Lost In Starlight by Sherry Soule

Lost In Starlight by Sherry Soule

ISBN: 978-1495433351

GENRE: Upper YA / SyFy Romance

Release date: June 26, 2014

Rated: PG-13

Excerpt: http://sherrysoule.blogspot.com/2014/04/new-series-by-sherry-soule-starlight.html

Amazon Webpage: http://www.amazon.com/Sherry-Soule/e/B00596ANCA

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20707942-lost-to-starlight

*This book was provided by the author for an honest review*

Review:

Sherry Soule’s writing style is always so refreshing and unique, great to unwind and just read for the heck of it. Her characters are so realistic and appealing, you can’t help it but fall in love with them or hate them if they’re bad. Hayden is your typical bad boy with a heart of gold and to be honest, I just didn’t connect with him as much as I would have liked it. Yes, he was perfect because he wasn’t really a douchebag and accepted her for who she was without trying to change anything about her, but he wasn’t really growing or developing on the pages. But then again, it’s not about me, is it? Sloane’s chemistry with Hayden sure as heck lit up the pages. They made a good team, I’ll admit it. But still, you know? Oh, and his brother… he just fell flat to me. So, a few characters need more development.

Thing is, sometimes I got a few bad vibes like the fact that Sloan just rolled with the punches. I’m still not quite sure whether her quick acceptance of things was a good thing or bad. I mean, a bit more of a surprise and shocking reaction would have been nice. What’s up with looking up things online? Everyone knows it’s innacurate. The beginning just played the “new, mysterious person in town with a big secret that I’m going to guess” card too hard. I feel like Sloan just wasn’t herself then. My pet peeve is that sometimes certain things happen like an accident and only a few eyebrows are raised. Like, there were no consequences to the strange and unexplained.

Sloan is great, though. She’s witty and doesn’t lack in the sarcasm department. No matter what, she will stand up for herself and just… be, you know. Sloan is a great role model, the poster child for what the rest of us should realize, that it’s okay to be yourself and not be “normal.” I mean, where’s the fun in that, right? The realism also comes from the normal teen issues that girls sometimes have to deal with like body image, family and, of course, boys. See, that’s the thing with YA, a teen can read it and be like, “I understand that girl (or guy), I’m going through something like that” while an adult can look back and nod because they remember having experienced it, too.

As far as the writing and everything, Sherry Soule has nailed the genre. Both adults and teens should read Lost In Starlight. It’s the perfect combination of syfy, romance and suspense. It’s both intriguing and action-packed. The romance will keep you interested and coming back for more because there’s a balance in the book where one part of it won’t suddenly overwhelm the reader. Sloan, the intrepid reporter, is like the Clark Kent of the story and I’m anxiously waiting for the next volume in the series so I can once again enjoy Sloan and Hayden’s adventures. Hopefully, next time Hayden will grow to be more than just Sloan’s boyfriend. She needs more than just a hottie.

Rating: 3.5

Stolen Time Book Tour

Angela Rae Harris:  Stories of Hope ~ Creating Dreams

Angela is an author, a wife, mother of two, and a part-time assistant office manager. She loves nights when her husband cooks. Her two kids keep her hopping and help her tap into her well of creativity and imagination.

At thirteen, Angela read Harry Potter and was reacquainted with books. She reads everything from Steven King to Will Hobbs. She started writing after her youngest was born. The characters started to visit and wouldn’t let her sleep until she wrote down their stories.

She'd love for people to get lost in her books.

Website/Blog / Facebook Fan Page / Twitter / Goodreads /

Book Links:

Amazon / Amazon U.K. / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords / Goodreads

Guest Post: 

Stolen Time and the Shifter Origin

From the beginning, I knew Stolen Time (The Time Series) would be about shifters. The idea of changing into an animal always intrigued me. As I researched the idea, I wanted a world that was based off of an ancient belief. Egyptian religion is riddled with gods who are also animals. My story developed as I researched those legends.

While much of the shifter ability is built upon Egyptian tales, it needed to be modernized. I envisioned modern day shifters in hiding. After all, wouldn't you be a little scared of your neighbor if you know he could change into a grizzly bear? This also presented a case for the antagonistic General. In accent Egypt, the pharaohs were believed to be close to the gods because they could also shift into animals. The General’s cause is to reinstate shifters’ place in the current world.

Along with the legends, I knew that my shifters wouldn't all change into the same animal. Everyone has a different personality; therefore, everyone has a different animal inside of them. Have you ever been told you have eyes like a hawk or you’re cunning like a fox? In junior high, I started a new school and one of the girls I sat next to in first period told me that I looked like a cat. At the time it seemed odd, but it made me think. My imagination went wild. No pun intended.

I want my fantasy world to be believable, and to make my readers think when they see a garage door raised a little off the ground, “Does a shifter live there?”

With Halloween coming up, what kind of shifter would you want to be?

Okay, so to intrigue you a bit further with Angela Rae Harris book here's the beautiful cover and synopsis. 

Synopsis:

Tragedy has made Keaira wise beyond her twenty years. Forced to work for the General, a commanding man who blackmailed his way into her life, she was ordered to study self-defense and master knife throwing. In the hidden community of Shifters, falcons are considered weak, a fact which may ultimately save her life. To escape his cruelty, she will need to call upon her quick-witted falcon side, but the General has other plans – ones which involve his only son, Carson.

When unexpected feelings form between Keaira and Carson, the General quickly moves his pieces into place, launching his quest to take over the world. If she wants to survive, Keaira must stay one step ahead in the General’s deadly game and discover his weaknesses. Even if it means risking her life and the lives of those she cares about most.

With war on the horizon, sides are being drawn. Deadly secrets must be exposed. Time is running out for Keaira and all of mankind.

Fabulous Upcoming Stuff

So, my friends. You may or may not know of the fabulous Spellbound series by Sherry Soule but let me tell you that you're most definitely missing out on something big if you don't. A cross between Supernatural and Charmed, this series is one of the best I've read. You can read my review on Beautifully Broken, the first book here. Coming up, is the review of the revamped version of the first book. I'll have that up sometime before it's my turn in the tour. Meanwhile, here are some pretty cool banners to look at.

Support indie authors!

GenLia

Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Styxx (Dark-Hunter #24)

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Published September 3rd 2013 by St. Martin's Press

Purchase at: 

Barnes&Noble

Amazon

Synopsis: 

Just when you thought doomsday was over...

Centuries ago Acheron saved the human race by imprisoning an ancient evil bent on absolute destruction. Now that evil has been unleashed and it is out for revenge.

As the twin to Acheron, Styxx hasn’t always been on his brother’s side. They’ve spent more centuries going at each other’s throats than protecting their backs. Now Styxx has a chance to prove his loyalty to his brother, but only if he’s willing to trade his life and future for Acheron’s.

The Atlantean goddess of Wrath and Misery, Bethany was born to right wrongs. But it was never a task she relished. Until now. She owes Acheron a debt that she vows to repay, no matter what it takes. He will join their fellow gods in hell and nothing is going to stop her.

But things are never what they seem, and Acheron is no longer the last of his line. Styxx and Acheron must put aside their past and learn to trust each other or more will suffer.

Yet it’s hard to risk your own life for someone who once tried to take yours, even when it's your own twin, and when loyalties are skewed and no one can be trusted, not even yourself, how do you find a way back from the darkness that wants to consume the entire world? One that wants to start by devouring your very soul?

Review: 

Ever since I found out about Styxx last year, I'd been dying to get my hands on it. Why, you ask? Well, because while I was a complete mess reading Acheron and absolutely despised Styxx and his father, I was curious on how Sherrilyn Kenyon could possibly make me change my mind about that asshole. Seriously, he did despicable things to Acheron, playing a big role on making his life miserable. Boy, was I wrong. 

If possible, Styxx was even worse. Or better. Whatever floats your boat. In my opinion it was way more brutal and graphic than Acheron had been. But I could be wrong it's been a while since I read it. Nevertheless, I assure you that within a few pages you will be tearing up, and it just gets worse from there, I assure you. You see, I bought this book at a bookstore during a school field trip and managed to freak out at least three of my friends with how emotional I was getting over the book. Seriously, no kidding. 

But, see, that's what I love about Sherrilyn Kenyon. She's a great woman with such vivid imagination that when she creates characters I think of it as creating another human being. So far most of her characters have felt so real to me, which is why Styxx got to me so much. It's really impossible to put the book down. 

Styxx starts during the twins' childhood just like Acheron and ends somewhere this year, but with a whole lot of added scenes in which you get to see the reality of Styxx's life, his innermost thoughts and everything he went through as a child and young man. I'm telling you, neither of them had it easy because as you may or may not know, they were separated at the age of seven and led completely different lives. VERY different. 

You come to realize that, unlike what we saw in Acheron, (if you've read the book, which I absolutely recommend) Styxx was far from a pampered Prince that was loved and cherished. Gods, that was far from the truth. Everyone misjudged him, betrayed him and never, ever showed him any kindness. His parents hated him, contrary to what Acheron and Ryssa thought. Styxx went through Hades a million times, suffering the worst of the worst. That is until he met Beth. 

Bethany was actually one of my favorite characters in the entire book. She saw Styxx for what he really was, a bashful, strong young man with an immense capability of love and loyalty... if only people let him in. Their relationship was truly beautiful, and it was very touching to see Styxx give her every part of him. Hell, he was even faithful, something which most men in the book weren't. Now, my second favorite was Galen, Styxx' mentor who trained him for battle. Even though they had a very rough relationship at the beginning, the old man eventually saw Styxx, the real him and came to see him as a son. This was also one of the things that tore at my heart, the way Styxx interacted with this man and how much he came to love and depend on him as if he was his real father. I could never thank him enough to helping Styxx and sticking to his side through everything. In a world where Styxx had to look over his shoulder all the time or suffer the consequences, which could have come from either Ryssa or his own mother due to the fact that they loathed him to the point of wanting him dead, he needed each and every one of his allies-- the few he had. 

But let's not turn this review into a dissertation or anything (which I could totally do, btw, because I don't get tired of talking about it), so let me finish this with telling you that you MUST read this book asap. Or if you're new to the amazing Dark-Hunter series, start with Fantasy Love. I believe there are about 23 books in the series if I'm not mistaken, but believe me when I tell you it's totally worth it. One of the best things about this series is that, if you want, you could read each book as a stand alone but I recommend you actually start from the beginning and work your way up. Kenyon is a master at world building and creating characters that you come to love/hate with how real, strong and unique each of them are--yes, that includes the villains and even the fickle gods. With every book, every new piece of information revealed about any character you come to know them even more, and either love them or hate them. However, things aren't by any means black and white. If you get anything out of this story should be this, and Acheron's advice that "there are three sides to every story: yours, theirs, and the truth somewhere in the middle." (I might have completely butchered it but I believe that's something close to what the books says.)

So, don't be ashamed of any squealing that happens as you read the book and hear about a past character, it's totally normal. ;) And if you're a Dark-Hunter veteran, what are you waiting for? There ain't no time to waste, people! As Simi would say, you 'quality people' should get your hands on this book, but don't forget the Kleenex, because I guarantee you will shed tears. C'mon, cry me a river! 

Sexual content, because I feel like this should be taken into account for those of you new to this, is graphic sex. Also, probably torture. 

Rating: 5.0

Beautifully Broken by Sherry Soule

Beautifully Broken (Spellbound #1)

by Sherry Soule 

Published August 30th 2011 by Moonlight Publishing

ISBN: 978-0-615-50812-2

Price: eBook $4.99 / Paperback $ 14.95

Paperback Page Count: 305 

Reading age: Mild language, some violence and sexual situations. Not recommended for readers under the age of 14. 

Sherry's: Amazon / Official Blog / Twitter 

Synopsis:
Thirteenth daughter. Heritage witch. Demon slayer. 

They say every town has its secrets, but that doesn’t even begin to describe Whispering Pines. The townsfolk are a superstitious lot and the mystical disappearance of a local teen has everyone murmuring about a centuries old witch’s curse. 

Sixteen-year-old Shiloh Ravenwolf is a heritage witch from the Broussard family, a family both destined and cursed. After she takes a summer job at Ravenhurst Manor, she discovers a ghost with an agenda. That’s where she meets the new town hottie, Trent Donovan. But Trent may be the next victim on the supernatural hit list, and Shiloh is the only person with the power to save him. Complicated much?

After receiving cryptic messages from a creepy wraith and frightening threats from a demon, Shiloh finally begins to understand the mysterious significance of the strange mark branded on her wrist. Now Shiloh must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the other teenagers in town.

Unfortunately, for Shiloh, not all ghosts want help crossing over. Some want vengeance.

My Review:

Beautifully Broken has the creepy haunted house, dark secret and a strong female character with witchy powers, all wrapped up in this amazing book! This is something that you will be unable to put down. But be careful with what might lurk in the dark so you might want to have a light on while you read. Just saying. Actually, think of a younger Winchester sister, if there was one. 

The beginning of the book starts with a scary encounter with something that most teenagers wouldn't find in their bedrooms before going to church: a demon.Yeah. A freaking demon and everything goes downhill from then on.
 After getting that dream job as an assistant for a talented architect at (haunted) Ravenhurst Manor where a hottie lives, stuff gets weird.Shiloh was the best part of the book. Aside from the amazingly crafted plot that kept me on edge, that girl is what kept me going. Her sense of humor made me laugh out loud, and her references to different shows dealing with the supernatural were also a source of amusement for me.Kudos for that. 
As the thirteenth witch in her family, she has a destiny. She has power. But she just wants to be normal. Did she give up? No, of course not. Shiloh, like a certain family with a particular last name, has that sense of duty that she has to help people. So she does. The mystery in Whispering Pines is just too great and threatening that if she wants to survive it, she has to figure it out and fight it.
Throughout the novel I was able to see her interact with her mother and the rest of the characters, and I realized how normal it all was. Aside from the whole ghost and demon thing, of course. There's nothing normal about that. So, yeah, I was able to relate to her. That's what I always like about characters in YA. Being able to realize that,"Hey, I once went through similar stuff, too," is always a plus in my opinion. Then the supernatural aspect of the novel comes into place to wreak havoc and it makes me happy because of my ordinary life. 
Now, let's talk about actual relationships. Trent was cool and all, seemed realistic as an individual. He was moody and all like every other teenager, right? But as much as I found him attractive and all (I'll always look twice at a muscled, leather-jacket-wearing bad boy), I wasn't exactly swooning over him. He's hot, I get it. Sweet sometimes, too. But I didn't see much of a connection between him and Shiloh. He was always in my mind, of course, Shiloh thought a lot about him, but that was it. The romance also happened quite fast. First time she sees him at church and instant connection? Probable, though not quite believable. This was my only problem with the book. But he was honest, that much I'll give him. Oh, wait, no. I'm lying. The other thing that I had a problem with was the fact that most of the tragedies were quickly swept up under a rug. I won't say what exactly the accident was, might spoil stuff for people, but it was something that should have gotten more attention. 
Since we are now talking about male characters that are important, let me mention Evans. Oh, Ms. Soule, I so love you for this one, you know? In my despair over a certain mentor from SPN, I so agree on the fact that every ghost/demon hunter needs some help from someone with experience. Shiloh, wasn't alone, thankfully, and received help from Evans. I always love this particular archetype thrown in, too. Specially when the stakes are high in the creepy town of Whispering Pines. 
The next best thing was the writing. The detail and the voice with which the characters were introduced was what I enjoyed. Details, people, details! When it comes to describing a haunted house, Ms. Soule did creep me out. It was like watching an episode of my favorite show. It was the showing AND telling combination.  
For a first book in the series, Beautifully Broken was an amazing introduction and I do hope to see more development between Trent and Shiloh because there's something there. There really is, I just didn't feel it as much as I would have liked it. 
In conclusion my friends, Shiloh kept me spellbound with her Supernatural Diaries and Charmed me from the very first page. (Yeah, I stalked her on Twitter). 

Trailer: 

Rating: 4.5

                                  GenLia

Moonlight Mayhem Blog Tour Stop

Please welcome Sherry Soule, she kindly agreed to add me as part of her Moonlight Mayhem  Book Tour. 

Now, as a huge fan of the TV show Supernatural, which is a show based on Urban Legends and the bromance between the Winchester brothers who 'hunt things and save people because that's the family business', I'm more than excited about this post. I mean, really, that's the exact reason why I love to read Paranormal Romance and Horror so much. It's all about the urban legends, people!  

So, yeah, enjoy! 

Oh, and don't forget to leave your comments and perhaps another urban legend or two. :) 

Supernatural Urban Legends

Hi everyone, I’m Sherry Soule—waving from California, where it’s getting pretty foggy! Well, it’s the start of summer here, and even with the fog burning off by afternoon, I’m cranking the air conditioner and chatting on Twitter about my love of YA books.

Thanks for letting me stop by today as part of my Moonlight Mayhem Blog Tour this summer. It’s a thrill to get to be a guest and fellow booklovers such as yourself. For those of you who haven’t heard of my epic blog tour, it’s not too late to join the fun!

To celebrate the release of Sherry Soule’s new YA novel, MOONLIGHT MAYHEM coming this July, she has put together a few mysterious and intriguing urban legends that surround the eerie township of Whispering Pines, California…

Urban Legend #1

Some researchers believe that certain demon races are actually the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim. (They are also considered to be Shadow People.) The origination of the Nephilim began with the legend of an archangel named Raziel. Urban legend states that Raziel escorted a sect of angels that were to instruct humans in morality.

Unfortunately, these angels began to educate man in sciences that God had deemed to be forbidden. These subjects included astrology, divination, and magic. The tutelage went on for centuries, until the angels began to pine for the human females.

After the fallen angels, or sometimes known as the Fallen, had sexual relations with the women, their unholy union resulted in the hybrid offspring called: Nephilim, which are the direct descendants of the antediluvian Fallen. Nephilim are also known as the Grigori or the Watchers.

It has been insinuated that one of the main reasons for the great flood, was not only to punish man, but to cleanse the earth of the Nephilim created from the union of fallen angels and human women. The flood banished most of the Fallen and their offspring into a Sheol.

So, do you believe in the Nephilim? What do you think will happen if they are ever freed?

Urban Legend #2

One haunted house claim that continues to be an urban legend is the infamous, Ravenhurst Manor in Whispering Pines. Books and stories have been written based on its hauntings and its reputation as one of California's most ghostly places.

Ravenhurst Manor’s first owner was a woman and dark sorceress named, Rowan Broussard. After her death, the estate was used as an all girl’s boarding school for many years. The sixty room Gothic mansion was listed for sale with the resident ghosts. Other odd things that occurred in this house were: doors and windows that opened or closed on their own, cold drafts, whispering voices, and some visitors even claimed to see a dark shadowy figure roaming the halls.

However, Ravenhurst is most famously linked to the disappearance of six children during the years of 1964 through 1967. (After the school was closed, the estate became the property of the town before it was sold to an wealthy, oil magnate.) After the children’s' bodies were discovered buried within the walls of the house, obviously from less than peaceful circumstances, the town buried them in Silent Hollows Cemetery.

Did these Children buried on unconsecrated ground, lead to the strange tragedy that would make this mansion so famous?

Urban Legend #3

Ah, let’s move on to the zombie apocalypse!

Another interesting urban legend states that on September 28, 1941, during an eclipse, a zombie was spotted in Whispering Pines. To make matters worse, a fire at the local mill had swept through town. As day turned to night, more zombies appeared. Many townsfolk mistook the undead for dazed mill workers. After the residents received hugs from the zombies, they were bitten by these paranormals, and soon the epidemic spread across the town like wildfire. 

To make matters worse, the roads and bridges connecting Whispering Pines to the rest of the Bay Area had burned in the fire. The townsfolk had no way to escape. Scores of people become lost when they chose to venture into the dark depth of Deadwood Grove rather than face the insatiable zombie menace.

Within days, the Paranormal Research Group (PRG) converged on Whispering Pines in a variety of aircraft. They established a base on the south side of the forest and went about the process of extermination. It took two weeks to secure the town. A total of 500 people were plague-ridden, an enormous number considering that there wasn’t a zombie vaccine available at this time.

Whatever the case, Whispering Pines’s zombie outbreak affected just under 600 people, making it one of the worst cases in U.S. history.

Are you prepared for a zombie apocalypse? What if zombies start showing up again?

Twitter hashtag: #MMBlogTour

Otherworldly Creatures. Dazzling Magic. Fiery Romance.

Shiloh Ravenwolf thought she was getting used to the strange events in Whispering Pines, until the full moon brings another surge of supernatural threats to her coastal town. Ferocious wolves, deadly necromancers, and shambling zombies have descended upon the neighborhood, so Shiloh needs to gain control of her magical abilities—fast!

It sucks that she has a crippling fear of the dark, which for a demon hunter can be an epic problem.

When her classmates are attacked by a mysterious creature and her father is murdered, Shiloh vows vengeance. Forcing her phobias aside, she forms an unlikely coven of supernaturally gifted teens to help her eradicate this menace. Except that's not all Shiloh has to worry about. She’s battling a different monster within herself and struggling not to become the very thing she fights: evil.

But with demon blood inside her—anything can happen…

Places you can cyberstalk, Sherry Soule:

Official Blog: http://www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com

Official Spellbound Series Universe: http://thespellboundseries.blogspot.com

goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11634793-beautifully-broken

Twitter @WriterSherry: http://twitter.com/writersherry

Book Trailers on YouTube: http://youtu.be/5uqVXKygvUs

  and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o44sW-gFtvA

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1) by Kendare Blake

Synopsis:

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. 

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

My Review:

The first thing that came to mind as I began reading this book was Supernatural (If you haven't watched the show then go, it's the best thing ever.) Cas was like the younger version of the Winchester brothers. He's dedicated his whole (short teenage) life to hunting ghosts and can be quite cocky sometimes. So when he hears about Anna Dressed in Blood, he's all over it thinking he can deal with that ghost like he's done before with little trouble. Boy, was he wrong. 
Oh, and did I mention how much I love his name? No, well, I love it. I mean, c'mon, it's Theseus Cassio Lowood. Sexy. :) 
One of the things that I liked about Anna is the fact that it's narrated from a boy's POV. There aren't many of those out there. Moving on to the story line. With quite a few books out there about ghosts and doomed romance and all, this one was pretty unique. It was easy to fall in love with each and everyone of the characters, even Anna. Her story was so tragic and heart-wrenching, readers will sympathize with her right away.
Oh, yes. Anna. It completely blew me away. Just thinking about what happened to her, it makes me want to do something about it! I had to put the book down for a few seconds before I could finish the story. It was that shocking. The writing was descriptive enough to make you feel what Cas was feeling and to bring characters to life so instead of telling you, the writing showed you every sordid detail. It sure as heck left my emotions all over the place when I was done with it and looking forward to a sequel. 
It will grab readers with bloody hands and won't let go until the last page. So, if you like ghost stories and Stephen King, this is the book for you. Hauntingly good!

Trailer:

Rating: 5.0

GenLia 

Immortal City by Scott Speer

Immortal City (Immortal City #1)

by Scott Speer

Published April 3rd 2012 by Razorbill

Synopsis: 

Jackson Godspeed is the hottest young Angel in a city filled with them.

He's days away from becoming a full Guardian, and people around the world are already competing for the chance to be watched over by him. Everyone's obsessed with the Angels and the lucky people they protect - everyone except for Madison Montgomery.

Maddy's the one girl in Angel City who doesn't breathlessly follow the Angels on TV and gossip blogs. When she meets Jackson, she doesn't recognize him. But Jackson is instantly captivated by her, and against all odds the two fall in love.

Maddy is swiftly caught up in Jackson's scene, a world of glamour, paparazzi - and murder. A serial killer is on the loose, leaving dead Angels' wings for the police to find on the Walk of Fame. Even the Guardians are powerless to protect themselves in the face of this threat & and this time it's up to Maddy to save Jackson.

My Review:

I was quite skeptical about reading this book because while I looking for a new take on Angels, making them superstars in Los Angeles sounded a tad... ridiculous. But, as it happened before, the cover drew me in. Yes, a bit shallow and all. But I wasn't wrong. It was good. I mean, there's a freaking hot guy on the cover with a tattoo peeking from his sleeve. C'mon! 

However, Immortal City had its own spin to the Angels vs Demons showdown that had me asking for something different. These angels aren't cloud-hopping warriors but rather almost normal people with seemingly altruistic motives to remain on earth. What they actually do is charge people to save them. Yes, charge them! There is no more miraculous, free save from death. God forbid, lol. The angels are bad, bad, bad. Think of Supernatural fans at a convention and multiply that by a hundred or so and you know what it's like to be an angel. They are super stars.  

Even though it was some sort of love triangle, another cliche nowadays, it wasn't the center of the story and it didn't take much space from the main couple, Maddy and Jacks. Yeah, there were the same insecurities: she's more beautiful, she's from your world and she's an angel kind of stuff. Normal stuff. 

But what I loved about the book was the fact that angels weren't glorified or anything. Yes, they were seen as otherworldly for their immortality and angelness, but they were quite human, too. 
Take Jacks for example, since he was a kid he aspired to be a guardian and he will do anything to become just that. He just wants to save people, be as great as everyone else expects him to be. But at the end of the day he's just another teenager, albeit an angel one, and so he's not any less prone to falling in love at the most inopportune of times. His life took an unexpected turn for when he met Maddy, a girl who doesn't swoon at the sight of him and isn't really an Angel fan. 
Maddy is your average girl next door who is realistic about things and doesn't expect much. She only wants to get good grades at school so she can have a chance to go to college. Maddy is smart, funny and, even though she doesn't think so, beautiful. Oh, and most importantly, she doesn't treat Jacks like he's all high and mighty. She knows better than to be bedazzled with the sparkly world that Jacks comes from. Or at least she thinks so.
The thing is that their love and passion was instant. And soon, they find themselves running for their lives and in the middle of an angelic war in which Maddy could be the key to. 
Anyway, back to the point and why I loved it so much.
It started off a bit slow but then picked up and kept my eyes glued to my Nook because I just had to finish reading it. For some reason, Jacks reminded of Jace Wayland from the Mortal Instruments series. The whole blond and god-like thing sort of really made me (metaphorically, of course) drool all over Jacks. Although, I did find that particular character flat at times. 
As for Maddy, she ran hot 'n' cold all the time. I was able to identify with her, but I found her a bit annoying. She was strong and brave, though. And she did feel real to me. So I do love her. :) The romance between her and Jacks felt real and almost tangible. The tension and passion projected and so I give the author an A+ in that department. It held my attention and all, but what I loved the most was the fact that even though I pretty much guessed who the killer is, they always give this big, meaningful speech that sounds creepy and it makes you scratch you head and go like, 'what?' but I kept second guessing myself. I was right, of course, but I did end up blaming someone else at the end just to have my first guess thrown back on my face. 
Ohh, and before I forget. Did I mention how awesome the demons were? No, uh, well. They were pretty cool. No, sexy, devil may care kind of demon that I absolutely adore, but rather the ugly horned thing that came straight from hell. Oh, yeah, it was awesome. I also give that an A+. 
The grand finale that Scott Speer wrote was explosive and tantalizing. A true epic ending. So I now sit on my chair anxiously waiting for the sequel. I just can't get enough of Jacks now, and no, I would so not be one of those screaming girls. (HA! Yeah, right. I'd so be one.) 


Trailer:

Now, I dare you to deny the fact that that dude looks just like freaking Jace Wayland. 

Rating: 4.5

GenLia

The Reluctant Vampire by Lynsay Sands

The Reluctant Vampire by Lynsay Sands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis: 
Has this immortal finally met her match?

Rogue hunter Drina Argenis (from the Spanish side of the Argeneau family) has been many things in her years as an immortal, but bodyguard/babysitter to a teenage vampire is something new. There's an incentive, however: the other vampsitter, Harper Stoyan, may be Drina's life mate.

Trouble is, having just lost a life mate, Harper is resigned to being alone. He's completely unprepared when sexy and unpredictable Drina bursts into his life to reignite his passions. Can Drina, with a little matchmakinghelp from their teen charge, tempt this reluctant vampire to take a chance?

Or will a dangerous, unseen renegade kill Drina and Harper's one chance at happiness?

My Review:
Ms. Sands did not disappoint in this book. As always it had suspense, drama, and lots of romance, which is exactly what keeps making me come back for more. However, it wasn't something remarkable as some of the other books. While all the elements from the previous books was still present, I just didn't feel so connected to the characters as I've felt with other pairings. I understand that this wasn't your typical Vamp/Human pairing so the whole explanation of where they came from wasn't necessary, or hiding their nature from their lifemate. But I still didn't feel much between Drinan and Harper. I love Harper don't get me wrong, I found him sweet and all, but Drina was a bit... ehh, for me. Still, I think that this series is just awesome. Oh, and their steamy, awesome sex was also on the ehh, side for me. Not much going on in my opinion.
The story picks up the story line left in the third book of The Rogue Hunter series and tells us what happened to Stephanie, Danielle's sister who was turned into a no-fanger immortal in The Immortal Hunter. Drina is sent to baby sit her in case Stephanie wants to run away and protect her from the man who's after her. Drina didn't anticipate to find her life mate there. Harper recently found his lifemate but she died during her turning from heart failure and is devastated, convince that he doesn't deserve any happiness. And so Drina has to convince him otherwise with the help of our little friend Stephanie who is more than happy to help.
Stephanie did make me laugh sometimes. She seems so... normal, even though she's a vampire now. I like her a lot so it was nice hearing from her again.
Since the first time I picked up the first book in the series I've been hooked. Each book features a different character, some we've seen or heard of before in previous nooks, and some are new.
The interesting thing about her books are her intake on Vampires, or rather, Immortals as they like to call themselves.
As always, there were lots of funny moments as well as sad and happy.
The fact that each book could act as a stand alone is awesome, but I would recommend you start from the beginning so you'll know about the other characters etc. Also, I loved hearing from past characters! I read the short story of Beau and Tiny and loved to see them during this story.

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Timeless by Alexandra Monir

Timeless by Alexandra Monir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I haven't read, or seen, something about time traveling for a while since The Time Traveler's Wife, which BTW made me cry like a baby, and so I was so glad to pick this book up. It did not disappoint.I absolutely loved this book!! It was so amazing I could not put it down at all. The romance developed as it should rather than just appear out of nowhere and it felt... well, real. The lyrics incorporated to the story were a great idea and an awesome way to make me love the characters even more. Phillip a composer and Michele the lyricist were an awesome team. I could see the potential for those two, and their romance, which was absolutely sweet, innocent and at the same time full of passion. TIMELESS grabbed me since the first pages, captivated me with the beauty of old New York and plunged me into an amazing journey full of love, longing and hurt.

Michele's mom died and so she had to move in with her grandparents, practically strangers since they were never in her life, to these mansion full of secrets that she slowly unravels. It is then that she finds a key and a diary and the time travel begins. Throughout the whole novel you get hints that make you question lots of stuff and you have to pay close attention to what's going on to know how it relates to something else. It wasn't easy to guess the secrets like I sometimes do with other books. No. Ms. Monir gave you some clue to mull over and you didn't know anything else until the next one. Everything slowly came at the end wrapped up prettily. It was a very emotional book that I absolutely fell in love with. I mean, even her name was a bog ol' clue!

It was beautifully written and I could see the characters grow and change. I fell in love with Phillip, I just could not help it. He was such gentleman! He reminded me of Ren from The Tiger Quest series and I was like: ahh! Squee!

Now, the cliffhanger just tore my heart out. It was like reading a book by Ricelle Mead, she sure as hell knows how to make us scream and want to throw the book against the wall. It was THAT good. Not good, more like absolutely amazing! As I read the book I felt so bad for Michele and Phillip since they couldn't be together because they're from different times and I just... hurt a lot. A LOT. Then the end and I was left speechless. What a way to end the book. I hope there's a sequel and can't wait to read it.


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This is the official Teaser

This is the author, awesome Alexandra Monir, talking about her amazing book.

Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Possess by Gretchen McNeil
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first thing that grabbed my attention as I looked for books was the cover. Creepy and dark but at the same time mysterious. Then the synopsis, which sealed the deal for me because it was about demons. After all the Vampire, werewolves and fae stories demons sounded like a good deal to me. I mean, how many books (in the YA genre) do you see where the protagonist can exorcise them but doesn't love one? uh?

Anyhow, Bridget was a very likable character who was very normal and down-to-earth. She didn't let herself be bullied by anyone and had normal friends like any other normal person. Except, that she discovered she had the ability to exorcise demons after her father's murder and it comes in handy now more than ever because the number of possessions are increasing. And of course there's the cute guy, Matt, who has the hots for her. Now, here's what I liked the most: she didn't fall in love with the guy right away. No. All she wanted at first was to be left alone by everyone. Then, as she got to know him better she realized she was falling for him.

The plot was very good. Awesome, actually. You don't see it very often and the ending kind of came out as a shock, which made me love the book even more. I really hope there is a sequel or something because some things were left to reader to guess and I would love to see more of Bridget.

The fact that Bridge was fifteen years old and an exorcist was also very new for me, which made it all the better because there are many hilarious parts. My favorite one was at the shop with the dolls. Mainly because I'm terrified of dolls since I watched Chuky. But was she scared? A little, but she managed to do the job.

Do I recommend it? For sure. Fans of The Exorcist and Demons must read this books. Very Creepy, in a good way.


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Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Unlike the first two books I didn't find myself so into this one. The first hundred pages were kind of boring with all the moping around and emo side of Sam. It wasn't until later that the action picked up and I began to get into it. Mostly because of Cole and Isabel's POVs, they brought some spice and humor. They're romance kind of overlapped Sam and Grace because the latter were most of the time moping around.
I found myself more in love with Cole than Sam. Cole seemed alive and he brought action into the story. While Sam was too sad most of the time. Grace seemed off too, but I guess that turning into a wolf does that to you.
The plot revolved around how to get the rest of the wolves into safety because Isabel's father had organized a hunt to kill the wolves after another girl was found dead. It was a good plot and, as always, the writing was lyrical and awesome. My problem was Sam and Grace. They weren't nearly as... well, important as before. They didn't go with the flow. It took me a while to finish the book but when I finally did, I didn't feel satisfied. This series was too awesome to have such ending and so I was left disappointed.


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