A closet readers take on: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Erotica, YA Fiction & Audiobooks

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

NEW RELEASE: Jeaniene Frost's UP FROM THE GRAVE




http://www.amazon.com/Grave-Night-Huntress-Jeaniene-Frost/dp/0062076116/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1390954862&sr=8-1
Title: UP FROM THE GRAVEAuthor: Jeaniene Frost
Price: $6.79
Series: Night Huntress (Book 7)
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Avon
Release Date:  January 28, 2014
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062076116
ISBN-13: 978-0062076113


Synopsis

Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband Bones. They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war…

A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights. Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death…because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences. And if they fail, their lives—and those of everyone they hold dear— will be hovering on the edge of the grave.


Purchase UP FROM THE GRAVE

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy - Movie Trailers

For those of you who follow my blog, you know how much I love Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy Series.  I'm super excited for the movies release on February 7th.  We'll see if the movie lives up to the books! 












Tuesday, January 21, 2014

NEW RELEASE: Jaye Wells' DIRTY MAGIC



Title: DIRTY MAGIC
Author: Jaye Wells
Series: Prospero's War
Price:  $7.84
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Release DateL January 21, 2014
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316228435
ISBN-13: 978-0316228435



Synopsis

The first in an all-new urban fantasy series by USA Today bestseller Jaye Wells.

The last thing patrol cop Kate Prospero expected to find on her nightly rounds was a werewolf covered in the blood of his latest victim. But then, she also didn't expect that shooting him would land her in the crosshairs of a Magic Enforcement Agency task force, who wants to know why she killed their lead snitch.

The more Prospero learns about the dangerous new potion the MEA is investigating, the more she's convinced that earning a spot on their task force is the career break she's been wanting. But getting the assignment proves much easier than solving the case. Especially once the investigation reveals their lead suspect is the man she walked away from ten years earlier—on the same day she swore she'd never use dirty magic again.

Kate Prospero's about to learn the hard way that crossing a wizard will always get you burned, and that when it comes to magic, you should be never say never.


Purchase DIRTY MAGIC




Tuesday, January 14, 2014

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Megan Hart's NAKED




http://www.amazon.com/Naked/dp/B003Y51YOE/ref=tmm_aud_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1390959522&sr=8-1
Title: NAKED
Author: Megan Hart
Narrator: Lauren Fortgang
Price: $17.46
Listening Length: 10 hours and 9 minutes
Audiobook Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Harlequin Books S.A.
Audible.com Release Date: August 1, 2010
Language: English
ASIN: B003Y51YOE




My Rating

Plot: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Originality of Plot: 5/5
Characters Development: 5/5
Ending: 3/5
Narrator: 5/5
Heat Level: 5/5
Cover Art: 5/5 (Hello Alex Kennedy…that’s all I need to say)

Overall: 42/45 = 93%




Synopsis

No strings. No regrets. And no going back....

"I didn't think he wanted me. And I wasn't about to get involved with him, not after what I'd heard. Sure, Alex Kennedy was tall, dark, and unbearably hot, but I've been burned before. When I solicited him to model for my erotic photography book, I didn't expect such a heated, passionate photo session. And now that we've crossed that line, our bodies aren't the only things that have been exposed.

But I can't give my heart to a man who's so...unconventional. His last sexual relationship was with a married couple. It's enough that my ex-fiancee preferred men; I can't take that chance again, no matter how much my body thrives on Alex's touch. I can't risk it, but I can't resist it, either.

"Alex can be very convincing when he wants something. And he wants me."
©2010 Megan Hart (P)2010 Audible, Inc.



My Review
 

I fell in love with Alex Kennedy, when he first appeared in Megan Hart’s book TEMPTED. Even though NAKED can be read as a stand alone book, I would really recommend first reading TEMPTED.

From the beginning, I felt very emotionally attached to the main character, Olivia. She saw the world through the lens of her camera, and I saw her world through her eyes. A world filled with conflicts of religion, sexual orientation, and her own personal demons. All she wants is to make do, is to make a life for herself.

In college, Olivia dated and became in engaged to Patrick, only to find out the secret he was hiding was the fact he was gay. Olivia was left devastated, and made mistakes of her own. She got pregnant after a hook up and gave the child up for adoption to a loving gay couple, which somewhat alienated her from super religious family members. After sometime, Olivia and Patrick decided to give friendship a try.

From the first time Olivia laid eyes on Alex Kennedy, at one of Patrick’s parties, she knew she was in trouble, with his nice clothes, pretty boy looks, and hair that looked like he just rolled out of bed. Patrick, being Olivia’s best friend, felt that it’s his place to tell her to stay away from Alex, because he didn’t like girls. A fact that was soon clear, when she accidentally saw Alex in a compromising position with another guy from the party.

When Olivia finds out that Alex is staying in town for a consulting job, she sees no harm in offering Alex her down stairs apartment to rent. Their proximity helped build their relationship with friendly dinners and movie nights on her couch.

It didn’t take long, before one thing lead to another, and Olivia is smack dab in the middle of a relationship with a man she loves, but doesn’t really know. She questioned who she was and what she wanted out of life. She questioned who Alex was and what secrets he was hiding. She questioned whether or not she’s going would end up hurt all over again, just like she did with Patrick.

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve been waiting along time for this. I loved getting another glimpse into the life of Alex Kennedy. In TEMPTED, when James describes Alex he says, “He’s like the lake…he’s deep. But he’s shallow in places, too, when you don’t expect it.” This is the Alex that Megan Hart gave to the world in TEMPTED, but in NAKED we were able to peel away some of the layers. The reader gets to see why Alex is the way he is, and why he did some of the things he did. I also really liked Olivia’s character and the world that she has built for herself. She is really a strong, amazing, giving female character. She has endured a so much in her short life, but seems to have came out the other side a better person. I liked the fact that the book, at least from my stand point, had a very original storyline. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read. Similar to several of Megan Hart’s other books, I was sucked into these characters lives, and couldn’t wait to see how it turned out. I found myself staying up way into the night reading this book, telling myself, “Just one more chapter then I can go to sleep.” I also loved seeing old favorite characters like: Elle and Dan, Sarah and Jack, and most of all Anne and James.

My only issue with this book, had to be the ending. I just felt rushed, or maybe that my ebook was missing key pages or an epilogue. I think it started from the point where Alex and Olivia were visiting James and Anne, through the final confrontation between Olivia and Alex. The fight lasted as long as a fight over who forgot to empty the dishwasher. Then all was forgotten and forgiven. The End. I also felt that there were several plot points left hanging. I’m hoping this was done on purpose, as a set up to other future story lines.







Lauren Fortgang's narration for this book was spot on! She was able to create very distinct voices for both the male and female characters. Lauren was able to truly bring the emotions of this book to life, from it's highest highs to it's lowest lows.  

If you also enjoyed this peek into the world of Alex Kennedy, you should check out Megan Hart’s Spice Brief, EVERYTHING CHANGES, also available. It is Alex’s view on what happened in TEMPTED. I’m really excited for this one.  I ordered this one from Amazon.com!