All posts by skyebjenner

First Blood by Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy, Chris Marie Green & Meljean Brook

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
First Blood

Title: First Blood
Author: Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy, Chris Marie Green & Meljean Brook
In: First Blood (Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy, Chris Marie Green & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Short story collections, Vampires
Dates read: 26th August – 30th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: She tried to shove him off of her, but he was stronger.

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Synopsis

ONCE YOU ACQUIRE A TASTE FOR IT….

Susan Sizemore returns to the universe she created in her Laws of the Blood novels – with a sizzling story of the intimate relationship between a vampire Enforcer and a werewolf in “Cave Canem”.

In “Russian Roulette” by Erin McCarthy, fledgling vampire Sasha Chechikov flees the bright lights and dangerous slayers of Vegas for New Orleans, where she is saved by a vampire haunted by his past – and hungry for passion.

Set in the Vampire Babylon world, “Double the Bite” by Chris Marie Green puts the bond between twin female vampires to the test when one of them falls for her prey… and must choose between love and family.

And in Meljean Brook’s “Thicker Than Blood,” vampire Annie Gallagher needs help to save a young human girl named Cricket, but she doesn’t expect the help to come from the FBI agent she loved – and had to give up – when she was transformed.

These all-new darkly sensual tales will pull you into worlds that are as seductive as they are strange, where passion comes with a price… and longing is eternal.

Thoughts

This is a fantastic blood sucking selection of vampire romance tales. They’re full of lust, love and passion. Along with a little bit of kicking ass, finding yourself and forgiving the past. Everything that you want in a good collection of novellas. A little bit of spice, and a whole lot of sweet…

First Blood is a wonderful collection of tales. One that I thoroughly enjoyed sinking my fangs into and was a little bit disappointed when it ended. There is something kind of fun about vampire romances. Something which is fun and mostly sensual… if sometimes a little cliché. Luckily, none of these four novellas were able to be classified as overdone tropes… which, not so luckily, meant that I also have four series to add to my collection of to be read books.

This is a great collection of paranormal romance novellas. Every story is written by a master of her craft. And the stories are guaranteed to get your pulse racing, heart pumping, and imagination going wild. It’s just lucky that there aren’t likely to be any vampires waiting at your door for a nice romp in the dark.

 <- Thicker Than Blood ReviewCave Canem Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Light Through Fog by Holly Lisle

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of paranormal romance book cover

Title: Light Through Fog
Author: Holly Lisle
In: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Family, Ghosts, Paranormal romance
Dates read: 30th September 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: “It’s not cancer,” he said softly.

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Synopsis

Sarah is trying to move on after the devastating loss of her husband. But a night deep in the fog might help her to cross to another world where he was waiting for her. To spend their ever after together.

Thoughts

This story bought tears to my eyes. It was beautiful, sweet and totally made me believe in true love. And the idea that love crosses boundaries. Even if that boundary is death. It’s the kind of story which makes you believe that there are more things on heaven and earth than you could ever dream, and maybe you should believe just for that one moment longer.

The atmosphere of this story is beautifully creepy. You can kind of guess that from the mention of fog in the title. The swirling of fog in each meeting, the moments which Sarah and her deceased husband manage to steal away together… that question of “what if” lingers throughout this story. Yet it doesn’t manage to be creepy… rather an ethereal and beautiful tale.

Possibly my favourite moment ever happens at the end of the story. When Sarah is able to pretty much turn around and say F*** you to all of the horrible naysayer. Family might mean a lot, but there are certain aspects of family and decisions we make that count towards true family…

 <- Daniel ReviewThe Tuesday Enchantress Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Enthralled by Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, Meljean Brook & Lucy Monroe

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for enthralled lora leigh book cover

Title: Enthralled
Author: Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, Meljean Brook & Lucy Monroe
In: Enthralled (Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, Meljean Brook & Lucy Monroe)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Short story collections
Dates read: 29th August – 30th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: The first stroke of lightning-bright pain gave way to a steadily increasing inferno of pleasure Kate couldn’t fight and had no desire to escape.

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Synopsis

They Have the Power To Hold You Spellbound, To Captivate Your Senses, and to Keep You Forever in Their Control.
Forever enthralled…

1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh returns to her sensual world of the Breeds…as a spirited female Wolf Breed finally meets her match, and can no longer deny her mate – or the fierce desires of her own heart.

New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Day introduces the League of the Black Swan…and the dangerous game one woman plays when her family’s curse dooms her to kill the man she loves.

New York Times bestselling author Meljean Brook delivers a new story in her steampunk world of the Iron Seas…as a man who’s lost everything returns home to find that not only is his marriage in jeopardy, but he must now fight pirates who intend to steal his one remaining treasure – his wife.

And Lucy Monroe, national bestselling author of the Children of the Moon novels, unleashes the feral passions of a werewolf on the body, mind, and soul of his prey, his lover, his mate.

Thoughts

I knew I was probably going to love this collection before I even read it – I already love three out of the four authors. Plus, it was a paranormal romance collection featuring animal shapeshifters in one form or another… topics that I absolutely adore…

Each of these four stories take place in larger, fantasy worlds. Ones that I’ve either already got an obsession with or am sure to develop an obsession with. They’re great as standalone novellas, but also fill in gaps for those series that I have read. If you want to find some new paranormal romance series and authors to add to your shelves… I’d definitely suggest trying this collection.

Enthralled is a somewhat fitting name. I was enthralled in each and every story from the very beginning. There was just enough lust and passion to make your heart beat, but so much more going on so it wasn’t one dimensional. From political intrigue to old vendettas, the extra storylines will enthral, fascinate and tie you up in knots. In the best way possible.

 <- Ecstasy Under the Moon ReviewThe Devil’s Due Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Only Goodness by Jhumpa Lahiri

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for unaccustomed earth book cover

Title: Only Goodness
Author: Jhumpa Lahiri
In: Unaccustomed Earth (Jhumpa Lahiri)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Family, Mental health
Dates read: 30th September 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: You are in no position to be getting married.

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Synopsis

Sudha gave her brother, Rahul his first beer. But she had no idea what that could lead to. Where life would take them and how much danger he could eventually find himself in.

Thoughts

Family is difficult, complex and insane. Completely insane at times. Which is captured brilliantly in Only Goodness. Featuring two siblings and following them as they grow, change and navigate the adult world, there are moments of frightening familiarity, interwoven with a life that I have never experienced. It created a world that was surreal and known. One that I really enjoyed visiting.

Alcoholism is a pretty severe mental health issue. The fact that this story explores it from those beginning, niggling warning signs to the eventual demise of a family worked brilliantly well. There was no one moment throughout which you could pinpoint as the start of an addiction, rather a series off events and personality traits which eventually led to an incredibly sad ending.

Unlike the first few stories in the Unaccustomed Earth collection, this didn’t really feel so much like a story about migration and race. Sure, there were aspects of this within the story, but it was the son’s mental health and addiction issues which really took centre stage – something that transcends race and culture.

 <- A Choice of Accommodations ReviewNobody’s Business Review ->
Image source: Bloomsbury

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the incredible adventures of cinnamon girl book cover

Title: The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl
Author: Melissa Keil
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Young adult
Dates read: 9th August – 30th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: How symbolic.

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Synopsis

Alba loves her life just as it is. She loves living behind the bakery, and waking up in a cloud of sugar and cinnamon. She loves drawing comics and watching bad TV with her friends.

The only problem is she’s overlooked a few teeny details:

Like, the guy she thought long gone has unexpectedly reappeared.
And the boy who has been her best friend since forever has suddenly gone off the rails.
And even her latest comic-book creation is misbehaving.

Also, the world might be ending – which is proving to be awkward.

As Doomsday enthusiasts flock to idyllic Eden Valley, Alba’s life is thrown into chaos. Whatever happens next, it’s the end of the world as she knows it. But when it comes to figuring out her heart, Armageddon might turn out to be the least of her problems.

Thoughts

This was my last unread Melissa Keil book on my shelf. And I tried to stretch out reading it as much as possible… I just love her writing way too much. And my plan to stretch things out worked reasonably well… for the first quarter, but then I got sucked in (as always) and ripped through it. After all, these are the sweetest, most heart-warming books I’ve read in a long time. The fact that they’re set in Australia just helps to make it that much better.

I’m from a rural area of Australia, not as small and secluded as the Eden Valley in this story, but many of the idiosyncrasies of small town Australia life are incredibly familiar in this tale. Especially when it’s partnered with the idea of the end of the world, the gullibility of the masses and the power of social media. The setting itself worked as another character, one that was slightly insane and seriously intense.

Melissa Keil’s books are always a great coming of age story. One which, whilst it features a romance, is more about realising who and what we are. So far all three have taken place around the end of high school – a moment in our lives when we’re not sure who and what we want to become. Since being in that position, I’ve had many “standing on the edge of a cliff” moments, but finishing high school was the first of these. The shorter time frame of this story and the way in which it explores making future decisions reminded me of all those moments in which I wasn’t sure about what my future decisions should be… the ending of this tale helps to give you a sense of happiness (in that Alba and her friends have taken their first steps into the adult world), but it also is open enough that you feel like their lives are just beginning.

I found the love story in this incredibly sweet. I didn’t quite guess which boy would end up with Alba until much later in this book. Because it felt more about their friendship and their love and respect for one another. This is the perfect friends to lovers story. It’s a great reminder that some of the best relationships are built on a solid foundation of friendship and respect. This is the book that you should read if you want to feel at peace with the world and finish with a huge smile on your face.

 <- The Secret Science of Magic ReviewLife in Outer Space Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Naughtiest Cherub by Kevin Hearne

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for urban enemies book cover

Title: The Naughtiest Cherub
Author: Kevin Hearne
Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #8.8
In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Mythology, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 30th September 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: By all reports, more hellish than other places on the human plane.

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Synopsis

Loki has entered the terrifying bowls of hell to try and make a deal with Lucifer. But will the Prince of Darkness be open to the discussion? Or will he just be another adversary in Loki’s quest?

Thoughts

I love the partnership of Loki and Lucifer in this story. It’s not a mix of mythologies I’ve seen much of before. And the interplay between the two was hilarious, sassy and incredibly witty. It also set up a reality in which the different mythos of the world interplay a lot more succinctly and neatly than any other series I’ve come across before.

Loki is probably one of my favourite villains in any mythology retelling. Although he is traditionally a trickster, he is also the one who tends to equalise others. The fact that Lucifer refuses to play ball with him and acts as an equaliser of his own was a really nice bit of karmic poetry. And it sets up the battles which I’m sure are about to come in this series.

The Naughtiest Cherub is a great short story which sets you up in a world that I personally can’t wait to sink my teeth into. If this is how the villains battle one another, I can’t wait to see how they interact with the “good guys”.

<- KissThe Resurrectionist ->

Image source: Simon & Schuster

The Other Labyrinth by Jedediah Berry

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for coyote road book cover

Title: The Other Labyrinth
Author: Jedediah Berry
In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Tricksters
Dates read: 30th September 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: Is that what he was calling himself?

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Synopsis

He has to make his way through the labyrinth if he wants to please his boss and the woman he loves. But he might not be able to accomplish both tasks…

Thoughts

I found this short story a little confusing and convoluted. Which is probably what the point of it was… after all, it’s based around the idea of a labyrinth. And there is nothing sensical and normal about a labyrinth. Which made this a somewhat perfect trickster story. The labyrinth being the perfect trickster persona.

It’s a little difficult to write much about this short story. Each stage of the labyrinth is a small tale. One that fits into the greater tale. Although I’m still not sure how. This is one of those stories which needs to be read multiple times to understand what exactly is happening.

 <- God Clown ReviewThe Dreaming Wind Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Spellbound by L.A. Banks

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for my big fat supernatural wedding book cover

Title: Spellbound
Author: L.A. Banks
In: My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Family, Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 30th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: Ethel floated toward the tree near the two lovers.

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Synopsis

Odelia and Jeffereson just want to escape their horrifying families. They want to get married and live happily ever after. But they’re insane, dueling families have a lot to say about it… put in a call to the Grandmothers, and things might just start to work out the way they want them to.

Thoughts

This story is such a gorgeous little Romeo and Juliet themed tale. Two young people from warring families have fallen deeply in love. And all they want to do is get married. Unlike the Shakespearean classic though, they have grandmothers. Who help. Actually they more than help… they step in and take charge. Big time. I love the strong grandmother trope…

Odelia and Jefferson are a rare and cute couple. And an interesting wedding to start a collection about supernatural weddings off with. The hoodoo casting, Deep South dwelling families were completely unexpected. Totally loved. And impossible to stop thinking about. The fact that the lead are virgins at their wedding just makes it all the more sweet… especially since BOTH the man and woman have abstained.

This short story made me think about those moments when you’re falling madly in love. Those heady moments of excitement and anticipation as you begin to truly start a new life with each other. It’s sweet and romantic. And, just downright hilarious to counter all the mushy feelings… definitely a short story that I would recommend again and again.

 <- My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding ReviewSomething Borrowed Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Jamesburg Incubus by Scott Baker

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for alien sex book cover

Title: The Jamesburg Incubus
Author: Scott Baker
In: Alien Sex (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Lust, Science fiction
Dates read: 30th September 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: ROC
Year: 1990
5th sentence, 74th page: They start, slowly, romantically, this time, as though the three of them are fitting together, following something innate and inborn rather than dictating their private needs and wants to one another.

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Synopsis

St. Jacques is a pretentious, boring teacher. Until he eats some mouldy bread… and he begins to transform into an incubus.

Thoughts

Tales of alien adventures don’t normally include tones of Christianity. Or at least, none of the science fiction tales I normally read do… which made this tale incredibly weird and uncomfortable in some ways. But also very unique and interesting…

The most uncomfortable about this short story was the sexual preferences of St. Jacques. At first the idea of an incubus was seriously fascinating… until the young women he was preying on in his dreams were somewhat younger than I was imagining. Things just got steadily weirder and more uncomfortable from that point on. Although, I suppose that that was kind of the point…

Most tales I read about incubi have an intense paranormal spin. It’s about demons and angels. Right and wrong. Good and bad. Not so much with this tale… there is a weird moment of epiphany at the end. But, mostly it’s about a weird bread mould which can alter perceptions and feelings in dreams… a part of my life I would probably rather remained untouched.

 <- How’s the Night Life on Cissalda? ReviewMan of Steel, Woman of Kleenex Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Mr. Splitfoot by Dale Bailey

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for queen victoria's book of spells ellen datlow book cover

Title: Mr. Splitfoot
Author: Dale Bailey
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Gaslamp, Ghosts, Historical fiction
Dates read: 30th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: The spirit hands and the voices and the Summerland itself.

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Synopsis

Maggie and Kate Fox have a long history of delving into the spiritual world. But as Maggie faces her final days, she reminsces on their lies and the horrors of Mr. Splitfoot.

Thoughts

I don’t really know anything about the Fox sisters. But this short story really made me want to find out more about them. It would be an amazing story and fascinating tale. Actually, I think that I’ll put their biography on my wishlist…

Bailey manages to write a fascinating historical fiction. Taking Maggie’s last days and building a rich tapestry, he constructs a world that I didn’t quite want to leave. Maggie’s confusion, reminiscing and regret all built a surreal story. One that had a waxing and waning quality… built around an old woman with many regrets and a horrifying spectre lingering over her final moments.

One of the aspects I really enjoyed about this story (other than the actual story), was Bailey’s explanation at the close. He highlights which parts of this tale were real and which ones completely figments of his own imagination. It made everything far more real and intense. Bought it to life in a way I really wasn’t expecting. And had no idea I craved so badly.

 <- Charged ReviewPhosphorus Review ->
Image source: Amazon