Esperanza by Trish J. MacGregor (Hungry Ghosts #1) Tor Books (Sept 2010) Hardback, 336 pages Urban Fantasy Esperanza by Trish J. MacGregor takes fantasy to new heights with a thriller that will leave you cowering behind a cushion with all your curtains closed, praying the fog can’t get in… Those of you with a knowledge of Spanish will know that Esperanza means ‘hope’, but this novel strips hope away in the town of Esperanza, Ecuador. It very much takes advantage of the American perspective of Latin America as a mystical…
Dark Magic by James Swain (Peter Warlock #1) Tor Books (May 2012) Hardback, 352 pages Urban Fantasy I sometimes select books based on their titles without knowing any further details, I did this with Dark Magic thinking it would have something to do with witches. What I found was a sinister, supernatural thriller based in New York City, written from the third person point of view, following a group of psychics who use their gifts to try and help others. Peter Warlock is the lead psychic and holds a regular…
Blaze of Glory by Sheryl Nantus (Blaze of Glory #1) Samhain Publishing (Apr 2010) Ebook, 264 pages Urban Fantasy Imagine suffering some traumatic brain injury and while recovering you discover you have super powers. However, before you can think straight, you are whisked away by The Agency and made into a superhero (or villain). This is what happened to Jo Tanis, aka Surf. The Supers have fan clubs, photo shoots and live the good life. Or do they? They have a constant companion called a Guardian who has the ability to detonate a bomb…
Lightning Rider by Jen Greyson TWCS Publishing (May 2013) Ebook, 314 pages Paranormal Romance When we first meet Evy, she is riding her motorcycle through a storm trying to stop her good for nothing ex-boyfriend from robbing her blind. During her race through the storm, we learn that lightening has always caused her physical discomfort if not pain. This time not only is there pain but hallucinations, lightning dancing off her skin and an amazing rope of lightning she can swing like a bullwhip. Maybe the day isn’t so bad after…
APRIL’S BOOK CLUB PICK The Legend of the Crystal Lens by Samantha Graves Piatkus Books (May 2009) Paperback, 336 pages Romantic Suspense/Adventure Simon Bonner, tomb raider extraordinaire, has left his house pretty quickly after an old acquaintance dies after giving him the news that Simon’s ex-wife, Celina, has been kidnapped. In return the kidnappers want the crystal lens and a woman named Jillian Talbot in order to find the Archives of Man. Jillian Talbot is a museum curator and as she leaves the museum she is held at gunpoint, terrified she allows…
The Guardian of Bastet by Jacqueline M. Battisti (The Guardian of Bastet #1) Carina Press (Aug 2012) Ebook, 197 pages Paranormal Romance Trinity is a small-town veterinarian, who is not only able to hear animals speak to her but shifts into a were-cat at the full moon. Daughter of a powerful witch and a were-puma, she considers herself a magical dud. That is, until the local vampire gifts her with a magical amulet and tells her she is the next Guardian of Bastet. Armed with the amulet and a crash…
Cutest Couple by Kate Davies (Girls Most Likely to… #2) Carina Press (April 2013) Ebook, 79 pages Contemporary Romance Cutest Couple is the second instalment in the Girls Most Likely to… Series. This edition follows the antics of Marc and Bree. The pair were the golden couple when it came to high school duos, so much so that they were voted Cutest Couple. This lasted up until their high school graduation night where they had the mother of arguments which crushed their relationship. Marc swiftly joined the military and Bree…
Blacque/Bleu by Belinda McBride (Arcada #1) Loose Id (Oct 2010) Ebook, 220 pages Erotic M/M Paranormal Romance Blacque/Bleu is a pretty good erotic m/m paranormal romance. I liked the author’s writing style although there wasn’t as much depth to the overall story as I would have liked. The book definitely focuses much more on the sex than the plot, but it was a fun read. The characters are very likeable, and the sex scenes were quite well done and sexy. Blacque is a werewolf mechanic and Bleu, who works in the…
Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl Penguin Books (Feb 2010) | Kindle, 577 pages Paranormal YA BECS: With the movie being released shortly and a lot of hype surrounding Beautiful Creatures, for me this book was a must-read, as I have to finish the book before I can possibly watch the movie. A paranormal romance between a mortal and a witch set in America’s deep south, where voodoo reigns was enough to capture my interest. The writing grabbed my attention quickly and the build up…
Blood’s Pride (Shattered Kingdoms #1) by Evie Manieri Jo Fletcher Books (August 2012) Hardback, 528 pages Fantasy Rising from their sea-torn ships like vengeful, pale phantoms, the Norlanders laid waste to the Shadar under cover of darkness. They forced the once-peaceful fisher folk into slavery and forged an alliance with their former trading partners, the desert-dwelling Nomas tribe, cutting off any hope of salvation. Now, two decades after the invasion, a rebellion gathers strength in the dark corridors of the city. A small faction of Shadari have hired the Mongrel, an…
Fangtabulous (Vamped #4) by Lucienne Diver Flux Books (US, Jan 2013) Ebook, 288 pages Paranormal, Young Adult Can a fanged fashionista take out a deadly Salem spirit? Being on the run from the Feds and the vampire council with no money is not as glamorous as it sounds, especially when I, Gina Covello, fashion queen of the undead, am forced to abandon my wardrobe. Salem, Massachusetts, seems like a great place to hide our supernatural gang. But who knew the city would be crawling with ghosts? The nasty spirit of George Corwin, infamous sheriff…
Immortal Trust by Claire Ashgrove (The Curse of the Templars #3) Tor Books (March 2013) Paperback, 440 pages Paranormal Romance Warning: contains spoilers Immortal Trust is book number three of The Curse of the Templars series. I was so looking forward to reading thins after having immensely enjoyed the previous two books in the series. Although Immortal Trust didn’t grab me as much as Immortal Hope or Immortal Surrender, it was still an enjoyable read. Chloe Broussard is an archaeologist that loves her job. Having spent a lot of her time in Egypt working in…
Changeling Moon by Dani Harper (Changeling #1) Brava Books (May 2011) Paperback, 368 pages Paranormal Romance Changeling Moon by Dani Harper is the first in a new series about werewolves, here referred to as changelings, and the town of Dunvegan where one wolf has turned rogue… This one wolf is Bernie Gervais, an old wolf who believes he should be in charge of the pack and is slowly starting to lose his mind. A drunk and a loner, Bernie refuses to listen to commands and roams free in wolf form whenever…
Ice Forged (Ascendent Kingdoms #1) by Gail Z. Martin Orbit Books (Jan 2013) Paperback, 592 pages Fantasy Condemned as a murderer for killing the man who dishonored his sister, Blaine “Mick” McFadden has spent the last six years in Velant, a penal colony in the frigid northern wastelands of Edgeland. Harsh military discipline and the oppressive magic of the governor’s mages keep a fragile peace as colonists struggle against a hostile environment. But the supply ships from Dondareth have stopped coming, boding ill for the kingdom that banished the colonists….
The Murmurings by Carly Anne West Simon Pulse (March 2013) | Ebook, 384 pages Paranormal YA The Murmurings starts off very creepy and reminds me of the movie The Ring, with the monster using mirrors and reflections instead of the television. A curtain of black, oily hair spills from the glass, obscuring the eyeless face and moving, silent mouth. Long skinny digits follow, twitching on the ends of blackened, rotting hands – a decaying body and halting legs emerge last from the mirror, leaving a layer of oily residue in their…
