Giveaway & Review: Wicked Soul by Nora Ash

Wicked Soul (#1) by Nora Ash (Feb. 10, 2018)

Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Source: I received a free copy of the book as part of Xpresso Book Tours. This did NOT affect my honest review. Thank you!

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

My Rating:

Synopsis: He saved me… And then he blood-bonded me. Now I’m his. My first meeting with a Chicago vampire went better than expected. Up until that night, all I knew about vampires was limited to a few common facts: they drink blood, they get a mean sunburn and if you find yourself alone with one, you’re dead. Except he didn’t kill me. Sexy, broody Warin clearly had his own reasons for sparing my life and tying me with his blood, but if he’d known how much trouble I’d attract, I bet he wouldn’t have bothered. When he blood-bonded me, secrets even I didn’t know about myself came to light. Secrets that will pull us both deep into the eternal war between vampires and the witches determined to rid the world of their evil. We have only one choice now: fight the forces hell-bent on breaking our bond… Or die.

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My Review

Wicked Soul in Three Words: Steamy. Funny. Enjoyable.

What I Liked

• How the vampire mythology was handled. It reminded me of a mix of all my favorite vampire novels in one!
• The humor was fantastic. I actually laughed out loud quite a few times. The main character Liv is awkward and hilarious. She reminded me a lot of myself.
• The attraction between Liv and Warin was hot! They were also pretty cute when they were just hanging out.
• Thanks to some great action scenes along with perfect pacing of the story, I was never bored.
• The cast of secondary characters including a giant body guard, Warin's brother, and various witches were very interesting.

What I Didn't Like

• At times, Warin was just a tad bit too alpha male for my taste.
• A couple of the sexy scenes were a little out of my comfort zone.
• Although easy to relate to and hilarious, Liv also sometimes made really cringe worthy decisions that made it hard to like her.

The Bottom Line: A good fit for vampire romance fans! It was a very entertaining read.

The Author

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

Nora Ash writes the sort of books that have your toes curling and your blood pulsing. Her stories are often dark and always thrilling, with lots of sexy bad boys and the women who spur their desires. When not typing away at a story, Nora paints, eats chocolate or go for hikes around the English countryside with her very own bad boy.

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ARC Review: Velvet by Temple West

Velvet by Temple West (May 12, 2015)
416 pages
Genre: Young Adult/Romance/Vampire
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Source: I snagged a free copy at ALA Midwinter. This did not affect my honest review.
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | Amazon
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: First rule of dealing with hot vampire bodyguards? Don't fall in love.

After losing both her parents before age seventeen, aspiring designer Caitlin Holte feels like her whole world has been turned upside down, and that was before the terrifying encounter with a supernatural force. Then, she learns that her hot bad-boy neighbor, Adrian—who might have just saved her life—is actually a half-demon vampire.

Suddenly Caitlin is stuck with a vampire bodyguard who feels that the best way to protect her is to become her pretend boyfriend. Trouble is, Caitlin is starting to fall in love for real, while Adrian can never love a human. Caitlin trusts Adrian to keep her safe from his demon father, but will he be able to protect her heart?

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MY REVIEW

My First Impression: I'm liking it and enjoying the laughs, but it seems a little too Twilight and not unique enough.

Velvet is more unique than it seems at first glance. I'm not going to lie, Velvet has the same framework as Twilight, BUT as I found out while I continued to read, it is different. So I want you to look past the few opening scenes that remind you of Twilight and focus on the wonderful funny story that actually fills its pages. One big difference that most will like, Caitlin isn't a bumbling weakling and Adrian isn't an overly stalkerish vampire. (Just for the record, I have no problem with Twilight. I have read it and enjoyed it. I'm just saying.)

Velvet started off with some intrigue and managed to get a few chuckles out of me. As I got deeper into this fun story I laughed louder and louder and loved the characters more and more. I am always looking for a new vampire book to read, and I'm glad I chose this one.

Every single character in Velvet was amusing, to say the least. I wish they were real and were my friends. I especially cheered on Caitlin and Adrian and their friendship blooming into something more. I wanted them to have their happily ever after. This makes me none too surprised that this book was chosen to be published by the Swoon Reads romance imprint.

If there is a second book (after that ending there better be) not only do I plan on reading it, but I think it will be even better than the first book based on how Velvet ended. I think it will have more action, the one thing I wish Vevlet had touched more on. I mean, there was evil always lurking in the background, but I wanted more confrontations. (Update: There are going to be two more books! So excited!)

The Bottom Line: Velvet is a good read. A perfect read for anyone looking for romance and laughs with some vampires mixed in. I loved it and I hope you do to.

Review: The Book of Life by: Deborah Harkness

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by: Deborah Harkness (July 15, 2014)

561 pages

Genre: Adult/Supernatural

Publisher: Kensington

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

With more than one million copies sold in the United States and appearing in thirty-eight foreign editions, A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night have landed on all of the major bestseller lists and garnered rave reviews from countless publications. Eagerly awaited by Harkness’s legion of fans, The Book of Life brings this superbly written series to a deeply satisfying close.

My Review

Waiting for The Book of Life to come out was completely worth it, and I would do it over and over again. The Book of Life was a solid ending to a great trilogy. I can honestly say that I’m not sure I have ever enjoyed a third book in a trilogy more than this one. I was in Book Nirvana. For fans that didn’t enjoy the second book as much as the first book you are in luck, The Book of Life is more like A Discovery of Witches.

The Book of Life picked up right where Shadow of Night left off. Matthew and Diana are back in the present and finding the book, keeping the family together, and trying to stay alive are just few of the hardships they must face.

I love Matthew and Diana. I love them separately. I love them together. I love them. Did I mention that I love them? The best part, I pretty much love all of the minor characters in this trilogy as well. All of them. Okay, I think it’s time I move on.

The Book of Life is the darkest book yet in this amazing trilogy full of vampires, witches, and deamons. Even though the atmosphere is more intense than ever before, Harkness manages to also include moments of happiness among her characters, even during dark times. While reading my heart broke and then it mended, I was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time, unraveling the secrets it held in its pages. Did I mention that I read this big book in one day? Well I did. It was that captivating. I never wanted to leave the world Harkness made. The Book of Life was full of unexpected events and brings what it means to be a family to a whole new level. I loved every second of it. It maybe did get a little weird at times, but nothing I couldn’t handle.

If you are A Discovery of Witches fan then I’m certain you will enjoy the final installment in the trilogy. Grab a copy and have fun reading about more of Matthew and Diana’s adventures. Retreat into the magical world Harkness created and enjoy.

Review: Tall, Dark, & Lonely by: R.L. Mathewson

Tall, Dark & Lonely: A Pyte Series Novel by: R.L. Mathewson

Publisher: Smashwords (self-published)

334 pages

Genre: Fantasy/Vampire, Romance

Summary: Madison is a school teacher who also happens to be the one that has been taking care of her younger sister and brother for several years because their mother, Candy, can’t be bothered to take care of her own children. Madison finally catches a break and her whole family moves in with her grandmother at her boarding house. Madison no longer has to be the sole person taking care of her siblings. Things start to look up, until she discovers who the police detective living in the next room really is.

Review: If you want a book full of sex, vampires, romance and action then this book is for you. I thoroughly enjoyed this first novel in the Pyte/Sentinel series and I can promise you that the other books in the series are even better. I will warn you that my review does point out some of the not so great sides of this book, but in the end try to look past those and read this book anyway.

I was skeptical of this book at first. I mean I bought it for 99 cents on my e-reader. Let’s be honest, sometimes those really cheap books that are self-published are not that good. Now this book does have some typos and errors in it, which drives me a little crazy since I am an editor, but the typos/errors were not as bad as I thought it would be given the price and that it was self-published.

Yes, there is a broody vampire and he of course falls in love with the woman with the messed up life, and don’t forget that their officially getting together takes a good while, but don’t be discouraged. Beyond that vampire nuisance there is a whole new vampire world to devour. Sit back with this book and enjoy the new and interesting take on vampires that R.L. Mathewson shows us. It is refreshing. Ephraim, the main vampire, is a Pyte, a whole different rare species of vampire that will have you wanting more. I refuse to say more about what a Pyte is, you will just have to read the book to find out.

I would call this book Twilight for adults but with a little more action. Even though I would say this book is considered to be a romance, I also think that it has a decent amount of action for those of you, like me, that want more than just romance in their books. The characters are also far from boring. You will find Madison and Ephraim entertaining. You will find Candy to be intolerable and Joshua to be a cutie pie. All the characters are different and all of them are worth reading about.

I do wish this book was a little bit longer, but the other books in this series are a longer so I have decided that I can’t really complain. This electronic book is worth the 99 cents. Please take a chance on this author and check out this book. I highly doubt you will be disappointed.

Rating: 4.5/5

Review: Red, White, and Blood by: Christopher Farnsworth

Red, White, and Blood (A Nathaniel Cade Novel) by: Christopher Farnsworth

Publisher: Ballantine Books

400 pages

Genre: Fiction, Vampires

Summary: Nathaniel Cade is the President’s vampire and Zach is his handler, they are the only ones that can keep the United States unaware of the supernatural beings that are roaming the earth. In this Nathaniel Cade novel they go up against the boogeyman. This monster comes back and never seems to be able to be defeated. This time the boogeyman goes after the one person that Nathaniel Cade has to protect, the President, during the very important 2012 presidential race.

Review: This is the best Nathaniel Cade novel yet. If you have yet to read this series you should give it a try. It is a different kind of vampire novel and one that shouldn't be passed up if you like books with supernatural aspects in it. Don’t expect a lot of romance, but there are a lot of awesome fight scenes.

This novel does have some typical vampire quirks in it, but there is more to it than what meets the eye. I think that the core of this novel is the relationship between Nathaniel and Zach. Their back and forth conversation is entertaining and always lightens the mood in this dark series. Nathaniel barely talks and Zach always has a sarcastic comment to make. They make a really good team, one worth reading about.

At times this book gets a little crazy and hard to believe. On the other hand, sometimes I truly believe that there is a vampire protecting the President, and when a book can get you to believe it could actually happen in real life, even though it can’t, I believe that makes it a pretty good book. This book did a lot better at this than the last one. The last one got a little too crazy at times. I know what you may be thinking, that this book is about the boogeyman, a non-scary monster that children are afraid of. Well, this boogeyman is totally different. He will make you cringe. There are some very heart-stopping plot twisting moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

For some reason I can’t find any more words to explain/review this book. Just take a chance and enjoy. Who wouldn't want to read about a vampire that will do anything to protect the President?

Rating: 4.5/5

Review: A Discovery of Witches by: Deborah Harkness

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy) by: Deborah Harkness (2011)

Publisher: Viking Adult

592 pages

Genre: Romance/Vampires/Mystery

Summary: Diana Bishop, a witch that wishes she wasn’t who no longer practices magic and is also an established professor, gets her hands on a lost manuscript that deamons, witches, and vampires all want a piece of. Things start to get a little crazy with the discovery and Diana leans on Matthew Clairmont for help, a 1,500-year-old vampire. Diana’s life is turned upside down and she must figure out why this manuscript is so important and she must rely on Matthew to keep her safe until she decides to do something about being a witch.

Review: If you like vampire romances with some action and no teenage drama then this is the book for you. I instantly fell in love with this grown-up vampire (but so much more) love story. This review may seem a little vague at times but I want you take the time to read the book and uncover all the mysteries it has to offer by yourself.

Matthew Clairmont, the vampire love interest, has qualities just like every other vampire you read about or see in movies, but Harkness has managed to make Matthew a little more complex and the vampires in her novel a little more real. I can just picture these vampires living in our world unnoticed. Harkness’ little additions to vampires and vampire life in her novel are interesting and give the reader a little something different. I won’t give any away but let’s just say she uses the basic vampire stereotypes humorously.

Diana is no heartsick teenager. She is complex and a much credited professor. She has her moments of being childish, such as her refusal to use magic, but she also has some good reasons behind her actions. How Diana handles her relationship with Matthew is more appealing than the average teenage vampire love story. She stills shows those love struck qualities but on the mature end. I know Diana and Matthew’s relationship seems to progress a little quickly but given the circumstances I can’t say that I blame them.

The best part about this book is the amount of mystery and action that occurs. This is not just a love story about a witch and a vampire. This is about much more. My emotions ran high when reading this book. There are a few twists and turns that will keep your heart pounding. Also, this book takes some thought to read. The characters go into depth when talking about certain science and history subjects. Harkness makes it easy to follow what is being discussed but this book does take more brain power than the average vampire romance, but I would have to say that is a good thing.

Once you start reading this book I don’t guarantee that you will stop until you have read the last page. I know some people have called this book Twilight for adults, but it is better than that. If you liked Twilight you will probably like this book, but if you didn’t like Twilight you will still like this book.

Rating: 5/5