Review: Ecstasy In Darkness by Gena Showalter

Series:  Alien Huntress, Book #5

Genre:   Romance, Paranormal, Sci-Fi

Release Date:  October 2010

Publisher:  Pocket Star Books

Author Website: http://members.genashowalter.com/

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  502

Source:  Purchased

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

Growing up poor on New Chicago’s meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: be the predator or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she’s been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all—a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the ability to manipulate time. Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.

To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction—vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose. . . .

Awesomeness:

One of Ava’s requirements for a man had been “rich”.  “I want enough money to last an eternity making this woman happy.”

“So I’m your sugar daddy now?”  

My Thoughts

I officially have new love for all things Gena Showalter.  Ecstasy in Darkness is a must read.  The story is full of the same humor and action that I’ve come to love with each Alien Huntress book that I have read.

All the characters are over the top funny.  I especially loved the characters of Ava and Noelle.  They bicker and call each names but really are the best friends.  They love and support each other like sisters and get a tad violent with anyone that crosses them.

I also loved the sexy and dysfunctional relationship between Ava and McKell.  Although they were hot for each other, Ava just couldn’t seem to stop beating up on him.  Besides being Ava’s enemy, McKell was suppose to be the scariest of all vampires but he turned out to be a simple man in awe of his mate.  He was so eager to take any beating she dished out just as long as she kissed it and made it better. 

The story was easy to follow and I just couldn’t stop cracking up at the dialogue.  Although the book was long as hell, it never got boring.  There was always action, crazy moments, and enough romance to keep me turning pages.

Overall, I would recommend this book.  Gena Showalter’s Alien Huntress series gets better with each installment.  Ecstasy In Darkness  was funny as hell and McKell can bite me anytime -just as long as Ava doesn’t kick my ass.

Flowers Of Love Rating

1/2

Very good read and highly recommended

Other Books In This Series:

Awaken Me Darkly

Enslave Me Sweetly

Savor Me Slowly

Seduce The Darkness

Tempt Me Eternally 
Dark Taste Of Rapture (coming August 2011)

Other Reviews Of This Book:

Goodreads

Shelfari

To Be Read Tuesday

It's Tuesday again and time to pull some new reads from my bookshelf.  Here is what I will be reading for this week.

 A Brush Of Darkness by Allison Pang

The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.

Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

A Taste Of Desire by Beverley Kendall

Lady Amelia Bertram may have a reputation as the most brazen beauty of the ton, but she shocks even herself when she accidently--and loudly--derides one of society's most eligible bachelors in the middle of a crowded ballroom. The timing of her faux pas couldn't be worse, for her father is seeking someone to take her off his hands that very night. . .

But when Thomas Armstrong overhears the so-called "Lady" Amelia slandering his sexual prowess in public, he cannot help but accept the dare implicit in her words. To her father's great delight, he offers to take her to his secluded country estate--properly chaperoned, of course--to teach the girl a lesson in ladylike behavior. . .

Debut Author Challenge

This is the second reading challenge that I’ve decided to participate in is the Debut Author’s Challenge from the Story Siren.  I’ve been reading some pretty good YA books and have discovered some new ones that I want to read.  Here’s the information about the challenge.

• The objective of the DAC is to read at least twelve novels from Young Adult or Middle Grade Authors. While twelve is the minimum there is no maximum limit! I encourage readers who can read more than twelve to do so!
• Anyone can join. You don't have to be a blogger, and you don't have to live in the United States. 
• You do not have to have an blog written in English to participate. 
• Deadline to join is November 20, 2011. The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. 

Kick Ass Heroine Reading Challenge

I said I wasn't going to participate in any of the reading challenges for 2011 because I failed so miserably this year, but I just couldn't help it.  I even decided to host my own.  I'm currently working on my list of books to read and will post them on my Reading Challenges page.

Challenge Rules

• Challenge starts Jan 1 and ends Dec 31, 2011
• Deadline to enter is Nov 1, 2011
• Objective is to read at least twelve books (more if you like) featuring kick ass heroines (heroines do not have to be the main character, but a big part of the story)
• Books must be read in 2011
• When entering the challenge, you do not have to make a list of books you plan to read.  You may add and delete books at any time.  

For more info, visit the challenge website.  The website is still under construction, but the sign up linky is active.  

Diva Mail (16)

Hey, book lovers!  It's a super cold post Christmas Sunday and  I'm still cleaning up wrapping paper and  getting rid of boxes at my house, but I got to get back to my book grind.  

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's just to share what bookish things you bought, won, checked out of the library, or got in the mail.  I only got one thing in the mail and two egalleys from the awesome peeps at Netgalley.

I got A Taste Of Desire, which is coming out this week, in the mail along with some cool book marks.  I'm in love with historical romances so this should be a very good read.  I also got ebooks of Populazzi and Here Lies Bridget. These two YA books are for the Debut Author Challenge, which I have yet to sign up for because I want to get my list of books first, that's being hosted by The Story Siren.  I've been reading a lot of good YA so I figured this challenge would be fun.  I'm also working on a challenge of my own, so I'll see how that works out.

Well, that's all I've got going on here, what goodies did Santa put in your mail box this week?

Populazzi by Elise Allen (Netgalley)

A Taste Of Desire by Beverley Kendall and bookmarks (Beverley Kendall)

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison (Netgalley)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas book lovers!  I hope Santa put all the bookish goodies under your tree that you asked for!

Winner Part 2: Cleaning Of The Bookshelf Dec Giveawy

I announced two winners for this contest on Dec 19 and only one of the winners claimed their prize so I had to draw another name.  So the new winner must email me at thedivasbookcase@gmail.com by 12/26 to claim the prize.  If I don't get an email, I will pick another winner.  And the new winner is...
Penny
Congrats, Penny.  I already have your mailing addy, but I will need you email me with a different book choice.  

Review: Always by Jodi Langston

Series: None

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: October 2010

Publisher: Self Published

Author Website: http://jodilangston.blogspot.com/

Format I Read: ebook

Pages: 101(Nook pgs)

Source: Author

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb
Writer, Alexandra Martinson, woke from a coma ten years ago not remembering Detective Rick Ryan and the love they shared. Rick, her faithful friend and savior has waited patiently for her memory to return. As he readies himself to tell her how he feels, fate throws another obstacle in his path.

A Hollywood producer asks Alex to rewrite the script based on her novel and she reluctantly agrees. Alex has kept her heart and soul locked safely away until she's swept off her feet by the incredible hunk, Thane Hunter. The womanizing former child star is drawn to the shy writer with the painful past. They share an afternoon of passion in the Vermont woods as a storm and danger rages around them.

After ten years in prison, her ex-husband, Chris, is paroled and goes in search of revenge. No one is safe as those she cares about get caught up in the tempest of violence surrounding her.

Rick makes a stunning revelation to Alex, making her wonder if all he’s done for her has been out friendship or love.

When Alex is kidnapped, Rick and Thane must put aside their differences as they race to save her. Both men care about her, but only one man will do whatever it takes to make sure she survives. When the smoke clears will Alex choose Rick, or will the hot and handsome Thane Hunter steal her heart?

Awesomeness:
“Have you even read the book, Thane?” Kyle asked. There was a time or two that he wanted to ask if he knew how to read but he bit his tongue.

“I read for a living, not for pleasure,” Thane protested

“No, you pretend for a living. She’s got a new book coming.” Kyle reached in his bag and pulled out Alex’s book and threw it at him.

“I’m not into that whole romance novel thing. I like my sex real.”

My Thoughts
This is the first book that I have read by Jodi Langston. It had so much drama that it was a real page turner for me. The story centers around Alex, a reclusive novelist. Her crazy ex husband tried to kill her ten years ago and she’s been looking over her shoulder ever since. When he is released from prison he begins to stalk her claiming that she will always be his.

Her best friend Rick steps in to protect her. He’s a cop and he’s never thought twice about going through hell and high water to protect her. He’s secretly in love with her, but willing to remain her friend if that’s all she wants from him.

When Alex is asked to rewrite a script for a movie based on one of her books, she becomes involved with Thane, the star of the show. Thane is a playboy looking for his next wife so he takes an immediate interest in her. He isn’t used to having to work to get a woman in to bed, but once he does, he regrets it.

I found Always to be a very good and I was able to read it in one sitting. The plot was and easy to follow and the characters were written well. I did not like the character of Alex. I guess that’s due to the fact that I am not a fan of the weak and whiny. To me she seemed like she was always one step away from a pill overload or a mental breakdown. I get that she was a victim, but her character was so withdrawn that she never learned how to became a survivor.

I also didn’t care much for Thane. He wooed but backed off at the first sign of real danger. One minute he was ready to declare his instant love for her, then in the next minute he wanted to move on to someone less complicated.

The real hero of the story was Rick because he was the perfect good guy. He was loyal and trust worthy and had a beat downs on reserve. I did feel sorry for him because he spent so much time pining over Alex only to see her replace him with someone else. To be honest, I would have been happy with Rick getting with someone just to show Alex what she was missing. But, then I would be bummed because that would mess up a long overdue HEA.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more of Jodi Langston’s work. If you’re a fan of romantic suspense, you’ll want to check out this novella.

Rating

Three flowers of love-it was a good read, but left me wanting  more

Other Reviews Of This Book:
Goodreads
Shelfari

To Be Read Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, book lovers.  Here is what I will be reading this week.  What's on your TBR for this week.

 Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Shades Of Atlantis by Carol Oates

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

ARC Review and Giveaway: Human Blend by Lori Pescatore

Series:  The Blend, Book #1

Genre:  YA, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi

Released:  June 2010

Publisher:  Self Published

Author Website:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lori-Pescatore-Author/141156271014

Format I Read:  ARC Paperback

Pages:  231

Source:  Author

Book Blurb

Marion, Virginia seemed like a nice place to live a normal life, but she is not a normal girl. Laney has special abilities that keep her looking over her shoulder as she makes her escape from the men who had kidnapped her. 

A young doctor's interest is piqued when he witnesses her mysteriously curing a young child's illness. He befriends her due to his growing fascination with uncovering the true nature of her abilities, but not without harboring secrets of his own.

Laney's budding relationship with a local boy puts both of them in danger when the men she was hiding from find her. All of their lives will change forever as ancient secrets become unearthed. 

 Awesome Line:

“Sure you can take care of yourself.  That’s why we all spent the last two days chasing after you and that crazy-ass thug with a death wish.  Face it, Julie, your life screams ‘damsel in distress’”

My Thoughts

I did not know what to think going into this book.  The book has an interesting cover and a unique plot that keep me interested.

Human Blend is about Laney (Julie) who has a combination of unusual abilities.  She was kidnapped as a child so she’s never been taught how to use her abilities, where they came from, or exactly what they are.  All she knows is to do whatever she is told to stay alive.  She has tried several times to escape, but each time they find her, anyone that has come in contact with her or tried to help her in anyway end up dead.

Human Blend is another good book that kept me wondering what would happen next.  It has romance, action, a little bit of paranormal mixed with science fiction and fantasy. 

I immediately liked Laney and felt her pain of wanting to fit in and just be normal.  She was young and naïve so she naturally she sucked at fitting in. Her first mistake was choosing a small town where everyone knew each other and someone new would easily stand out.  She also had that vibe where anyone that came in contact with her never forgot meeting her.  Besides being beautiful and super sweet, her vibe drew people to her and made them take notice.  At times, that vibe drew unwanted attention, but in the end, it provided her with the protection that she desperately needed.

The love triangle kept me frustrated because I couldn’t decide who I wanted Laney to end up with. Austin was the sweet, romantic guy next door that she easily fell for.  But knowing her past might catch up with her at any moment, she could never be completely honest with him and tell him about her life because there was no way he’d ever understand.   She also didn’t want him to get hurt.

Then there was Eli, the handsome doctor with secrets of his own.  He had a way of seeing right through Laney’s lies and making her trust him enough to share. I have to admit, when Eli was introduced, all I could think about was Dr. Cullen from Twilight.  Weird, but the mysterious doctor had vampire written all over him, or so I thought.  I had him pegged all wrong, but I enjoyed finding out about him and the other not so human characters in this book.

Another character that I liked was Marcus.  He was also a mysterious and a little too blunt with his words.  All of his scenes were memorable and funny as hell.   

Rating.

I give Human Blend four flowers of love because the story doesn’t have the usual paranormal creatures in it, but something new to wonder about.  I can’t wait for the next book so I can learn more about the characters and their origins.

Other Reviews Of This Book:

Goodreads

Shelfari

Giveaway

Lori has been sweet enough to offer a copy of Human Blend for giveaway.  This contest is open internationally and the winner will have the choice of receiving an ebook or print copy.  The contest will end Jan 3^rd. Here’s how to enter

• Must be a follower of this blog
• Must comment on this post
• Must read Contest and Giveaway Rules
• Must follow Lori Pescatore on Facebook or Twitter
• Must fill out the entry form

Good luck!!!

Winners: Cleaning Off The Bookshelf Dec Giveaway

Woohoo!  I've got some winners.  Thank you to everyone that entered the contest, hopefully if I don't get too clinging with my books I'll be able to do this every month. 

Now for the winners.  I've got your addy and your choices.  You both choice different books so all I you need to do is contact me at thedivasbookcase@gmail.com to claim your prizes.  If I don't hear from you by end of the day Wednesday 12/22, I will pull other names to get your goodies.

And the winners are...

J L Jackson

Tanya  

Btw, tomorrow, I will be hosting an international (yep, you read that right) contest for Human Blend by Lori Pescatore.  Wnnner will have their choice of ebook or paperback copy.  Dets coming up on review tomorrow.

Diva Mail (15)...And Some Freebies For Your Mailbox

Good morning, blog buddies!  It's Sunday and time for my version of In My Mailbox, which is hosted by the evah soo cool Kristi @ The Story Siren.  IMM is a weekly meme showcasing the bookish things that you won, recieved for review, or bought.  Kristi is taking a break but will be back in the new year so there won't be a linky list to follow, so if you stop by, just leave me a link to follow you back to your IMM.

While I was Christmas shopping last week, I couldn't keep my feet from moving to the book section.  On my Christmas budget, I was able to get two really good books from my wishlist.

Haunted By Your Touch  has short stories from Jeaniene Frost and Shayla Black-two of my fav paranormal authors.  I've only read one story by Shari Kohler so this is another chance to sample her work.

Ecstasy In Darkness is by Gena Showalter, another one of my fav paranormal authors.   Love her Alien Huntress series and the reviews have been all good.

I also got two books for review.  I lurvs the cover and the quirky summary for A Brush Of Darkness (releasing Jan 25th), so I was really excited to get it.  The other book I got is Spirit Storm, which is the sequel to She Smells The Dead.  I also loved this cover too and can't wait to continue with Yuki's story (btw, this is already out on Kindle).

Bought

Haunted By Your Touch by Shayla Black, Jeaniene Frost, and Shari Kohler

Ecstasy In Darkness by Gena Showalter

For Review

A Brush Of Darkness (ARC) by Allison Pang (thanx to Rachel @ Fine Print)

Spirit Storm ( Ebook) by E J Stevens (thanx to E J Stevens)

Oooh, and before I forget, while checking out some Tweets and IMM posts, I found a couple of freebies for Nook and Kindle.  Sharing is caring, so thanx to @nikkibrandyberry of Ramblings From A Chaotic Mind, @kindleObsessed of Kindle Obsessed and @The_BookishType of The Bookish Type, here's what my Nookie got for Christmas:  

 

and BTW, I'm a Nook owner so all I did was go to B&N and type in the title to find the books, so I'm sure Amazon is the same way.  If you have some freebies to share, just comment with a link or title.

So, what did you get in your mailbox this week?

Sexy Saturday

Review: Justice Rules by Thomas White

Series:  None

Genre:  Crime Drama, Mystery, Suspense

Release Date:  March 2010

Publisher: CreateSpace

Author Website:  http://www.justice-rules.com

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  298

Source:  Pump Up Your Book Tours

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

FBI Special Agent Brian Wylie investigates the murder of an ex-con in Eastern Washington. This single murder leads to a vigilante coalition that wreaks its own brand of justice. Wylie's investigation unravels an intricate and complex plot that involves a victims help group, a best friend's treachery and his teenaged daughter's well-being. 

Awesomeness:

“You leave them out of this.  They had nothing to do with it,” she snapped.

Brian had hit a nerve.  “Care to tell me how you helped them?  If not, I can always run a little investigation into your dope group.  I’m sure that we’d find something worthwhile there.”

“You son of a bitch.  You stay away from these people.  They haven’t done anything; they just want to manage their pain.  You’re a damn fascist, that’s all you are.”

My Thoughts

An eye for an eye…

What would you do if a crime was committed against you or someone you loved and the justice you thought was deserved never came? 

Two words for this book:  Loved it!  I am a fan of mystery and suspense novels and Justice Rules does not disappoint.  Thomas White created characters and scenarios that had me totally engrossed in the story. 

The story is not about one particular person, but multiple people who have been raped, murdered, or kidnapped and even though their attackers were caught and tried, for some reason or mistake, they always got off with slaps on the wrists.  But as the victims or family members become feed up with the justice system, they start to dish out their own twisted brands of justice.

Brian Wylie is an FBI agent with issues of his own, that has been assigned to a gruesome murder case.  As he begins to investigate, he ties the murder to an old rape case and then to a unique, but suspicious victims support group.   From there, Brian begins to uncover similar cases proving that payback is a bitch you don’t want to mess with.

The plot of this book had so much action and drama that it could easily be an episode of CSI, Bones or Law and Order (which I absolutely love).  Thomas White did an excellent job of telling the victims stories of pain and humiliation and their need for closure.

Brian was a very likable character.  He was a pretty good agent and a devoted father.  At one point the dangers of his job bleeds into his personal life and he becomes one the victims in need of support.  How he chooses to handle his anger puts him in the same situation as the victims he currently investigates.

Although, I liked the book, there were a few things that I didn’t like.  I got the whole victims fighting back and being strong part, but how they found their closure was a little disturbing.   These parts were written so well that you could easily step into the characters shoes, but some parts got really brutal and graphic.  The persons inflicting the pain, in my book, are certified crazies and strait jacket worthy for being able to go through with such violent acts.

Overall the book is a very good read, which I decided very early.  The other thing I didn’t like was the back cover blurb.  Usually, I am swayed to pick a book because the blurb is juicy or interesting, but Justice Rules had no back cover blurb.  Instead it had praises of the book.  So if I were to have run across this book in the bookstore, I would never have bought it.  I also found quite a few other errors that a general proofing should have caught.  It was nothing major, just a few things that stuck out.

 

Rating

I give Justice Rules four and a half flowers of love.  Thomas White is an author to watch.  If you love crime drama or mystery and suspense books, this book is a must read.

1/2

Other Reviews Of This Book:

Goodreads

Shelfari

To Be Read Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, book lovers.  Here is what I plan to read this week.  What will you be reading from your TBR?

Justice Rules by Thomas White

Always by Jodi Langston

Mystify by Artist Arthur