to grips with where she is though, it becomes apparent that maybe Carmen isn't the one who needs her help and that maybe it's the family she is staying with whose daughter; Lauren, vanished. Especially in need of help is Ryan, Lauren's twin who refuses to except that she is gone and is determined to find her.
Coupled with this, Mercy is starting to remember things, things from before she fell so far from Heaven and why it happened. And is the man in her dreams who claims he loves her really the one to trust?

So taking into account my synopsis I know a lot of people will be thinking: 'not another fallen angel story!' well, this one is so different and so, as I've previously mentioned, absolutely incredible. Not only is this a stunning romance but it is also a fantasy/sci-fi with some serious twists to be unravelled and a dark mystery that will keep readers guessing to the very end.
I have huge respect for Mercy and though part of me should be horrified that she hijacks people's lives, I really didn't feel that, especially as the story progresses and Mercy really starts to investigate Lauren's disappearance.  What Miss Lim has managed to do with this book is weave an engrossing tale of 'The Fall', mixed with an unusual romance across three people (without a physical third person) and tell a gripping and horrifying mystery story that even has a: 'I never saw that coming' moment.

The elements of Mercy's past aren't suddenly 'info dumped' either, they are carefully told at the correct points in the story so that myself, as a reader, could make sense of them and so that they linked with ease into the general storyline. As for Mercy herself, I guess I did wonder if she did do something truly bad but honestly can we call her evil for doing something in the name of love and loyalty? Sometimes people mess up, angels included and to me she more than redeems herself with what she does in this book.

The mystery element of the story is incredible and the reasoning for the disappearance was so original, weird and yet utterly believable as I can so imagine some psycho out there doing what the bad guy in this does. Such is the world we live in. Sadly. In relation to that, the link to finding out who the kidnapper was, was equally clever and the link was so obviously there, yet I couldn't see it until it was pointed out right at the end. Simply Genius.
And you may be wondering about the romance? Well it's not overbearing. It's subtle, not 'at first sight' and built on a lot more than attractiveness, this is especially important considering Ryan is falling for an Angel in  Carmen's body. It does beg the question: do we fall in love with a person as we see them or as we know them? Would you know if your wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend, suddenly swapped their consciousness? It'd be nice to think so. Falling in love with someone you can't actually see, I think that would make it a stronger bond in some way, then your sure your falling for the person, not the outer shell.

Anyway, I digress. You'll understand it better if you read the book, and I urge you to do so.
This is a wonderful book and when your done with this one, you can then go on to read the next in the series; Exile. I know I will be!

Bleeding Hearts by Alyxandra Harvey

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance/Fiction

For fans of Alyxandra Harvey then it's common knowledge that this is the fourth in the series, for those who haven't, take heed and read the first three!
With so many vampire books out there and with so many romantic storylines I'm here to tell you that this series is completely different to all the other vampire books out there and I know with the cover and the synopsis you'd probably be expecting a book heavy on romance, but honestly there is much more to it:

'Lucy's cousin Christabel has come to live in Violet Hill, and adjusting to the difference between life in a small mountain town and her home in the city is difficult enough. The strict curfew that Lucy's parents enforce is the worst part. Something really dangerous couldn't possibly happen in this tiny town. 
But Christabel has noticed some mysterious happenings, and it seems like Lucy, her boyfriend Nicholas and his brother Connor are all in on a secret that Christabel doesn't understand—one that seems deadly serious. Although she won't admit it, Christabel would love to be in on any secret with Connor Drake. 
But when she is kidnapped by the ruthless Hel-Blar vampires, Christabel must cause more and more trouble in Violet Hill, Lucy and Connor finally fill Christabel in on all the undead drama. Together, they must find a way to stamp out the Hel-Blar for good.'


Yes, there really is a lovely romance story in this but there's also an amazing plot that will keep you enthralled from beginning to end.
Christabel breaths new life into the story and it was intriguing watching her exist in the Drake's world while being completely oblivious to the truth of the existence of vampires. Watching her fall in love with a vampire was just as amazing, especially as she discovers the truth and learns to deal with it in her own way.
The action never lets up either and from the moment Christabel is kidnapped, the pace is relentless and I was turning the pages at ultra speed to discover what happened next.


There were a lot of plot twists throughout and I found it intriguing that there was more to learn regarding the Hel-Blar and how they come into being. Let me just say that everything even the Drakes thought they knew was thrown into question, but then I love that about these books, you can never predict what will happen.  And the cliffhanger at the end will, I'm sure, have fans really annoyed yet utterly dying for the next book.


Kidnappings aside and the drama that is now ensuing with Solange (I wanted to slap her at various points in the book), there is no end of humour especially with Lucy and her mothers amusing habit of promoting safe sex to her daughter  and the Drake brothers are just as funny, especially Nicholas and his over-protectiveness of Lucy.  And its not just the individual characters that are funny but also Miss Harvey's writing style which seems to flow between very funny and into a more serious tone (when needed) with complete ease. I can't say whether she finds writing a difficult thing, but if she does, it doesn't show.

And finally for the romance. I don't know what it was about Christabel and her growing relationship with connor but it didn't feel as in-depth as the others at first, maybe because of the circumstances and the fact that so many other things were happening, but by the end I was just as fond of Connor and Christabel as I was the others.  Having said that, it is a very good sign when the romance doesn't eclipse a very intriguing and thrilling story. By the end of the novel their relationship ends up very different to most of the others in the series, but I won't say how because I'd have to post spoilers.

What I will say is I will keep reading this series and keep worshipping the Drake boys, shame most of them are taken now...sigh.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Fantasy/Fiction/Paranormal Romance

It's been nearly a week since I finished this and I can still remember it clearly which is a good thing as this review would be much harder to write had I forgotten :-p So without any further elaboration here's a brief synopsis for you:


Evie's life isn't what most people would call normal. She can see through the glamour of Paranormal creatures such as Hag's, Faeries, Vampires and Werewolves and she helps to tag them and bring them under the rules of the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA) to stop them causing anymore trouble and to give them work to do.  But now Paranormals are dying and as the death toll increases and a strange prophecy surfaces, it becomes apparent that Evie may be unintentionally caught up in something incredibly dark and dangerous.


Wow, I loved this book and I'm about to go all gushy about this like a love-sick teenager! Evie is such an incredible and original character and I loved how stupidly funny this is. One minute I was laughing my head off and the next I was shedding tears.  This is a bleeping wonderful book!
The plot is original with all it's twists, turns and revelations and I loved how Evie came into her own and started making her own choices as she learned more and more about the  IPCA and what it did, which is brave considering how sheltered from the normal teenage world she was.


Just for fun here's my top favourite things I love about this book:
1. Lish and her bleeping computer
2. Tasey the pink taser
3. Evie's obsession with lockers
4. Lend


Ah, Lend. How I love Lend. As far as characters go he is true teenage awesomeness. I don't want to say too much about what he can do but he is honestly fantastic and the way he is with Evie is brilliant too!
Lish is another one of my favourites and I love how every swear word she uses gets bleeped on her computer, it had me in giggles throughout the book, and her and Evie have such a good laugh together.


I am aware I've been talking about this like it's a easy children/teen read but it really is much more than that and although it will have you laughing until you hurt it will also have you sobbing in parts. Some of the story line will have you so tense and wanting to know what happens next that you'll be flipping the pages at light speed. So many things in this book are different to others I've read, for example, even the enemy in this book isn't what it appears to be and quite a bit of the book reads like a mystery as well as romance and fantasy.
The ending was fantastic and  I have just downloaded the sequel for my Kindle so the good news people is that when you read this and you get hooked, you don't have to wait for the sequel to be released. 
If your looking for a teen novel with good escapism for you're adventurous adult, and with a touch of romance, give this incredible book a go.

Angel by L.A. Weatherly

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

I've had this on my kindle for such a long time and I've had so much else to read I just haven't had the chance. Then one day I thought that I'd read a few things at once, a few review requests mixed with some of my outstanding kindle purchases and I asked my readers to vote. The result was actually a draw but I then asked my sisters to tie break and Angel won! And I'm very very glad it did!

Angel is about Willow and Alex. Willow is a high school girl who has amazing psychic abilities and Alex kills angels. However, angels aren't the holy spiritual beings that people believe, but actually creatures that feed of their human victim's lifeforce. When Alex meets Willow he instantly knows she's something different and is slightly horrified when he learns the truth. But are all angel's really bad?

I loved the concept of this novel mainly because in a YA market that is literally saturated with Vampires etc this was a breath of fresh air to me and I found the twist on the usually godly angels, truly fascinating. I've never read about such an evil bunch of evil things in all my life. Usually with an enemy there's some sort of remorse or guilt or something similar but seriously, these things do not care, and that scared the crap out of me.
The plot itself is pure genius and not at all far-fetched. If a lot of people started believing in angels then it's inevitable that some sort of cult or religion would spring up and there is nothing more dangerous than a person who is told to do something evil in the name of religion because to them, their actions are perfectly justified and that is what both Alex and Willow face in this story as a good proportion of the population is told to find and stop them.

The sense of fear and claustrophobia is writhe throughout and I could feel the tension seeping from the pages whenever both characters were cornered or in trouble, and the ending had me turning the pages so fast I'm surprised I didn't break the button on my Kindle. As for one of the final twists? Oh my god, I honestly didn't see that coming (won't spoil it though). Epic, epic read!

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Target Audience: Teens/Young adults

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal

When I saw Kelley was releasing a new YA book and that it was linked to the Darkest Powers series, but was a series all on its own, I wasn’t sure what to think or how it would work out but I was very excited all the same!

As it turns out the plot is linked very subtly to the Darkest Powers and there are enough mentions to remind the reader that the same people are responsible for both projects, but not too much so as to overshadow the new and completely separate plot (which it is!) Anyway, just to bring everyone up to speed, here’s a brief synopsis.

Maya Delaney lives in the tiny research town of Salmon Creek with her adopted parents and her close friends, and she’s never really worried about her birth parents except for the reminder of them from the paw print birthmark on her hip. Despite the isolation she loves her life there especially the wildlife and all the forests which she feels at home with.

 Then strange things start to happen. A young girl drowns in a calm lake, there are muttering about Witched from an old woman and the cougar population sneaking near town seems to increase, but becomes the least of her worries as she finds out a bit more about her origins.

I really really loved this! I’m a huge fan of all of Kelley’s books both YA and Adult and this one did not disappoint me at all. I’m not sure whether it’s her style of writing or simply her story-telling gift, but there’s something about her books that grab your attention and don’t let you go.

The setting is completely unique compared to her other YA series and the characters are completely different as well.

In a way I thought that the setting would be claustrophobic  considering the fact that it’s set in a tiny town, but the vast forests and wildlife gave a sense of space like nothing else I've ever read.

It wasn't just the setting that had me hooked though, it was the new element of the supernatural. I won't say much more because I don't want to spoil it but I will say that what I encountered in this book was completely different to those of the others and I was very impressed at the range of Miss Armstrong's imagination and research into ancient myths and legend.

I did find the pace at times to be a little frustrating, not in a bad way, but in the sense that I wanted to know what was going to happen sooner rather than later. But then that's the same with all of Kelley's books, they are all gripping and exciting and the type of read that once you start you can't stop.

As with all her other books, the characters are amazing. There's been so much effort put into the description, personalities and lives of them that they seemed so very real and three-dimensional.  Maya is a true shining lead character and her easy going relationship with her parents and friends had me really laughing at times.
Daniel was another favourite of mine and I can't wait to learn more about him especially as there seems to be more than I initially thought. I mean, I could be wrong, but I think he's hiding something (maybe not intentionally however)
Even some of the 'bitchy' characters had an interesting twist to them, such as Hayley. That's something I've noticed about Kelley's books; even the bad guys have a good side and are not to be judged too harshly, this in turn shows a flip side to the hero of the story. Does the good girl have flaws just the same as the bitchy cheerleader sort? It would appear so, and that often turns out to be true in real life as well. No one is perfect.

Finally, for those who have read the Darkest Powers series, keep your eyes open for references to some pretty well known characters from earlier books, you can't miss them!  This is a thrilling, exciting and at times romantic ride of a novel, give this a go. And if you really really like it, try some of her other books as well, you won't be disappointed!

Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh

Target Audience: Adults (and I mean adults!)
Genre: Paranormal Romance


Wow, well first things first, this book is hot! I mean the first two were pretty hot but this one is off the scale. If your a fan of your explicit love scenes and some seriously romantic moments then you will definitely love this book.  Thats not to say the plot takes a back seat either, because i was completely addicted to the story in every sense and the relationship between Raphael and Elena is just as amazing as ever, but as usual, there is no shortage of Angel's, Vampires and Humans trying to make there lives more difficult.
In summary, Archangel's Consort continues roughly from the end of Archangel's Kiss, in which Raphael and Elena head back to New York. Elena is more confident in her immortality by this point but they still have some learning to do about one another.  There   arrival home however doesn't go to plan and before long there are unexplained vampire attacks, bizarre weather patterns and rage among many of the Cadre. The signs of which all point towards an ancient waking, namely Caliane, Raphael's mother.

The plot in this novel had me completely drawn in and turning the pages very quickly, and reading well into the night because i didn't want to put it down. The events that happen do occur rapidly and there is no let-up in the action, yet the explanations behind them unfolded at a perfectly steady pace so that at no point did i feel confused. Yet despite the fact i found myself surprised by certain happenings, they weren't logically out of place or random in any sense.
I think the only exception was the slight revelation towards the end about Elena's family, there was no hint of it at all from previous books and because of that i thought, now where did that come from? But really, it's a minor thing, and hardly a major issue, and it didn't really annoy me, it just seemed a bit random.

Throughout the novel, it is the Mothers of various characters that are the source of suffering, love and anguish  in many different ways. There's a lot revealed about Elena's reaction to her mother's death, and then there's the relationship between Gwendolyn and her children (Amy and Evelyn).  On the archangel side of it, we are introduced to the Hummingbird (Illium's mother) and finally there's the uprising of Caliane who is Raphael's mother and who went insane and nearly destroyed her son before going into an ancient sleep.
To say that there are a lot of family issues being thrown around is an understatement, and i still hate Jefferey Deveraux, he is a class A pain in the ass and I can't stand how he treats his family (Ok, rant over!).
On the plus side, Elena gets to form better relationships with other parts of her family which i thought was brilliant, as it didn't seem fair that she had to be stuck on the outside all the time, so it was nice to see her with her sisters and Gwendolyn.

Now as for the romance, as you can guess by the beginning of my review, it was amazing! Wow, and the sex scenes were amazing and there's one in particular that makes me wish I had wings ;-)
As well as the physical side, the romantic side is just as beautiful and both Raphael and Elena's reactions to one another are sometimes funny, sometimes aggressive and usually very passionate as both are just as stubborn as each other.
Having said that, their conflicts were amazing and it made a change to see Raphael giving some ground in this book, and Elena also learning how to compromise in certain things. This in itself was brilliant because it shows them go from strength to strength and adapt to each other. I just love those two! Can't put it better than that really.

To sum up i can't say enough how much I loved Archangel's Consort. The ending wasn't at all what I was expecting, although I will say I was right about one thing that wasn't immediately obvious, but I'm not going to say what because that would spoil it for fellow readers.
There are some immense action packed fights, some intrigue and mystery, some truly evil and twisted characters and some majorly hot love scenes that will leave you stunned. Or maybe that's just me?
Awesome!!!!

Entice by Carrie Jones

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Paranormal Romance

I really really love this series and not one book in the series has disappointed me in any way, as each took new twists and turns and developed the plot instead of dragging it out like some novels do.
Entice pretty much picks up where Captivate left off; Zara is a pixie and the Queen of Astley, Nick is still missing in Valhalla and Zara is dead set on finding him, no matter what it takes.

The story moves quickly and easily, with the absence of a certain character (Nick) not halting the storyline in any sense of the word.  Instead, i noticed a greater focus on Zara and her relationship with Astley (who i admit is pretty awesome!) and i found myself pretty annoyed at Zara's mother who was pretty narrow minded with some of the things she said to her daughter, not to mention insensitive.

I found this book a lot more adventurous than the last and some of the events that occurred were completely unexpected and i found that Miss Jones was not as frightened to take risks in this book, some of which made me go OMG pretty loudly.
There's a significant increase in deaths in this installment and you will find yourself stunned by the characters that do bow out and how they do so. Lets just say, deaths by pixies and various other magical means are not normal.

There's a lot of character development in this book and despite the absence of Nick he is by no means forgotten. In fact to an extent, the whole plot revolves around finding him and i was stunned by Zara's strength and commitment in finding him.  And it is Zara that develops the most, it was extraordinary to watch her go from strength to strength and make some truly difficult decisions.
The usual suspects are also a solid part of this novel and i loved Issie and Devyn to bits and Cassidy gained a lot more depth and character in this story.
Zara's grandmother was her usual strong self and there was a lot more of Zara's mother who, as i have previously mentioned, is not as likable for most of this book as she has been in others.

The ending is once again the sort that would leave any reader longing for the next in the series, as i am, but unlike the others the cliffhanger is not a tense 'i will scream if i don't read the next book in the series'.
Truly wonderful, romantic, mythical and raises some interesting questions regarding prejudice and what it means to be human.

Heart Of The Dragon by Gena Showalter

Target Audience: Adults
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Fantasy

Having read many of Gena Showalter's books I keep thinking that one day i will come across a book that won't press my buttons, but once again, I've been proven wrong because this book was another amazing edition to the paranormal romance genre.
I don't have any words to describe how refreshingly different i find Gena's books, because they don't just have different story lines, they also have the most amazingly different characters.  This is definitely something to note with her books because they are very character orientated which i think is extremely important if you want to connect to the characters.

Heart Of The Dragon is about Darius and Grace, two very different people from two very different places. Darius lives in Atlantis (yes, the mythical underwater City) and is a Dragon who, after witnessing the brutal murder of his family becomes the guardian of the gateway to Atlantis, slaying anyone who crosses, and cutting off all emotions in himself.
Grace is a young woman looking for something more in life, and when she goes searching for her missing brother in the Amazon and accidentally trespasses into Atlantis, she finds a lot more excitement than she bargained for.
Instead of Darius killing her as he is supposed to, he stays his hand, and what begins is an adventure and romance that's more powerful and romantic than any I've read before.

The plot itself has a lot of depth and there is a lot more to it than just the romance. There is a clear mystery/adventure going on throughout and it blends well with the romance plot instead of feeling added on.  The fight scenes in it weren't to graphic either, but i dare say if this were put into movie format it would be quite gory (as well as sexually explicit!)
On the romance side, there is only one word i can use to describe the love scenes...HOT! Seriously, this book is not for kids but will definitely fire the imaginations of the adults out there. Absolutely amazing providing you like that sort of thing, which obviously i do ;-)
If you prefer the more innocent/clean romances then you won't find it here, the description throughout will have you imagining all-sorts.

Moving on to the characters i have a few things to mention, the first of which is Gena's choice of heroine as
one of the things that often strike me about the women in Gena's books are the fact that the women are usually older Virgins. This makes a huge change for me as I was sick of reading novels in which the main characters were 18 year old and sleep with the first guy they fall in love with. Grace is twenty-four in this novel and a virgin, and although this is probably not a big deal, it does send out the message that there is no rush to have sex for having sex sake. Especially after you read the explosive encounter between them later in the novel and you realise that for her it was well worth the wait!
So i have to say, thumbs up to Gena for daring to follow a different character and romance path :-)

As for Darius, i have to admit i was conflicted with him, i hated his macho act in some instances and it got me all annoyed when he referred to Grace as 'his woman' and other things like that, but i warmed to him over the course of the book and i really felt for his past, as no one should have to suffer as he did.  I was glad when he softened a bit and finally started using his heart rather than his head, and i loved how he came to regard Grace and how he admired her every aspect and part of her body.

There are some truly sad parts in this novel and i couldn't help but feel a bit sad at Darius's recollection of his past, it was truly emotional.  But to balance out the sad, there were also some amazingly funny parts as well. The banter and arguments between Grace and Darius in the first part of the book are hilarious and i couldn't help but laugh at them.  For me, their ability to laugh at each other, annoy each other, love each other and comfort one another, makes them an amazing and beautiful couple and i loved reading about them and their story.

In short, another stunning novel from Gena Showalter, may she continue to write amazing Paranormal Romance for years to come!

The Princess's Dragon by Susan Trombley

Target Audience: Young Adults/Adults
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Paranormal Romance


The Princess's Dragon is one of those books that appears to struggle to make it into the mainstream and often goes unnoticed by most people. The problem being that a few books make it really big and other really good ones slip under the radar, and this is one such book.
A true treasure in the fantasy/romance genre, this book deserves a lot more acclaim than some of the books that have made it into the book store (not that i will be naming any!)

Simply put, this book is about a young princess called Sondra, who among many eccentricities doesn't believe in magic, only things like logic and other things that can be proven or supported.  Just as things are falling into place for Sondra and she's happy with her scientific experiments and her near engagement to Derek, things then take a very magical turn.
Sondra finds herself transformed into a Dragon by a wizard who is determined to make her see that magic does in fact exist. She is then attacked by the man she loves and ends up fleeing and crossing paths with an ancient dragon named Tolmac.  Only meaning to bide her time with Tolmac until she can be returned to her human form, Sondra decides to stay with him, but she doesn't factor for her own feelings or on the power of love.

Yes, i know it sounds a bit corny, but trust me it's anything but.  This book is a lot more about romance and a beautifully different relationship, but is also about family, loyalty, and difficult choices.  There is also a lot of action, magic and fighting thrown in as well as some political intrigue.
I found that whilst reading this, because of the sheer number of events that occur, i was always taken by surprise, and just when i thought I had the plot figured out i was shown up again by yet another twist.  I know in some books this can be a problem and plot twists come out of nowhere, but in this book once they happen i found myself thinking; why didn't i see that coming????

Considering the character relationships, i have to admit Tolmac and Sondra shone for me. I loved the way Tolmac slowly changed around Sondra and the way Sondra slowly changed to be more accepting, and their romance truly sparkled,
I also liked Sarai and Elona, but i couldn't like Derek very much, He seemed very fickle and just a little bit into holding grudges too much, and his attitude annoyed me on several occasions.

All in all, this is a brilliant example of how fantasy romance should be written and i can't wait to read more of Susan Trombley's books, this woman is a true genius!

Out For Blood by Alyxandra Harvey

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Horror

I love this series and my only complaint was that the books aren't frequent enough or long enough! Which isn't a bad thing at all really, but a complaint non the less.
This installment, instead of following Vampires for the most part, tended to focus more on Hunter, a vampire hunter from the Helios-Ra Academy, where all vampire hunters are trained to kill.
The main plot was based around the fallout from the previous novel, which fans of the series will remember that a lot of Hel-blar got loose without a master and are now running around free to murder and maim.
As if this isn't enough a lot of the students at the Academy are getting sick and for no apparent reason, and as the Hel-Blar attacks increase, a certain Quinn Drake gets involved, and not just with killing Hel-Blar...

If there's one thing that makes a good romance, it's the chemistry between the two leads. Now the thing that makes a good Fantasy Romance is that the romance ties in well with the plot, without looking stupid.
This book manages this easily, and Quinn and Hunter's relationship developed in at a natural pace as they worked together and fell for one another.
The Hel-blar and the Illness storyline was very well done too, and i loved how the actual enemy in the book turned out not to be vampires but humans; the irony was not lost on me.
This book also contained some of the more tear-jerking scenes as the more emotional side of losing or risking losing people via vampires is explored and there are some truly sad moments that nearly had me in tears and did a great job of reminding me as a reader of the serious and dangerous nature that the characters in these books face every day.

On a character basis, the leads truly shone. Quinn and Hunter had such sparking chemistry between them it wasn't hard to imagine those two together.  Not to mention how well they worked together whilst hunting vampires, which again seemed extremely ironic, but then these books are full of controversial relationships and events.

This honestly is the best book in the series (well a close tie with My Love Lies Bleeding) and as well as reading like a roller coaster ride it is seriously funny. And some of the witty dialogue had me doubled up laughing, especially the exchanges between the Drakes, Lucy and Hunter.
Seriously, if you haven't read any of these books yet, give them a go, you won't regret it!

My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Contrary to my status updates as i was reading the beginning of the book, i have to admit that by the end this book completely turned on it's head and i found it to be a fantastic example of paranormal fantasy/romance.

I think my initial annoyance was due to lack of answers and after about 25% or more of the book being like that, i was thoroughly irritated, then all of a sudden it went boom and it really got going and i couldn't put it down.

Essentially, My Soul to Take is about a girl called Kaylee who has 'panic attacks' in which she feels overwhelming despair when she looks at certain people. These attacks of course, aren't panic attacks but actually premonitions of people who are going to die. At first she doesn't understand why this happens to her, that is until the guy everyone loves at school, Nash, starts paying more attention to her. Although what she learns from Nash will change how she sees everything and put her and several other people in her life in danger.

One of the things i really loved about this book was the fact that death was, for once, not a cliche. Too many times do you have the guy in the black robe with a scythe. Instead, the people who warn of death are Fae and the grim reapers are ordinary looking guys who have a schedule to keep. There is something morbidly funny about a reaper complaining that he's going to be late to collect someones soul. And in relation to that i found the idea that everyones death date is predestined to be absolutely terrifying, imagine if you accidentally stumbled across that list? It doesn't bear thinking about really.

The plot, once the first quarter or so of the book was done, moved quickly and the amount that was revealed in the second half of the book was amazing. I kept being stunned by the unexpected twists and by the time the final surprise came along at the end, i was left literally gobsmacked. I mean it's not like the clues weren't there, i just never saw them, and to me that means the author has done a brilliant job of concealing them.

With regards to characterisation, Kaylee and Nash make an interesting pairing. Not just in a romantic sense, but in a teaming up to solve a mystery way. Nash was also pretty protective, and tried to prevent Kaylee from becomming too overwhelmed with what was happening, with some interesting consequences. Sometimes, ignorance really is not good.

As for other characters, in the case of this book it was some of the minor characters who ended up having large parts to play and were involved in some of the greater twists towards the end of the novel, and some of the more annoying characters i grew to like by the end (well, sort of :-D)

I'll finish with my view on the twist of an ending...it left me stunned and seriously considering the selfish side of human nature. If i ever end up that vain, someone please tie me up and lock me in a cupboard. And that's all i'm saying!

Forever Frost by Kailin Gow

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults

Genre: Faerie/Paranormal Romance

Following on from Bitter Frost, Forever Frost finds Breena in the Summer Palace at the Summer Queen's mercy facing a difficult task in persuading the queen to let her go.

Eventually, Bree finds herself taking Princess Shasta (Kian's Sister) back to the Winter Court, in exchange for her mother who is being held hostage in the Summer Court.

She also has her sights set on finding Kian and is still heartbroken from her friend Logan's death. But things don't go to plan and the Pixies have other ideas...

Of course myself as a reader knew that Logan was still alive and so i had the expectation the pixies were up to something and i found it eye opening to learn more about the pixies who clearly are not as evil as have been depicted (despite what they do, i get the feeling their not solely to blame)

Although i have to admit that Delano is still a pervert wanting to marry and have kids with a sixteen year old girl.

Anyway, back to the point, the pixie side of the story wasn't the most surprising to me, it was acutally a lot of little revelaitons along the way such as the reason Shasta was in the Summer Court and the origins of both the Faerie queens (who aren't what they appear to be) but i'll talk about this more a little later.

I learned a lot more character wise in this book. Breena is clearly a lot stronger than she appears and she takes on her role of summer princess with pride and her responsibilities seriously. But like all teens she still has teen issues such as choosing between guys who like her and it was interesting watching her make such decisions when also trying to consider a political standing.

Kian displayed a much softer side in this book and Logan displayed a level of devotion i only wish i could find in a guy.

But in honesty, the stars of the book were the queens to me, as more and more were revealed about their roles in events, even i couldnt fail to be amazed by how much they had affected the events that had occured.

I was surprised by how different they both were and even more surprised to find which was the kinder of the two. As events unfolded i couldn't help but feel deeply for both queens but for very different reasons. And it made a change to gain a better understanding of both monarchs as opposed to having them as often mentioned but never really used, characters.

Leading on from that, the ending left me truly gobsmacked. For one, i honestly didn't see it coming and for another it was heartbreaking. I most definately do not envy Breena's situation.

I only hope all is resolved nicely in Silver Frost, which i can't wait to read!

Darklight by Lesley Livingston

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adult
Genre: Faerie/Paranormal Romance

Darklight continues a few months after Wondrous strange finished. Sonny is still in the Otherworld and is still hunting the remaining members of the Wild Hunt. Kelley is currently rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and waiting for Sonny to return to her. But there are things in motion that neither Kelley or Sonny have foreseen and the lead players are not who they appear to be and even more seems to stand in between Sonny and Kelley being together.

I really, really liked this novel, although my one gripe is that it took a while to get to the point. Lots of seemingly random things happened but then took a while to come together. My problem was that i started to lose a little patience between events happening and the plot coming together and i forgot certain parts. In honesty, this is a minor thing. Because when it did come together i had one of those, Ah Ha! moments and it all made sense, even if it was a bit dragged out. Anyways, onto the many positives...

There is rather a lot of plot development and character development within this book. As a reader i got to see different sides to Sonny and Kelley and this helped to reinforce the fact that neither is perfect, which is something i loved about these two characters. That despite there obvious non-normalness, they are still normal in their ability to screw up so to speak. We also get to see the developments and twists in their romance as well which leads to a heartbreaking decision on Kelley's part that left me on the verge of tears.

The plot develops nicely and things that seemed of only slight consequence in the last book become of vital importance. It was also nice to see Mahb play such a different role on this book as well. I find her character fascinating, though i'm not sure why. It was also weird watching Oberon behaving somewhat different to what i'm used to and he makes a confession about his part in the events of Samhain that somewhat surprised me.

I don't want to say too much so i'll finish by saying that this book is a rather charming faerie story but with a more adventurous and dark edge to it. I also adivise that you pay attention to the events so that it all comes together easier nearer the conclusion. And finally...this is a twisty, romantic, well-written magical faerie tale with a cliff-hanger that will leave you demanding the next in the series be released early. Can't wait for the release of tempestuous!

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Target Audience: Young Adults/Adults
Genre: Horror/Fantasy/Romance

It's taken me a few days to write this because i wasn't sure how to start it and had 'review writers block' but i think i'm ready to tackle this now.

Lenah is a Vampire who for has been terrorising the mortal world for over 500 years, simply because she lost touch with her human soul when she became a vampire. Fueled by anger, grief and pain she spent 500 years inflicting a reign of terror on anyone she met.

Rhode, the vampire who turned her is her lover and best friend who, after realising the mistake he made in turning her finds a ritual to turn her human again. Although he manages it, it is at the cost of his life. The result is that a newly human Lenah finds herself in a modern world and all alone and having to struggle through her junior year of high school...

If there was one thing i loved about this book it was it's originality. So many vampire novels paint the vampire lifestyle as idylic and something to be longed for. In this case, it is often lonely, filled with murder, leaves the vampire feeling numb and without the sense of touch. Doesn't sound to amazing when put like that does it?

The other thing i loved was the authors ability to make you thankful for simple human things, such as the feeling of rain on your skin, or the feel of soft pillows and the warm touch of another person. It seems to me that so often in life we strive for something better, usually over looking the most amazing things that are already there. And this book highlights all of the simple things that can make us feel human.

The characters too were phenomenal. Lenah herself i can probably class as an anti-hero in the beginning. Some of the things she says shes done and attrocities she's commited really made me hate her. But as she grew more human and truly began to rediscover her soul and her human heart, repenting what she done, i truly grew to love her a lot more as a person.

Rhode, although he dies in the beginning, is a pretty much constant character throughout as Lenah flashbacks to her vampire days, and i loved his personality, which was so different to how vampiric Lenah's was.

Tony was another favourite of mine, he was deep yet happy and an original character, a true best friend to Lenah and an amazing affect on her in the personality score.

Justin was ok as the love interest although i feel there could have been more depth to him as i found i didn't know much about him or why he was suddenly capitivated by Lenah, but that is my only nag and certainly not worth deducting a star.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves a good horror/romance/paranormal read. Filled with action, love, some brilliant twists that i never saw coming, and a truly heartbreaking cliff-hanger ending this will leave you feeling rather stunned but with a sense of what it truly means to be human.

Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Paranormal Romance

I'm always brutally honest when writing reviews but in a nice way, and you'll never catch me slating a book without getting at least one positive thing from it. I initially thought that's the sort of review i was going to have to write for this because at about 40/50 pages in i was tired of the sickly sweet love story and nothing exciting really happening.

I very nearly gave up, but after reading other peoples reviews i kept going and i have to admit i am VERY glad i did, because this book is simply AMAZING! So i'm going to try and make sense while reviewing this but as usual, i'll probably end up babbling (a bit like Teagan near the end really!)

The novel starts (as i've already mentioned) as a pretty standard love story and i thought, oh god, not another twilight clone. But then as i continued it took a major twist and became the opposite. Don't get me wrong, it's still a very beautiful love story, but there's so much more substance and plot than i thought there was going to be based on the beginning.

Teagan and Garreth are wonderful characters and original in their own right. Teagan is no simpering girl and she makes decisions that i doubt i could ever make myself and i was left awed at her bravery and the sacrifice she was willing to make. Garreth himself was fascinating as he too makes changes and sacrifices in order to do whats best for Teagan, as a guardian angel should really.

What struck me as the most amazing though was the events that occur, some of which i honestly did'nt see coming. At one point i remember looking at the page and thinking...where did that come from? I didn't see that coming! The pace moves quickly and smoothly, although i will admit i got a bit lost off at some points and had to check back, but thats my only other minor complaint with this novel, that some of the events could have been described a bit better so as not to get confusing at times. But for the most part, this was not a problem, and i felt it reflected the situations of the characters themselves; slightly chaotic and a bit unsure as things changed quickly around them.

I don't want to go into too much detail because i don't want to spoilt it so i'll summarise this novel as: Romantic, mythically enchanting, haunting and utterly compelling. Give it a go! 0:-)

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Target Audience: Young Adults/Adults
Genre: Faerie/Paranormal Romance

It took me longer than i would have liked to read this because of everyday things like work, eating, sleeping :-) But i loved it so much, in a way even more than the first in the series. If i was to sum this up in five words they would be: Riveting, Romantic, Unputdownable, terrifying and beautiful.

The Iron Daughter picks up a little while after the events of the Iron King. Ash has taken Meghan to the Winter Court and left her at the mercy of his mother; Queen Mab. Meghan also finds that her powers are cut off and that she can't use her glamour from the summer fey side of her heritage and to make things worse Puck has still not returned from being healed.

There were so many twists, turns, revelations and surprises that i found myself shocked on several occsasions throughout reading this. But having said that, the events that did occur weren't stupidly pulled out of the blue. The hints were there, but cleverly disguised on several occasions i had one of those 'of course, how thick am i?' moments. Some of the events in the previous book such as Meghan having her memories taken come back to haunt in this novel (although i don't want to say how because i don't want to spoil it) and we also end up with a so called bad guy turning friend as well, and i totally loved that by the end.

With regards to the characters, i have to say, my favourite was Puck. He played a much bigger role in this installment and i found it fascinating how much his relationship with Meghan developed. He truly is the perfect best friend and i would personally love to have him in my life. I'm also a big fan of 'puck brand' humour, the guy is hilarious and he is responsible for most of the laughs that occur throughout the novel.
Meghan also develops a lot in this as she tries to make her way without Ash's help, she grows a lot stronger and independent, while still keeping her healthy emotional side. Her powers also develop oddly as we see some rather weird and wonderful things occur around her, and i found some of it to be a strange turn of events, and i can't wait to see where it will lead.

Ash also changes a lot and we get to see a much softer side to him in this book and also the abosolute depth of his feelings for Meghan, as he makes sacrifices i simply could not imagine.

As well as the old faces, there also some new, including Leanansidhe (i think i spelt that right!). She is awesome! Imagine your stereotypical gay stylist but in female form and you have her. And its so funny, i just never imagined any fae being like that until she came into the picture. She is truly a brilliant and inventive character!

Now for my view on the romance aspect, and what a romance it is. A bit more complex than in the last book as Meghan gets torn between Ash who claims it can't be and Puck who worships the ground she walks on. I won't tell you what the outcome was because i don't want to spoil it. But it did make me go awwwwww and nearly sob my heart out at the end, it was truly a beautiful conclusion to the novel, although it does end on a cliffhanger with several things left unresolved, things that i really badly want answered so i can't wait for The Iron Queen!

Honestly, if you loved The Iron King, then this is a must read. Romance, danger, magical creatures and a twist on a popular genre, make this one of the champions of the Faerie Genre. Love it!

Almost To Die For by Tate Hallaway

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Horror/Fantasy/Romance


***Contains Spoilers***

I loved this book a lot, it was funny, had a writing style that i love, twisted the usual approach to vampire fiction and included some pretty awesome wicca stuff as well. My only complaint, and it is one that impacted my overall rating, was that the ending seemed a bit rushed but i'll get back to that later in the review.

To summarise, Ana is turning 16 and is part of a coven of witches. On her birthday she is supposed to take part in innitiation in order to become a true witch. Ana is dreading it because she's never once been able to use magic and so knows she will fail. But nothing prepares her for the shock that she is infact only half witch...and half vampire. And not just any half vampire, but a princess.

One of the main reasons i liked this so much was it's original take on vampires and the fact everything got turned on its head. Instead of some misunderstood creature who claims to be innocent, they admit they are technically from a demon world (and are demons) the difference being is that the blood drinking isn't supposed to end in death.

There were other things turned on there heads to. Instead of the cliche vampires/werewolves fighting, it turned out to be vampires and witches and there were perfectly good explanations for it too, rather than simply 'just because they hate one another'.
A complex story between the two races is told and yet as a reader i could still see how someone from both sides would be of great benefit., rather than being on either side.

The characters were wonderfully complex as well. Ana made a refreshing change from your usual heroine, with her down to earth attitude and reasoning. For example, when confronted with a situation in which she knows she might cause harm, she walks away. And i loved her ability to think for herself and do what she wanted, despite others opnions.
Bea was another fave of mine, which is odd because she had her bitchy moments. This i found to be more realistic also. She was clearly a good friend to Ana, but no friend is flawless, and watching her behave like a bitch sometimes just added to the realism of her character.
No one, after all, likes a perfect person!
Nik and Elias were interesting as Ana's love rivals, but i have to admit i prefer Elias, as i find Nik to be a bit of a mysterious dark horse, not knowing where he stands. Elias on the other hand tends to be more straighforward, although only the sequels will tell i guess!

Ana's relationship with her mother was another point of interest for me. At times Ana's mother could seem really attentive and doing everything for her daughter, but other times she just seemed like she was up to something else, and i really didnt like some of the things she did to try and get Ana onside.
It is obvious that she cares for Ana and that she has her best interests at heart, but still, watching her and Ramses (Ana's father) argue over her destiny was a bit like watching a soap to some extent.
At one point i wanted Ana to tell them both to shut up and butt out and to let her make her own decisions, and i wasn't disapointed with how Ana handles everything, proving herself to be a very strong and capable person.

Finally i come to the ending. I have to be honest and say i loved this book but the ending was rather rushed. After such a brillaint beginning and middle and everything happening at a decent pace, i was surprised and found it odd that everything would be resolved in a few pages towards the end. I also find it difficult to believe that the leaders of the witch and vampire sides (who are both very strong willed by the way) would just go, ok lets have a truce.
This might all be leading to something in the second novel, but i dont know that so im basing my judgement on how i see things now. Having said that, part of the ending took me completely by surprise in such a way i laughed and was left quite stunned.

Overall though a really funny, romantic, original and pacey thrill ride of a novel.

Jealousy by Lili St Crow

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Fantasy/Horror/Romance

What can i say about this book? Firstly, i rated the first two in the series rather differently. The first got a four but the second nearly got a three, only just saved with a four by the ending, needless to say though, i still enjoyed them and eagerly anticipated the release of Jealousy. In my opinion, Jealousy was simply the best of them all and earned the full five stars.

The story picks up not long after Dru and Graves arrive at the main Schola having just narrowly escaped being killed. Christophe has apparently vanished and Ash, the broken Wulf is now chained up as they try to get him to change back to boy form. But things aren't as they seem, and although she should now be safe, there seems to be a traitor in the midst who is hell bent on destroying Dru, the question is who is it that so badly wants Dru dead and why?

I found there was a lot more depth to the plot in this installment and a lot more action to the events and that in some places i was left awestruck with some of things that came to pass and i found myself hooked to the complex and ever evolving story.

As well as the supernatural side, there is also a tense psychological thriller undertone to the procedings as i was left to guess, as the reader, what was happening and try and figure out who was behind some of the disasters as they happen. On their own the clues are intriguing, but as it all comes together i had one of those 'ah ha!' moments, which is great because i love it when a great story comes together and explains itself.

The characters themselves do some major shifting in this book, with alternate sides to Dru, Graves, Christophe and Anna being shown. While mentioning this, i also feel compelled to say that i got introduced to a new level of evil in this book. I just couldn't get over how damn evil some people can be, it takes malice all to a new level and the title of the novel becomes immensely clear. Graves reveals more of his softer side and i even got a glimpse of his past and how he came to be who he is. Christophe is missing from a good proportion of the book and in honesty it worked better that way, as his entrance is damn awesome!

Dru herself certainly undergoes some changes as she nears blooming time and undergoes more training, and i loved the way she handles all the attention from a school full of boys. Also, her confident stance against anna was magnificient, expect some major cat fights and some rather good wars of words.

All this aside, the conclusion at the end of the story allows for a lot of things to be tied up but without completing the series. A lot of the things that were a mystery become clear and the cliffhanger ending has left me longing for the next in the series, i simply can't wait for book four!

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Paranormal Romance


I found this along with Rules of Attraction in Waterstones metrocentre and had to buy it because it's one of those books that i've meaning to read for ages but could never find a copy, so when i saw it, i grabbed it. BUT...i didn't expect to fall in love with it as much as i did, it is fantastic!


Kelley Winslow is 17-years-old and chasing a dream to become an actress in New York City. Originally an understudy for the role of Titania she finds herself promoted when the original actress hurts herself. Feeling a connection to central park, she decides to practice her lines there where she meets Sonny who, though she doesn't know it yet, is a Janus guard, a changeling who is charged with guarding the gate between faerie and the mortal realm along with 12 others. Events soon take a turn and Kelley and Sonny find themselves involved in events that could literally end in the death of thousands of people and have the diffcult task of stopping it from happening.


There were so many things about this novel that i could rave about because it was simply awesome. The plot was addictive and fast paced and i found myself turning the pages extremelly quickly in order to find out what happened next. Try as i might, i couldn't see the way the plot was going to take and i was left surprised by how things turned out, which is good, i hate it when stories are predictable. Every twist made me gasp and i loved the path the story took, especially that final cliffhanger twist that allowed for a sequel.


The characters themselves were brilliant, Sonny and Kelley were by far my favourites, and their romance was beautiful, realistic yet innocent and sparkling (loved the shakesperean refrences). Bob was awesome too, i thought his characterisation was fantastic and he provided a bit of needed humour to the plot. With regards to other characters, the other shining star was the Kelpie. Yes, it doesn't speak and he just stands still for most of the novel, but i couldn't help but fall in love with it. Such a sweet thing :-)


I've given this full marks for everything, it has a brilliant plot, wonderful characters and the romance sparkles while allowing for some heart-stopping action and a novel that simply fizzes with magic!

The Pace by Shelena Shorts

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Sci-fi


There were two main reasons i loved this book, the first was originality and the second was the romance. At first i honestly didn't see it standing out and it seemed set to be a good romance, but then Shelena did the thing i wish all authors did...she breathed new life into the paranormal romance genre and added a unique twist that i found utterly compelling.

I'll start with the originality concept because in all honesty, i did not see the plot going where it did. For a start the characters themselves were orginal. Yes, they fall in love, but for once they had realistic reactions to extraordinary events. For example, on finding out about Wes's immortality, Sophie practically faints. I applaude her for this, it's what any normal girl would have done, or else ran screaming. Thank you for a normal reaction for once, really it was a blessing! Also, Wes's reactions were good to, but not so obvious as to ruin the plot twists that were to come and i found this story way more believable than twilight (don't get me wrong, i loved twilight, but on finding out your bf is a vampire you would not just calmly carry on!)

I also loved the scientific twist to the story and how these things all came together rather seamlessly, and thats what i love about a good dose of science-fiction, there's always a little bit of truth and fact, however small it may be.

With regards to the romance, it was beautifully done. There wasn't some foolish teen falling head over heals based on a first meeting, but rather a build up before feelings are finally confessed, and i found their romance sweet and endearing, as opposed to over-bearing and constant. I also admired Sophie's courage in the face of all the things that happen and how understanding she is, i wish i had her patience with things, i really do. With regards to Wes, i thought he was awesome, and i couldn't help but feel for the situation he was in, how it must have felt for him to suffer as he had, and because there was a lot more explanation to the immortality area of the book, i was able to understand him a lot better

Fantastic, romantic and compelling are a few words to describe this, and i could go on forever singing it's praises, but i'll just ask you to read it because it is brilliant!