Starlight by Mimi Strong (Peaches Monroe 2)

Title: Starlight
Author: Mimi Strong
Series: Peaches Monroe #2
Publisher: Mimi Strong (September 3, 2013)
Length: 276 pages
Format: Kindle eBook


Description from Goodreads:

So, I fly my rockin' curves off to LA for the big Peaches Monroe (that's me) underwear shoot.

I'm nursing a broken heart from you-know-who, when along comes Keith Raven. Sexy, tanned, and nearly naked. He's my new co-model, and let me tell you, Keith is the full package with a big package (wink, wink).

My new bestie Mitchell warns me that all male models are walking disasters, but I think Keith's different. He meditates, for example. And, unlike some people, he doesn't toy with my affection.

Staying at Keith's apartment in LA and swimming in his pool is heavenly, not to mention the more intimate details of our Rebound Arrangement. What's a Rebound Arrangement, you ask? It's a fixed-length romance and a great way to turn your world upside-down.

Meanwhile, Dalton Deangelo is trying to redeem himself and win me back. He sucks at redemption, but he is charming.

Somebody please stop me, because if I keep slamming my heart like this, it's going to break.


My Thoughts:

Peaches Monroe has made it to L.A., discovered some disturbing secrets about Mr. Dalton Deangelo, and has found a new boy toy in a fellow model. Laugh out loud antics, outrageous quips, and sexy time is bound to ensue. The modeling industry is hard on everyone, but a plus sized girl? It can be downright brutal. However, with her new flamboyant friend Mitchell and hunky-as-hell male model Keith, Peaches holds her own. This book really doesn't focus on the whole Peaches/Dalton relationship,  but on her growth as a person. There is a HUGE Peaches Monroe revelation in Starlight that I never saw coming, but it explains so much about her character. The way that it has effected her is sad, but I have a feeling that in the upcoming books we will see her deal with it more. As for the guys in this book they are the complete opposite of Dalton. They are as sweet as can be and care so much for Peaches. Keith seems like the perfect guy. He is sweet, caring, kind, understanding, and constantly uplifting Peaches. He really helped her have more faith and acceptance in not only her body, but herself as a whole. If you are reading for the raunchy parts Peaches and Keith more than deliver. Apparently there is nothing like marshmallow sex.  Mitchell...all I can say is everyone needs a Mitchell in their lives. He is instantly loyal to Peaches and a great friend. I sincerely hope that Mimi Strong brings these characters back in future installments of the Peaches Monroe series. Dalton is not as involved in this story as much as I thought he would have been, but for you Dalton lovers...fear not. Dalton definitely sticks around like the plague and will be in the next book. Last but not least is my favorite part of the Peaches Monroe series and that is the dialogue. I can't think of any author I have read that has funnier, better, and slightly dirty dialogue that I enjoy more than Mimi Strong's. I would be reading Starlight on my Kindle at home and at work randomly laughing out loud. People/family would stop and stare...I just couldn't help myself. I had to read the funny dirty bits out loud and now I know four more people who have started the series. Hopefully there will be many more installments to the Peaches Monroe series and with writing like this, that is a good possibility. I give this book a 4 1/2 STAR rating.

Girl With Guitar by Caisey Quinn

Title: Girl With Guitar
Author: Caisey Quinn
Series: Kylie Ryans #1
Publisher: Createspace May 22, 2013
Length: 228 pages
Format: ebook

Description from Goodreads:

After Kylie’s dad dies in a freak accident, he leaves her with nothing other than her crazy step-mother, Darla, and the ability to play guitar. When Darla kicks Kylie out and she loses her job all in the same day, she hops a bus to Nashville determined to make her late father’s dreams come true. Waitressing and saving her pennies to record a demo, her big break comes when she’s asked to join a tour going down the tubes with once platinum album-selling country music superstar Trace Corbin. But touring with Trace is hardly a dream come true since he’s pretty much drinking his career down the drain. If Kylie can’t pull Trace out of his rut, he’ll pull her and her dreams down with him.


My Thoughts:

Holy Hunky Country Singers! Girl With Guitar by Caisey Quinn is a new take on the troubled musician stories that have abounded of late in the New Adult genre. Kylie has lead a crappy life. At the age of 18 she has lost her mother, her father, and now thanks to her trashy stepmother her home. What's a girl to do? Move to Nashville and do whatever it takes to make her dream come true. Once in Nashville, Kylie realizes getting discovered is even harder than she thought it would be. That is until a once in a lifetime coincidence and chance comes along in the form of  drinking, womanizing, no-show, tight jeaned hunky country superstar Trace Corbin. Kylie goes on tour with Trace as his opening act. Tempers flare, words cut, sexual tension flies, and hearts are broken in this country romance. Will Kylie make it in this cutthroat business? Will she give up? Will she give up for the love of a guy? Will Trace's bad habits blow Kylie's chances? Will she find love? Will she get the dream and the guy? Or will heartache in true country music fashion make her a superstar? Find out in this awesome book!

I absolutely LOVE this book! I oohed and ahhed every couple of pages. Kylie is an amazing character and I loved how real she seemed. Trace is mean and sometimes downright nasty to Kylie, but the best part is she gives it right back and puts him in his place! You have to love a girl who can stand up for herself! On the other hand is the tender and fragile Kylie. The one who is desperate to make it in the business and who has lost her family. Complementing her character is country superstar/bad boy Trace Corbin. He drinks way too much, sleeps around way too much, and has a tendency to not show up to his gigs too much. Kylie is his last chance to straighten out his career. He resents having her around, having someone tell him what to do, how to act, someone who might actually care about him and not the fame. Kylie and Trace's relationship was truly swoon worthy to read about. They both have their problems (especially Trace), but the best thing is that they don't try to change each other. They push each other's boundaries and help make them better people. Many people might think of country music as one of the more wholesome music genres. I liked how Ms. Quinn showed that it can be just as devious and cold hearted as other types of music. By the end of the book I was happy and sad that it was all wrapped up and ending. I wanted MORE! Then the last couple of pages BAM! There is a SEQUEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait to read more about Kylie's and Trace's turbulence in the music industry. I give this book a 5 STAR rating!

Connected by Kim Karr

Title: Connected
Author: Kim Karr
Series: Connections #1
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 20, 2013)
Length: 364 pages
Format: paperback


Description from Goodreads:

What if a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ could happen twice?

Suffering from a past full of tragedy, Dahlia London's soul has been left completely shattered. Happily ever after is a far cry from reality in her world. But, when she is reconnected with her past, the bonds that form are irrefutable.

When River Wilde, lead singer of The Wilde Ones, comes back into Dahlia’s life, the intensity that fires their relationship combined with underlying feelings that have never died lead her to believe she has met her soulmate.

Struggling with confusion as old connections fade and new ones begin, Dahlia's grief begins to lift--but guilt remains. River wants to be the one to mend all that is torn within her.

But with a past that is never really gone, can their future survive?

My Thoughs:

Connected by Kim Karr is a new asset to the world of romance writing. Her first novel Connected stole my heart. Dahlia London has had tragedy strike many times in her young life. Everything horrible that can happen seems to happen when it comes to her loved ones. After a tragedy that has left her reeling for years Dahlia realizes it is time to start joining the world of the living again. On her first outing she meets with a man from her past, someone who she felt an instant connection to, someone she could easily lose her heart to…River Wilde. River is no longer the unknown performing at the university student center, but an up and coming rock star. He has never forgotten his one brief encounter with Dahlia and sees this new meeting as fate. He just needs to convince her that to give them a shot. And in one of my favorite tag lines ever, “What if a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ could happen twice?”

This story has everything; a damaged heroine, the hottest and sweetest guy ever, danger, heartbreak, love, and healing. Dahlia has had life hand her one lemon after another, but eventually with the help from Rider life starts to get a little sweeter. She has a hard time letting go of her past and it constantly shows throughout the book. Heartbreak and the death of loved ones is always going to be difficult to move on from so it was understandable that she was the way she was. Now, to my favorite topic… River Wilde. River has to be one of my favorite book boyfriends ever and is the complete package having everything a girl could want. He is moderately rich, successful, can sing like a rock god bird, is caring, patient, and has to be one of the most loving book boyfriends I have ever read about. If every man was like him there would be no breakups and no divorces. You can’t get much better than River Wilde. My only complaint about these two characters and relationship in general was that River’s patience and devotion to Dahlia was somewhat unrealistic. He has held a torch for a woman he met five years ago and for only a couple of minutes? This and the fact that he is seemingly flawless were a little hard to believe. There are a few supporting characters in the book, but none of them have a major role. I wish I/readers had gotten to know a couple of them a little more. Their friends and family sound awesome and could have fluffed out what is almost a two character book.

As far as the rest of the book is concerned it was awesome. The pacing is perfect, the emotions are raw, and the love and sex are a wonderful mixture of passion, love, lust, and general sexiness. The fact that there is a small amount of mystery involved really takes the plot to a whole other level and ushers in an ending that left me with my mouth hanging open and “googling” for how I could get my hands on the sequel. If you love romance, heartbreak, and learning how to heal this is definitely the book for you. I give this book a 4 ½ STAR rating. 

***According to Goodreads the sequel Torn should be available on October 1, 2013.

Witchful Thinking by H.P. Mallory

Title: Witchful Thinking
Author: H.P. Mallory
Narrator: Allyson Ryan
Series: Jolie Wilkins #3
Publisher: Random House Audio
Length: 11hrs. & 45 mins.
Format: audiobook


Description from Goodreads:

Jolie thinks she’s seen it all, but life continues to spring surprises. The latest shocker? She’s just been crowned queen of the underworld. Jolie may possess a rare gift for reanimating the dead, but she doesn’t know the first thing about governing disparate factions of supernatural creatures. She can barely maintain order in her own chaotic personal life, which is heading into a romantic tailspin.

First there’s sexy warlock Rand, the love of her life, from whom Jolie is hiding a devastating secret. Then there’s Sinjin, a darkly seductive vampire and Jolie’s sworn protector—though others suspect he harbors ulterior motives. As the two polar opposite yet magnetic men vie for Jolie’s affection, she must keep her wits about her to balance affairs of state and affairs of her heart. Overwhelmed, under pressure, and longing for love, Jolie decides it’s time to take charge—and show everyone that this queen won’t take jack,

My Thoughts:

      Witchful Thinking by H.P. Mallory is the third book in the Jolie Wilkins series. Before the review I just want to say how much I love the titles of this series. The may be cheesy, but they are just so cute!
      Witchful Thinking picks up where Toil and Trouble left off. The events of the last book have left Jolie a boat load to deal with. Previously having traveled back in time, bonded with Rand, been killed, brought back to life, and declared Queen of the Underworld by the Prophetess have completely overwhelmed our heroine. Poor Jolie doesn't want to be Queen. She wants a normal life with Rand...too bad Rand doesn't remember their time together in 1876 and she is scared to tell him about their forgotten past. Complicating their relationship even further is her feelings for the sinfully sexy vampire Sinjin, Rand's enemy, and her new bodyguard. Add in the fact that Jolie is destined to unite the underworld against the Lurkers... Jolie is in for one bumpy ride.
      Where to start? I loved the first two books, but just sort of liked this one. There is little if any action, but the drama is non-stop. Drama, especially the love triangle kind is always a favorite, but between that and her not wanting to be queen...there isn't really anything else to the book. Let's tackle one thing at a time. Jolie becomes queen of the underworld. Not only does she not want to be queen, but she displays no leadership qualities at all. Then there is Mercedes the Prophetess who is constantly pushing her along on every little decision. She is wholeheartedly unlikable and somewhat shady. For the majority of the book I kept waiting for Jolie to punch her and tell her to shut up because she is queen. Now, onto the love interests. Rand and Sinjin vie/shun Jolie's affections for 90% of the book. Rand supposedly loves Jolie, but keeps finding the smallest reasons why they can't be together. I don't know about other readers, but he is starting to come off as uninterested and wishy-washy. Then there is poor Sinjin. He seems to constantly pine for Jolie and is always there when she needs him. The problem is she "loves" Rand and despite having feelings for Sinjin, she doesn't quite trust him. I honestly feel sorry for him. She constantly yanks him around and quite frankly if he turns out to be shady and turns on her...she deserves it.
      Despite what it sounds like, I didn't absolutely hate this book. I liked seeing Jolie's power grow and anything that involved Sinjin was great. Witchful Thinking just felt like a filler/bridge book. A bunch of drama to build up to the oh-no-she/he-didn't bombshell of a cliffhanger H.P. Mallory leaves us with in the end! I refuse to give up on this series and Sinjin. I will continue with Jolie, but this installment was a bit of a let down. This book gets a 3 STAR rating.

**The audio was pretty good. This is the first book narrated by Allyson Ryan that I have listened to. At first some of the characters sounded a little over the top, but I got over it.

Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Title: Red-Headed Stepchild
Author: Jaye Wells
Narrator: Cynthia Holloway
Series: Sabina Kane #1
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Length: 8 hours and 53 minutes
Format: audiobook

Description from Goodreads:

 In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina Kane has the only profession fit for an outcast: assassin. But, her latest mission threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races and Sabina must scramble to figure out which side she's on. She's never brought her work home with her---until now.

This time, it's personal.

My Thoughts:

      Sabina Kane is an assassin for the vampire Dominae. Her grandmother is the alpha Domina, but Sabina doesn't get special treatment. No, she brings nothing but shame to her family name being half-vampire and half-mage. She is constantly trying to find her place in vampire society, forget her mage half, and finally gain acceptance from her grandmother. She is being sent on the ultimate mission and her hopes are that she will finally be accepted. This mission will have her questioning her beliefs, her lack of morals, and ultimately who and what she is.
      Urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres, but one so often hard to find the perfect book in. Jaye Wells has written an amazing beginning to a series that is sure to become one of my favorites. Sabina is one of those characters that I love to read about. She is smart, sexy, strong, deadly, and is somewhat lacking in the moral department. It's hard to find a heroine like that. One of the best things about her is that from the beginning to the end of the book Sabina displays a great deal of growth. Helping Sabina on her journey is Gighoul. Despite how much I love Sabina, Gighoul is definitely the star of the show for me. He had me constantly laughing and wishing I had a hairless demon cat! Last, but not least, is Lavenia the Domina and Sabina's grandmother. This woman is pure evil! Get ready to be introduced to a woman you will love to hate. She rules the vampires with a wicked iron fist and has hammered into Sabina's mind that she is a disgrace because of her mixed heritage. Add into that other evil deeds we learn about throughout the book and you have the makings of one heinous villainess.
      When talking about Red-Headed Stepchild you can't skip over the world building that Jaye Wells has done. She has managed to bring a fresh new take on the vampire/mage/faerie story. One of the most interesting and intriguing aspects is how these creatures are tied into the Bible. I really enjoyed the lore behind this world. Another aspect of the book is that Ms. Wells stayed true to the story being an urban fantasy and didn't make it about romance. I'm not saying there isn't any, if fact there is the perfect amount, but I was pleasantly surprised that this book didn't turn into a romance novel like so many books do. There isn't that much I would change about Red-Headed Stepchild. The only thing is that at first I was a smidge lost, because I didn't know what some of the terms like Domina, Dominae, mansy/cy, and the religious aspect, but I was soon clued in. Lastly, this is an audiobook review and the narrator must be talked about. Cynthia Holloway is without a doubt my favorite narrator. She lends the perfect sarcasm and strength to the character of Sabina. As for the rest of the voices, which range from: a faerie, to demon, to mages are individual and develop their own personalities with the help of her voice. I give this book a 4 1/2 STAR rating.

How To Marry A Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks

Title: How To Marry A Millionaire Vampire
Author: Kerrrelyn Sparks
Narrator: Suzanne Cypress
Series: Love At Stake #1
Publisher: Harper Audio
Length: 11hrs. & 35 mins.
Format: audiobook


Description from Goodreads:

Nobody said love was perfect...

Roman Draganesti is charming, handsome, rich...he's also a vampire. But this vampire just lost one of his fangs sinking his teeth into something he shouldn't have. Now he has one night to find a dentist before his natural healing abilities close the wound, leaving him a lop-sided eater for all eternity.

Things aren't going well for Shanna Whelan, either. After witnessing a gruesome murder, she's next on the mob's hit list. And her career as a dentist appears to be on a downward spiral, because she's afraid of blood. When Roman rescues her from an assassination attempt, she wonders if she's found the one man who can keep her alive. Though the attraction between them is immediate and hot, can Shanna conquer her fear of blood to fix Roman's fang? And if she does, what will prevent Roman from using his fangs on her?

My Thoughts:

I'm not really sure where to start with this book. Shanna is a dentist in the witness protection program on the run from some Russian bad guys. Roman is a vampire master who breaks a fang while testing out a faux human blood surrogate made from a sex doll. From that alone I thought this book was going to be hilarious with some sexy vamps thrown in for fun...not so much. How To Marry A Millionaire Vampire bounced back and forth from entertaining to emotionally brain damaged to coincidental absurdity.

The Good:

I loved the idea of a high tech vampire society who is just as consumerist as us normal human people. The BloodLite and Choco'lood (not sure if I spelled those right) had me laughing.  Then there were the Russian female vampires. They were the funniest thing about the book. They provided comic relief as well as some much needed vampitude. To go along on the awesome character list were the Highlanders. Connor in particular was my favorite character of the book. He was funny, sweet, endearing, and sexy. In other words, the perfect combination for a lead character. Too bad he wasn't one. This is an audiobook and I must say the reader, Suzanne Cypress, was good. I especially enjoyed the Russian and Scottish accents:)

The Bad:

When reading a book the most important thing is to connect and enjoy the main characters. It was really tough for me do that with Shanna and Roman. Shanna was all over the place in this book. One moment she was depressed and helpless/then she was kick-ass, she liked Roman/she hated Roman, being a vampire was OK/the relationship would never work, and just all around whiny. You are living with a hot and sexy vampire who is loaded, smart, and has an army of equally hot and sexy Highlanders to take care of you ...quit complaining. Then there was Roman. He was noble, smart, and pretty, but other than that kind of boring. It was hard for me to buy into the whole amazing vampire master when he can't fight and certain sexual aspects about him are revealed. Even though a character is "supernatural" they should be relatable, these weren't.

The Ugly:

For a book to work a certain amount of coincidence must be accepted. In How To Marry A Millionaire Vampire the author asks readers to do a whole lot of accepting. I don't want to give too much away in case you decided to read the book, but I will say that asking me to believe that the only 24hr dentist around is in the witness protection program, hiding from the Russian mob who has hired a Russian vampire assassin who just happens to by your arch nemesis, you show up at the same time as him to get her to fix your tooth you broke while biting a sex toy....well, you get the picture. That is just the tip of the coincidental iceberg and for me it sunk the story. Will I continue this series? If Connor has his own story...maybe. I give this book a 2 1/2 STAR rating.

Love and Other Things I'm Bad At by Catherine Clark

Title: Love and Other Things I'm Bad At
Author: Catherine Clark
Publisher: HarperTeen; Original edition (July 26, 2011)
Length: 592 pages
Series: Courtney Von Dragen Smith #3
Format: paperback

Description from Amazon:

What’s a girl to do when there are two guys who seem like The One?

Just when Courtney has found the Best Boyfriend Ever (aptly named Grant Superior), she has to leave him to go to college, because apparently the universe doesn’t want her to be happy. Now that she’s three states away, what’s going to happen to her Superior relationship? And what about that cute guy she works with at college? No, not him. Him. Definitely getting in the way with his cuteness. But not distracting Courtney enough to make her stop wondering what exactly happened between Grant and her best friend, Beth, back home. Why can’t dating be as easy as eating a healthy vegan diet? Not that she’s ever managed that, either, but still.

Will Courtney ever figure out how to get this love thing right?

My Thoughts:

It was only after I read this book that I learned it was part of a series. However, most readers will be able to understand/pick up on the characters and their situations.

~The Characters

 Courtney is hilarious. She is an almost always vegetarian who lives in cow land, goes to a small college who's offensive initials are CFC while trying to maintain her long distance relationship with the love of her life...Grant Superior. I have to admit she is one hard character to pin down. Sometimes I loved her and wished she was my friend, while other times I was wondering why she was holding my interest. Courtney is wishy-washy, a smidgen self absorbed, slightly whiny, and at the end of the day has a good heart. Then you have Grant Superior. I liked the guy. He isn't the most swoon worthy of YA men, but he was likable. That's about all there is to say about him.

~The Heart of the Matter

LAOTIBA is written in the diary form of Courtney. Normally diaries aren't that readable to me, but this one was more like a story with the occasional funny/smart alek interjection. So, as most diaries go there is a lot complaining. I must admit that this book did frustrate me at times. Courtney's whining self pity did get a little aggravating. It seemed as if she wasn't happy unless things went exactly the way she wanted them to. However, the funny antics of everyone in the book slightly made up for Courtney's whine fests. Another thing that helped the book is that these characters are in college. In my humble opinion there is a sever lack of "YA" books out that target the 18-23 year olds or what I like to refer to as the transitioning inbetweeners.
This is a great summer read. Love and Other Things I'm Bad At is a light, fun, and fluffy read. When looking for a book with no moral story, hidden meaning, or life lesson...look no further. If you have a reading crave for something full of romantic drama, quirky characters, and the just plain strange... give this a try. I give this book a 3 STAR rating.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 1 edition (August 7, 2012)
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Length: 416 pages
Format: paperback (ARC)

Description from Goodreads:

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

My Thoughts:

The idea of an 18 year old female assassin was the first and ultimate factor that drew me to this book. Then add in the potential for a love triangle and I just couldn't resist. Celaena is an amazing heroine! She is strong, semi-moral (for the most part), skilled, smart, and resourceful. Her feats in the story absolutely thrilled me! She is like the Sydney Bristow of the fantasy world. I want to be her! Add in the competition against 23 men and the pressure of having the king hate her, you have one tough woman. The prince and guard captain were both great additions to the story. They are complete opposites and somehow balance each other out. I must admit that I was looking for a little more romance, but in the end I wasn't disappointed. Sarah J. Maas definitely knows what she is doing. In the next book I hope some of the relationships do develop a little more. The world created in Throne of Glass was amazing and somewhat unexpected all at the same time. The introduction of "magic" was a wonderful little shock for me. A new world is created with the slightest hints of mythology. If there was anything I would change it would be the names of some of these mythological people in Throne of Glass. They were too similar to some well known myths while still trying to be different (does this make sense?). At the end of the day I loved this book. The second one can't come soon enough and I hope that it will be more than a trilogy. Fingers crossed. I give this book a 4 1/2 STAR rating.

***This review refers to an ARC copy that I received through trade with another blogger

Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens

Title: Heavenly
Author: Jennifer Laurens
Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing (June 1, 2009)
Series: Heavenly #1
Length: 294 pages
Format: eCopy Kindle

Description from Goodreads:

I met someone who changed everything. Matthias. My autistic sister's guardian angel. Honest. Inspiring. Funny. Hot. And immortal. That was the problem. What could I do? I did what any other girl would do-I fell in love with him.

Zoe's sister darts in front of cars. Her brother's a pothead. Her parents are so overwhelmed; they don't see Zoe lost in her broken life. Zoe escapes the only way she knows how: partying. Matthias, a guardian sent from Heaven, watches over Zoe's autistic sister. After Zoe is convinced he's legit, angel and lost girl come together in a love that changes destiny. But Heaven on Earth can't last forever

My Thoughts:

     Heavenly was a pleasant surprise for me. At first I didn't really like Zoe, because she wasn't the type of girl I would want to hang out with. However, Jennifer Laurens does an amazing job of giving readers insight into why she is the way she is and as the story progressed she evolved into a character I can't wait to read more about. Zoe is a character who has some faults; drinking, sleeping around, and being a tad hypocritical at times, but she can admit to those. Matthias and Abria were amazing! I loved how each of them contributed something that was missing in Zoe's life. The relationship that Zoe has with her you autistic sister Abria was particularly interesting. A good friend of mine has a son with autism and she explained it much the same way as it appears in the book. It was a change of pace to read about this in a young adult book. At times I cringed at the way Zoe acted/felt  toward her sister, but then I don't know what it is like to be in her position. As for Matthias I find him very intriguing and mysterious, but I'm not sure if I like him as a love interest for Zoe. Despite Zoe's brother and best friends being secondary characters I am very curious to see where the author will take these characters.
     This book was unique in my opinion. There haven't been many books about angels that I have read and continued on with the series and even less "religious" books that I've kept up with. Most of the angel books never really bring God into the story or talk about the spiritual evolution that a character goes through after being in contact with an angel. This is something I find extremely lacking in these books. Jennifer Laurens tackled this pretty well. Secondly, when the book did verge onto this subject it wasn't "preachy". Be for warned Heavenly has one MAJORLY unexpected ending and cliffhanger. Make sure you can get the sequel Penitence right away. Not all of the aspects of the book jived, but this is a story that I really enjoyed. I can't wait to read the next one. I give this book a 4 STAR rating.

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: Raised by Wolves
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Series: Raised by Wolves #1
Narrator: Eileen Stevens
Publisher: Audible, Inc. (July 20, 2010)
Length:10 hrs. & 53 mins.
Format: audiobook
Source: Audible.com
Series:  Raised by Wolves #1

Description from Goodreads:

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed
her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped? Check it out on Goodreads.

My Thoughts:

Jennifer Lynn Barnes has easily written what is one of my favorite werewolf novels. Raised by Wolves flows effortlessly and the language is absolutely beautiful. Her descriptions and the way she takes you into Bren's head have readers feeling as if they are right there with Bren. There isn't a character wasted in Raised by Wolves; every single one of them serves a purpose. This is an extremely rare find! Besides Bren, Callum, the pack alpha and all around head wolf and Devon the metro sexual best friend are my favorite characters. They seem to keep Bren grounded in a world where she is never sure she fits in. I must say that Chase, the male interest, isn't one of my favorites, but seems to have the potential to grow in the next book.
     Bren has been raised by werewolves and in the process has adopted many of their mannerisms, yet she maintains a distinctly human independence that the wolves lack. I have never read a werewolf book that so completely explains the intricacies of the wolf world and the hierarchy that exists. World building in my opinion is extremely important! I can't stress how much I love this book!
     This is a review of the audiobook and I wasn't disappointed! I originally bought this book in hardcover, but never really got into it. I joined Audible and this was the first book that I got. I was hooked! Eileen Stevens does a perfect job of voicing the characters. Once you start the book you will see why this is so impressive! Raised by Wolves gets a 5 STAR rating!

* Raised by Wolves is the first novel in the series, the second is Trial by Fire (out now), the third Taken by Storm is scheduled for publication May 22, 2012.

Q & A: What is your favorite werewolf book?

The Gathering by Kelly Armstrong (Darkness Rising #1)

Title: The Gathering
Series: Darkness Rising #1
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Narrator: Jennifer Ikeda
Length: 8 hours & 8 minutes
Format: audiobook
Source: Audible.com


Description from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

My Thoughts:

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong is a unique blend of mystery, Native America folklore, and teenaged drama. Maya is a character I found not only likeable, but also relatable. She has an intense connection to the wildlife, is loyal to her friends, has a good relationship with her parents, and her only real fault is in sometimes judging people too soon. Daniel and Rafe are the two main male characters in the book. I wish taht I could combine the two guys and then the story would have the perfect male lead. Daniel is protective and sweet, but he needs to stand up for what he wants. His lack of doing this makes his character seem a little too flat at times. When it comes to Rafe I love his protectiveness of his sister, but he isn't a favorite character of mine and this is a bit of a disappointment when he is the love interest in the book. The secondary characters bring a little levity and mystery to The Gathering and the animals, especially Marv, are cute and interesting. The whole concept and idea behind the story is intriguing. The mix of old world folktales and new medical research are two subjects that Ms. Armstrong shows go very nicely together. The Gathering ends on a rather abrupt cliffhanger and I can't wait to pick up the next installment.

** This is an audiobook review and the narrator, Jennifer Ikeda, does a great job. Nothing is too over the top, all voices are appropriate to the characters, and they each have a unique voice. I give this book a 3 1/2 STAR rating.

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Half-Blood
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (October 18, 2011)
Series: Covenant #1
Length: 304 pages
Format: paperback



Goodreads Description:
The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

My Thoughts:

     Despite having heard numerous wonderful things about this book I stubbornly put off reading it. I made a mistake. Half-Blood is a very unique enjoyable read and I quickly fell in love with the world of the Covenant series. Ms. Armentrout masterfully combines a new twist on Greek mythology with creatures that one could call vampires. How awesomely genius is that? This book has so many aspects that I love and number one is the characters are all seriously kick-butt. Alex is training to be a Sentinel and learning how to do some serious damage to the daimons (and some of her fellow classmates) that have made her life a living hell. You have to love a strong female lead who can take care of herself. Onto the guys! Many readers are tired of love-triangles, but I just can't get enough of them. Half-Blood doesn't really develop one, but I can see one in the future of the series. I'm torn in this book between Aiden the Pure (smoking hot and completely forbidden) sentinel who takes her under his tutelage and Seth (whom I won't give any spoilers about). I must say that I am Team Seth. Other than the characters and potential romance triad of the story is the world that is created in the Covenant. Readers are thrown into the world of the Covenant, but Ms. Armentrout effortlessly and naturally introduces this new world and is able to keep readers up to speed. This world is strongly based on a rigid class system and class systems fascinate me. I cannot wait to see the evolutions of the characters, the world, and laws as this series progresses. I eagerly await the next installment to arrive in my mailbox and give this book a 4 STAR rating.

Forgiven by Jana Oliver (Demon Trappers #3)

  



Title: Forgiven
Author: Jana Oliver 
Series: Demon Trappers #3
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (March 27, 2012)
Length: 386 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Format: paperback

Description from Goodreads: The days are growing darker for 17-year-old demon trapper Riley Blackthorne. With her father’s reanimated body back safely, Beck barely speaking to her because of a certain hunky Fallen angel, and a freshly-made deal with Lucifer, she has enough on her hands to last a normal teenage lifetime. Though she bargained with Heaven to save his life, her ex-boyfriend Simon has told the Vatican’s Demon Hunters that she’s working with Hell. So now she’s in hiding, at the top of everyone’s most-wanted list.

But it’s becoming clear that this is bigger than Riley, and rapidly getting out of control: something sinister is happening in Atlanta… or someone. The demons are working together for the first time ever and refusing to die, putting civilians in harm’s way. Riley thinks she might know who’s behind it all, but who’s going to believe her? Caught between her bargain with Heaven and her promise to Lucifer, Riley fears the final war is coming – and it may be closer than anyone thinks…

My Thoughts:

     Jana Oliver does a wonderful job of picking up exactly where Soul Thief left off and recaps what has happened in the previous two books in a very natural way. This installment of the Demon Trappers series finds the demons bigger and badder, the relationships more tense, and everyone questioning the very foundations their beiliefs are based on. Riley Blackthorne has a lot to deal with in Forbidden. The choices she made in Soul Thief are quickly reaching the boiling point and all Hell is about to break loose (literally). This poor girl can never get a break and as much as I love all of the fighting and drama I look forward to something positive with no strings attached (just surviving doesn't count) happening tio her. Riley and Beck's relationship is on the edge during this book and for some reason I like this, but it does get the chance to finally evolve. Forbidden shows you a bigger glimpse into the life of "Backwoods Boy". I really liked getting to know more about what makes this guy tick and the more vulnerable side he shows in Forbidden makes me love his character even more. I am very excited that there seems to be a setup to reveal even more about him in the next book. Her father, Mort, and even Ori play a large part in the book too adding even more twists, turns, and heartbreak. The one character I would like to see more of in the next book is the little klepto fiend (I think that's what he is called). He is so cute and provides a much needed comic relief! Maybe Riley could carry him in her pocket or something.
     The "magical" world of this series is absolutely spectacular! The intricacies of the relationships between Heaven and Hell, demons and angels, trappers and hunters, and good and evil are amazingly detailed and unique. They are the main thing that keeps me coming back to this series everytime. The other reason that I will always come back to this series is that in this fate-of-the-world-rests-on-the-shoulders-of-this-one-girl book the characters are believable. Riley, Beck, and everyone else are human in the sense that they screw up a lot! The things that they mess up are mistakes that everyday people make and in this world of fantasy it makes the book relatable. Riley Blackthorne is one of my favorite kick-butt heroines ever! The next edition of this series can't come soon enough for me. I give this book a completely and unabashedly biased 5 STAR rating.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Harper Collins (November 15, 2011)
Length:352 pages
Source: Walmart
Format: hardcover

Description from Goodreads:

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
My Thoughts:
     
      Shatter Me...Oh, Shatter Me! This book has me so confused! First off, I love this book. I love the world, the characters, and the writing. Anna is an amazing heroine. She is tough, caring, quiet, and yet you can tell there is something dark in her at times. Readers can really connect with her story and get the sense of just how alone she has been in the world all of her life. In regards to Anna, I thought I would find the cross out words annoying or distracting. They were the exact opposite. They offered the reader another way to connect to Anna's character; expressing not only her feelings, but her eventual transformation. Adam is also a likeable character. He is sweet, caring, and protective. However, there was another man that pushed his way into the spotlight, stole the show, and made me feel all together  uncomfortable. Warner ...never have I ever liked such an absolutely despicable villain so much in my entire life. He is right up there with the king of literary villains, but something about him is so compelling. I must admit that I had to go online and google to see if I was the only "freak" who felt this way. Thankfully on Ms. Mafi's website she explains that this doesn't make me weird. The last character that really stood out to me is Kai. There is something about his shameless flirting that is highly appealing and I hope to see much more of him in the sequel.
  
      When writing a post-apocolyptic/ dystopian novel world building is one of the most important things a writer must get right. If readers can't picture the world, they can't connect to the book. The world that Shatter Me takes place in is absolutely brilliant! My only complaint is that I found this world so intriguing that I wish there had been much more background information on how it got that way and what is going on now. My last gushing point that Shatter Me does absolutely fabulous on is the violence! I love a book that gets down and dirty with the fighting. Shatter Me's violence and darkness is what turns a good book into a great one!. The second installment can't come soon enough for me. I give Shatter Me a 4 1/2 STAR rating.

Torn by Amanda Hocking

Title: Torn
Author: Amanda Hocking
Series: Trylle Trilogy
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (February 28, 2012)
Length: 336 pages
Source: Walmart
Format: paperback


Description from Goodreads:
When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself—that she’s a changeling switched at birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she’s about to learn that there’s more to the story…

She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they’ll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who’s strictly off limits…and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.

Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she’s ever wanted…in both worlds.

*  This edition contains a bonus short story.

My Thoughts:

Torn picks up where Switched left off. This second edition in the trilogy never lets up on the action and drama and far surpasses it's predecessor Switched. The elements and characters in this edition really start to develope. In the first book I wasn't a big fan of Wendy. She was a selfish and spoiled brat. In Torn, readers see Wendy grow up a lot and start taking responsibility. Some more background information on the troll societies is revealed and adds a sense of darkness to the story. There is the edition of two characters Loki and Duncan. First off, I love Duncan! He is so sweet and unassuming. As for Loki, I want him for a book boyfriend. The guy is made of suave, charming, and a dash of bad boy. Sadly, this sequel saw me fall out of like with Finn. He is a bit of a clueless A$$! Tove has a much larger role and quickly became one of my favorite characters in a slightly crazy and quirky way.There is a lot more action and things just seemed to flow more smoothly than they did in Switched. I believe that with this edition Ms. Hocking really stepped up her writing.  I love this series and can't wait to re-read Ascend in paperback! This book gets a 4 STAR rating!
** If you enjoy Amanda Hocking's writing you should try her zombie apocolypse series The Hollows! The first is Hollowland and it is free on Amazon Kindle as of the publish date of this post.

Q: Do you know of any other books about trolls? If not, supernatural is a wildly popular genre, why do you think there aren't any more about them?

Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff, The Watchers #1

Title: Isle of Night
Author: Veronica Wolff
Publisher: NAL Trade (September 6, 2011)
Series: The Watchers #1
Length: 320 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Edition: paperback

My (summarized) Description:

Seventeen year old Anneliese Drew, a genius with an I.Q. of 185 has managed to graduate a semester early and earn a full ride scholarship. She has waited her entire life to escape the tiny town of Christmas, Florida and her abusive alcoholic father and can't wait to start over at college. Her plans get derailed when an error in her transcripts occur and the registrar's office tells her she is technically still in high school. Drew meets the mysterious and ever sexy Ronan outside of the school and he has the perfect solution to her problem. He invites her to join a super "private school" she knows nothing about. After all, what does she have to loose? See, the thing Ronan doesn't tell her is that the school is really a training school for young women to become Watchers. The go to girls for the vampires...yes, vampires. Drew will have to be braver, out smart, out perform, and out live all of her class mates. She just has to make sure no one stabs her in the back...litterally.

My Thoughts:

Drew is a farely unique character. She doesn't have your average stats, what with having ice blonde hair, short stature,a genius I.Q. , and uses her wits to stay alive. She isn't a soft and fuzzy character. She cares about the other girls, but in the end she is going to do what it takes for her to stay alive. No self sacrificing for this girl and I kinda like it. In fact I like all of the characters in this book from Emma and Yasuo the friends, Ronan the hot guy, and Lilac one of the biggest b****es I've ever read about. Isle of Night has some romance, but it takes a backseat to Drew's actual story/journey. I found this to be surprising and refreshing. From the cover I was expecting a love story, but the romance part of the book was more of a filler or background story. This only added to the book for me. Many popular stories tend to solely revolve around a relationship and in some ways weaken the female lead in my mind (maybe I'm weird), but Isle of Night stayed true to the tough theme. The characters in this book are right out of high school and a couple of years older. As I've said in several other reviews I think this is a much ignored age group. (The main character is 17 almost 18)There seems to be a lack of books written for this in between teen and adult group.
      The concept behind this vampire world is extremely intriguing, but I would've liked more "world building" or more background information on the vampires. Secondly, once I realized that this really isn't a romance, I would've liked a little more action/kick buttness or more romance. One or the other, it was an odd combination and could have used some tweaking. I give this book a 3 1/2 STAR rating.

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress #1)

Title: Halfway to the Grave

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Series: Night Huntress #1

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Narrator:Tavia Gilbert

Length: 11 hrs. and 17 mins.

Source: Audible.com

Format: audiobook

Description from Amazon:

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father - the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unlikely partnership.

In exchange for help finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner...are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon, Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side...and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

My Thoughts:

You have to love a book where a girl can kick some serious a$$. Kat has been killing vampires since the ripe old age of sixteen.  Since her mother was raped by a vampire and she was born a half vampire, she has tried her best to please by killing anything with fangs. I felt so sorry for Kat and her mom, but then the more I got to see of her mother I kept hoping she would get eaten. Kat keeps killing as many vampires as possible to prove she's worthy, to make up for what her father did, and then one night she picks on the wrong vamp. Bones, oh Bones what can I say? I have a Jekyll-Hyde relationship with him. I love the sarcastic, butt kicking, crude humor Bones. The romantic one, not so much. His romantic side was just a tad overboard and corny to me. I kind of hope a new love interest develops for Kat in the next book. My favorite thing about their relationship is actually the arguing back and forth in the beginning of the book and wished it had continued throughout. The action and fighting is top notch. Kat is a whiz with her knives! I want to be able to fight like her. How much more awesome can she get?
      The romance, villains, and action was all good, and then there was the audio. All of the voices sounded reasonable and Kat's was especially awesome, but once again Bones let me down (I promise I'm not picking on him). When I first heard his voice I couldn't help but let out a little giggle and then think I hope she kills him soon. Then I found out he was the love interest. I'm just a girl from a small Texas town and have no idea if people in Britain have this particular accent. I know I have a country accent and some don't like it, but to each their own.  Other than that Halfway to the Grave was a great read. I give this book a 4 STAR rating.


Reign Fall by Michelle Rowen

Title: Reign Fall
Author: Michelle Rowen
Publisher: CreateSpace (January 1, 2012)
Length: 282 pages
Series: Demon Princess # 3
Source: Amazon.com
Format: paperback

Description from Goodreads:

Prophesies, demon slayers, dragons, homework… It’s going to be a hell of a week!

It’s been a dangerous ride for Nikki Donovan since she first learned she’s a demon princess. And the ride isn’t over yet!

She’s just found out that her best friend is a demon slayer in training, one who doesn’t know that Nikki is exactly the prey she’s sworn to hunt. Nikki’s demon king father has signed her up for lessons in how to master her erratic half-demon powers, and that’s on top of her regular homework! Also, she’s torn between two boys—Rhys, the faery king she’s prophesied to marry, and Michael, a Shadow whom she’s forbidden to love.

To top it all off, a dark force is haunting Nikki, something mysterious and evil that wants the demon princess dead…but who — or what — is it?

My Thoughts:

This third edition of the Demon Princess just affirmed how much I adore Michelle Rowen. I cannot wait until the next book to see how it all turns out. Nikki is a demon princess who continues to grow and come into her own. The debate between Michael and Rhys rages on. I stand firm on the side of team Rhys, this book made me love him even more. I will admit that seeing Michael's jealous side made him the teensiest bit more attractive. (I know I'm weird) The conflict between Maegan being a demon slayer and Nikki the demon princess was handled nicely, but there could have been more there. Hopefully the fourth book will show more depth into how this revalation has effected their relationship. Chris also makes an appearance and I hope to see more of him in the next one also. His story is really starting to be interesting. The "big bad" of the book was a bit of a let down.I thought there would have been more build up to the villain of the final book. As I've heard there is only supposed to be one more book in the series, I hope that the next installment brings a little more to the table. I love this series and liked Reign Fall, but being so invested in the story I was expecting a little more. I liked this installment, but I've come to love this series so much that I was expecting a little more. I give this book a 3 STAR rating.

*Team Rhys!

Musings on Strange Angels by Lili St.Crow

Title: Strange Angels

Author: Lili St.Crow

Narrator:Alyssa Bresnahan

Publisher: Razorbill (May 24, 2009)

Recorded Books (October 26, 2009)

Series: Strange Angels #1

Source: Amazon/Audible

Length:  304 pgs./ 11 hrs.

Description from Amazon:

Dru Anderson is a very special girl - even if she doesn't always feel it. Gifted with "the touch", Dru travels about with her dad, hunting all manner of things that go bump in the night. But then her dad turns up dead - or, er, undead - and everything changes.

My Musings on the Book v. the Audiobook:

     This is more of a musing on my differing opinions of the book and the audiobook rather than an actual book review. I first read Strange Angels a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. I went on to tell all my friends how awesome it was and to eagerly await the release of the next books. The final book in the series came out not too long ago and it had been a while since I finished the one before it. To refresh my memory I was going to start the series over. I was pleasantly surprised to find the series on Audible. I could listen to one of my favorite series and work at the same time.

     When I first read Strange Angels I instantly fell in love with Dru, Graves and Christoffe. They quickly became my guilty character obsessions. I found their world and the lore behind it engrossing. Strange Angels was one of the few book in YA that I had read that had a bit of an edge to it at the time. That said, if I hadn't bought the audiobook and listened to I probably would have given this book a 4 to 4 1/2 STAR rating. I loved it that much.

     Some books I can reread/listen to over and over again and find that they are still just as good if not better than the first time I read them. Strange Angels just didn't hold true in it's audiobook form for me. It wasn't just because it  is on audiobook or that the narrator isn't one of my favorites. I've listened to Vampire Academy, Tithe, and Wicked Lovely some of my most favorite series and found nothing wrong with them. While listening to this audiobook the main character Dru started to quickly go down and down in my opinion. One of the things that I noticed more in the audiobook than I did in the written book was her cursing, especially the use of God D%#n. I'm the first to admit that I have a potty mouth sometimes, but this isn't a particular curse that I use. To each their own though. The thing is that it is used excessively. I would almost say its Dru's catch phrase.

     Graves is a unique character not only to this book, but to the genre in particular. There aren't many Asian characters that I have came across in my reading. I really enjoyed the fact that he was. Dru on the other hand seems to wallow in the fact that he is. It's almost as if she is constantly thinking Oh, there's my half Asian friend. He's such a good guy. She can't go one or two chapters without expounding on the fact that he is her half Asian friend or commenting  on his half Asian looks. Lastly while listening to the audiobook I came to the conclusion that Strange Angels really doesn't go anywhere. It's just a build up to the second book.This really could have been a prequel or combined with the second book. The end showdown with the "big bad" of the book was over in the blink of an eye.

     I know that I have complained and complained in this post. I don't hate Strange Angels I still like it a lot. Its just that I am amazed about the differences I noticed in my interpretation of the audiobook and the print book. I noticed different things in each. This has never happened to me before. I bought the second book on audio this week and will start listening to it when I go back to work. I have to know if it was just Strange Angels or the whole series that I have changed my mind about. None of the things above are huge deals, but they are annoyances. If you asked my to rate Strange Angels only having listened to the audiobook I would give it a 3 STAR rating.

    



Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper (audiobook)

Title: Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs
Author: Molly Harper
Narrator: Amanda Ronconi
Series: Jane Jameson #1
Publisher: Audible, Inc. (February 19, 2010)
Length: 8 hrs 49 mins.
Source: audible.com
Edition: audiobook

Description from Audible (publisher's description):

Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children's librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed $25 in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that's sure to become Half Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she's mistaken for a deer, shot, and left for dead. And thanks to the mysterious stranger she met while chugging neon-colored cocktails, she wakes up with a decidedly unladylike thirst for blood.

Jane is now the latest recipient of a gift basket from the Newly Undead Welcoming Committee, and her life-after-lifestyle is taking some getting used to. Her recently deceased favorite aunt is now her ghostly roommate. She has to fake breathing and endure daytime hours to avoid coming out of the coffin to her family. She's forced to forgo her favorite down-home Southern cooking for bags of O negative. Her relationship with her sexy, mercurial vampire sire keeps running hot and cold. And if all that wasn't enough, it looks like someone in Half Moon Hollow is trying to frame her for a series of vampire murders. What's a nice undead girl to do?

My Thoughts:

     I've read the paperback version of this and saw it one day on sale at audible and thought I'd pick it up again.Let me tell you, if you're looking for a good southern romantic vampire comedy, Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs is your book. Jane is a laugh out loud heroine. I found her sense of humor relatable and the fact that she loves books and is a librarian makes her awesome! The relationship she has with her mother, grandmother, and sister had me cracking up and cringing all at the same time. I know I definitely would've bit them. Zeb, her best friend, is one of my favorite characters. He seems to keep Jane grounded, yet he's her partner in crime. As for Gabriel and Dick...they are complicated. I'm not a real big fan of Gabriel. Something about him just rubs me the wrong war (even in the other books. Saying Dick is a playboy and has a raunchy sense of humor is a bit of an understatement...I like it :)

    

     Now that the characters are out of the way onto the plot. I must say I found the book quite original. Books like this one have a typically predictable ending, but I didn't see this one coming. This series combines everything I look for: supernatural creatures, romance, comedy, and a quirky kick-butt heroine. A lot of books have this, but Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs combines it in a unique way that will have you running to the nearest store for the next book.

     This current version that I listened to is an audiobook so let's talk about that. Amanda Ronconi did a great job voicing this book. Her characters didn't have weird or over the top voices and sounded age appropriate. The only complaint I had was that Jane's southern accent was a little funny. At times she sounded like a hick and then it would subtly fade away to where she had no accent at all. Maybe it was supposed to be like that. I know my accent gets thicker when I'm emotional. It could be the same way with Jane. I give this book a 4 STAR rating!

* This is a series! So, if you liked Jane there's more of her! #1 Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs, #2 Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men, #3 Nice Girls Don't Live Forever, and the third book Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors is coming out February 28, 2012!

** This is an adult book with a couple of mature (sex) scenes. If I had to give an age recommendation (which I don't like to do) I would go with 16.