ARC Review: Devil In Disguise by Stefanie Sloane

Genre:  Historical Romance    

      

Release Date:  May 24, 2011

Series:  Regency Rogues, Book #1

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Author Website: http://www.stefaniesloane.com

Format Read:  ARC Print Copy

Pages:  320

Source:  Author

Rating:  Three flowers of love

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

Lord William Randall, the Duke of Clairemont, is a wicked rake with little regard for society—a most unlikely suitor for the prim and proper Lady Lucinda Gray. But his latest assignment for the Young Corinthians, an elite spy organization, involves protecting her from a kidnapping plot and to do this, the notorious “Iron Will” must get close to Lucinda, and convince her that he’s a man worthy of her attention. It is a simple enough task to use his devilish charm to seduce her, but William never would have guessed that he’d become enthralled by the lovely Lady Grey—or that he’d lose his own heart in the bargain.

Beautiful and fiercely intelligent, Lucinda has managed to gracefully sidestep even the most persistent suitors. Until the Duke of Clairemont, that is. His rugged features, sinfully sensuous mouth, and piercing eyes are as alluring as the champion thoroughbred he tantalizingly offers in exchange for the honor of courting her, and she finds it hard to resist either temptation. The feelings he stirs in her both excite and arouse, urging her on despite the very real danger he represents. But when the truth is revealed, will Lucinda risk her heart and her life for a chance at everlasting love?

My Thoughts

This book was a good start to a romance series that I will continue to read.  I thought the two main characters, Lucinda and Will were fun to read about.   I liked Lucinda because she had spunk and ambition. While other ladies were busy chasing husband prospects, she was busy following her dreams.   Her dream, along with her aunts, was to breed and race horses, something that proper ladies did not do.  It wasn’t for the money, just the enjoyment because she loved horses.  Although she had many admirers, her first passion was horses.  No man stood a chance until Will captured her heart without even meaning to.

 Like all historical heroes, Will was the complete rake.  I love my rakes, but I also like them with a bit of mystery and adventure.  Will was that and then some.  His status as a secret agent made the story more interesting. At first his job was to protect Lucinda so making it seem like they were dating fit his plan perfectly.   He spared no expense in wooing her and even baited her with the one thing he knew she wouldn’t be able to resist-his prized horse.

Although he didn’t appreciate her blunt words nor was he fond of her independence, he still ended up falling in love with her. 

The one thing I didn’t like about the story was the gossiping aunts.  It was clear that they loved her, but they seemed to cared more about getting the horse and building their business.  They saw no fault in using Lucinda as a means to get what they wanted.  But despite that little drawback, I did enjoy the book and recommend it to anyone that loves historical romances.

Other Books In This Series:

The Angel In My Arms, Book #2 (June 28, 2011)

The Sinner Who Seduced Me, Book #3 (July 26, 2011)

Other Reviews Of This Book:

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ARC Review: Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Series:  None

Genre:   YA

Release Date:  January 2011

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen

Author Website:  http://www.paigeharbison.com

Format I Read:  ARC ebook

Pages:  224

Source:  Net Galley

Reading Challenge:  Debut Author Reading Challenge

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed "who me?" look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore.

When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.

And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough….

My Thoughts

First of all, I had mixed feeling about reading this book.  I am very anti mean girl and tend to not read YA books that spotlight spoiled, bitchy teens.  However, I read so many good and bad reviews of this book, that I just had to satisfy my curiosity and see what all the fuss was about.

I love the Here Lies Bridget cover.  I smirked at the toe tag and daisies because I thought it was a clever reference to death.  Lame of me, yes, but still very clever.  I liked the story and most of the characters, but had an instant dislike for Bridget, the main character.  She perfected the mean girl attitude and whined obsessively about how unfair her life was. From my point of view, I thought she lived a charmed life, but was too caught up in herself and self loathing that she took everything and everyone for granted. 

Seriously, Bridget got on my very last nerve, but I kept reading with the anticipation of someone throwing all of her actions back in her face, preferably an open handed smack.  On second thought, that probably would have made for a very weak cat fight and I would have been even more annoyed with her for getting beat up.  In the end, I didn’t get the satisfaction the way I wanted it, but I was happy that Bridget got a second chance to redeem herself.   The ending was a little predictable, but it worked and I liked it.

The one thing that bothered me was that there were a few unanswered questions in the end.  I actually wanted another chapter or an epilogue just to see how Bridget repaired her relationship with her parents.

Rating

Four flowers of love, very good read and would recommend this one

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ARC Review: The Heiress by Lynsay Sands

Series:  The Madison Sisters, Book #2

Genre:   Historical Romance

Release Date:  February 2011

Publisher:  Avon Books

Author Website:  http://www.lynsaysands.net/

Format I Read:  ARC ebook

Pages:  384

Source:  Net Galley

Reading Challenge:  Historical Romance Challenge

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

Desperately seeking a husband…

Suzette is not like other heiresses; she wants a poor husband. A gentleman who will be so grateful for her dowry that he will allow her access to her dowry so she can help pay off her father’s gambling debts. When this alluring beauty encounters Daniel Woodward—handsome, titled, single…and even more impoverished than she could have hoped for—it seems Suzette’s wildest dream has come true.
But Daniel has not been truthful. Tired of being accosted by an endless stream of vapid coquettes and their fortune-hunting mothers, Daniel has decided to plead poverty to stop them in their tracks. Yet here is a most refreshing and delectable lady who claims to be thrilled by his penury. Now all Daniel has to do to find true happiness is to keep a little white lie alive…while avoiding a dastardly villain who’s determined to prevent this union by any means necessary.

My Thoughts

In The Heiress, the story is told with Suzette and Daniel in mind.  Suzette is the second oldest of the Madison sisters and next in line to be married off to pay their father’s gambling debts.   Instead of being pawned off or courted by a rich suitor, she has the bright idea to find herself a poor sucker eager to gain a buck, but gullible enough to allow her to be in complete control of her personal finances.

I have to admit that I did not like this book as much as I liked The Countess.  I was disappointed that the story was retold exactly the same way in the beginning and  didn't completley become Suzanne and Daniel's story until the last few chapters.  I found myself skimming over a lot of the story looking for newer parts.  

I really liked Suzette because she was the most outspoken of the sisters.   She was feisty and unafraid to say what was on her mind. 

I also liked Daniel.  He was a fun character but never stood a chance of resisting Suzette.  No matter how honorable he tried to be, she always shocked him with her words and actions. 

Although I didn't like this story as much as the first in the series, I will continue to read the series and look forward to the next book.

Rating

Three flowers of love.  I liked this story.

 Other Books In This Series:

The Countess, Book #1 (January 2011)

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ARC Review: Wither by Lauren Destefano

Series:  Chemical Garden Triology, Book #1

Genre:   YA, Dystopia

Release Date:  March 22, 2011

Publisher:  Simon Schuster

Author Website:  http://www.laurendestefano.com

Format I Read:  ARC paperback

Pages:  368

Source:  Publisher

Reading Challenge:  Debut Author Reading Challenge

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. 

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?

Awesomeness:

Linden looks so piteous and apologetic, standing there.  His three wives are huddled together on the bare mattress, one of them dying; when we’re together, we form an alliance he can’t touch.  He’s scared to even try.

My Thoughts

I have heard so much about dystopian novels and to be honest, I still don’t really know what the heck they are.  But if this book represents the genre, I am now a fan and can’t wait to read more.

In a word, Wither was awesome.  It didn’t have a lot of action and adventure, but plenty of drama.  The story unfolded slowly but held my attention until the very end. I loved the artwork for the cover and I thought the designs on the intro pages were really neat.  The characters are unforgettable and the story was unique.

Rhine, the main character, was a great heroine.  At a young age she found a way to deal with life without drawing too much attention to herself, but constantly plotted and planned to gain her freedom back.

At times, the story had me shaking my head in disbelief, other times it brought tears to my eyes as I sympathized with the sister wives.  The girls went through so much to please their “husband” and to try to find what little happiness they could as their lives slowly wasted away. Through it all, Rhine kept the sisterhood tight and proved to be a very good friend.

Linden, the “husband” was also a good character.  He was very misguided and didn’t know what was actually going on in his house.  I felt sorry for him because all he wanted was a real family.  If he and Rhine had met under different circumstances, I think they would have made a cute couple, but I was secretly rooting for Gabriel.

Overall, I loved this tragic love story and can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Rating

Four flowers of love.  I really liked it and would recommend reading it.

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ARC Review: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Series: Angelfire, Book #1

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance

Released: Date: February 2011

Publisher:  Katherine Tegen Books

Author Website: http://www.courtneyallisonmoulton.com/

Format I Read: ARC ebook

Pages: 464

Source: Net Galley

Reading Challenge: Debut Author Reading Challenge, Kick Ass Heroine Reading Challenge

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb
When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.


A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.


While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

My Thoughts
I am always interested in reading different takes on the origins of angels so when I read the summary for Angelfire, I knew I would love it. The cover was also an attention getter.

I thought the story was interesting and full of plot twists. It was slow one minute and fast paced the next. The romance was predictable but still had me speed reading to see how their relationship would play out.

Ellie and Will are my new Buffy and Angel. She’s a kick ass slayer when she’s in her zone and he’s the tortured soul trying hard not to succumb to his own personal darkness. I could tell from the first moment Will popped on the scene that there was more between them than their mission. Of course he was in love with her but their relationship was beyond complicated. And for me, complicated love is the best to read about because the characters go through so much just to prove that they belong together. Will and Ellie had centuries to figure it out, but the greater good always came first.

The only thing I didn’t like about the story was the father and his attitude. I think I know what’s going on with him and hopefully it will be discussed later. I am anxiously awaiting the second book to confirm my suspicions. Overall, this was a very good debut from Courtney Allison Moulton and I am counting the days until I can get my hands on the next in this awesome new series.

Rating

Four flowers of love-really liked it and would recommend it

Other Books In This Series:

Wings Of The Wicked, Book #2 (Coming in 2012)

Hymn To The Fallen, Book #3 (Coming in 2013)

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ARC Review: The Countess by Lynsay Sands

Series:  Madison Sisters, Book #1

Genre:   Historical Romance

Release Date:  January 2011

Publisher:   Avon

Author Website:  http://www.lynsaysands.net/

Format I Read:  ARC ebook

Pages:  222 (Nook pgs)

Source:  Net Galley

Reading Challenge:  Historical Romance Challenge

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

The fairy tale courtship did not turn into a happily ever after…

Not until her husband dropped dead, that is. He had been horrible enough to Christiana during their short marriage, and she was not going to allow the traditional period of mourning to ruin her sisters’ debuts as well. So Christiana decides to put him on ice and go on as if nothing’s happened…

Until the real earl appears. Richard Fairgrave had every intention of confronting his villainous twin who robbed him of his name and title…only to discover that he’d died. Quietly assuming his identity, Richard must now deal with a maddening desire for his ravishing inherited “wife”—certainly a gold digger and possibly a murderess. And Christiana must deal with an unwanted new “husband”…and they both must figure out what to do before the ice melts!

Awesomeness:

“I assure you, you are welcome to anything in my home,” he said, straightening with dignity, and then added in a lie, “I just did not wish you to drink the whiskey out of anger.  I’m quite sure you would never have consumed it under normal circumstances, and it’s very strong.  It would have gone right to your head.”

Obviously not appeased by his explanation, she said dryly, “Yes, well now it’s gone to my bosoms instead.”

My Thoughts

First of all Lynsay Sands is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance writers because I have enjoyed every one of her book that I have read.  Her stories never contain super complicated story lines, but easy plots and likable characters that always find themselves in humorous situations.

The Countess is the first, but certainly not the last, historical romance that I have read by Ms Sands.  The beginning of the story had me raising my eyebrows and wondering if I wanted to continue.  I had already decided that I didn’t like the imposter husband, or the way he treated his wife.  Normally, disliking one of the main characters turns me off to a book, but thankfully, the fake husband was killed off and the real husband’s attempt to take his life back made the story more interesting.

Despite their rocky start, I knew there was an instant love connection between Richard and Christiana.  Their back and forth struggle to figure out if their growing attraction was real or if they were simply staying in the marriage to avoid scandal made me turn pages very quickly.  I was really rooting for Richard to win over Christian and her family so that the two could have a happy ending.

I loved Suzette and Lisa, Christiana’s sisters.  They were a handful and more than ready to issue a beat down to anyone they thought was abusing their sister.  I also loved the fact that they were willing to help off their brother-in-law just to make their sister happy.  

Overall The Countess was a fun read and I look forward to reading future books in this series.

Rating

Four flowers of love, very good and a recommended read

Other Books In This Series:

The Heiress, Book #2 (February 22, 2011)

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ARC Review: A Brush Of Darkness by Allison Pang

Series:  TBA (yes there will be more!)

Genre:   Urban Fantasy

Release Date:  January 25, 2011

Publisher:  Pocket Books

Author Website:  http://www.heartofthedreaming.com/

Format I Read:  ARC Paperback

Pages:  343

Source:  Publicist

Reading Challenge:  Kick Ass Heroine Challenge

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

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.

Awesomeness:

My back arched instinctively.  Whatever his attitude, the incubus certainly knew his business, and the heat that burned at my core wanted it.  Badly.  And yet…I was standing on a dark pier, dry-humping a guy I barely knew, in return for what?  Helping him find his missing sister?

My Thoughts

Damn, damn, damn!  Those were my thoughts when I came to the end of this book.  A Brush Of Darkness had me hooked from the beginning.  It’s full of action, colorful characters, and plenty of magical drama.

Abby is human with a painful past.  On an emotional whim she accepts a magical contract with a faery.  Unsure of her actual duties and clueless to the extend of her magical talent, Abby suddenly finds herself in the middle of a magical mess.  Her mentor is missing, an incubus is stalking her, and she becomes the unexpected caretaker of a perverted miniature unicorn.   

First of all, I am a cover whore, so I like covers that relate to the story and entice you to wonder what’s behind the pages.  I liked this cover.  I can easily imagine the cover model as Abby.  Fierce, feisty, with a magical air. 

I think Allison Pang did an excellent job with this book.  I liked the story because it was easy to follow and kept me entertained.  The characters were funny at times, but easily shifted into dangerous creatures you might not want to piss off on the regular. 

Abby was a great heroine.  She was a little snarky, and in serious need of guidance, but I enjoyed reading about her adventures.   Her relationship with Brystion was what kept me turning pages.  Their HEA is not what I expected, but will keep me reading future books to see how their relationship develops.

My favorite character was Phineas, the little unicorn.  He was a drunken pervert, but often the voice of reason.  He was a strange little addition to the story, but he kept Abby on her toes and was the source of a lot of funny moments.

Overall, this book was very good and a recommended read and I look forward to future books.

Rating

4 flowers of love.  Very good and a recommended read

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ARC Review: Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Series:  Iron Fey, Book #3

Genre:   YA, Paranormal, Fantasy

Release Date:  January 25, 2011

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen

Author Website:  http://www.juliekagawa.com/

Format I Read:  ARC eBook

Pages:  362 (Nook pgs)

Source:  Net Galley

Reading Challenge:  Kick Ass Heroine Reading Challenge

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

Awesomeness:

“You alright?” he asked, steadying me as the last of the nausea faded.

Anger flared.  No, I wasn’t all right.  I was a freaking faery who couldn’t use glamour!  Not without fainting, throwing up, or getting so dizzy I was practically useless.  I was allergic to myself!  How pathetic was that?

My Thoughts

I was recently turned on to this awesome series by some fellow book bloggers.  I read the first two books and novella back to back and anxiously awaited to get my hands on this latest book.  I have to say that I was not disappointed because I easily finished it in one day.  All 362 pages!  The book is full of action, unlikely alliances, and some heartbreaking scenes that disrupted the HEA that I was so sure would happen.

Iron Queen continues with the Iron Fey wrecking havoc in Nevernever making the dysfunctional Summer and Winter courts hell bent on sacrificing Meghan to save their own necks.  Meghan isn’t the same girl, which is a good thing because she finally tells King Oberon and Queen Mab where to stick it.  She is still learning, but I felt like she made better choices and handled things a little bit better this time.  She realizes her destiny and accepts her place.

Puck continues to annoy the hell out of me.  To be honest, the Three Musketeer act could easily be a twosome and I would love it.  I know that Puck is put in the story as sort of a comic relief to lighten the dark mode that this book takes on, but I found myself skipping over his parts and not caring what I missed.  Yes, I am a Puck hater.

Ash is the man.  From the time he was introduced to the story, I knew he would end up with Meghan.  He was a prick at first, but his love and devotion to Meghan is what draws me to the series.  Now this is a love story, rated PG, but still a great love story.  It’s tragic that destiny keeps pulling them apart, but in the end I know the HEA will be worth the frustration of having to wait.

Overall, the story was easy to follow, the characters were good, and the plot was even better than the last.  If you are a fae fan and haven’t gotten around to reading this series, you are missing out on some good reading.

Rating

5 flowers of love.  An awesome new favorite for the bookshelf

Other Books In This Series:

The Iron King, Book #1

Winter’s Passage, Novella

The Iron Daughter, Book #2

The Iron Knight, Book #4 Coming Soon

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ARC Review: Mystify by Artist Arthur

Series:  Mystyx, Book #2

Genre:   YA, Paranormal

Release Date:  January 18, 2011

Publisher:  Kimani Tru

Author Website:  http://www.artistarthurbooks.com

Format I Read:  ARC ebook

Pages:  248 (Nook pgs)

Source:  Net Galley

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

Sometimes being an outsider is the best way to fit in… 

Sasha Carrington has grown up feeling like an outsider, and her parents are too concerned with scaling the Lincoln, Connecticut, social ladder to even notice her. They’d be really horrified to know about the supernatural abilities Sasha and her friends Krystal and Jake possess. But as part of the Mystyx, Sasha has found her place.

Now her parents have suddenly taken an interest in everything she does, and their timing couldn’t be worse. Sasha’s father wants her to become BFFs with snooty Alyssa Turner, who hates Krystal for stealing her boyfriend. Then there’s Antoine Watson, the boy Sasha has liked forever, the boy her parents would never approve of. But with the dark side getting more dangerous by the day, and the Mystyx’s own powers growing in unexpected ways, Sasha is facing choices that could affect her friends, her love life—and even her destiny…"

Awesomeness:

“Life is not about what we want, Sasha.  It’s about what’s best for us, for our family, our legacy.  Want rarely comes into play.”

What he really means is that want rarely comes into play where I’m concerned.  My parents seem to have everything their chilly little hearts desire.  Me, on the other hand, well, let’s just say I’m not like my parents.  Some days I wake up and even consider requesting a DNA test.

My Thoughts 

This is another YA series that I continue to enjoy. Artist Author has created a paranormal adventure featuring a teenage clique of supernaturals that keep me tagging along as they deal with their personal dramas and use their powers to deal with the Darkness that is stalking them.

In the latest book, the story turns to Sasha.   Her friends continue to judge her and think she’s a stuck up “Richie” simply because her parents are.  I thought she was a likable character, a little bratty and spoiled at times, but overall she was more mature than her friends, Krystal and Jake. 

Jake and Krystal got on my nerves in this book.  I always thought that Krystal was self centered, but she really out does herself in this book.  And Jake has serious anger issues.  His story is the next book, so hopefully I’ll be able to have a better understanding of who he is and what he’s dealing with personally before I start to hate him.

A new member was introduced to the supernatural clique and she seems to balance out the trio which is a good thing because their friendship was seriously headed for an ugly break up.

I am anxious to figure out the mystery of the “M” birthmarks and how all the kids ended up in the same town or exactly why they have their powers.  The mysteries are slowly unfolding, giving me just enough bits of information to keep me following the story.  

Overall I really liked Mystify and will continue reading the series.  I am very interested to know what in the world is going on with the Darkness and what it’s really after. 

Rating

4 flowers of love.  Very good and a recommended read.

Other Books In This Series:

Manifest, Book #1

Mayhem, Book #3 (August 2011)

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