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!!!

Review: The Secret Of The Scarlet Stone by T L Clarke

Series:   A Gabby Girls Adventures, Book #1

Genre:  YA, Fantasy

Published:  July 2010

Publisher: One Wish Publishing

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

Format I Read:  ebook

Pages:  88 (Nook pages)

Source:  Author

Read an excerpt

Book Summary

Can you help the Gabby Girls solve the clues?

The Gabby Girls are drawn together by the only thing that they have in common, which is the mysterious scarlet pendant they each possess. But things seem even stranger when they find a clue that tempts them with the answer to the question they have longed to know. 

After all, Gabby Girls always stick together, and every day is a...Gabby Girls Adventure!

My Thoughts

The Secret Of The Scarlet Stone is a quick and fun read.  It’s full of mystery, mischief, and girl power.  It took me back to my tween years when I first discovered what fun reading could be.  It also reminded me of The Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins, my favorite tween books.

The book centers around four girls that are relative strangers but end up being roommates at boarding school.  At first they don’t have much in common but discover that they all have the same necklace and are anxious to unlock the mystery that has brought them together.

I thought the story was cute and well written, but it’s best suited for middle grade or junior high readers.  It was a little too innocent for my corrupted reading tastes, but still a good story. 

My  Rating

I give The Secret Of The Scarlet Stone three and ½ flowers of love.

1/2

 

Review: Bloodsworn: Bound By Magic by Kathy Lane

Genre:  Paranormal Romance, Fantasy

Published: September 2010

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

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

Format I Read:  ebook

Pages:  380 (Nook pages)

Source: Ck2s Kwips and Kritiques

Read an excerpt

Book Summary

Worlds collide when a man of magic is forced to take a woman of science as his bride. Powerful Bloodsworn, Devlin Kel-Tragar, is sent to Earth to claim his prophecy bride, a task he has no heart for until he learns that research chemist, Avera St. John, is also his Starmate, the one woman in the universe born just for him. Now he'll do anything to claim her. But will his slow seduction of his lady mate give his enemy time to take away the one thing Devlin can't afford to lose?

Avera is drawn to her new neighbor, Devlin Kel, despite the mystery she senses surrounding him. A mystery that blows her safe little scientific world wide open when strange men with swords try to kill her and Devlin shows up and blasts them with magic. Real, honest-to-goodness magic! Her world is suddenly changed forever, and Avera must decide if she is able to accept those changes along with the man responsible.

My Thoughts

Devlin is a powerful magic wielder sent to Earth to claim his future bride, Avera.   Since Avera doesn’t know that magic exists and he’s pretty sure that she’s going to think he’s crazy, he plans to woo her before revealing his plans for their future. When his enemies try to keep Devlin from claiming her, time has run out and he has no choice but to reveal himself and hope that Avera can forgive him for deceiving her.

Bound By Magic is a unique story. The story started out slow, but developed into a fast paced read. At first, the story didn’t draw me in, but as I kept reading, I began to enjoy the tale that Kathy Lane wove.

Avera St John has a lot of things to deal with in her life. She recently survived a vicious attack on her life, her father has gone missing, and now she realizes that she hates her job. What more could life throw at her?

When she first meets Devlin, her sexy new neighbor, her first impression is stranger danger, but later she realizes that she’s drawn to him and can’t figure out why. When she starts receiving strange gifts, she decides that now is not the time to start a new romance.

Kathy Lane did a wonderful job on this book. I enjoyed the world building that took place and loved the characters that were introduced. The plot was also new and fresh. I haven’t read a lot of books that dealt with magical beings without shape shifters, so this was a nice change of pace.

The slow romance between Avera and Devlin was just right and didn’t feel forced. I liked that Devlin gave Avera time and patience to accept him and what her position with him would entail. I also liked that Avera was given her own identity and that she did not have to rely on her ties to Devlin to be a force to be reckoned with.

My  Rating

I give Bound By Magic four flowers of love.  

Review: The Mermaid's Pendant by LeAnn Neal Reilly

Genre:  Fantasy, Romance, Fiction

Published:  March 2010

Publisher:  Zephon Books

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  572

Author Website:  www.nealreilly.com

How I Got It: reviewed for Pump Up Your Book Tours

Book Summary:

Inspired by the beloved classic The Little Mermaid, THE MERMAID’S PENDANT is a modern fairy tale about growing up and discovering who you are—and what you believe in. At times lyrical, this novel is a fantastic journey filled with magic, myth, romance, and adventure.

Four years after John Wilkerson claims the mermaid Tamarind for his wife, they have an idyllic marriage that depends on a talisman that she crafted on their island paradise. But Tamarind learns a painful truth: it takes more than legs to live on land and more than magic to sustain a bond. When the talisman breaks, she and John are forced to rely on themselves instead of magic.

Three wise women play key roles in the young lovers’ journey to mature love. Ana, Tamarind’s aging mentor, casts spells and performs seductions to keep the lovers apart. Valerie, an expat jewelry maker cum fairy godmother, works her own magic to bring them together. Lucy, their widowed neighbor, grounds the couple in the realities of marriage, parenting, and family.

THE MERMAID’S PENDANT is a story for anyone who has ever believed in the transforming power of love.

My Thoughts

The Mermaid’s Pendant is like the adult version of The Little Mermaid. It still has the magic of the fairy tale, but Leann Neal Reilly takes the classic tale and tests the happy ever after

romance.  

Tamarind is the naive mermaid that gives up everything she knows to live a human life with John.  With the help of Ana, a local witch, Tamarind goes through the motions of winning John’s heart from two other women that he is already involved with.  Yeah, when the two meet, John already has a girlfriend and has just started a fling with someone else.

Although John is already juggling two women, he’s still drawn to Tamarind and after much drama, they finally get together.  That’s where the real story begins.

I was seriously intimidated by the size of this book when I first got it. As I read it, there was so much going on in the lives of Tamarind and John that I felt the book actually should have been longer. 

Their relationship made my head hurt.  It started out strong with them knowing each other’s mind and mood, but became so strained because they didn’t trust each other.  At times, their daughter could sense that something was seriously wrong when they couldn’t.  I was confused about that part, but it kept the story interesting.

The ex girlfriend and the witch created the most the strain with Tamarind and John’s relationship.  I kept waiting for a knock down drag out session with the ex and a magical showdown with the witch, but the events that got rid of them were unexpected twists.  

My  Rating

I give The Mermaid’s Pendant four flowers of love.  The book was very well written and easy to follow.  The characters development was good.  At times, parts of the story did get a little wordy and drawn out, but overall I enjoyed the story.

 

Series Review: The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa

Author:  Julie Kagawa
Genre:  Fantasy, YA
How I Got It:  ARC ebooks from Net Galley

Book Summaries:

Title:  The Iron King
Series: Iron Fey Series, Book #1
Released:  February 1, 2010

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Read an excerpt 

Title:  Winter's Passage
Series:  Iron Fey Series, Novella
Released:  June 1, 2010

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....

Title:  The Iron Daughter
Series:  The Iron Fey, Book #2
Released:  August 1, 2010

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Read an excerpt 

My Thoughts

Oh great, another series for me to obsess over.  I don't read a lot of YA because the characters are usually young and they haven't developed into the kick ass heroes and heroines that I like to read about so they don't hold my attention very well.   But every now and then I run across one that has just enough action and romance to make it worth my while.   

In the Iron Fey Series, Julie Kagawa has taken well known characters and given them new life.  Her vivid imagination had me reading all three books back to back.  The books are written so wonderfully that you cannot stop reading until the last page has been turned.  Then you whine for more.

I didn't want to review each books separately, so I just decided to do one big review.  To tell the truth, I can't tell where one book stopped and the other began.  In my mind, all three books ran together as one big story.

At times I felt like I was reading a cross between A Midnight Summer's Dream and Alice In Wonderland  with a little bit of The Matrix sprinkled in.  The series was a fun read.  It had crazy characters, romance, and plenty of action.

I liked Meghan.  She was a little bratty at times, but she developed into a pretty good character.  Once she found out who she was, she did what was necessary to protect herself and those that she cared about.

Puck I could have done without.  He annoyed me from start to finish.  True he helped Meghan as much as he could but I still felt that if he hadn't been such a prankster about everything, her journey would not have been so complicated.

As soon as Ash stepped on the scene, it was all over.  Bad boy or not, I was rooting for him to get the girl, no matter what evil he'd done or did to get her.  He may have been the enemy and whatnot, but it's just something about bad boys that make me swoon.  His character did a complete turnaround which made me love him even more.

Grimalkin and Iron Horse were my favorite characters.  Grimalkin was super selfish and charged for every favor he did, but always came through in the end.  I'm still wondering what he had to gain from all the help he gave because he sure didn't do it out of the goodness of his heart.
Iron Horse was a complete surprise.  He was the enemy, then the friend.  I didn't know whether to trust or root for him to go to that big scrap yard in the sky.

My Rating

I give the series five flowers of love.  I enjoyed the books and would recommend them.  I am anxiously awaiting the next installment, Iron Queen, which is due out in February 2011 (sad face).

The Vampire and the Virgin by Kerrelyn Sparks

Day Eight of Eight Days of Love At Stake

 

Title: The Vampire and the Virgin
Author: Kerrelyn Sparks
Released: March 9, 2010
Series: Love at Stake, Book 8
How I Got It:  Purchased book

Book Summary
FBI psychologist Olivia Sotiris was looking for a cool ocean breeze, sand between her toes, and a break from her crazy, chaotic, and sometimes all-too-dangerous life. But when she escaped to the small Greek island of Patmos, all she got were meddling grandmothers trying to marry her off. Can't they see that none of the men around interests her-except Robby MacKay? Robby needs to cool off, too, since all he can think about is revenge on the Malcontent bloodsuckers who once held him captive-but then he meets Olivia, the beauty with the wild curls and a tempting smile. When a deadly criminal from a case back home tracks her down, Robby will have to save her life-along with giving her a first time she'll never forget...  

My thoughts
  Kudos to Ms. Sparks for writing this story. I loved it. If I didn't have to do that annoying thing called sleep, I would have finished it in one day. This book had a little action, romance, and humor.

I was hooked after the first few pages. I have never read about a Scottish vamp before. I've always thought their accents were cute, but I get a big kick out of men wearing dresses(oh they call them kilts-yeah whatever)! Not sure why, but I still think they are sexy even if they do wear skirts and I can see their hairy legs!

I loved the romance between Olivia and Robby. It wasn't a whirlwind romance, nor was it a slow one. It was just the right pace. I thought it was sweet that they had a long distance relationship and became friends first.

I really get sick of the caveman vamps that take what they think is theirs. Why do they always think these women are their property? Bone heads! The stalker situation reminded me of the movie, Silence of the Lamb. I couldn't tell who was who and what was going on. To me, everybody was a suspect. Ms Sparks kept me confused until the very end. There were so many suspects to look at. But when the stalker was revealed, it made sense. I just didn't see it coming.  

My Rating
5 Stars I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it. Damn, I wish I could go on vacation and bring back a nice piece of ass as a souvenir!

Read an excerpt of The Vampire and the Virgin

Win a copy of The Vampire and the Virgin.  Contest ends June 25.

Everlasting Kiss by Amanda Ashley

Three and 1/2 stars

Book Summary

Desire Never Dies

Daisy O'Donnell doesn't get the attraction some women feel for vampires. She likes her men with a heartbeat. And she's just met one who's full of life: Erik Delacourt, the unreasonably sexy man she keeps meeting at a popular L.A. nightclub called the Crypt. She barely knows him, but there's no resisting the connection she feels

There's one important detail Erik hasn't gotten around to telling her yet. He's a powerful vampire out to hunt the Blood Thief who is draining young vampires all over the city—and who has just raised the stakes by destroying one of Erik's friends. To Erik, Daisy is a bright spot of innocence in a world of darkness and menace. He'll do anything—even lie to her—to keep her safe and pure.

If only he knew that Daisy has something of her own to hide


I was really psyched to read this book because it had been in my TBR file for a minute and it was getting great reviews. I liked the story but was not really in love with it. I thought it would be one of those super good books that you just can't put down, but I found it very easy to put it down and wait for the ending

Despite my attitude, the book was pretty good. For me, it was just missing that fire that I love when I'm reading a romance novel. For a vampire, Erik was a little too laid back for me. He was one of those easily forgettable vamps.

At first, Daisy appeared to be the typical needy female that felt her world was not complete without her dark knight. Unlike the others, she did have a little spunk about herself. I didn't buy the bit about her being the Blood Thief because it just didn't fit. I could see her selling or marketing it, but not getting the goods herself. I saw the whole getting caught scene coming a mile away. It was kinda funny when Erik decided to keep her when she broke into his house to steal his blood. I loved the scene where she trashed his house and he made her clean it up!

To me, their romance was a little boring. It had no real spark or smoking flames. It wasn't the typical hot and heavy relationship between a vampire and his lady love that I'm used to. It was more of a rated PG version.

The only highlights that keep me reading the book were her brother Alex and Erik's best friend, Rhys. Alex was an over protective brother but he reminded me of Jason from True Blood. Not sure why, but that's who came to mind each time I read about Alex.

Rhys was the entertainment. If he does have his own story, I will be reading it. Even though he wasn't in the book much, I found myself wanting to know more about him.

This was my first book by Amanda Ashley, so I'll be checking her out more. This story didn't have me raving, but I'm sure she's got tons more that will. We'll see....



Deuces