ok start, definitely intrigued in more from Inferno Falls
353546
I received an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Overall, this book was enjoyable. I think it took a little too long to get going and I found Riley frustrating. She keeps clamoring about being taken seriously, but she's twenty flipping two and acts like it. She acts like a the spoiled little rich girl that she is, with no clue as to how the rest of the world works. I didn't like her description of her friend, I didn't like her attitude, her actions, and had a hard time liking her.

Brandon also acts way younger for someone who should be more mature based on his background. I found him difficult to like as well to begin with.

The story did keep moving forward and I kept reading, but their actions and reactions often contradicted what they said they were trying to be, so this book fell short for me. However, by the end, I was definitely interested in reading more from Aubrey Parker and continuing in the Inferno Falls series. The author was successful in building a world and the start of characters that intrigue you enough to want to keep reading.
1005734
Full disclosure: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. The opinions below are entirely my own.

A neat twist on the old damsel in distress plot - a team led by a young woman charges into hazardous territory to rescue a young man. Ok, color me interested. The rest of the plot is fairly standard fare; ragtag good guys vs the demon, check. Burgeoning romance, check. Journey to save the kingdom, check.

Mind, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. They're tried and true because they work, and it's the development of the main character that really pushes this book forward. She (and the author) takes some risks that could really throw a reader off, but wind up drawing one further in. At least for the most part - there was one very strange interlude, the purpose of which I still don't understand (perhaps it will come up again in another book?)

At any rate, the writing is clear and descriptive, really carrying you alongside the adventure through the good and the bad. I did have a few nitpicks though - the occasional continuity error or technical mistake tended to jar me.

Bottom line: It's not exactly a jaw-dropping beginning to a series, but I'm excited to see where this one might go, and as a potential reader, I hope you will be too.
3593183
I enjoyed story overall - the opening scene definitely started things off with a bang!  I liked Tyson and his persistence in wooing back his wife, but there were a couple times where I just wanted to throttle the two of them and yell, "Talk to each other already!"  The element with her almost-fiancee was a bit overdone; wish the author had shared more details about their relationship to better establish his character (the flashbacks were brief, and just a bit at a time).  The side plot with the parents seemed rather contrived, but wasn't a major distraction from the story.  Would really have loved a bit longer epilogue when the three siblings reconnect, too, but still a good final installment to the series.
1993519
I enjoyed Inferno, but not as much as the other Robert Langdon books.  It did make me want to visit Florence!
496627
I enjoyed this first book in the series, although i found a few things a little hard to swallow with it. Cor opened up to his new friends rather easily for bing someone that initially doesn't want friends at all, much less to ever be noticed. the villain was a good twist and all in all i enjoyed reading the book. i kept going back to it when i could, and will probably keep reading the rest of the series. there were a few funny lines as well.
2079784
3.75 stars

SOME BACKGROUND: The exclusive Dark Pleasures Club and the Phoenix Brotherhood are a group of immortal warriors and hunters whose mission it is to find a powerful amulet that will allow the immortals to cross between the dimensions. But there is always the requisite evil and in this the fuerie will be searching for the amulet as well. As the name implies, the Phoenix Brotherhood are a group of supernatural warriors whose death will result in a rebirth by flames.

Told from dual perspectives- first person point of view Brenna, and third person perspective, CARESS OF PLEASURE focuses on the search for a phoenix amulet thought to hold the essence of Merrick-one of the Phoenix Brotherhood warriors presumed dead. Enter Brenna, a thirty something woman who finds things for a price, and the woman Dante has loved for thirteen years. Thirteen years earlier, Dante walked away from Brenna in the belief that she was not his soul mate, and in the ensuing years has never forgotten about the one he let get away. When Dante is tasked by the Brotherhood to make contact with Brenna, with the hopes that she is able to locate the phoenix amulet, Dante knows that his heart will want Brenna again and in doing so reveals the truth about his immortal existence.

CARESS OF PLEASURE is a quick read; a second chance, paranormal storyline that ends all too quickly in my humble opinion.  Just as the story begins to pick up the pace the reader is blind sided, and Brenna and Dantes story is over. Our hero dies and Brenna walks through the flames in the hopes she is Dantes true mate. Saying that, our heroine is also quick to accept the Brotherhoods immortality without question but for the mere mention by Brenna that it almost felt like something she knew. With this in mind, I am hoping there is more to Dante and Brennas love story-perhaps a reincarnation similar to Mal and Christinas story. There is no explanation as to why Brenna has this feeling but I hope there is still more to come.
4267208
The book starts out so promising.  Dante Raintree is owner of the casino in Reno the Inferno which is ironic on more than just the name level since Dante is a Level 1 Fire Master AND his casino burns down as the first action of the book.

As Dranir ("king" of the Raintree clan) Dante is the most powerful of his family as so has some rather interesting gifts aside from being able to control fire.

When he first meets Lorna Clay, it's because he thinks she's been cheating in his casino, counting cards or something because she continues to win without appearing to try.  But she's not cheating... she just knows what cards are coming, which slot will pay off.  Before he is done questioning her the fire alarms in his casino go off and Dante uses a mind compulsion to get all of the guests (and Lorna) down the stairs and into safety.  He then uses that compulsion to keep Lorna with him despite the fact that she is extremely afraid of fire.  When Dante is unable to calm the fire that is raging through his casino he turns to Lorna and takes her raw power to help save them from the heat and the smoke that is overwhelming them.  Several hours later he takes her to his home under the pretense that he's not done questioning her and keeping her under the compulsion.  By that time she's figured the compulsion thing out and is spiting mad.  To make matters worse he orders her to "strip" so that he can see if she has the mark of someone of the Ansara clan (a rival and enemy) but doesn't bother to explain himself.  Since she doesn't have the mark, Lorna is a "stray" as Dante calls her - not affiliated with either the Raintree or the Ansara clans which makes her inherent power and precognitive ability so much more unusual.  She's untrained which is the next pretense for keeping her with him.

The Ansara were the ones that set the casino on fire and it took four of them to maintain that fire and still Dante and Lorna survived.  Their next attempt to kill the Dranir is with a car accident on the highway but again Dante and Lorna both walk away pretty much unscathed due to some tricky driving and a protection charm.

By this time they are on better terms with each other and really learning the extent of Lorna's power.  She feels sick before each attempt on their lives and is able to save him from the last attempt - a marksman with a rifle outside his home.  The book pretty much ends with Dante calling his two siblings, Gideon and Mercy, and warning them about the upcoming attack on the family home.

The book ends starkly even though the action is obviously nowhere near finished.
2284136
VEILED MAGIC was an interesting start to what I hope will be a new series. The premise was very intriguing and while the plot moved along a bit slowly, that's to be expected at the introduction to a new paranormal world due to all the world building. And let me say that it was a very interesting world. There's a plethora of various supernatural characters, factions, and magical angles and when you add that into the rather unique plot, I was pretty hooked and intrigued from the start. I found it particularly interesting how only some of the supernaturals were public knowledge, yet everyone else was still in hiding. And it's not a recent "outting" either. So it was entertaining if not slightly baffling that the rest of the secrets were so well kept.

Not only the main character, Donata, but the entire cast of supporting characters were full of depth as well, or at least at the beginning. Unfortunately while I was impressed early on with the characters, they didn't seem to progress much further in development past where they started. I would have hoped for more growth especially if this isn't a series starter but a stand alone. As far as the romance, I do wish it had of been ramped up just a bit rather than being overly toned down as it was, especially when you consider it seems to almost be a triangle. But again if this is to be a series, that makes a bit more sense. Both men have their merits, but I think by the end there was a clear path/choice for Donata.

Overall this was a decent start to hopefully a new series. There's just so much room for growth and potential that it would be a shame to end it with just this book. So here's to hoping it continues.
1634840
'Rend the Dark' by Mark Gelineau and Joe King is a good beginning to an interesting story.  You can read this 78 page novella and call it good or you can continue on.

In a prologue we meet a young boy named Ferran having a vision of his future, which will be fighting monsters.  And how he will be linked to his future partner, Elinor.  Then we skip to a village best by something strange.  Ferran and Elinor have been summoned and they meet a young man named Riffolk and his friend Hil, and Warden Aker.  They've been called because something evil has shown up, and it shows up in people, turning them into a sort of zombie.  It's a sign of something bigger as Ferran and Elinor travel to a village which is on the verge of an outbreak.

I liked the setting and worldbuilding a lot.  I found out later that this is part of a series of linked novellas.  I'm reading one called 'Reaper of Stone' now which is about Elinor.  I like what these authors are doing and I look forward to reading more.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Gelineau and King, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
4914295
Marked tells the story of Bayerly, a girl with a secret that falls in with a group of teens who hunt rogue monsters (otherworlders, like vampires, werewolves, etc.). As stated in the book's description, she falls for the alpha in the group, an egotistical, yet charming boy named Will.

In general, I liked this story for it's action and for the gradual way Bayerly's secret past is revealed. For the action scenes, I almost felt like I was right in there with them, especially in the later fights where hordes of creepy zombie things were after them.

Unlike some stories where the backstory is revealed in a huge chunk at the beginning, the author of Marked reveals Bayerly's past and the origins of her talent in small bits here and there, which, in my case, kept the story interesting and made me want to keep reading to find out more. And, I must say I was surprised by the nature of her origins when they were finally revealed in total. Besides that, both her talent and how she got it are fascinating and unique, and Bayerly herself is one tough and independent girl.

I had no trouble sticking with this book because it flows quickly from one scene to the next, but sometimes things happen a little too quickly or easily. In particular, the dialog seems rushed, certain conclusions seem to be jumped to prematurely, and the attraction between Will and Bayerly seems a bit too instant to be entirely believable.

As for Will, his temper and reactions to any resistance or non-Will oriented behavior from Bayerly made him unlikable at times. He seems alright here and there, but then again it seems like a relationship with him would not be a healthy one. I kept hoping that Bayerly would ditch him for Xander, or just about anyone else, but I don't think she will. The story doesn't seem to be building to a love triangle, which I'm sure some will find refreshing, but I'm just disappointed Will had to be such a jerk. I'm hoping he'll get over himself a bit in the coming books and maybe grow into someone more likeable.

Overall, I kind of liked this story. It's somewhat unique in places while still playing up the otherworldly monster themes popular in today's YA genre. I enjoyed the backstory and the fight scenes the most and think that those who like YA stories with a mysterious and tough heroine will enjoy this story. On the other hand, the story would benefit from some editorial polishing for pace and dialog.

I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
4726676
Overall I came down on the side of liking Fury of Seduction, I enjoyed the dragon shifter romance and liked both the leads, there is some interesting setup in the background for the next three books. Where I had problems is with the bad guys, they are just so black, and their depravity and rapacious mind sets adds a yuck factor to the books which is made worse by thread switches breaking into the middle of up close and personal scenes with the leads.

And an issue that I have with the series but one that I can set aside once I get into the story - is there is still the BDB speak (f-bombs, brand names as nouns...) so the series is still the love child of BDB and Cooke's dragon shifting Pyre fosters by Adrian's Breeds.  So a bit mixed for me but since the price has been right on the series, I'll likely read the next one with Venom in the lead and hope that the secret guy love overtones (ala Quinn and Blay) don't come to fruition, despite the fact that  sample doesn't have a glimpse of a leading lady.

I have both the paper Complimentary copy for review I got through the Vine and the kindle version that I had forgotten that I'd pre-ordered for this one - free was nice but the kindle version fit my life better at the moment, so I didn't return the extra.
1758281
The moment I read the blurb for Hellsbane I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy - here was a book promising me something different from the usual stories involving half-angels. Sadly, I didn't feel that Hellsbane lived up to its potential.

Hellsbane's cover art is great. The statue of the angel holding the sword is a very effective way of linking in Emma Jane's job as Heaven's bounty hunter. I also love the figure's pose, it screams sassiness and attitude and both are most definitely elements that Emma Jane has in spades.

Paige Cuccaro has created an interesting Urban Fantasy world with a fresh spin on Fallen angels and half-angels. Once a half-angel is chosen as a warrior in the fight against the Fallen their only hope of escaping the constant threat from demons and their masters is to find and kill the Fallen who sired them. I really like this premise and the possibilities it opens up for the story world and characters. But I couldn't help but feel that Cuccaro let her great story idea down with an erratically paced plot. The action in Hellsbane hits you from page one and immediately draws you into the story, but Cuccaro doesn't capitalise on this. I also felt that there were elements of the plot that could have been explored further, such as the growing attraction between Emma Jane and Tommy. There were moments of stunning description where I felt myself completely gripped by the images on the pages, but they never lasted for more than a few sentences and although Cuccaro writes well, the rest of the book suffered in comparison. I would have liked to have seen more consistency in Hellsbane's plotting and the level of writing.

Emma Jane is a sarcastic and sassy young lady and it was entertaining following her as she comes to terms with the new world she suddenly finds herself immersed in. She's a strong character and able to carry the story. Tommy and Eli are the other two main characters in Hellsbane. Tommy is a half-angel as well and I enjoyed the growing relationship between the two of them and felt that it could have been used to better advantage in the story. Eli is an angel sent to Earth to observe and train the chosen half-angels. We're given a glimpse into his backstory which helped to add depth to his character.

Hellsbane is an action packed Urban Fantasy, but I felt that more could have been done with this original story idea.
3344007
The first in the young adult paranormal Fallen series, Fallen is a contemporary retelling of the age-old, epic battle between good and evil.  The premise of the plot was creative and unique, set around a reform school with the unlikeliest of heroes and villians.  Sorting out the evil from the good was rarely possible and kept me engaged, but at times it seemed a little too tangled, a little muddy.  I liked Kate's writing style, although there were some awkward pieces of dialogue and a few contradictory descriptions that pulled me out of the story a little.  The characters were quirky and added interest to the story with their uniqueness.  A cast of juvenile delinquents that are neither clearly good nor clearly evil and a reform school are not the usual elements of a "fallen angel" story and I think that made for a better story.  Fallen is the first of a series so I didn't expect the story to unfold too quickly, nor did I expect to have all of my questions answered at the conclusion.  However, I think the ending almost raised more questions than it answered, even with subsequent stories to come.  At the end of the main story, clear lines were drawn.  But the epilogue changed that, and the lines were blurred once again.  Instead of being an excellent cliffhanger leading me to the next book, it left me feeling a little muddled.  That being said, I did enjoy the book, and I am definately looking forward to the next novel.

The cover art, however, is absolutely stunning and is admittedly what drew me to the novel in the first place.  I am a sucker for slightly dark art and it really appealed to me.

I gave it a 3.5 stars!
2890997
At first I was somewhat confused with the setting. Was it modern day? Where  the "demons" discussed real or metaphors? We're thrust right into the midst of Luna's predicament, and I would have liked to be more gently introduced. As the scope of the story widens we get a better explanation of the world and its inhabitants, to my confusion didn't last for long.

Still, I do take issue with Luna and Sean's relationship. Sean appears to be a demon himself, and he obsesses over Luna, threatening her to stay away from other men and often manhandling her. The reasons for his obsession are revealed, but I hated when Luna sometimes found herself attracted to him. I just wanted to yell at her to have some common sense and stay away from the obvious psycho. So I would have liked a stronger heroine and a less creepy "love interest." I do think some of the plot devices are interesting, with all the talks of ancient societies and demons, but it's kind of overshadowed. I guess if you're looking for a book that focuses on a very dark romance, this could be your thing. It didn't click with me.

Stylistically, the writing is okay. Inoffensive, but nothing spectacular. It does need more editing to squash out the typos and misspellings.
4331990
My first from this author and I liked it! I enjoyed the simplicity of the storyline and the two main characters intrigued me enough to keep going. The premise of a young man, needing speech therapy after a horrific car crash and the woman who was there to not only witness it but be the first to visit him when he regained consciousness and become his savior was a bittersweet one. Cade and Tasha were never meant to be but due to family ties and a niggling curiosity about him brought them together in a most unexpected way.

Watching as Cade practically ignores the one woman who won't let go, it made me root for Tasha, who only wanted to simply help him. I enjoyed their standoffs and cheered right along with Tasha when Cade made a breakthrough. Although it dragged a bit at first, I found myself thoroughly immersed around the 40 percent mark and then I didn't want it to end. Their unexpected passion was extremely hot and knowing it was a form of 'oral therapy' made it that much more forbidden.

I will say that I am now very interested in the first book of this series, since it definitely has some bearing on this book. Devlin and Rena's story will hopefully give me a bit more into what happened before Cade's accident and how certain events all tie together.

Overall a good read (although I would have picked a better title).
1561641
I love the background of the 2 main characters, Jo is related on Tabitha's side while Cadegan is related to Thorn and comes from the Camelot/Merlin Era. I also enjoyed getting our beloved past figures incorporated which includes Acheron and Styxx among many others!  However, the plot has already been done and I believe I would have enjoyed the story more if the flow was better.  I tried to prepare myself for the confusion others have experienced but several times I found myself thinking where did he come from and who was that.  I am pretty sure some of the characters have more than one name. The storyline was a bit fragmented without major spoilers and giving away the whole thing it sums up like this-
Jo stumbles into Cadegans  purgatory in a shadow realm.  You got it, he got screwed over for having demon blood, lived an awful life, then was banished to solitude by his own brother.
The couple immediately hits it off, destiny. Cadegan makes a deal with the devil or someone close to in order to get Jo home but of course when does evil make things easy.  A quest is involved and the plot starts to show promise if you can overcome the hundreds of random glimpses into Cadegans past.  But then it steers off in another direction. From there it gets WAY out there but Acheron and the others try to get the couple back into the modern world. In the end we get confirmation a new apocalypse is to come.  The Malachai is referenced several times and it seems we have more characters who hold the fate of the world in their hands.  You think you will get more to the story since it just starts to get interesting at the end, but it is not even close the 420 pages mentioned under the title so beware.  This book will not keep me content for a year, but maybe Nick's next book will start to tie into the upcoming storyline:)
4232854
I was gifted a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
My experience reading Dark Summoner, book one of the Relic Keepers series was mixed. The first half of the book is rife with the paranormal standards; twenty-something college student Abby Davenport has a terrible secret shes determined to overcome. Estranged from her father, and plagued by self-doubt, shes muddling her way through life with her best gal pal and caf co-worker Regan. She frequents clubs with monikers such as Club Deviant and Club Fervor, where she sips vodka and cranberry. Oh, and shes clumsy. She fumbles and falls down, especially in the presence of hot new stranger Dorian. I for one am so over the clumsy girl motif and Im sure Im not alone. I found it difficult to push past the unoriginality, and at times awkwardness, of the first half of the book. Sentences like I spied Reagan out on the dance floor with Julia, the two of them shaking their booties as they danced to popular hip-hop song had me cringing for sure. Then, alas, around the half way point, things became more interesting and far more fluid.
 Enter Dark Summoner, Kieron. Kieron is charged with protecting Abby in The First Realm, the alternate world in grave danger wherein she has been secreted away. Kieron, too, is a type (tall, muscle-bound, dark and tan with a perma five-oclock shadow, alpha all the way), but it just so happens I like this type  a lot. Against all odds, unlikely Abby is charged with saving the realm from certain demise as foretold in prophecy. Resistance, acceptance, and training ensue. Add a love triangle of sorts between Abby, Dorian, and Kieron and youve got the makings of an entertaining tale. So while theres nothing abundantly original about this book, its a decent read overall.
 Dark Summoner is a quick read and has appeal. The cover design is stunning and attractive. I plan to read books two and three, both due out this October. Im optimistic the series has hit its stride and with continue to flow with an entertaining authenticity characteristic of the latter part of book one.