Sep 30, 2013

ARC Review--Cold Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Jessica arrives back in town to find her best friend missing and the most powerful witch in the country is blaming her for it. But before they can move to save her, the group is attacked.

On the run, Jessica and Rourke head to the mountains. Several surprises await them, but in order to save her father they are forced to leave for New Orleans early.

Arriving on the Vampire Queen's doorstep unexpectedly, and bringing trouble on their heels, the Sects are thrown into an all out war. The vicious
skirmish ends up forcing the vamps and Jessica to fight on the same team.

The Vamp Queen ends up owing Jessica, but what Jessica doesn't realize is just how soon she'll have to cash it in...


I received this e-ARC from the publishers via Netgalley for the Cold Blooded Blog Tour, in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.


Amanda Carlson's Cold Blooded was a fascinating read! First off, LOVE this cover!! the best of the series so far for sure! The cover both shows our werewolf heroine with the full moon behind her, along with a church and bats--vampire bats, perhaps?!

I only had vague recollections of what happened last time, I knew the main scheme of things, but little details were forgotten. Cold Blooded started out with a BANG! The aftermath of sending the demon Serena to hell after she kidnapped and tortured Rourke had a few disastrous effects and right about then is when the new problems start to happen! Jessica cannot get a break worth a damn, but then there would be no story after all.

Some characters are still MIA such as James, Noami, Tyler and the rest of Jessica's wolf friends. But the wolves and Noami all show up later, basically James remains MIA as he tries to find and rescue Marcy. Ray is there too and has gone through quite the startling change. He's been made a vampire by Noami and the results aren't quite normal for a turning. Noami is hard-pressed to keep him tamed and Jessica and Rourke step up to take control of him.

All the while Jessica is being pursued adamantly by sorcerers and demons. Seems they are calling for her blood. Jessica thinks it might be best to take refuge at the Vampire Queen's place in New Orleans since she is due there in a few weeks anyway. Eudoxia is far from pleased at the arrival of so many unwanted guests, as Jessica arrives with her full crew in tow.

There's quite an upheaval among the vamps and wolves. Things are dicey and intense the whole time. Friends go missing, people get hurt, people show up again! Talk about crazy times! A lot goes down in this one and it's filled with action nearly at every chapter! If there's no hardcore action, it's replaced with tension rife with new problems or secrets or something that's delectably entertaining. Cold Blooded rarely has a dull moment!

Which brings me to the romance involved! Sure, Jessica and her friends and her beloved mate, Rourke are constantly running for their lives, but there's always time for a little romance right? I mean, we have been waiting ever so long for some lovin! Well, Amanda does not disappoint in this one! Rourke and Jessica get their moment, although for them of course, it wasn't enough! There also seems to be some romantic sparks building between Danny and Naomi! Not sure how cemented that will be, but it's definitely a sight to see!

Jessica is a heroine that never ceases to amaze me by how much she grows. Challenges are consistently being thrown at her, but she gets back up and fights them again and again! She's incredibly strong to keep carrying on the way that she does! Her powers are still a bit confusing to me, I think I need to read the prophecy again to get a better understanding of all that she might be capable of, but I don't think Jessica quite knows the answer to that one.

The ending to this one was purely epic! One of the biggest showdowns I've ever seen! So many battles, so very many enemies that have to be defeated who are all pretty powerful in their own right. And then comes the cliffhanger! Wildly insane chaos occurs and then we are left hanging, but then again so is Jessica and her friends. The next book is definitely going to top this one I think because Jessica has even more on her plate, besides the added unsolved problems from previous books!

Amanda Carlson is an amazing author telling her own saga of werewolves! I tell you people I can never get enough of paranormal reads! There is simply so much to tell in so many different ways! Amanda Carlson is definitely on my keeper list for life!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars


Cold Blooded releases October 8, 2013



It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.


Last Week I Read:

 Tarnished and Torn by Juliet Blackwell (5 stars)
Blood Bond by Jeanne C. Stein (4 stars)
Cursed by S.J. Harper (5 stars)
Terminated by Rachel Caine (4 stars)
Black City by Christina Henry (5 stars)



Currently Reading:

Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder (ARC)



What I Plan to Read this Week:

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake



Other Posts of Interest:





Sep 29, 2013

Stacking the Shelves

This weekly meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!



I had a GREAT week of book getting!! B&N finally had a great sale for Members. Instead of an extra 10% with our membership on items, it was 20%!! So I bought a few books I otherwise would have waited for as bday gifts instead!!

Here's what I bought/received from previous ordering:


Infinityglass by Myra McEntire
Quick Fix by Linda Grimes
Briar Rose by Jana Oliver


Then keeper copies that I bought of books I already own, but these are newly redesigned cover versions that I've been buying earlier, so I'm just adding to the other ones!

Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder
Chasing the Shadows by Keri Arthur


Then for review from Netgalley via the publishers I got:

Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder (ARC)


Then some other goodies that I got this week were some jewelry items that I bought on Etsy!

Okay, the picture got a little blurry. Sorry about that!! The one to the left is a hematite cameo with a black rose! I thought it was pretty cool!! I also got a clear drop gem necklace with a face scroll thingy at the base as well! These I bought from Robin Hood Couture!


Here's a closer up pic!
 
Then I stumbled upon this shop in a weird way. I was searching for something...I think Halloween related jewelry and was just scrolling through LOTS of stuff and then I cam across something at this shop...which then led me to buying this one! It's a simple necklace really with this red cameo-like charm! I thought it was pretty cool and ended up buying it! This was from Emilina Ballerina!

And then I got this bracelet that I won in Jana Oliver's contest for the release of Briar Rose!! Was so happy to have won something from that!!

The charm bracelet's on the bottom and it has a variety of fairy tale charms like a castle, a shoe, a carriage. It's cute! 


And that was my fabulous haul this week! What did you get?





Sep 28, 2013

Top 5 Sundays

Top 5 Sundays is a weekly blog meme created by Larissa at Larissa's Bookish Life.

Every Sunday I will post a TOP 5 list on the blog. It can be about anything and every week I'll have a new theme {You can vote on next week’s theme on my left sidebar!} and I will ad the Mr.Linky bellow the post so you can do a list with the theme and add you link to it.


Rules:
1 - Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme I chose (or was chosen on a poll) for the week.
2 - Mention this Blog on the post and link back to it.
3 - Feel free to use the Feature's image (there is a smaller size version of it bellow)
4 - After you've finished your post, add you link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.
5 – If you don’t have a blog to post, just leave your list in the comments =)


This week's topic is: Biggest Book Turn-offs {Within the Book or Real Life e.g. Author Behavior}


*in no particular order


TSTL CHARACTERS

 You know when you have that heroine or any character really, who is just too stupid to live sometimes? They make incredibly dumb choices and I have to stop and slap my head or roll my eyes because I am thinking, really?! You did that?! Or something like that!



INSTA-LOVE

We've all seen it. And you either love it or hate it. I'm more on the hate side. I can tolerate it, but generally I do not like insta-love. The only time I find it acceptable is in the fairy tales and Disney of course.



LOVE TRIANGLES

These are usually another eye-roller. Sometimes I feel like they're in the book just to have the heroine have to make a choice. For the readers to pick their team and all that what not. I find them irritating.



MISLEADING COVERS

So I couldn't think of a particular example, but what kind of nags at me is when you see a cover and the picture or generally cover model is nothing at all like the character in the book. Like you would see a leather-clad vixen hold knives or something else over the top and the heroine is really more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal!



ARROGANT HEROES

It doesn't even have to be the hero either really. I can stand arrogance. It really makes me want to bop that particular character upside the head when he/she is being like that. It's not a trait I care for in people IRL, so I don't care for it in my fictional characters either!




Sep 27, 2013

Review--Black City by Christina Henry

FORMER AGENT MADELINE BLACK MAY HAVE BEEN STRIPPED OF HER WINGS--BUT SHE HASN'T LOST HER PURPOSE...

When Maddy finally killed her father, Azazel, she thought his depraved experiment died with him. But now Chicago has been infested with vampires immune to the effects of the sun, and the bloodbath is worse than she could have ever imagined. While the Agency refuses to interfere with other supernatural courts, Maddy is determined to do everything within her power to save her city—wings or no wings.

But when the leader of the vampires requests that she turn herself in or risk more deaths, Maddy becomes a target for the very people she’s trying to save. Left with no other choice, she turns to Lucifer, the one creature who has the power to help her. But her grandfather’s aid has always come at a price…


Seriously, I think Christina Henry is taking great pleasure in tormenting me...and the rest of her readers. Once again she has written this incredibly, tremendous read and yet again, the ending has left me reeling! Near screaming territory...but since I am in public I had to refrain from doing so!! Very, very hard!

Black City picks up where we left off in Black Lament and yeah, I am still in tears by Gabriel's death. I remember asking her about that at RT 2012! I was in public and the book was still fairly new, so I was like WHY?! And she said it was necessary for Maddy. Well, we're still early in Maddy's grief and her trying to move on, so we'll have to see how Maddy continues to handle it and what else may befall her. And she's definitely in for a doozie worth of crapola!

Nathaniel is still hanging around Maddy and her friends. He's almost become one of the gang, yet he's still not completely a changed man. But he's getting there. I am no longer repulsed by his presence on the page. I briefly recall feeling a little less hatred towards him last time around, and that feeling is definitely increasing. He seems to understand Maddy and what she's going through more than anyone. He doesn't try to coddle her, he lets her be herself and still does what he can to help keep her safe. A bit contradictory I suppose, but a definite improvement!

We last saw a hoard of vampires acting Chicago...during daylight. Azael's experiment to allow vampires to walk during the day has come into the mainstream and Chicago is the first hit. Maddy and her friends race to the city streets and try to take out as many vamps as possible, but it's a futile task. There are just too many. Add to that, Maddy doesn't have her Agent abilities anymore. She's not completely all human, but her skills are still definitely not up to par, her wings are still missing and she she misses them as well.

During a rescue attempt at the hospital, Maddy and Nathaniel have a moment. More than just romantic feelings and all that hubbub, but they work together to place a veil over the hospital to protect the patients from the vampires and in that act, they ended up connecting a deeper level. It's hard to put to words exactly what happened, but needless to say, it changed them both. Really and truly!

Maddy notices a startling change to Nathaniel that reveals something about him that even he didn't know and oh wow was that a whopper of a surprise!!

But the city of Chicago and the problem of the vampires attacking...and Therion calling for her head and asking the citizens of Chicago to deliver her to him, will have to wait when Maddy learns that Tatiana has kidnapped J.B. Maddy and her friends race to get to faery and rescue him but there are always dangers awaiting over in that particular world.

Black City was definitely a rush! Not to say it was a hurried read, but you know what I mean! It was exhilarating! The constant danger Maddy was in and how it seemed solving one problem ended up throwing another one in front of her. The poor girl, and she's pregnant on top of all this battling! It's a good thing she's not your average human or who knows what would happen to her baby! She has many battles and tasks to overcome in this one and it never seems to end for her. There's barely a break!

As I mentioned before, things between Nathaniel and Maddy start to get a little intense! It's hard to imagine hat Nathaniel used to be like in the early books, although I still remember the disgust. And what I like about this is, that Maddy isn't instantly falling in love with him. Nathaniel still seems to love her and is willing to wait for her to come to a decision, but he tells her he won't be her dirty little secret and I gotta admit that I like that about him. He's a changing man and I like what I am seeing! I am definitely eager to see where these two might take things romantically!

Overall this was a fan-tab-u-ously wonderful read! Love that word...fantabulously! It's not even a word, but I love it because it so perfectly describes a read like this!! Kind of glad I waited til now to get to this one, because the ending was quite the cliffhanger, not anything like Black Howl, but still the kind that makes you go...oh sh*t, what's Maddy going to do now?! Besides panic! And luckily, there's only a month to wait and find out!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars



Sep 26, 2013

Follow Friday

This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.


Here are the general rules to Follow Friday:
1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If your new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

This week's question is: Reading Nook Tour: Give us a tour of your favorite reading spots. 

MY ANSWER: If I'm not reading in some public spot, my favorite reading spot tends to be my bed!



Review--Terminated by Rachel Caine

In New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine’s latest Revivalist novel, Bryn Davis’s problems quickly turn from dead to worse…

Already addicted to the pharmaceutical drug that keeps her body from decomposing, Bryn has to stop a secretive group of rich and powerful investors from eliminating the existing Returné addicts altogether. To ensure their plan to launch a new, military-grade strain of nanotech, the investors’ undead assassin—who just happens to be the ex-wife of Bryn’s lover Patrick—is on the hunt for anyone that stands in their way.

And while Bryn’s allies aren’t about to go down without a fight, the secret she’s been keeping threatens to put those closest to her in even more danger. Poised to become a monster that her own side—and her own lover—will have to trap and kill, Bryn needs to find the cure to have any hope of preserving the lives of her friends, and her own dwindling humanity…


Stunned. Utterly stunned. That's my initial reaction to finishing Rachel Caine's Terminated. I'm kind of left reeling, wondering if this is the final novel in the series, making it a trilogy. I don't remember hearing one way or another the length of this series, but this one definitely leaves me wondering if I read the end!

Brynn's basically had a tough time these past few weeks...months? The actual length of time for the duration of these past 3 books is escaping me, so not sure how long it's been for her, but it's been tough to say the least! She died and was brought back with the drug, Returne. Becoming a sort of modern day zombie, and then after being tortured by her boyfriend, Patrick's ex-wife Jane, she's been changed into a sort of super zombie with different types of nanonites that take residence in her body. Giving her extra strength and faster healing abilities.

Now Brynn and her crew are on a mission and that is to stop Jane once and for all. It ends up boiling down to needing to find a particular cure that could stop Jane by making her mortal once again. But it's tough trying to locate said cure when Jane and her military cronies are constantly chasing after them. Plus, it seems like Jane is always one step ahead. Nowhere is safe.

Brynn is struggling to adapt to her, yet again, new self. She craves meat, the raw bloody kind most commonly found in humans...that being their flesh. She finds she's able to get by with just about any other good source of protein, such as very rare meats and things like beef jerky, lots of beef jerky. Riley is in the same boat as she is, so she at least knows she's not alone in this tremulous time.

It was quite the exciting read, although I have to say that after reading a nice richly paranormal infused Urban Fantasy read, coming to this one that lacked strong paranormal elements was a sort of major withdrawal for me. Granted, Brynn is still zombie-esque, but she's not the rotting flesh, eat brains kind of girl. And no other paranormals exist in this world...that we know of.

It was definitely a kind of fast paced read at some points since Brynn and her friends seem to constantly be on the run, getting into dangerous situations, but it did have its slower moments. Little excursions that kind of dragged a bit before the new information was learned or something really dicey happened. And at one point, I felt like a new unknown enemy was on the rise, but it never really came up again, so it has me wondering if my theory was totally unfounded. But still, it was a very engaging read.

Brynn and Patrick still had very little time for romance and had to steal moments when they could. I felt bad for them. Plus their situation is pretty surreal. Brynn's a living zombie...never to age, never to have children. Her life is set and as long as there is meat for her to eat, that's what her life will be like forever. So it was kind of sad in a sense, feeling like this couple might just not be meant to be.

I have to say that the ending was pretty explosive! Not in a literal sense either, since all the explosions happened during the course of the running for their lives and all that jazz! I was totally blown away by what happened and then a shocking end result! Which is what has me reeling and wondering if this is the end of the series. Was The Revivalist Novels meant to be a trilogy? Well, guess I'll have to find out!

Rachel Caine is an amazing author! Her Weather Wardens series was yet again, one of my first adult novels when I took a break from YA. I've stuck with her ever since, although I still have yet to read her YA series. Although I can still remember when I met her a few years back...before Weather Wardens ended, she was telling me about her yet unnamed Morganville Vampires! So I really ought to get on that!


Overall Rating 4/5 stars



Random Thursday

Okay, it's time for another beef to pick with the Disney Calendar! Seriously, these writers don't know their Disney movies as well as I do apparently!
Sorry for the crookedness, apparently it moved after I placed it in my scanner...which  is slow.

Here we have Pascal making the fangs  next to the picture of a ruffian with fangs. This was upon discovery of Flynn Rider aka Eugene Fitzhurbert, when he took refuge in Rapunzel's tower. It says here that Pascal draws the picture which is soooo not true! Mother Gothel drew it during her big number, Mother Knows Best!

Seriously, Disney Calendar people need to hire me for this job!




Sep 25, 2013

Early Review--Cursed by S.J. Harper

Meet FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.
She's cursed. He's damned. Together, they make one hell of a team.


Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.

Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.

Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal, and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.


I received this early copy in pdf format from the author in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.


S.J. Harper's Cursed was phenomenal! Authors Samantha Sommersby and Jeanne C. Stein team up to create this totally fantabuously amazing read! I am always blown away when authors team up and write a book together. For the most part, the book reads like it's told by one voice! At times I like to think I might know when Jeanne was writing, having never read Samantha before, but it's hard to tell as a reader. All I can say is that S.J. Harper is now a favorite author of mine!

One of the most amazing things about this read is how it combines Greek mythology and modern day supernatural creatures! There's not a lot of Greek mythology going on, but Emma is definitely at the center of it. She's a Siren, one of three who failed to save Persephone from Hades and Demeter has punished all three of them. As to what her sisters are up to, we don't know...yet, maybe S.J. will let us know in future reads! Emma has been spending centuries on earth trying to right the wrongs she committed and save other young women from terrible fates. Working in the missing persons department at the FBI definitely fits the bill in that area. Life is simple for her.

Until Zack Armstrong walks back into her life. Zack is a werewolf, she knows this due to her Siren nature. She knows a lot of things like that regarding the supernatural world and can recognize when someone is other than human. But Zack doesn't know she knows. A year ago the two worked a case in Charleston, SC together and things got intimate. But since Emma was leaving, she thought that would be the end of it since they agreed to let things go and not contact one another, but when Zack comes into her San Diego office and she is told he's her new partner...well, things aren't exactly looking sunny.

For Emma has learned that if she indulges in having happiness with a man...find someone she ends up caring for and loves...Demeter kills them. It's always best to keep people away and not form loving relationships. As Demeter puts it, Emma is not meant for happiness until she is forgiven and she won't be forgiven until Demeter feels like it.

Trying to avoid any romantic thoughts or feelings is hard, because there was something about Zack that Emma just couldn't shake off. It only makes it worse when it's clear that Zack feels the same way. But there is work to be done and that involves finding a missing person. Which then leads to two missing people and then three! Most shocking of all is that these three people all have something in common.

I really, really enjoyed this read! It was like the perfect Urban Fantasy read for the Urban Fantasy reader! There's a good dose of action, a mix of supernaturals, action, a feisty heroine and smoldering, sexy hero! There are definitely go to be some challenges for Emma and Zack and that doesn't even include the main threat of Demeter. Zack's ex-girlfriend happens to be in town, who's also a werewolf. And then Emma ends up catching the eye of an unlikely fellow. Trouble is what's going to happen! 

I am most eager to see where this series goes! I love a good mystery and S.J. definitely delivers that in this read! Trying to find the missing persons seemed like a clear-cut case, but then so many other issues came up in the case that it made it not so easy to deal with anymore. I shudder to think how Emma and Zack will have to handle the legalities of other cases that they will deal with in the future, for in this world, the supernatural peeps are still in hiding, they live among us yes, but we feeble humans do not know of their existence.

The Fallen Siren series promises to be one helluva Urban Fantasy read and I so look forwarded to seeing what adventures there are to be had! And of course the fate of our starcrossed lovers!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars



 

Waiting on Wednesday

I hate waiting...
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.


In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?


So dying for this one!!! Loved the first and already preordered this one!

TITLE: World After
AUTHOR: Susan Ee

PUBLISHER: Skyscape
GENRE: Dystopian YA
RELEASE DATE: November 19, 2013



In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.


So ready for this one as well! And yep, it's preordered too!

TITLE: The Fiery Heart
AUTHOR: Richelle Mead

PUBLISHER: Razorbill
GENRE: Paranormal YA
RELEASE DATE: November 19, 2013



 

Sep 24, 2013

Review--Blood Bond by Jeanne C. Stein

As a vampire, Anna Strong has an immortal life…but now she’s running out of time.

Anna’s relationship with shape-shifter Daniel Frey has given her hope for a future with him and his son—especially when Frey proposes…

But just when Anna starts to think her life couldn’t be better, she must fly to France to be at the side of her dying mother. There she learns that not every vampire accepts her Chosen One status. And one such vamp is about to go rogue—by leading his followers in a fight to usurp humanity…






It's sad when a series comes to an end. I've been reading Jeanne C. Stein's Anna Strong Chronicles since the very beginning and I've loved every moment of it! Blood Bond concludes Anna's story in some ways, but it also leaves it open enough that should Jeanne choose to give Anna a few more "problems". And while I did enjoy the ending to Anna's story, I was a little upset about a few things here and there as well. Moving on...

We open up with a very quick reprisal of how Haunted ended--and truly broke my heart in some ways. Anna and Fray have decided to tie the knot. Frey proposes and Anna accepts, a time for joyous celebration, right? Not so much. First is the issue of Harris, a cop who is still looking into the death of Williams and the disappearance of his wife. Anna was in fact involved in both deaths, but Harris doesn't know that, but his constant prying is going to put a damper on things. Then to add to troubles, Anna gets a call from her father in Paris telling her that her mother is dying from cancer.

Anna and Fray, with John-John rush to Paris to be by her side. The cancer was untreatable, it was just too late to do anything, so Anna's mother is on borrowed time. Which suddenly makes the push to have the wedding as soon as possible, like in two weeks. But it's something Anna's mother would love to see before she passes and Anna and Fray agree.

In some ways, this book was about the human Anna moreso than the vampire Anna and I liked that in some ways, but I also missed the action. The danger and excitement that tends to follow Anna around. We get a little bit of that with the case of Steffan. He's a European vampire and the vampires of Europe are not apart of the council that Anna has come to know. Steffan seems himself as their ruler, but that's not exactly the case as Anna will learn. At Steffan's big ol' shindig, he invites Anna as a guest, this is where she meets another particular vampire who is probably more the rightful ruler of Europe than Steffan. A very famous vampire by the name of Vlad.

I was quite pleased with Jeanne's Vlad. We've seen many versions of him throughout Urban Fantasy and his character was definitely intriguing and a little bit of fun too! He wasn't a critical player in this game, but he was a bit above par in the grand scheme of things.

However, the matter of Steffan gets settled and done with pretty quickly. Only lasting really a sizable amount of pages. Then it's back to the wedding planning and the wedding itself. That's probably what caused my dis-enjoyment of the story. But as I said, reflecting back on the story now while writing this review, this final novel can really be about the human Anna rather than the vampire Anna. Anna has to come to grips with the fact that she is vampire and will outlive all her family and friends. But in the meantime she needs to make the memories now so that she may reflect back on happy times in the years to come.

It was quite moving at some times with Anna and her family. Knowing that even Fray will someday die and she will live on is saddening, and yet, she still marries him and intends to have as happy as a life that she can have with the time given. That makes Anna the strongest heroine ever. Instead of pushing everyone away in order not to get too close for when the time comes and she loses them forever, she holds them as close as possible and form memories to last.

Who knows, maybe this won't be the last time we see Anna--Jeanne told me herself earlier this year at RT! But for now, this is the end. And it was a very nice way to go! Kudos, Jeanne!



Overall Rating 4/5 stars



Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Here are the rules:
1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a page

3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE

4. Name the title, author, etc.

"I ignore his howls of protest, snapping the cuffs through a metal bar I've had installed on the door of the Jag for just this purpose. Once I get him to SDPD, he'll catch on. Now I'm just disappointed I didn't get to have any fun after all." p 26














TITLE: Blood Bond
AUTHOR: Jeanne C. Stein

PUBLISHER: Ace
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: August 27, 2013






Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.


This week's topic is: Top Ten Best Sequels Ever


*in no particular order

1. ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE
by Jeaniene Frost
Does this need explaining?


2. TWICE TEMPTED
by Jeaniene Frost
 


3. MAGIC STUDY
by Maria V. Snyder


4. THE IRON TRAITOR
by Julie Kagawa
Just read this last week and it was awesome! So ready for book 3!


5. GIRL OF NIGHTMARES
by Kendare Blake



6. STOLEN
by Kelley Armstrong


7. SCENT OF MAGIC
by Maria V. Snyder




8. TWICE DEAD
by Kalayna Price




9. BLOODFEVER
by Karen Marie Moning




10. OUTSIDE IN
by Maria V. Snyder