A Vampire for Christmas

4 stars out of 5

I got an ARC from netGalley to review.

I loved two out of the four stories in this book and really wished both would have been longer. I generally stay away from anthologies because I tend to not like most of the stories and think it's a waste of money. I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

Enchanted by Blood by Laurie London was my favorite. It's part of the Sweetblood series and featured Trace and Charlotte. They reconnect over the holiday season and try to find happiness in their time together.

All I Want for Christmas by Alexis Morgan was also really good. I would've loved to learn more about the secondary characters. In this story was Della, a diner owner and Eagan, an undercover cop trying to bust a ring of vampires.

When Herald Angels Sing by Caridad Pineiro was a take on A Christmas Carol. Damien sees visions of the past and present brought to him by Angelina and together they have to change his future.

Monsters Don't Do Christmas by Michele Hauf was my least favorite. I didn't like Daniel and thought Olivia, a famous singer, came off as a little to immature. Just didn't "feel" it

Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter

3 out of 5 stars

I received this ARC from NetGalley.

The first book in a new series by the combined talents of not only Ms. Showalter, but also by Jill Monroe, Jessica Andersen, and Nalini Singh. Each book will be about one of the four adult children of the slain King and Queen of Elden. This one was about Nicolai, the Crown Prince and Jane a human woman who is recovering from an accident that killed her family.

I enjoyed the story, but was reminded of Ms. Showalter's Atlantis series. The parallel worlds, the creatures of myth and the very Alpha male. I understand that each book will bring us closer to reclaiming the kingdom, but I felt like this book ended a little too soon. Too many loose ends were left hanging. Hopefully, some of these loose ends will be tied up in the rest of the series.

All in all this was a fast enjoyable read for when you need a little light entertainment you don't have to think too deeply about.

Sorry...

I will post an actual blog on here tomorrow. My nephew just came home from Iraq on Tuesday and his first child was born on Thursday. So, needless to say it's been crazy around here.

Oh, and just so I can brag it was a beautiful 6 1/2 lbs baby girl. Her name is Camille and she's perfect.

The Usual Apocalypse by Christine Price

3.5 out of 5 stars

I didn't realize this was the second in a series when I started reading it. I got lost in the storyline a few times and didn't understand the world at first. I went back and read the first book to get the full experience of the Society. That being said, I ended up really liking this book. Matt and Brennan played well of each other and made a likable couple. I would've liked more of a back story on Brennan then what was written, but it wasn't missing enough to take away from the story. The rest of the characters were well written, too. I'm guessing by the way it ended that there will be more in this series. I'm actually finding myself to looking forward to it.

Redemption by Eleri Stone

3.5 stars out of 5

I liked the action in this book. The shifter world it takes place in was a nice change from everything else out there right now. I would've liked it a bit more if the ending would have expanded on their relationship a little more. But I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more by Ms. Stone in the future. Hopefully, I won't have to wait very long.

Sophie is in the rain forest of Peru working on an earthquake ravaged archeological site where she meets Adriano. He's there working as he's also searching for an ancient artifact to buy he's way back into his tribe of jaguar shifters. Of course there are other factors working against them as they quickly find themselves acting on their attraction, finding adventure and trying to stay alive long enough to enjoy it all.

State Fair

So, I went to the Kentucky State Fair over the weekend. It was...interesting. There wasn't any really exciting exhibits, but the people were the main attraction. The best thing was the food of course. Were you aware that you can deep-fry Kool-Aid? I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen the booth myself. But the craziest food was the Krispy Kreme hamburger. Who thought it was a good idea to use a KK doughnut as a bun for a hamburger? They actually had the longest line, too. Insane! I just stuck with the plain ol' bbq sandwich. I'm going back later in the week to help out a friend and I might get a little freaky and try the Kool-Aid. Maybe, but probably not.

Bear Otter and the Kid by TJ Klune

5 out of 5 stars

I am emotional exhausted after reading this book. Don't get me wrong I loved it, but it just wore me out. I laughed, I cried then laughed some more. It's a story of love and loss and what a family really means. Bear and Ty are left by their mother when Bear is only seventeen and he must learn to take care of his brother. Thankfully, they have a strong support group in their friends. Bear must also come to grips with his love for his best friend's brother. I just don't have the words to describe how really wonderful this book is and highly I recommend everyone to read it and share in the experience that is the Kid!

Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy

5 out of 5 stars

This book was great. It made me laugh out loud and got quite a few strange looks, but they were worth it. The book follows two years in Declan and Simon's lives. It starts out sweet, but they have to hide their romance since Declan is a famous footballer and closeted. Soon they are outed as a couple and the rest of the story is of them coming to terms with the stress of trying to be a couple in the spotlight. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good romance with a little humor.

My Letter to Hollywood

Dear Hollywood,

I know it's hard to live among such smart people like Paris, Lindsey and of course those uber-sisters the Kardashians, but don't you think you could come up with an original idea for a movie? Stop remaking movies that I've already seen a hundred times! Conan, Fright Night, Dirty Dancing, and Footloose just to name a few were good movies when they were made. Why mess with them? And don't get me started on sequels! I think Final Destination is on what 5 now. I just read there is a new Ghost Rider movie....really? The first one wasn't even that good. Why don't you promote more indie films instead of big budget movies that are crappy remakes. Granted this is just my opinion which isn't much.

Thanks,
Angie

The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

3 out of 5 stars

I don't usually read YA because it's too, for lack of a better word, soft. Even though it centered around 17 year-old Sasha and a lot of it took place in a high school I still liked it. Sasha's struggle with her faith, her family, and her growing attraction for Jax made for an interesting read. The concept of the hero seeking redemption and there being only one girl in the entire world who can help has been done countless times, but the mythology behind this story was what made it different. I believe there will be a book for each brother and I'm actually looking forward to reading them.

The six sons of Mephistopheles has been charged with rounding up the lost souls on earth. During one such take down Jax finds his Anabo. An Anabo is the light to his dark or his soul mate. After her mother is sent back to Russia she is sent to live with her aunt and uncle, who she has never met. After finding lost souls in her aunt and cousin she gets help from Jax and his brothers. At first she only sees the darkness in him, but soon realizes there is more to him. Soon they embark on a mission to save others from selling their souls while trying to keep hers intact.

Thanks to netGalley for the ARC.

My Horrible Florida Trip Days 1-3

I just recently went on vacation with some family members to Ft. Myers, FL. It sounded like a good idea at the time, boy was I wrong! It started off with 6 people (ages 62-12) in a mini-van for a day and a half drive there. My mom drove, which she should not be allowed to do for long periods of time and believes firmly in synchronized peeing. My aunt rode shot gun and commented on gas prices at every exit from Indiana to Florida and back. My cousin had broken her ankle the week before we left and complained about every single thing she could find to complain about the entire trip. Two pre-teen girls being girls and myself rounded out this trip. Did I mention that my mom and I paid for the entire trip? Normally this wouldn't even come up, but for this story it needs to be known.

After getting to the condo on Saturday we discovered the air conditioner was not working and maintenance workers didn't work on the weekends. So, six people in a two room condo with no air was enough to drive me crazy. By the third day I was on edge. I decided to take everyone out to eat at the resturant next door. We get there, get seated out on the deck by the bay and start looking over menus, sounds calming yes? No. The two girls would only eat hot dogs (thankfully they were on the kid's menu) and my aunt looked at the prices and decided she was no longer hungrey. It took all of us about 10 minutes to convince her to eat. My cousin on the other hand, ordered the most expensive thing on the menu! A beautiful filet in a merlot reduction sauce, then turned around and asked for A1 to smother it in!

Finally, dinner was over and we walked back to our condo. My cousin and I went out to set by the tennis courts to relax. She had the nerve to set there and complain about her $50.00 meal by saying the steak tasted funny (well, we you mix A1 with merlot reduction sauce what do you expect?) and there wasn't enough alcohol in her drinks. Of course she also complained about the service and how long it took to get our food (15 minutes) and even the weather. Did I mention this was all free for her? I mean who acts like that?

That was my first three days. I should've known that it was only going to get worse.

Signed and Sealed by B.A. Stretke

3 out of 5 stars

The story centers around Will and Eli. Will gets a call from his estranged sister for help and he drops everything to go to Montana to help her. When he shows up at the ranch he meets Eli and realizes the trouble is now his not his sister's. Through the confusion a love develops, but neither really trust the other.

I liked this book, but I wasn't crazy about the writing style. The shifting perspective jumped around too much for me. Not only was both Eli and Will's thoughts heard, but so were neighbors, housekeepers and their siblings. If only the story focused on either Will or Eli I would have given it another star. I will try reading more in the future from this author.

Electric Out

I really hate this time of year. Every time the wind blows it knocks out my electric for hours. Usually, I really wouldn't bitch about this, except now on doctor's orders I have to sleep on this crappy air mattress that is suppose to do wonders for my skin. Yeah, but when the electric goes off so does my bed! I just spent the last 4 hours with my bed wrapped around me like a taco shell. I guess it could've been worse, but dang it I feel like complaining to you, dear reader. Being on bed-rest really sucks. I could have had my parents move me to another bed, but the only one available is in a room with no windows. No thanks. But now everything is back to working order so now it's time to turn off the lights and go to bed. Go figure.

Dream Lover by Adrienne Staff

2 out of 5 stars

I had a hard time trying to get into this book. The story is Carol, an assistant manager at a hotel, moves to Arizona for a promotion. Her first day there she meets Cody, a professor/tour guide and they don't hit it off. He's rude and spiteful to her for no reason. She's already damaged from something that happened nine years before and wants nothing to do with him. Then all of a sudden he has to be with her and pursues her relentlessly. While this is all going on there is also a lot of dreams of old Indian men and eagles. I thought at one point this was going to be a shape-shifter story, but it's not.

Avenger's Angel by Heather Killough-Walden

5 out of 5 stars

Wow, I don't know where to begin describing this book. It was a fantastic start to a new series that I can't wait to read more of. Even with all the new books about angels out now, this one really stood out. It's the story of the four favored archangels search for their archesses, or soul mates. Uriel, the former Angel of Vengeance, is now a famous actor and is doing promotional signing for his new movie when he runs across Ellie, his archess. They are instantly attracted to one another and Ellie gets scared. She's spent the last ten years hiding trying to keep her gifts secret. Of course there are other factors trying to keep them apart that ends in a battle of good and evil.

Michael, the former Warrior Angel, is now a policeman with the NYPD. Gabriel, the former Messenger Angel, is a fireman with the NYFD. Azrael, the former Angel of Death is now a famous rock star. Along with these guys we have Samael, the Fallen One, and Max who is their guardian. Each of the characters stand out in their own right and each compelling. I really think that this series will just keep getting better with each book. I know that I'm hooked after reading this one.

Trying Something New

So, I've decided to try my hand at blogging (again). Hopefully along with book reviews I can share a little about myself. To start, as my bio says, I'm a C5-6 quadriplegic. That pretty much means that I'm paralyzed from the chest down with limited use of my arms and my hands are useless. I made a stupid decision 9 years ago to drink and dive into a swimming pool and that decision has put me into a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Before, my life was full of work ( I was a manager at a well-known steakhouse) and lots of friends. Now, I have very few friends and am home-bound. Hopefully this blog will help me with issues that I still haven't come to terms with and get things off my chest. If anyone has any suggestions to help me along, feel free to comment.

Change of Heart by Mary Calmes

3 out of 5 stars

Jin, a were-panther, is just trying to live a normal life when things get complicated. He meets his mate who he doesn't want to accept. Of course, fate has other plans and they must fight or die.

I've read quite a few books by Mary Calmes and have always liked them. This book however, took me awhile to get into due to the fact I felt like I needed glossary to understand what was going on. Once I figured out what each person's title was I really got into the story. The ending left it so that the reader knows there will be a sequel, which I'm sure I will read

Dutch Treat by Andrew Grey

4 out of 5 stars

After being dumped on the way to the airport, Michael leaves for the Netherlands for a job that will last six months. On the flight he meets a lady who helps him see that it was probably for the best. Once he arrives he meets Stephan, a co-worker, and they quickly become friends. The relationship between Michael and Stephan builds into a stronger commitment the longer they spend together. But is it enough to last after the six months are up?

I enjoyed the story and really liked the setting being in the Netherlands. The detail in the scenery was almost like being there. Mr. Grey brought to life two men that fit together very nicely and seemed to really fall in love at the right time in their lives. It is always a joy to read one of his books and this definitely will not be the last.

Crying For The Moon by Sarah Madison

I enjoyed this story about a vampire who is trying to cut himself off from an ex-lover and a veterinarian with secrets of his own. The snarky attitude of Alex, the vampire, was kind of charming. He was surrounded by a pack of werewolves that should have been his enemy and a half-feral cat that had an attitude to match his own. Add to that trying to remodel an old farmhouse and a growing attraction to Tate and the story was quite entertaining.

When Memory Fails by D.W. Marchwell

The sequel to Fallen picks up two years into the relationship of Hank, an adrenaline junkie logger and Scott a composer. The love for each other shows through in a wonderful storyline filled with humor and heartbreak. I'm glad this couple worked out and was given a follow-up book delving deeper into their relationship and the relationship with their families. With the way it ended, I'm left to wonder if there will be a third book?

Touch of Crimson by Sylvia Day

A new series about angels, vampires, lycans and their struggle to protect humankind. I found the dynamics of the relationships of these three groups very intriguing. The vampires are Fallen angels and the lycans guard the angels. There were a few places that I got confused, but overall the story is great.

Adrian is the leader of the Sentinels, an elite group of angels that enforce punishment, who has lost the mortal women he loves over and over again. When he meets Lindsey in an airport he realizes he has found her after two hundred years. Lindsey feels an immediate attraction for Adrian, but has no memory of him. She is on her way to relocating for a new job with Gadara Enterprises (from the Marked series Ms. Day wrote under the name of S.J. Day). Of course things don't go very smoothly and they along with their lycan guard are thrown into a very dangerous situation where things aren't what they seem.

I'm really looking forward to more books in this series.