Book Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell + giveaway

Carry On

by Rainbow Rowell

October 6, 2015

St. Martin's Griffin

529 pages
#1 New York Times bestselling author!
Booklist Editors’ Choice 2015 - Youth!
Named a "Best Book of 2015" by Time Magazine, School Library Journal, Barnes & Noble, NPR, PopSugar, The Millions, and The News & Observer!

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen.

That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.

Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here -- it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.

Carry On - The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you'd expect from a Rainbow Rowell story - but far, far more monsters.

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Pre order paperback May 9, 2017

Carry On came out in 2015 but never made it on my radar. I mean, look at the cover...nothing to really tell me what the story is about. But, I caught a look at the new paperback cover coming out May 9, 2017 and I did a double take. Did you know there is a magical school sub-genre? I loved Harry Potter but finding YA books I like, are far and few between. Author Elisabeth Staab said this was one of her favorite books...that was enough to push me over the edge and into one hell of a reading experience.

Not sure where to start with this one. It is equal parts character driven and story driven. Rowell said this was her attempt at a "chosen one" book. Simon Snow (the chosen one) is actually a fictional character in her fiction book Fangirl. Yeah, take a moment to sort that out <G>. She couldn't quit thinking about him and another character from the book, Baz (vampire).

Carry On is about a group of friends at Watford, a school for magic. They came to Watford when they were 11, they are now 18. There is a lot of history that has happened up till now and the author does a great job of filling in the backstory with out info dumping.

The story is told in first person present from the POV of many characters. Each character is unique enough that you don't get confused by the POV changes. There is a mystery with many twists and turns. A few things I saw coming, some hit me like 2X4 from behind. Rowell explores many different relationships. I especially liked the friendship between Simon and Penelope, proving that a guy and girl can be best friends without a romance developing. Carry On is a young adult and straddles that line between middle grade and high school appropriate. There is a romance, but it is sweet and there is only some kissing but there is a lot of swearing.

This is one I might read again...looks at TBR pile...eventually.

5 "Humdrum" Sheep 

SharonS

About the Author:

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Rainbow Rowell writes books. Sometimes she writes about adults (ATTACHMENTS and LANDLINE). Sometimes she writes about teenagers (ELEANOR & PARK, FANGIRL and CARRY ON). But she always writes about people who talk a lot. And people who feel like they're screwing up. And people who fall in love.

When she's not writing, Rainbow is reading comic books, planning Disney World trips and arguing about things that don't really matter in the big scheme of things.

She lives in Nebraska with her husband and two sons.

GIVEAWAY

my print copy of Carry On

US only

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Book Review: Veiled (Alex Verus #6) by Benedict Jacka

Veiled (Alex Verus #6)
by Benedict Jacka
Paperback, 304 pages
Expected publication: August 4th 2015 by Ace
ISBN13: 9780425275757
I thought I’d escaped my past. But my old master is back and making a new play for power. And he’s not the only one targeting me…

Diviner Alex Verus and the Council that governs the magical community have never gotten along. But with his former teacher back in Britain, Alex is in desperate need of allies, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get them—even if it means accepting a job with the Keepers, enforcing magical law.

Alex forms an uneasy alliance with his new partner, Caldera, but his attempt at legitimacy quickly turns lethal when a mission puts him in possession of an item that factions both inside and outside of the Council would kill to get their hands on.

Once again caught in the middle of a deadly conflict, Alex will need all his abilities to figure out who his friends are—especially when enemies are hiding on all sides.

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After a narrow escape Alex and his charges made in Hidden, events in Veiled take a turn and introduce the inside workings of the Light Council. Actions and events have started to take shape that even this Fate Mage could not have foreseen. Alex is forced to swallow his pride and work alongside Caldera and the Keepers. Things are not what they really seem to be… This time around.

In Veiled we are “allowed access” into the inner workings of the Light Council, and the many branches of politics which have sway over both the Light and Dark Mages. While working alongside Caldera, Alex gets pulled into a case that will affect the balance of power in the Council.

I was somewhat torn about this one, it was good to see what else was going on in the series outside of Alex training Luna, keeping contact with Anne and Variam, along with trying to avoid his old master. This book was dealing more with the Light Council. Which to me was too much of an info dump. There was a lot about the Council and all the different branches, what they all do and where they fit into the scope of things. The only thing that helped me follow what was going on was Benedict's author page, since he has created an entire encyclopedia for this series.

There were a few new characters introduced that did keep my interest. One is Chalice who offers to train Luna with her magic. The other is Xiaofan who is a time adept. The blink fox, who is a personal favorite, returns. I am really hoping that we get to see more of these 2 new characters, they have piqued my interest.

If you have followed Alex this far, I’m going to say keep going with this one. If this is an introduction to the series I will say check out the first book.

review: Cursed (Alex Verus #2)
review: Choosen (Alex Verus #4)
review: Hidden (Alex Verus #5)

3 1/2 Sheep

DanielleD

About the Author:
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Benedict Jacka became a writer almost by accident, when at nineteen he sat in his school library and started a story in the back of an exercise book. Since then he's studied philosophy at Cambridge, lived in China, and worked as everything from civil servant to bouncer to teacher before returning to London to take up law.

Book Review: Sentinel (The Light Mage Wars 0.5) by Nancy Northcott

Sentinel (The Light Mage Wars 0.5)
By: Nancy Northcott

Kindle Edition, 156 pages
Published March 25th 2014 by Rickety Bookshelf Press

He’s on a Quest for Justice

Her Secrets are his Only Hope

When mage investigative reporter Rick Moore gets the unexpected chance to clear his father’s name, it looks like a dream come true. But there’s a price. He must first uncover the truth about the mage world’s most wanted fugitive.

Caroline Dare knows her beloved brother had a reason for killing a member of the mages’ governing council. Real heroes don’t go rogue on a whim. Burned by shady reporters, she pours her devastating worry for him into her fabric art career and maintains stony silence about him. But when her art is panned as a fraud because she’s blind, she’s forced to seek help from Rick, a man she knows only as a sexy arts writer.

Helping beautiful, determined Caroline prove her art is her own gets Rick inside her well tended walls. But as he wins her trust, he finds he’s losing his heart. Now he has a choice–give up his dream or betray the woman he loves.

Caroline is blind but that doesn't stop her from doing whatever she wants to do. Yes, she grew up with well to do parents but that doesn't mean she wants everything handed to her now. She learned how to defend herself from the ghouls, thanks to her brother and now she makes hand woven tapestries. The only thing that could make her life better is if her brother's name was cleared.

Rick wants nothing more than to clear his dad's name and he is offered a way to do that but it means getting the scoop on a well known and sought after fugitive. In order to find out more about the man on the run, he'll have to get close to his sister and he doesn't see anything wrong with that until he falls for the woman.

With equal parts Paranormal and Urban Fantasy, this story takes you on an adventure into a world where ghouls and mages fight for dominance. Where a blind woman felt the need to learn how to fight paranormal monsters just in case she was even confronted and having a heroine who can kick ass when she needs to, is always a nice change of pace from the shrinking violets who sit in the corner cowering waiting for some man to come to her rescue.

The only complaint I have is that this story starts out a bit slow but by the end of the second chapter things pick right up and the storyline flows smoothly until the end.

I really liked this story and liked how the interaction between Rick and Caroline was so great. They really clicked and I could totally see these two together. They were just good for each other even though they were total opposites. Sometimes opposites really do attract but because Rick lies to her and she finds out, Caroline puts the brakes on their relationship when she thinks he's betrayed her. Do they get their HEA? What do ghouls smell like when they're killed? Is Caroline's brother still alive? All of these questions and more will be answered but you have to read the book in order to get them.

Do you like action, ghouls, mages and a a great love story? Then this might be the book for you.

4 Sheep




Mary Kirkland
My Published Articles
Dark Thoughts Blog

About the Author:
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I still love comic books, fantasy and science fiction, though I don’t read comics as much as I once did. I try to get to Dragon*Con every year. I’m also a lifelong history geek and Anglophile, passions born when I was in second grade and watched a television drama about the Tudors. By the time I reached college and learned just how inaccurate that story was, it was too late. I was hooked! I majored in history and spent a fabulous summer studying Tudor and Stuart Britain at Oxford University (as well as learning to drive on the left side and observe local customs in pubs). These experiences left me with serious geek tendencies, which I indulge by reading a lot of history. My college classes mostly covered who fought whom, when, why, and how, and I’ve been delighted to discover how much material is available about the ways people of different eras lived.

I've traveled extensively in Britain with my husband and our son, collecting numerous tomes, weighty and not, on my passion. My husband, a children’s literature professor who understands the “book thing,” graciously carried home the ones I didn't have time to entrust to the Royal Mail. His help put a whole new spin on the “carry my books” bit and helped make possible the Writer Resources section of this site, where I share some of my best finds.

Book Review (ARC): Tempt the Stars (Cassandra Palmer #6) by Karen Chance (spoiler free)

Tempt the Stars (Cassandra Palmer #6)
by Karen Chance 
Being a goddess is a lot less fun than you might think. Especially when you’re only a half goddess, and you only found out about it recently, and you still don’t know what you’re doing half the time. And when you've just used your not-so-reliable powers to burglarize the booby-trapped office of a vampire mob boss.

Yeah, that part sucks.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Cassandra Palmer, aka the Pythia, the freshly minted chief seer of the supernatural world. After all, Cassie still has to save a friend from a fate worse than death, deal with an increasingly possessive master vampire, and prevent a party of her own acolytes from unleashing a storm of fury upon the world. Totally just your average day at the office, right?

When I started this book I was a little worried it wouldn't measure up to Hunt the Moon, which was a giggling thrill ride from page one to page… last. Tempt the Stars doesn't move at a break neck pace until the end, and there isn't as much humor, but it makes up for it in feels. OMG, the feels, people. When I put this book down I was an emotional mess; twitching on the floor foaming at the mouth mess. My heart was on the floor squished under the heel of Ms. Chance. Yes, she made me cry. I can’t give anything away, but the next book has the potential to be one of the funniest as well as emotionally draining.

The Mircea fans are going to be a little disappointed. He only appears on a handful of pages. Pritkin fans are going to be strung out by the end. This book takes Cassie into the demon realm and we learn more about their culture and history, also Pritkin’s father Rosier. Things aren't what they seem and Cassie is finding out just how many people have been keeping things from her. She also has to deal with feelings she has been ignoring her whole life. In spite of all that she is becoming stronger and ready for the coming war, but first she needs to go back in time for one little errand with the most unlikely of partners. Casanova gives a lot of comic relief since he is made an unwilling participant in Cassie’s adventure into hell along with Caleb, a war mage, and Pritkin’s friend.

I am expecting a lot of feels in the next book. There is a reason Mircea isn't around in this book. We aren't told exactly why and I am afraid of what the fall out will be, knowing his personality. I don’t envy Cassie at all! This could go so many ways! I am in denial about having to wait another year to find out what happens *twitch, twitch*.

This is book #6, and the series still manages to surprise me, and each book is better than the last. Now I am going to go into my corner and whimper softly and hope Chance decides to throw the fans a bone while I wait for the next book.

5 “Pythia Power” Sheep

Sharon Stogner

About the Author:

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Karen Chance is the author of two New York Times bestselling series, plus a number of novellas and short stories, all set in the Cassandra Palmer universe. A full-time writer since 2008, she was previously a university history teacher, which comes in handy when writing the time-travel aspect of Cassie’s crazy adventures. She loves Las Vegas, the main setting for her novels, but currently lives in Florida near her family home.

Book Review: Hunt the Moon (Cassandra Palmer #5) by Karen Chance

Hunt the Moon (Cassandra Palmer #5)
By: Karen Chance 
Cassandra Palmer recently defeated a god, which you’d think would buy a girl a little time off. But it doesn’t work that way when your new job description is Pythia—the world’s chief clairvoyant. Cassie is busier than ever, trying to learn about her power, preparing for her upcoming coronation, and figuring out her relationship with the enigmatic sexy master vampire, Mircea.

But someone doesn’t want Cassie to become Pythia, and is willing to go to any lengths to make sure the coronation ceremony never happens—including attacking her mother before Cassie is even born.

I love this series so hard. The wait for each book is a long excruciating experience, but well worth it. This is book #5 in the series and I think my favorite so far. The action starts at a sprint from page one and doesn't stop till the very end. I wonder if Karen Chance was out of breath by the end of each writing day? And on top of that, the witty character dialogue and the inner voice of Cassie had me laughing out loud. I actually would stop to read a few sentences to my kids so I could share the fabulous with someone. It would be cool to sit around with a bunch of Cassandra Palmer fans and listen to the book on audio. Well, on second thought that might not work if there is a Team Pritkin and Team Mircea. Then we might come to blows <G>

You can absolutely pick up this book and enjoy the ride. Chance includes all needed background story along the way. Even though I've read all the previous books it has been two years since I read book #4 and I appreciated the information. But if you love a fast paced urban fantasy you will regret not stating at book one.

What I loved about Hunt the Moon was Pritkin and Mircea broke down and confided in Cassie (and us) about their past. There was a lot of sharing going on. All kinds of sharing. Cassie finally gets some information about her mom and dad and in the process finds out something extraordinary about her Pythia powers. She became a stronger person in this book. Everyone is trying to control her, and her powers and she finally has had enough. I was so proud of her. Now if she could get her head straight about the two men in her life. I don’t envy the day if she ever has to make a choice. The passion she feels for Mircea and Pritkin is different, but both are just as strong. Don’t worry, this isn't an angsty triangle. Not quite sure how Chance pulls this off <G>. Cassie spent most of the book with Pritkin and one of my favorite secondary characters, her body guard Marco. My other favorite would be her Stetson wearing ghost partner in crime, and best friend Billy Joe.

The suspense, non-stop action, razor sharp wit, and raw emotions of all involved had me in knots by the end, and Cassie’s reaction when she realized what Pritkin had sacrificed broke my heart. Luckily I have book #6 sitting right next to me. I advise having access to all the books once you start the first.I could gush about this book and series all day long, but I won’t. I got book #6 Tempt the Stars to jump into right now. When reading a book I mark quotes I want to share, but I had to stop after the first 10 pages because I was highlighting just about every line! So here are a few of my favorites:

~~~~

“For a frozen second, I looked at him and he looked at me, and then I screamed and threw my coffee, which hit him square in the groin. And I guess that didn't feel too good because he screamed, too, and for a minute there was a whole lot of screaming going on.”

~~~~

“And then I was jerked back up, fast enough to cut off my breath, to leave me dizzy. Or maybe that was the feel of the hard arms around me or the harder body behind me. Or the stunning relief of Not dead, not dead yet-

Because that never gets old.

My name in Cassie Palmer, and I’ve cheated death more times than anyone has a right to expect. In the past two months, I’ve been shot, stabbed, beaten and blown up a few dozen times, and that doesn’t count all the magical ways I’ve almost been killed. I’d have been dead a long time ago if not for my friends, one of whom had just jumped off the cliff after me.

I’d have been a lot more appreciative if he hadn’t pushed me first.”

~~~~

“What?” I said defensively, clutching the mink and my dignity. Since I was barefoot, mostly naked and completely hungover, I was pretty sure I grasped only one of them.

5 “glass in my ass” Sheep

Sharon Stogner

About the Author:

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Karen Chance is the author of two New York Times bestselling series, plus a number of novellas and short stories, all set in the Cassandra Palmer universe. A full-time writer since 2008, she was previously a university history teacher, which comes in handy when writing the time-travel aspect of Cassie’s crazy adventures. She loves Las Vegas, the main setting for her novels, but currently lives in Florida near her family home.

Erin Kellison visits the Alpha Male Diner + Give Away

I recently had a big whopping serving of Bastian and he is now one of my favorite dishes! So grab a napkin, cause this will be juicy <G>

(scroll down to the next post to see a review of Fire Kissed)

Jack Bastian (Angel)

Recipe created by Erin Kellison

Fire Kissed – Book #1 in the Shadow Kissed series

2 piercing hazel eyes that have witnessed the worst inmagekind

1 head of dark hair, cut brutally short

1 stern mouth that will tell no lies

1 true soul in darkest Shadow

2 tbsp temper kept under tight control

1 cup of stubbornness to stay the course

2 cups of honor to dedicate to his cause

2 cups of loyalty, no matter what comes to pass

1000 years of toil as a soldier to hone body and skills

1 single desire: a woman of fire

Mix carefully to avoid spontaneous combustion. Knead atyour own risk. Carefully watch while temper simmers. Beat until stiff peaksform. Cook with fae fire until singed around the edges. Careful; burns easily. Presslightly with fingertips; if he springs back, he’s done.

Makes: one unstoppable, insatiable angel

Sampling of Recipe

The trouble with being an angel on earth was that he was still a man.

He got hungry. He thirsted. His lungs clamored without the draw of air.

And for this woman, the only one in a thousand years, his body and soul ached.

The trick was to will his mind to ignore the earthly sensations, as he’d done so many times with pain and trouble. Desire was no different, a call of the flesh. He could divide himself—acknowledge the lust, but act on intellect. But see, the trouble with being an angel was that he was still a man.

Want more of Bastian?

Fae Fire

It is Kaye Brand's power to wield. But outcast from herkind, she's been selling herself to the highest bidder - money for her survivalin exchange for a magic glimpse into the flames of the future.

Angel Ice

One of the angelic Order, Jack Bastian has no use for afemale like Kaye, as provocative and unexpected as her blazing beauty. Yet hehas no choice but to hire her to uncover the secrets of his sworn enemy and herformer fiance, Ferrol Grey.

Magekind

War is inevitable between the defenders of the Order andthe mage Houses who threaten to engulf the world in Shadow. For Jack, mage-bornKaye is off limits, no matter how hot the impossible attraction between them.But in the coming darkness, beset by danger and desire, everything is about tochange...

For excerpts and more information, please come find meat:

Erin’s website:

www.ErinKellison.com.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ErinKellisonAuthor

Twitter:

www.twitter.com/EKellison

***GIVE AWAY***

Erin is giving away 2 print copies of Fire Kissed

To Enter:

1. Talk to Raffle dude

2. Tell us the best place to serve Angel...(the Beach, the clouds, your kitchen...?)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Fire Kissed by Erin Kellison (ARC)

Fae Fire

It is Kaye Brand'spower to wield. But outcast from her kind, she's been selling herself to thehighest bidder - money for her survival in exchange for a magic glimpse intothe flames of the future.

Angel Ice

One of the angelicOrder, Jack Bastian has no use for a female like Kaye, as provocative andunexpected as her blazing beauty. Yet he has no choice but to hire her touncover the secrets of his sworn enemy and her former fiance, Ferrol Grey.

Magekind

War is inevitablebetween the defenders of the Order and the mage Houses who threaten to engulfthe world in Shadow. For Jack, mage-born Kaye is off limits, no matter how hotthe impossible attraction between them. But in the coming darkness, beset bydanger and desire, everything is about to change...

Dark, enchanting,passionate, and magical are the words I would use to describe Erin’s world ofShadow.

I will tell you ahead of time I am a Kellison fangirl. I love her writing and the dark magical world she created in her Shadow series. Shadow is the magic that is slowly seeping out of Twilight, the boundary between life and death where the Fae live, into the human realm and bringing along with it monsters. In her Shadow series (Shadow Bound, Shadow Fall, Shadowman ) we are introduced to the Segue Institute run by humans who are trying to understand Shadow and Twilight because the walls are falling and magic is once again affecting our world. The Order is the angelic host that lives on the other side of Twilight (Heaven) and tries to protect humans from Shadow. This series is a mixture of romance, suspense and magic. Fire Kissed is the first book in Kellison’s new Shadow Kissed series, which is set in the Shadow world and introduces us to Mages.

Mages are descended from Fae. They live in the human world and have some Shadow inside them that they can use like magic, but they can’t cross into Twilight or Heaven because they have no soul and, like the Fae, Mages have always defied Heaven. Thousands of years ago the mages tried to take over the human world and The Order (angels) fought a vicious battle to stop them and even now kill them on sight. But with Shadow leaking back into the world, the Mages who have stayed hidden are becoming stronger and Ferrol Grey is raising an army to take the world back from humans. Earth is about to be plunged back into a war between the Order and Mages, but becoming allies might be the only way for mage, human, and angel to survive the return of the Fae and Shadow.

What I love about Erin’s stories are the characters; they are complex, smart and have emotional depth and you are able to slip flawlessly into the dark world she has created. The forbidden romance between Bastian, an angel, and Kaye, a fire mage, rocked my world. They are both strong, passionate and bound by duty to their causes. My heart breaks right along with theirs as they make choices for the good the world instead of each other. They are now one of my favorite romance couples.

In romances, even urban fantasy, the villain is usually just a vehicle to bring conflict into the couple’s story. Ferrol Grey is so much more than that. He one of the most well developed villains I’ve read and weaves a spell of his own on the reader. You understand his motives and find yourself sympathetic and horrified at his actions. Grey's plan revolves around the fact that he has found a way to regenerate the soul sucking wraiths and make himself more powerful in the process.

The whole mythos Erin has created pushes every one of my buttons: The Fae, magic, darkness, and forbidden love. One of the things I enjoy about urban fantasy is watching the clashing or blending of multiple worlds (in this case human, Fae, Angel, Mage) and the struggles between good and evil, love and hate. Erin’s world of Shadow is all that and more. You don’t need to read her Shadow Series to enjoy Fire Kissed, Erin does a great job of filling in information you need. But I think after reading Fire Kissed you will want to find out more about Shadowman (swoon), Segue and The Order. There is also a series of novellas, which bridges her two series (reviews: Shadow Touch, Shadow Play).

Some of my favorite snippets:

“Ferro Grey laughed as the doors were shut in Jack’s face. And all Jack knew was that a bright light, not so different from a soul, had been swallowed by Shadow. He knew on every level of his being that her presence in the Grey House was wrong, the kind of wrong he’d dedicated his existence to fighting. And he knew that he’d been the one to put her up to it.”

“His beauty was beyond human, beyond her race even. There was something old and frightening in his eyes, but she couldn't help the way she needed him. She was greedy, desperate to lose herself, to be consumed by him, her enemy, her lover, dangers ignored for lust. Magekind would kill her if they knew. And yet, there were a lot of ways to die. She figured riding Bastian into blind ecstasy was as good a way as any.”

“Pages 154-160” (OMGHOT!)

5 “angel loving” sheep

Erin Kellison online

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Erin Kellison is the author of the Shadow Series, which includes Shadow Bound and Shadow Fall, as well as the upcoming Shadowman (Sept 2011), and the e-novella Shadow Touch (June 2011). Stories have always been a central part of Erin's life. She attempted her first book in sixth grade, a dark fantasy adventure, and she still has those early hand-written chapters. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English Language and Literature and went on for a masters in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on oral storytelling. When she had children, nothing scared her anymore, so her focus shifted to writing fiction.

amazon link to all Erin's Shadow Books

Sheep Review: Stalking the Others by Jess Haines

ARC: Stalking the Others

 (H&W Investigations Novel # 4)

Vampires, werewolves, mages–the Others are very real, and wreaking havoc in Shiarra Waynest’s life. But now, she’s returning the favor… 

Once, she was one of the good guys–or as close as a New York P.I. can get. Then Shiarra Waynest was drawn into the world of the Others. Every faction has its own loyalties and agenda. And Shia’s recent betrayal by her ex-boyfriend means that she may be on the verge of becoming a rogue werewolf at the next full moon.

Of course, with all the threats against her, Shia’s not sure she’ll live long enough to find out. The enigmatic vampire Royce wants her back in his clutches, as do two powerful werewolf packs, along with the police. Instead of going into hiding, Shia is enlisting the aid of her enchanted hunter’s belt and every dirty P.I. trick she knows. If she’s going down, she’ll take out as many of her enemies as she can–and hope that in the process, she keeps whatever humanity she has left

The H&W Investigations series falls right into my favorite genre: dark urban fantasy with first person POV. I love Shiarra’s tough personality and her healthy fear of all things “Other”. Unlike heroines in most UF, Shiarra is a normal human trying to live her life when the supernatural world comes knocking on her door, repeatedly. The fourth book, Stalking the Others, is another wild and emotional ride for Shiarra and all the other characters. The next paragraph will be for people who haven’t read this series before and would like to know a little about it. If you have read the first three books, then skip to the next section where I talk about Stalking the Others.

Why I love this Series:
I already mentioned the dark UF, first person POV element. What makes this style of writing work is the emotional growth of the main character throughout the books. I love Shiarra and the world Jess Haines has created. After the 9/11 tragedy vampires decided to make themselves known to humans and are referred to as the “Others”, hence the titles. The vampires were followed by the shifters and mages who were more reluctant about revealing their existence. In this new world there are extremist groups that want to wipe out the Others and the normal humans who want to integrate them into society. Shiarra is a private investigator who, with her partner and best friend Sara, takes on cheating spouse and missing persons cases. But she catches the eye of Alec Royce, leader of the vampires in their region and a wealthy business man who walks that line between good and bad so well. He is super smexy and their romance is a simmering one that Shairra fights tooth and nail (ha, pun). And then there is her Ex-boyfriend and werewolf, Chaz who still wants her back. She is just a human, but does find supernatural help in battling the “Others” through a possessed belt that is sentient and has an agenda of his own. You don’t have to read the books in order, Jess does a good job of catching people up with each book, but I really think Stalking the Others would be better appreciated if you have read the first three.
Okay, gushing is over… go buy book #1 Hunted by the Others and enjoy! It is on sale for the kindle for only $2.99 till 7/8

Time to talk Stalking the Others! The last book #3, Deceived by the Others, was devastating emotionally for Shiarra. Her world was rocked by multiple betrayals from those she trusted, as well as the possibility of turning into a werewolf at the next full moon. My heart broke right along with hers and now she is mad and looking for a little payback. I loved the last line of DBTO:

“The hunt for those who had wronged me was on.”

I was so glad I had the next book already sitting next to me. Shiarra doesn't know who to trust anymore and nothing is as it seems. I can’t talk too much about what happens because one of the things I love about this series is each book comes with a plot twist or surprise I didn’t see coming and this book holds a few. I will say Shiarra finally gets some <G> and it is hot! One thing that didn’t sit quite right was Shiarra got very weepy at the end, but considering the life changing decisions she has made and what she has been through, I guess she is allowed to fall apart. We learn the history of the possessed belt and we see Shiarra like we have never seen her before, full of rage and vengeance. There is a ton of kick ass action as Shiarra goes after the weres and we meet some nerd shifters that add a little humor to the story. We also get to know a little more about Royce and his motivations when it comes to Shiarra. This was one of my favorite lines:
Shiarra has finally found Chaz and the other weres:

“Knock, Knock bitches!"

The first chapter of the next book, Forsaken by the Others, is included which was a nice thing for Haines to do so you aren’t left hanging. Things are changing in Shiarra’s world and she has made a lot of people and Others angry who aren’t likely to forgive and forget. Stalking the Others mentions the other vampire leaders in the U.S. and I think we might get more information about the political workings of the vampire world.

4.5 "keep doing that thing with your tongue" Sheep

SharonS (edited by BAK)

Jess Haines, author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, is a displaced New Yorker who writes about vampires, werewolves, and other bitey creatures of the night from her home in Southern California. She's best known for the H&W Investigations series

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You can check out our interview with Jess Haines here