Soul of the Unborn by Natalia Brothers

Can you call yourself human if supernatural forces control your every breath, every emotion, every desire?

Posing as a folklore tour guide, Valya Svetlova takes a group of American college students and their professor, Chris Waller, to her summer home in the Russian village of Vishenky for a few nights of supernatural phenomena. She plays the perfect hostess. For Valya doesn’t want anyone to discover she harbors selfish motives when it comes to one participant, the only person who can refute a tale declaring her a stillborn resurrected by a paranormal entity.

Within hours of their arrival, Valya learns that the students foster some dangerous agendas of their own. Her nascent feelings toward the handsome professor inhibit her ability to control the supernatural manifestations and her inquisitive guests. When her unforeseen affection turns Chris into a target, Valya faces an excruciating reality. It’s no longer in her human power to ensure her guests’ safety. Yet to keep them alive, Valya must brush off her humanity and become the thing she fights so desperately to prove she is not—a soulless monster.

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

This was a red hot mess. It was all over the place and the same chapter felt like it was constantly being repeated without anything actually happening. I was never sure what was going on, bits and pieces were thrown in half-hazardously, and the whole paranormal element was never really explained. Entities, Russian monsters, a witch that was goodish then bad and something to do with portals? And probably my biggest gripe SPOILER ALERT, if you were stillborn, then brought back to life thanks to an entity, that has to feed on portals to stay alive (I think) how do you magically turn into a normal human when you get rid of said entity? Wouldn't you just be dead with nothing to sustain you?

Wish I hadn't wasted my time. 

Bonfire (Hours of the Night 1.5) by Irene Preston & Liv Rancourt

Silent night, holy hell. 

Thaddeus and Sarasija are spending the holidays on the bayou, and while the vampire’s idea of Christmas cheer doesn't quite match his assistant’s, they’re working on a compromise. Before they can get the tree trimmed, they’re interrupted by the appearance of the feu follet. The ghostly lights appear in the swamp at random and lead even the locals astray.

When the townsfolk link the phenomenon to the return of their most reclusive neighbor, suspicion falls on Thaddeus. These lights aren't bringing glad tidings, and if Thad and Sara can't find their source, the feu follet might herald a holiday tragedy for the whole town.

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

I requested this book because I read somewhere that you didn't need to read the first book to understand this one. And that's true, you don't. However I don't feel like I enjoyed it anywhere near as much as I would have if I had of read the first book. The characters were good (though Thaddeus' self-righteousness and what he considered a sin was annoying. Having consensual sex with your boyfriend is a sin, but basically mind raping someone to control their mind is fine?) The story was a bit of a non-event though. That's the problem with in-between books, you can't have any type of change or growth that will confuse or annoy the people who only read the main books and that can leave them a bit dry.

If you've read book 1 'Vespers' definitely give this a go, otherwise I wouldn't bother. 

Sorrow's Edge (The Marker Chronicles 2) by Danielle DeVor

Uncovering The Truth…Will Take An Exorcist

Jimmy Holiday, defrocked priest turned exorcist, is trying to get his life in order. With his on-again off-again witchy girlfriend moving in, the spirit of the little girl from his last exorcism hanging around, and a secret organization of exorcists hounding him, Jimmy equals stressed.

When a stranger calls in the middle of the night asking for help with a possession, Jimmy is about to land in a mess of trouble. Especially since the man on the phone claims to have gotten his number from Jimmy’s old mentor. Too bad his mentor has been dead for years.  

After a mysterious silver flask arrives at his doorstep, Jimmy is left with two options: either ignore the newest enigma the universe has tossed him, or listen to Lucy and travel to Arizona to solve the mystery before all hell breaks loose…again.

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

SPOILERS!!!!

I don't know how I feel about this book. Nothing really which is weird. I'm not in love but I'm not hating it either. Kind of a 'eh'. 

I would say that it is probably a good idea to read book 1 (Sorrow's Point) first because a lot of this book was dedicated to Lucy who was the victim of the first book. Then the rest of the book is focused of Nicholas Vespa. That bit just left me confused at the end. Was he or wasn't he aware of his demon half? Was it like a split personality? Why did he say he spent a year summoning the demon if it was always part of him? Was it? The end was kind of rushed, especially compared to the slow pace of the rest of the book. And it seemed like a bit of a cop out when the Devil just turned up to fix everything and then told them to 'be careful'. 
Obviously a lead on to the next book but I don't think I'll bother. 

The Alchemist's Gift (Parthenope Trilogy 2) by Martin Rua

On a trip to Prague to visit an exhibition of precious objects of alchemy, Lorenzo Aragona finds himself caught in the dark murder of an old antiquarian, also fond of mysteries. He is suddenly catapulted into a hidden and disturbing world, run by a mysterious brotherhood that will force him to return to Naples.

Helped by the Masons in the deciphering of a series of puzzles, but under the blackmail of shady figures who are threatening to kill him and those he holds dearest, Lorenzo finds himself in front of a real alchemic puzzle, which brings him back to studying the experiments of the famous Prince of Sansevero, who lived in Naples in 1700.

The recovered traces, however, lead him away from his city, to France, looking for a stunning cathedral, containing nine mysterious mirrors. But what is this cathedral and what powerful secret is it hiding?

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

I didn't realise this was the second book in a series when I started, the first (in English) is the Alchemist's Code (though Goodreads won't tell you that, all the links go the Italian book versions). After reading the blurb for book 1, I realised I had actually tried to read it not long ago and had given up because it annoyed me! lol. Good thing I didn't realise because book 2 wasn't anywhere near as bad, in fact it was alright. 

Very reminiscent of the Da Vinci Code genre, it was fun running around the place but I found it very fast paced (for a reason) and combine that with bits of foreign language and a foreign city (to me) it left me with a bit of a headache trying to follow along. It didn't help that the two ancient alchemists Prince Sansevero and Count Saint-Germain that the mystery was based on had multiple names each. The bad guy I have to say was really obvious right from the start, but they may be either because I am extremely cynical, read to much, or the book followed the evil cliche pattern a bit too closely.

There is a third book in Italian (I think, there are a bunch of different versions and a prequel I think, Martin Rua's website is confusing) but I don't think I'll bother if it gets released in English unless I can get it for free from NetGalley again. 

Trials of Magic (The Hundred Halls 1) by Thomas K. Carpenter

There are exactly one hundred halls of magic to choose from. Ever since our parents were killed I knew exactly which hall was for me. 

Aurelia "Aurie" Silverthorne is one of the best and brightest to ever apply to the Hundred Halls, the only magical university in the world. To be accepted, she must pass grueling trials that claim the lives of aspirants every year. 

But more than her desire to practice magic is at stake. 


Aurie's little sister has been courting powerful forces in hopes of protecting herself from the beings that killed their parents, but alliances come with complications. As things spiral out of control, and dangerous foes arise at every turn, Aurie knows the only way to protect her sister is to pass the trials—even if it means making a terrible sacrifice.

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't anything new or groundbreaking but it was well written and had an enjoyable story line. Things were explained well and an obvious sequel was set up. 

My biggest problem is probably with the blurb. This wasn't a book about Aurie, the chapters alternated between her and her sister Pythia "Pi" and we got to see both of their (different) experiences that ended up helping them make the whole story.  The 'trials' make up perhaps the first quarter of the book and then the rest is about their first year in their respective halls.

The bad guys were everywhere though not always obvious, and I was confused about Pi's patron and who did what considering what we learnt at the end (no spoilers, but people weren't who we thought they were at some earlier points). I'm such a cynical person that I'm still expecting the 'good' mentor to turn out bad in the next book, lol!  

I want to learn more about the fae (Radoslav in particular), more about Hemistad and the Hunger and more about Invictus and how such a powerful mage was killed. Also the girls both owe debts to Radoslav and Hemistad and I want to see how that plays out. 

So all in all, this wasn't anything startling, but it was a good solid read where the bad guys got their comeuppance, the evil guys are still out there plotting evil, and the good guys (or girls in this case) ended up where they should be after facing the necessary challenges. The story was wrapped up nicely with a bunch of loose ends just screaming for a sequel (or two). (Without spoilers: parents, artifacts, impregnable towers, cabals, mysterious deaths, huge amounts of power, mysterious people, why so many students ended up in Arcanium even though it was their last choice, etc, etc)

The DNF List - Updated

So I get the majority of my books from NetGalley (the main reason why I have this blog) and because it's free I end up requesting a lot of books that I normally wouldn't try if I had to buy. This ends up leaving me with quite a few DNF or did-not-finish books. And because I DNF I don't see the point of taking the time to make an individual review. 

Then I got to thinking, what if I made a post featuring the a list of the books I DNF along with a brief reason as to why (where I can remember), in the hopes of saving someone else out there the time and effort (and money) that they might have otherwise wasted. (I will also update.)

So here you go, a list of some of the worst books I have recently tried to read.....

As of 19/March/2018
Anderson, Quinn - Cam Boy (Murmur Inc 3) : If you want me to read (and enjoy) a book, then don't spend the entire second chapter making me hate one of the main characters!

As of 18/01/2018
Dodge, Lola - Deadly Sweet : I didn't like the writing and after a couple of chapters I found myself hating the MC Anise. She was supposedly 17-18 years old and given her life experiences I would have expected her to act older and more responsible, instead I kept thinking she was 13-14. 
Eads, Sean - Seventeen Stitches : A collection of short stories. Boring, frustrating, unnecessarily confusing and pretentious. 

As of 28/October/2017
Dranoff, Beth - Mark of the Moon (Mark of the Moon 1) : If you're going to spend the first couple of chapters confusing me by 'being mysterious' then I'm going to give up and put you in the DNF pile. 

As of 13/September/2017
McPherson, S. - At Water's Edge : Couldn't even get past the first chapter. The writing was wishy-washy and bad and the main character came across as a weak, pathetic, self-hating girl and if she doesn't like herself why should I? 

As of 12/August/2017 
Butcher, Jim (editor) - Urban Enemies : I think I underestimated how entwined these short stories were going to be with their original source material. It wasn't helped that at the start of each story there was a preface explaining the original books and how this story fit in. Yes that was helpful, but as I hadn't read 90% of the original stories it just highlighted what I was missing out on. It also highlighted the fact that these were bad guys in a broader story line and reinforced the idea that we should therefore hate them, which meant, for me, that I couldn't be on 'their side' and enjoy them as characters.
Westerson, Jeri - Booke of the Hidden : I don't know why I didn't like this book, all I know is I got about two chapters in and couldn't be bothered anymore. Something intangible just rubbed me the wrong way.

As of 6/July/2017
Lang, Eli - Half : This was a short story that was dragged kicking and screaming into the length of a novel for no good reason. Gave up 1/3 of the way through, skipped to the 'end' and NOTHING had changed/happened.

As of 31/May/2017
Merrow, J.L. - Wake Up Call (Porthkennack 1) : I'm all for expressing accents for authenticity, but the dialogue in this book was just painful to try and read.

As of 23/May/2017
Lynn, Kassandra - A Second Chance at Life : I loved the idea of the premise but not much changed in the first couple of chapters. I don't want to read a book about the heroine getting pushed down again and again and again while the bad guy gets away with shit, only for things to be resolved in the epilogue. Characters = DNF.
Springer, Elyse - Whiteout : Just couldn't get into the story. First couple of chapters were just way too slow to stay interested. 

As of 8/May/2017
Richards, Penny - Though This Be Madness (Lilly Long Mysteries 2) : Wrong type of era for my liking, I like Victorian mysteries where as this was set in America in 1881. This was a really annoying time to be a woman and I can't be bothered reading about a female main character who has to constantly fight to stay even with her male counterpart.

As of 22/April/2017
Cox, Matthew S. - Daughter of Ash (The Awakened 4) : Thought I could read this one without reading previous books in series. You can't. The main characters' story is a standalone, but there is no world building/world explanation. 
Lincoln, K. Bird - Dream Eater : 57 pages into a book 186 pages long, and I still had no idea what the hell was going on. Just lots of vagueness, which made me confused, bored and annoyed.

As of 16/March/2017
Blocke, C.A. - Sound Proof : really bad writing and stupid unlikable characters.
Heffernan, Laura - America's Next Reality Star : I hate reality shows, but I love puzzle shows and I was hoping this would be a hetero version of Jordan Castillo Price's ''Magic Mansion''. Unfortunately the first couple of chapters were nothing but a typical soap opera story line (lost job, home, bf, etc) done really badly. I couldn't even stick it out long enough for the actually 'show' to start (chapter six!). 

As of 20/Feb/2017
Harrington, Anna - If The Duke Demands : There are sooooo many historical romances out there, the story really has to be something different and or very well written to catch my attention. This book was neither. You can tell by the blurb exactly what is going to happen, and I checked the end to see that I was right. Did not hold my interest and I'm not going to waste my time.

As of 25/Jan/2017
Cast, P.C. - Moon Chosen: Tales of a New World 1 : In the first three chapters we are introduced to three different main characters, each with their own 'worlds' and nothing is explained. Throwing a reader in the deep end sometimes works, but not in this case. Just a confusing mess.
Middaugh, Elle - Elemental Secrets (The Essential Elements 1) : Main character is not just a special snowflake, she is the specialist snowflake of the lot.... and she didn't even know it! (though everyone else did for some reason) Typical teenage 'different factions fighting to prove who is the best' with the only thing being original is the fact that by the time I quit (about 1/3rd way through) the main character was already flirting with THREE different guys. That's not an angst teen love triangle, that's a whore. A special snowflake whore, lol.
Ravenwood, Alayna - Eternal Night (The Fates of Betrayal 1) : Confusing. The first couple of chapters jumped between characters who were supposedly in different worlds/realities. Then they all joined up at a school? Sub-plots galore with no explanations in sight.

As of 28/Nov/2016
Blake, Kendare - Three Dark Crowns : Drowning in characters and plot was thin, confusing and full of holes. 
Bryson, Kathy - Giovanni Goes To Med School : Boring. Simply boring.
Connor, David & Mulder, E.F. - Two Hearts : Bad writing, main character not explained/written very well and no sign of plot 1/3 of the way in. 
Domain, D. Alyce - Dominic's Nemesis : Completely confusing and utterly boring.
Hawke, A.M. - The Cyborg He Brought Home : Don't start a book as if its going to be a full length novel, i.e. introduce/mention unique world building ideas, that are then not expanded on because its a short story!
Henry, Raye - Changes : Bad quality writing.
Hirsch, Joseph - The Bastard's Grimoire : Couldn't get past the first page, writing was too convoluted.
Koch, Daniel W. - The Sorceress and the Moving Mirror : Boring and no world-building/explaining.
Levinton, J.M. - Magical Ties : Didn't like the characters or the writing style.
Loebel, Vicky - Keys to the Coven : The blurb on Goodreads has more information than the first three chapters of the actual book.
Lynn, H.D. - The Corner Store Witch : Very poorly done novella. Seemed more like it had previously been a free internet serial and this book was simply a couple of chapters taken out of it and presented. 
McKinney, T.S. - Touchdown : Too much BDSM and manipulated/forced sexual activity.
White, Alex - Every Mountain Made Low : Idea and writing to painful and pointless to bother. 

Branded by Flames (Dragon Soul 1) by Sean Michael

Meet the Beteferoce brothers. Five dragon shifters, each with a strong elemental power. And each with a fierce desire to find his soul mate… 

For years, dragon-shifter-slash-firefighter Jake has been searching for his mate, but he's beginning to tire of the search. Maybe soul mates are only for the lucky few. 

Then he meets Shae. 

A former navy welder, Shae is handsome, talented, into power play and rough sex, and covered in dragon tattoos. All of this suits the shape-shifting dragon just fine—until he finds out that Shae literally has Jake's family crest already tattooed on him. A coincidence? Or something more… 

Jake must convince Shae to trust him as a man and as a Dom before the heat between them burns out of control. Becoming a dragon's mate is not without danger, and Shae will need Jake's guidance—and love—if he's going to make it through alive. 

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

I was on the fence when I requested this book. On one hand I've enjoyed Sean Michael's books before and I love dragon shifters. On the other hand I'm not a fan of BDSM.

MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!

Well..... this book wasn't a story, it was sex/porn. The two guys meet, they have sex. Sex, sex, sex followed by more sex. They go away to a 'remote' cabin so that Jake can reveal his dragon to Shae and the first question Shae asks is if he has a penis in that form. (Now this leads nowhere which is good because bestiality is a big no-no for me. I don't care if you're a shifter with the mind of a human, animal parts mixing sexually with human parts is an automatic DNF-and-burn-the-book.) Anyway, dragon nature revealed, they have more sex. They go back home, realise they can't live their normal lives because they need sex so much, so plan to take an extended leave of absence from their lives so they can have sex 24/7 at the remote cabin.

THAT WAS THE WHOLE BOOK.

There was no get-to-know-you; there was no mystery to solve (apart from the missing plot); apart from one brief shift there was basically no mention of dragon abilities (unless you count Jake's amazingly large cock and incredible animal like stamina); no special ability over fire/strong elemental power; and certainly no 'danger' unless you can die from lack of cock. Though considering how we are repeatedly reminded that Shae is a size queen and a pain slut with sex toys in every room of his house, that might actually be a possibility.

I really wanted to like this book, because as I said I love dragon shifters and I thought I could just skip the BDSM parts. I'm not a prude and I don't mind a bit of sex, however if you are going to skip/skim the sex parts of this story you are going to be left with maybe 10 pages out of 199. And that makes it porn, not a story.

Concealed (Beholder 2) Christina Bauer

As a Grand Mistress Necromancer, Elea’s a witch who commands the ultimate power over spirit and bone. It’s magic that she’ll need in order to stop the Vicomte Gaspard from killing her Sisters by draining their magic along with their life force. 


To find and free her fellow witches, Elea must venture into some of the most dangerous places in the realm. What starts off as a rescue quest could easily turn into a suicide mission. And with the handsome warlock Rowan along to help, Elea may be risking more than her life. Her growing feelings for Rowan might put her heart on the line, too.

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

While this book can be read as a stand-a-lone I really felt like I was missing out on part of the experience by not reading the first book (Cursed). 

There was only 6 main characters and the 2 evil ones (the Tsar and the Vicomte) were both obviously introduced and fleshed out in the first book. They seemed more like evil cardboard cutouts in this book...... And they were still probably the most interesting characters. The whole Rowan and Elea relationship was ruined by the ending. No spoilers, but I read the end first and pissed myself off so much that I hated Rowan from the start and though Elea was TSTL for falling for him. She's a necromancer - someone who is suppose to be emotionless, so I also felt like it was her own stupid fault. Phillipe was almost interesting but the author seemed to have decided he was better for nothing more than sleeping with any woman who would move. Amelia was a naive twit and how she ended up in the end (getting the perfect life basically) made me want to smack her. 

Because I didn't read Elea's 'learning' story (book one), seeing her use her powers in this book made me feel like she was a bit of a Mary-Sue and the ending just seemed to confirm this. I don't know how the author is going to continue the story into the next two books but considering the third book is going to be called Cherished and the fourth Crowned, I'm intrigued enough that I would read them if I got them from netgalley. 

My advice? Read Cursed first to get the full experience and don't read the end of Concealed before the start, you will spend the entire book hating most of the characters! lol. 

The Painted Crown (Unbreakable Soldiers 2) by Megan Derr

Prince Istari has spent his life reviled: his parents wish he had never been born, the royal court of Belemere avoids him for fear of angering the king, and everyone else is kept away by his notorious reputation as a deadly sharpshooter. Now a hostage of peace in Tallideth, he is subjected to their hatred as well—even that of Regent Vellem, who once considered him a comrade in arms.

Unexpected solace comes in the form of Lord Teverem, a sad, quiet lord who assumed the title when his brother was killed in the explosion for which Istari's father is to blame. He is kind and sweet and a sorely needed bright spot in Istari's life—until Istari meets his family and learns of a dangerous family secret with unexpected ties to Istari's past, a secret that could drag Tallideth and Belemere right back into war…

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

I love Megan Derr and I've always been quite vocal about it, however I feel like this book was a bit of a let down, especially as I read it straight after re-reading The Engineered Throne which was amazing. 

There was lots of running around but not much story and we weren't given much chance to connect to any of the characters other than Prince Istari. I would have loved to have seen some of the story from Lord Teverem's point of view, after all it was his life that was getting thrown around.

The ending was a bit queer though. Without giving spoilers away, the premise at the start was to marry Istari and Teverem so to protect someone. Then there was issues with the marriage being legal. When that was solved no one was concerned about it, as if the legal protection issue no longer had a point, but it did. Add in a couple of minor editing errors (names changing, etc) and I just didn't enjoy this as much as I normally do.

Still it was a Megan Derr story and I will continue to devour those as fast as a I can, because for every couple of 'okay' books she comes out with, she always seems to produce an amazing one. And those are the ones I live for.

Oracle of Philadelphia (Earthbound Angels 1) by Elizabeth Corrigan

Carrie works at a diner in South Philadelphia, dispensing advice to humans and angels wise enough to seek her counsel. But there are some problems that even the best advice can’t solve.

Her latest supplicant, Sebastian, is unique among those who have sought her aid. He sold his soul to a demon in exchange for his sister’s life, but his heart remains pure.

Carrie has lived for millennia with the knowledge that her immortality is due to the suffering of others, and she cannot bear to see another good man damned when it is within her power to prevent it.


In order to renegotiate his contract, Carrie must travel into the depths of hell and parley with the demons that control its pathways. As the cost of her journey rises, Carrie must determine how much she is willing to sacrifice to save one good soul.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

SPOILERS!!!!
I started out with such high hopes for this book. It was something different, something unusual. You had an eight thousand year old, immortal diner owner who could see a persons innermost thoughts and feelings (but not the future). She has a demon as a best friend and while she constantly interacts with angels and demons she can't do anything to help the mortals that sell them their souls. 

Until..... She gets an unusual man/boy who is so inherently good that she just has to throw away eight millennium of experience to try and save one soul. And that's when it starts getting predictable, boring and stupid. 

We get the unrequited love (not just for her but for everyone else it seems, because while Angels can fall in love they can't fall out of love, leaving a lot of miserable Angels - stupid).

We get the seven(ish) trials they get harder and harder and cause her to give up several important bits of herself. And then we get the 'ultimate sacrifice' which was overturned ridiculously easily with a stupid solution that will only delay the problem but not resolve it.

This book started out great, a potential five star read and then dwindled down to perhaps a 3 if I'm generous and remember my feelings at the start. 

Unmasking Miss Appleby (Baleful Godmother 1) by Emily Larkin

She's not who she seems...

On her 25th birthday, Charlotte Appleby receives a most unusual gift from the Faerie godmother she never knew she had: the ability to change shape. 

Penniless and orphaned, she sets off for London to make her fortune as a man. But a position as secretary to Lord Cosgrove proves unexpectedly challenging. Someone is trying to destroy Cosgrove and his life is increasingly in jeopardy.


As Charlotte plunges into London’s backstreets and brothels at Cosgrove’s side, hunting his persecutor, she finds herself fighting for her life—and falling in love… 

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

While I enjoyed the idea, the whole story was based on the premise of deception which I personally hate in my books. 

Charlotte was so innocent is was almost nauseating. By the end of the book I wanted to strip the word 'pego' from the english language and burn it.

Otherwise it was a very typical historical romance with a tiny bit of 'magic' thrown in to make it original. However I was pissed of at the end when Charlotte promised to never use her magic again (even when Cosgrove said she could). What the hell?! You have an amazing gift and you are just going to throw it away? Stupid. 

Unfinished Business by Samantha M. Derr

REBORN by Carlo Angelo
Several days ago Ilya confessed his feelings to Ridley, and since then matters between the two men have been strained. With Ridley sick and their case about disappearing men still unsolved, Ilya is almost relieved to take on an easy case of dispelling a rogue at the Netherworld estate. But the more if the estate he sees, the more he realizes the easy case might just leave him dead.

YOU MAY NOW KISS THE (CORPSE) BRIDE by Stephanie Rabig
Nora is at her wit's end. She died several months ago, and knows she should move on, but can't get thoughts of her husband out of her mind. Thought ghosts technically aren't allowed to contact the living, she finds a Private Investigator, Sanaa, who's willing to bend the rules for her. Sanaa's willing to help, but she has shadows in her past, including a vengeful former client. Just because she's dead doesn't mean she wonder need her .38.

THE THRILL OF THE CASE by Cassandra Pierce
At first, Geordie thinks his case will be run-of-the-mill: an aging millionaire wants him to tail his sexy young boytoy to see if he's been cheating. Expecting to be bored even more than on most surveillance missions, Geordie follows his target to a private nightclub and manages to slip inside. What he finds turns his whole world upside down. but he's got a job to do, even if it's not nearly as routine as he'd anticipated, and being discovered as a detective will get him killed fast. The attraction to the club's owner isn't helping matters.

GODFREY AND THE DETECTIVE  by Megan Derr
Godfrey makes a point to live a quiet, unassuming life - mostly because vampires are a lot less likely to get dead that way. Finding a dead body in his yard is very much the last thing he wanted, though he can't be entirely upset about the hot, scruffy detective assigned the case. The problem with humans, however, is that they don't know when to quit...

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley)

Reborn by Carlo Angelo
I liked the premise but this was one of this short stories that don't work because they try to include too many ideas. Like, how did the different realms work, what kind of supernaturals are there and what are their specs? The characters too needed fleshing out, apparently they were both human (?) though Ridley had visions and they both investigate supernatural events? The plot was interesting it just needed more.

You May Now Kiss The (Corpse) Bride by Stephanie Rabig
I've read 'Welcome to your Afterlife' by Stephanie and this short story was set in the same world. http://catswhoread.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/welcome-to-your-afterlife-by-stephanie.html And just like that book this one fell flat. There just didn't seem to be a point. 

The Thrill of the Chase by Cassandra Pierce
Another vampire novel. Bad guys weren't punished by the end of the story which was disappointing, but there was two lots of magically instant-vampire-love-story. Blah.

Godfrey and the Detective by Megan Derr 
Megan is a fav of mine and this book was the best of the anthology. Her characters are always so snarky but lovable and Godfrey was no different. I just wanted more! More expansion on characters, more story and the world fleshed out a bit more. I guess that's the curse of the short story. 

Blank Spaces (Toronto Connections 1) by Cass Lennox

Absence is as crucial as presence.

The decision to stop dating has made Vaughn Hargrave’s life infinitely simpler: he has friends, an excellent wardrobe, and a job in the industry he loves. That’s all he really needs, especially since sex isn’t his forte anyway and no one else seems interested in a purely romantic connection. But when a piece is stolen from his art gallery and insurance investigator Jonah Sondern shows up, Vaughn finds himself struggling with that decision.

Jonah wants his men like his coffee: hot, intense, and daily. But Vaughn seems to be the one gay guy in Toronto who doesn’t do hookups, which is all Jonah can offer. No way can Jonah give Vaughn what he really wants, not when Jonah barely understands what love is.

When another painting goes missing, tension ramps up both on and off the clock. Vaughn and Jonah find themselves grappling not just with stolen art, but with their own differences. Because a guy who wants nothing but romance and a guy who wants nothing but sex will never work—right? Not unless they find a way to fill in the spaces between them.

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley)

This book was disappointing. Asexuals seem to be the unicorns of the LGBT book world, so to find a book where the main character identifies as asexual is rare. Unfortunately this book just makes him look like a weak guy who wants a relationship so badly that he's willing to let his 'boyfriend' sleep with any dick that moves. The whole thing just left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

That aside the actually plot was soooooo drawn out. There was thefts, the bad guy was caught and the two main characters got together. That was it. And it took 234 pages. It desperately needed an editor to go through it with a red pen and just slash out whole paragraphs as unnecessary. It was almost like instead of saying "they got up and got ready" the author said "they opened their eyes, stretched, put their feet on the floor and got out of bed. then they walked across the bedroom into the bathroom before picking up their toothbrush and toothpaste" etc, etc. 

The characters weren't that great. Vaughn was a pushover and he didn't seem to take advantage of or enjoy the fact that he had money, a great job and loving parents. Jonah was a slut and while it was implied that there was underlying reasons for it nothing was explained. 

In the end I was left feeling like the author had written a gay novella, had decided to plump it up with filler and change a character to a unicorn asexual. 

Private Dicks: Packing Heat by Samantha M. Derr (editor)

A Bar Called Once by Daniela Jeffries - Five years after Lana, the love of her life, left her for a man she hardly knew, Ryssa threw herself into her work as a private detective. But when she realizes women are being abducted from the bar where she and Lana met, her investigation leads her to Lana's husband as the prime suspect.

Black Suede, Red Velvet by Freddie Milano - Black Suede is one of the most exclusive clubs in town, and one with a lot of secrets. The owner, Fujimoto, is suspected of drug trafficking, and James Tachibana goes undercover to get enough evidence to bring in the kingpin—and starts to get too close to Kana, Fujimoto's favorite escort.

Cold, Bitter, Dark by Douglas P. Wojtowicz – Several years ago Deacon met Mishelle, a trans woman working as a prostitute. Much has changed since, but the two remain friends, and while Deacon wishes they could be friends and lovers, he's in no hurry to risk what they've got. Then Mishelle comes to him for help with a kidnapped girl, and Deacon learns too late he may never get a chance to say everything he wished he had.

Mr. X And The Blackmailed Female by Edale Lane – Mr. X is a celebrated and highly successful private detective in 1890s, and somewhat notorious for the mysterious way no one ever sees him, but must instead go through his assistant, Miss Stetson Goody—who is really Mr. X. It's a scheme, and a life, that's always worked perfectly for Stetson—until Lady Ashton shows up with a blackmail problem.

Orpheus Rising by Andrea Speed - Manu Collins is a private detective investigating a murder, who stumbles into the fact that Ralph Rundle, the richest man in the city, is involved in human trafficking. He frees some of the victims, but finds himself at a very dangerous crossroads: does he go after the man himself? And if he does, what does this mean for both his life, and his relationship with his boyfriend, Eric?


Sweetbrier by Helena Maeve – As the Battle of Britain rages, a small town on the Welsh coast grapples with strife of its own—a guesthouse hosting cowardly Londoners and rich men too cynical to join the war has just become the scene of a suspicious death. Veteran-turned-detective Rahul Khan has no desire to get involved, but his curiosity is piqued when police hasten to dismiss the case—and snared further by Mark, one of the misfit residents of Sweetbrier House.
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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

I normally loved anthologies edited by Samantha M. Derr but this one was a real let down. None of the stories were anything past sub par and some were just bad. I found Sweetbrier to be pointless and confusing, though the confusion could be due to the fact that I was just skimming rather than reading. Orpheus Rising and Black Suede, Red Velvet were probably the best, but even they need some expansion and some soul. 

The Spirit Chaser by Kat Mayor

Some places are too evil. Some places should be left alone.

Austin Cole has it made. Star of the hit television show Spirit Chaser Investigations, he has become the world’s most famous paranormal investigator. Although hard work, a talented investigation team, and favorable genetics have something to do with it, it’s his lack of fear and willingness to take risks no one else will that make Spirit Chaser Investigations cable’s number-one show. When a ghost-hunt-gone-wrong seriously injures his best friend and lead psychic, Austin is forced to find a replacement for a team member he considers irreplaceable.

Casey Lawson can’t catch a break. She’s been on her own since she turned eighteen and is scraping by as a part-time psychic and cashier at a New Age store. When a desperate Austin Cole calls her up and offers her a position on his team, has her fortune finally changed?

He’s a control freak; she’s stubborn and opinionated. It takes time, but when they finally realize they’re working on the same side, everything clicks, both on and off screen. 


Just when things are looking up, a new threat emerges. Over the years, Austin has angered plenty of demons, and one of them has set her sights on him. Now he’s the one in danger, and it’s up to the team to rescue him from the riskiest investigation of their lives.

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

WARNING: I'm going on a spoiler filled rant!

NO, NO, NO, NO and NO!

The characters were awful excuses for human beings. Austin was so damn stupid I'm glad he died! How can you hunt evil spirits for years and still be so stupid as to not trust your psychics? He IGNORED the premonition that either spelled his death or his best friend's death. A-hole. The their was his 'religious' lifestyle. Here he was spouting off about eating healthy, not drinking, exercising and praying regularly and for most of the book the dude was possessed! WTF?

It took me multiple tries to finish this book and I wish I hadn't. 

I guess the reason I'm so pissed off was the fact that the premise and the secondary characters had promise. However its kind of a catch 22. They had promise because the author didn't pay much attention to them, if she had they may have turned out as bad as Austin, Casey and their shitty love story....

Hound and Key by Rhiannon Held

Key has lived her entire life in captivity, forced to use her magic to kill the enemies of Ariadne, an ageless woman with powerful magic of her own. Key knows she and Ariadne are both members of the Hand of the Gods, five souls reborn through the ages, but Key remembers none of her past lives. She chafes against Ariadne's control, and longs to escape to lead a life of her own.

Eric has worked for Ariadne for years in ignorance of her secrets, but now coincidences and bad luck are piling up. When he talks his way into the compound that houses Key and the other members of the Hand, he learns the truth about Ariadne's magic—and the murders she's committed with it. Together, Eric and Key escape and set out to find Lantern, the one member of the Hand Ariadne has never managed to capture—and who may know how to stop her for good.

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

The idea had merit, but it was poorly executed. The mythology was very thin and I would have liked to see it expanded upon. The story was very one dimensional and the characters were extremely irritating, which led to great apathy on my part. It actually took me three goes to finish this book and it was a close call. 

The blurb was misleading (though I can't blame that on the author), the 'escape' didn't happen until the end, the 'truth' about Ariadne's magic was literally in the last couple of chapters and the majority of the book was filled with Key whining or complaining about lack of memories, when at the end she 'realised' she didn't need them. Add that to the fact that she seemed to be written as a bit of a slut which was annoying. 

I don't know if there will be a sequel but if there is I don't thing I could justify wasting my time. 

The Daemoniac (A Dominion Mystery 1) by Kat Ross

It's August of 1888, just three weeks before Jack the Ripper will begin his grisly spree in the London slum of Whitechapel, and another serial murderer is stalking the gas-lit streets of New York. With taunting messages in backwards Latin left at the crime scenes and even more inexplicable clues like the fingerprints that appear to have been burned into one victim's throat, his handiwork bears all the hallmarks of a demonic possession.

But consulting detective Harrison Fearing Pell is convinced her quarry is a man of flesh and blood. Encouraged by her uncle, Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry hopes to make her reputation by solving the bizarre case before the man the press has dubbed Mr. Hyde strikes again.


From the squalor of the Five Points to the high-class gambling dens of the Tenderloin and the glittering mansions of Fifth Avenue, Harry and her best friend, John Weston, follow the trail of a remorseless killer, uncovering a few embarrassing secrets of New York's richest High Society families along the way. Are the murders a case of black magic—or simple blackmail? And will the trail lead them closer to home than they ever imagined?

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

My biggest problem with this book, and the reason I only gave it 3 stars was the fact that it wasn't made clear if there was or was not a supernatural element. It was heavily implied but then constantly refuted, BUT if you read the blurb for the second book at the end of the first it basically says that the supernatural IS real. ???

That aside, it was a pleasant read. When the bad guy at the end was revealed it made sense, there had been hints throughout that became apparent when you looked back. I like books that do that instead of pulling an implausible answer out of left field. 

The characters were good, but I wanted to smack Harry for not seeing what was right in her face i.e. John! While Arthur Conan Doyle is mentioned and shares a few telegrams, he doesn't actual appear in the book which was a bit misleading.

Other bits of the blurb were also a bit misleading, Harrison (or Harry) is not a consulting detective, her older sister is, she just pretended to be her sister for a client. Also the burning finger prints were a big hint towards the 'supernatural' and mentioned a couple of times, but they were never explained. And at the end there was a mention towards Jack the Ripper (re: blurb), which seemed like it should have been a whole other book but instead was mentioned in an epilogue of sorts. 

All these niggles aside there was a good flow, and the actual story was enjoyable. I cant blame the author for the blurb inconsistency because they have no influence over that. I will be keeping an eye out for the second one in this series. 

Dragon Detective (Supernatural Consultant 4) by Mell Eight

Nickel might be a water elemental dragon, but even he has limits—and the sudden rain storms, hail, and snow in mid-summer are way over the line. Luckily, he works for Dane's Supernatural Consulting firm and can use those resources to figure out who keeps mucking with the weather and get them to stop.

It doesn't take long for Nickel to realize he isn't the only one searching for the weather worker: the enemy he has been hunting for ten years has finally reappeared, and it's a race to see which of them will reach the weather worker first. Nickel isn't certain he'll win, or even survive, the attempt, but he'll do whatever it takes to save the dragons.

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My Review:     (Thanks to NetGalley) 

This wasn't a book. This was a couple of chapters from a book.

Why do I say this? Not only because of the length (77 pages), but there wasn't a proper beginning and there was no ending. 

None of the characters were explained past their names and with the dragons, what kind they were. Dane. a main character, was a supernatural that was not explained apart from being shown to be powerful and glamoured. He is a 'supernatural consultant' whatever that is. None of the dragons were explained physically past 'looking human' and their hair colour. However one flies later in the 'book'. How? Do they change form? And when they 'look human' they are also (sometimes) identifiable as dragons - there was mention of scales? It was all very confusing! Also we have mention of 'legendary' dragons that everyone is looking for/believing not to exist, and then its explained that they were real and we knew who they were all along?

The plot was again part of a larger book. There was scientists who were doing experiments on dragons for some reason, for somebody, and somehow had some sort of magic even though they were human? The bad guys in this 'book' weren't even given names!

I think if you had of read the first 3 books in this series you would have liked this one a lot better, but you should still be able to read a series book as a stand-a-lone to some degree of understanding!