Review of: "A Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell. 

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

I tell you what....haters are gonna hate. ALL the reviewers that are hating on the book just don't appreciate a good NOVEL. They just want it fast and hot and over. All "wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am". YOU DON'T GET THAT WITH THIS BOOK! You get details, you get history, you get anticipation, you get explanations, you get CONNECTION WITH THE CHARACTERS!  This book has been on my TBR list for quite a while and finally got my opportunity to read it! It was so very different than what I expected. Because...wait for it....I was expecting it to be the "wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am" type book that I've grown accustomed to. THANK ZEUS that didn't happen with this book. I adored learning so much about Diana and Matthew. I'm excited for their story to continue and to read on to the second book! Check it out on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8667848-a-discovery-of-witches

Pleasure Unbound by: Larissa Ione

In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life . . . 

She's a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life. 

Two lovers will dare to risk all.

Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his quest to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable-and let Tayla possess him, body and soul . . .

I'm so happy I stumbled upon this series!! 

I've been wanting to find a new long series that I can really sink my teeth into! Or at least "sink my butt onto the couch and get lost in the fantasy world" into. 

I knew I'd heard of the Demonica series before, but I don't think I'd ever actually heard of anyone talking about it or have it come across to me in recommendations (at least not to my knowledge). So anyway, when I came across them the other day in Listopia on Goodreads, I just knew I needed to give it a go!

And boy, I wasn't disappointed!

It took me a little extra time to really get through the first few chapters, but that's solely because there is a lot of information thrown at you and I didn't want to miss anything! Once I got the major gist of the sitation, I couldn't put the book down!

Eidolon and Tayla were amazing characters, and I really cared about them. There were twists and turns when I least expected it and I loved every minute of it!

Midnight Rising by: Lara Adrian

In a world of shadows and dark, consuming hungers, desire is the deadliest weapon...

For journalist Dylan Alexander, it began with the discovery of a hidden tomb, thrusting her into the center of a gathering storm of violence and secrets. But nothing is as dangerous as the scarred, lethally seductive man who rises from the shadows to draw her into his world of dark desire and endless night.

Fueled by pain and rage over a shattering betrayal, the warrior Rio has pledged his life to the war against the Rogues. He will let nothing stand in his way—least of all a mortal woman with the power to expose the entire vampire race. For an ancient evil has been awakened, and a stunning darkness is on the rise. Suddenly Dylan is powerless to resist Rio’s touch, even as she uncovers a shocking link to her own past. And now she must choose: Leave Rio’s midnight realm, or risk it all for the man who has shown her true passion and the infinite pleasures of the heart. . . . 

Latest book in the Midnight Breed series....a bit more of a let down than the last couple books for me. 

I thought I'd be head over heals in love with Rio because of his poor situation and because I have such a soft spot of guys like that (in books only, lol)...

But I really just didn't get into his and Dylan's story. 

I really loved their connection and I think everything that happened, needed to happen to really make everything continue well, but I just wasn't feeling it this time sadly.

I will continue on though! Hopefully the next book will get back on track for me and be amazing.

Midnight Awakening by: Lara Adrian

With a dagger in her hand and vengeance on her mind,

Darkhaven beauty Elise Chase prowls Boston’s streets in search of retribution against the Rogue vampires who took from her everything she cherished. Using an extraordinary psychic gift, she tracks her prey, well aware that the power she possesses is destroying her. She must learn to harness this gift, and for that she can turn to only one man—the deadliest of the Breed warriors, Tegan.

No stranger to loss, Tegan knows Elise’s pain. He knows fury, but when he slays his enemies it is with ice in his veins. He is perfect in his self-control, until Elise seeks his aid in her personal war. An unholy alliance is forged—a bond that will link them by blood and vow—and plunge them into a tempest of danger, desire, and the darkest passions of the heart. . . .

AHH! Omg I can't even believe how much I loved this book!

I have a special place in my heart for those who are tormented and hurt! Their stories always seem to be so hard hitting and special.

Tegan and Elise's story are no exception! OMG these two are so amazing together.

Elise is a serious little spitfire after being coddled all her life. She's so strong and so amazing. I really liked that she was already familiar with the world of the Breed and knew how things worked....so no delaying in having to explain.

Tegan is of course one hot piece of ass! Holy cow! Tormented soul, hero, selfless, ugh....I just can't stand him (and of course by that I mean I LOVE HIM).

This series is getting better and better! 

Kiss of Crimson by: Lara Adrian

He comes to her more dead than alive, a towering black-clad

stranger riddled with bullets and rapidly losing blood. As she struggles to save him, veterinarian Tess Culver is unaware that the man calling himself Dante is no man at all, but one of the Breed, vampire warriors engaged in a desperate battle. In a single erotically charged moment Tess is plunged into his world—a shifting, shadowed place where bands of Rogue vampires stalk the night, cutting a swath of terror.

Haunted by visions of a dark future, Dante lives and fights like there is no tomorrow. Tess is a complication he does not need—but now, with his brethren under attack, he must shield Tess from a growing threat that includes Dante himself. For with one reckless, irresistible kiss, she has become an inextricable part of his underworld realm…and his touch awakens her to hidden gifts, desires, and hungers she never knew she possessed. Bonded by blood, Dante and Tess must work together to thwart deadly enemies, even as they discover a passion that transcends the boundaries of life itself….

Ok, now this is what I like!

I LOVED Dante and Tess' story!!! They were absolutely amazing as the main couple and I really had a lot more fun reading this book than the first book in the Midnight Breed series!

Dante is so hot and masculine....and just dang....yummy!! 

Tess is so sweet and down to earth even with her awful background and her super awesome Breedmate abilities! I just love her.

I found the twists and turns so entertaining! I couldn't put this book down and I seriosuly didn't want it to end.

We finally got a glimpse back at Rio...ugh., poor Rio!!!!!!!!! I loved the backstory on Sterling and Elise...or is it Elise and Tegan??? OMG I can't wait to find out!!! EEKS!

Kiss of Midnight by: Lara Adrian

He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual

black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell’s deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night—or this man—is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed—a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.

Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind—and the unwitting humans existing alongside them—from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.

Here, in the arms of the Breed’s formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all. . . . 

Looks like I've found a fun new series to read!

The reviews weren't kidding when they said that this series is very similar to Black Dagger Brotherhood series...so of course I was eager to pick it up I have high hopes it's going to be a fun series read!

Gabrielle and Lucan are our first set of characters to learn about. Not only learning about them coming together but learning about the whole Order and about the war between the Breed and the Rogues....and I feel that all the information packed into this book made me not thoroughly enjoy the story of Gabby and Lucan. I know the all the information is needed so we can understand what's going on, but I just wasn't a fan of the way the story went for Gabby and Lucan along with the knowledge.

It probably doesn't help that I just can't get passed what Lucan did when he went into her apartment when she was sleeping! Seriously....just creepy to me.

Lone Wolf Rising By: Jami Brumfield

Revenge has deadly consequences. Seventeen year old Rebecca Winters’ main goal for ten years has been to graduate high school and take down the people who killed her parents. When she stumbled upon a werewolf pack in the middle of Phoenix, she knew she’d found a way to make her dream come true. Instead of getting vengeance, an act of war has put her into a position of power and forces her to put her thirst for family justice on a temporary hold.

He is duty bound to protect her. Lucian (Lucky) Lamont is a member of the Protectors, an elite supernatural police force who works for the Authority. Their main goal is to keep humans in the dark about the creatures who live among them. Lucky is assigned to protect and manage Rebecca, despite her refusal of help. His cover is simple; he poses as the dutiful ‘pretend’ boyfriend in order to keep an eye on the new alpha wolf.

She is his mate.

Gabriel Black though taking his pack back from the witch who was chosen as the new alpha would be simple. He thought wrong. His entire world was turned upside down the moment he met Rebecca at the Authority Council meeting…and he was hooked the moment he kissed her to prove she wasn’t dating his best friend, Lucky.

It’s like being torn between two lovers.

Rebecca is pulled in hundreds of different directions while she attempts to find a way to survive the supernatural world, protect her family, and discover who massacred her entire pack days before her first transformation. She doesn’t have time for romance.

But the heart wants what the heart wants.

And the wolf gets what the wolf wants – or so her alpha believes. While Rebecca manages to keep her head above water as she unlocks political and family secrets which could destroy her, she loses sight of the most important people in her life and one of them pays the ultimate price. 

Who doesn't love a good werewolf story? 

Though young adult isn't one of my favorite genre's, I still can't bring myself to turn away from a good 'ol werewolf. And I'm sure glad I didn't!

Lone Wolf Rising covered basically all the essential of the other paranormal's with vampires and witches too. It had ample attraction, mystery, suspense, and one hell-of-a cliffhanger! 

Oh and I just really adored the split love interest too. Made for a fantastic twist!

Stepbrother Untouchable By: Colleen Masters

Calling Nate Thornhill a rich, cocky, arrogant asshole would be an understatement. 

He also happens to be stunningly handsome, popular, intelligent, and captain of both the Crew and Lacrosse teams at UVA. I hate him for thinking he’s untouchable—not because he’s a narcissistic, privileged, borderline-misogynistic heartbreaker—but because he’s right. 

His first words to me were at a Crew House party, and he literally invited me to have a threesome with him and a random girl. I could’ve died from the embarrassment, he didn’t even know my name at the time, and he didn’t care to. After that night, I promised myself to never waste another second thinking about Nate Thornhilll. 

My world becomes a nightmare when I realize my mom’s new husband Pierce has a son who’s my age…and he’s a junior at UVA too. I can’t believe my eyes when Nate walks over and sits down next to us at dinner, introducing himself like he’s never seen me before in his life. 

Then I feel his hand on my thigh, underneath the tablecloth with our parents sitting across from us, inching closer and closer to my panties. My mind goes fuzzy, my heart starts racing, and my body does exactly what I don’t want it to do. 

And then they hit me with the worst news of all… 

Pierce has an internship lined up for me at his firm, and we’re going to live at his Eastern Shore mansion for the summer. 

I’ll be sleeping down the hall from my new stepbrother…arguing with him at every breakfast, sitting across from him at every dinner, watching as he brings an endless string of girls back to his room…secretly wishing I was one of them.

I can honestly say that I went into this story without great expectations. I found very mixed reviews on it but decided to give it a fair chance. BUT, I can happily say that it was such a very good story and I fell in love with Brynn and Nate myself!

I know that some people really can't get into books that are the normal and traditional love stories. But that's what makes me glad there are other people out there like me, that really love a story with a twist. This is my third book I've read about step-sibling relationships. The first one was terrifying in such mental abuse ways, though an entertaining read...well it just kinda freaked me out a bit. The second one was so much better in the overall story and how they had come together. I really loved it. This one, being my third is right up there with the second book. 

Stepbrother Untouchable is shorter than most of the other books I read, so I was afraid that it was just going to be a "Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am" type of story. Luckily that is not the case. You are quick to adoring Brynn and rooting for her the whole way. Nate and Brynn have some immense sexual tension, but not overloaded amounts. It's more like a 'desirable' amount. The story line is fun and light and adorable.

Unleash the Night -- By: Sherrilyn Kenyon

An orphan with no clan that will claim him, Wren Tigarian grew to adulthood under the close scrutiny and mistrust of those around him. A forbidden blend of two animals - snow leopard and white tiger - Wren has never listened to anyone when there was something he wanted. Now he wants Marguerite.

Marguerite D'Aubert Goudeau is the daughter of a prominent U.S. senator who hates the socialite life she's forced to live. Like her mother before her, she has strong Cajun roots that her father doesn't understand. Still, she has no choice but to try and conform to a world where she feels like an outsider. But the world of rich and powerful humans is never to meet the world of the Were-Hunters who exist side by side with them, unseen, unknown, undetected. To break this law is to call down a wrath of the highest order.

In order to have Marguerite, Wren must fight not just the humans who will never accept his animal nature, but the Were-Hunters who want him dead for endangering their world. It's a race against time and magic without boundary that could cost Marguerite and Wren not just their lives, but their very souls... 

I wish I could peek inside Sherrilyn Kenyon's mind some times. She has such a great imagination and I love the world she has created.

Though, Wren and Maggie's story wasn't one of my all time favorites, it was so very good.

Wren is such a fierce outcast, and falls for Maggie right away. Though they aren't destined mates,that doesn't' matter to them. Nothing will stop these two from being together!

Got to read about more time travel in this one as well. Neat idea that some of these characters have that ability.

OH! And we finally to get to from Nick again! WOOTY WOO!

Sins of the Night - -By: Sherrilyn Kenyon

But every now and again a Dark-Hunter thinks himself above the Code. That's when I'm summoned. Who am I? I'm the one thing the fearless fear. Step over the line and it's my wrath you will face. Nothing can touch me. Nothing can sway me. I am relentless and unfeeling.

Or so I thought until I met a female Dark-Hunter who goes by the name of Danger-it's not just her name, it's how she lives her life. She doesn't trust me at all. And who could blame her? She alone knows that I'm here to be judge, jury and most likely executioner of her friends. Yet she is my key to saving some of them. Without her, they all will die.

Dangereuse St. Richard is a deadly distraction. Something about her is reawakening a heart I thought was long dead. But in a race against evil, the only hope mankind has is that I do my duty. And how can I do my duty when it means that I will have to sacrifice the only woman I've ever loved?

Another fan-tabulous story from the Dark Hunter series! Oh, this series is just so fun to read.

I'm currently re-reading the series for the second time, so I can do reviews for them all and I have to admit, that I am actually enjoying the series the second time around even better than the first!

Ok, so onto Danger and Alexion....

Secluded soul doesn't even begin to describe Alexion. He's been around from nearly day one of the Dark Hunters...but sadly, not as a Dark Hunter! His story is tragic and he is THE reason the DH's even have an 'out-clause' in the first place! Trust me, it's heartbreaking!

Danger...well...she's a little spitfire. It's nice to read about female bad-asses that are also very feminine. She isn't one of those hard-asses just because she is a warrior. She's a bit of fresh air in that regard, lol.

Seize the Night -- By: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Dark-Hunter: an immortal warrior who has traded his soul to Artemis for one moment of vengeance on his enemies. In return, they swear to spend eternity protecting mankind from the daimons and vampires that prey on them. Valerius isn't a popular Dark-Hunter - he's a Roman, which means that the largely Greek Hunters have a major grudge against him and his civilization for superceding them. To make things worse, he's very conscious of his aristocratic background and breeding. So it serves him right when he runs into Tabitha Devereaux. She's sassy, sexy, and completely unwilling to take him seriously. (Not to mention Tabitha is also the sister-in-law of Kyrian, a former Dark-Hunter and Val's mortal enemy.) What Tabitha does take seriously is hunting and killing vampires-and soon she and Val have to grapple with the deadliest of all Daimons - one who's managed to come back from the dead, and one who holds a serious grudge against both of them. To win against evil, Val will have to loosen up, learn to trust, and put everything on the line to protect a man he hates and a woman who drives him nuts. 

One of my favorites in the this series! Not only does SO much happen in this book that I really pertains to the future of the series, but I absolutely love Valerius and Tabitha's story. 

As much as I love those darn alpha males as the the lead roles, I am such a sucker for those characters like Valerius that has had to endure so much torment over his two thousand years. His dry humor with Tabitha's wild and erratic life are so polar opposites but they work so well together! They make it fun and seriously entertaining.

All the 'back story' information that is given to us in this book is something that is talked about so often throughout this series. The heart break and loss, the decisions made, the deliciousness that is Ash...oh dear....yes, all important! 

Amazing book. Loved everything about it. I do wish that last little bit was a bit more detailed, and didn't jump around so much, but I'm still pleased with everything that transpired! 

Night play -- By: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Bride McTierney has had it with men. They're cheap, self-centered, and never love her for who she is. But though she prides herself on being independent, deep down she still yearns for a knight in shining armor. 

She just never expected her knight in shining armor to have a shiny coat of fur...

Deadly and tortured, Vane Kattalakis isn't what he seems. Most women lament that their boyfriends are dogs. In Bride's case, hers is a wolf. A Were-Hunter wolf. Wanted dead by his enemies, Vane isn't looking for a mate. But the Fates have marked Bride as his. Now he has three weeks to either convince Bride that the supernatural is real or he will spend the rest of his life neutered--something no self-respecting wolf can accept...

But how does a wolf convince a human to trust him with her life when his enemies are out to end his? In the world of the Were-Hunters, it really is dog-eat-dog. And only one alpha male can win.

Though I really like their attraction and really adore the characters as a whole, Vane and Bride's story is really not one of my favorites. 

As the first branch off into the Were-Hunter world of the Dark Hunter series, this story is primarily based on describing the roles of the Were-Hunters and the differences between the packs. Vane and Bride have basically an instant connection and are essentially forced together by the Fates (those bitches, LOL).

Overcoming self-esteem issues when your guy is hotter than hot is one of every chubby girl problems, right? Quite a few times I wanted to just roll my eyes at Bride for all her own personal demons and issues, but being a heavy girl myself, I basically could feel everything she did throughout the book. Though, I sincerely hope that not every chubby girl has to land herself a "Taylor" type boyfriend in their lives. No one deserves that. Nor a sister like hers either for that matter. Hurting or not, Bride's sister is a major bitch! 

Anyway, as with every long series, there will inevitably be a few books someone isn't fond of. I've already read this series once, and since this is my second round through, my feels stay the same with Night Play, just not the biggest fan of it but don't regret reading it. 

A Shiver of Light -- Laurell K. Hamilton

I am Princess Meredith NicEssus. Legal name Meredith Gentry, because “Princess” looks so pretentious on a driver’s license. I was the first faerie princess born on American soil, but I wouldn't be the only one for much longer...

Merry Gentry, ex–private detective, now full-time princess, knew she was descended from fertility goddesses, but when she learned she was about to have triplets, she began to understand what that might mean. Infertility has plagued the high ranks of faerie for centuries. Now nobles of both courts of faerie are coming to court Merry and her men, at their home in exile in the Western Lands of Los Angeles, because they will do anything to have babies of their own.

Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, is a more dangerous problem. He tried to seduce Merry and, failing that, raped her. He’s using the human courts to sue for visitation rights, claiming that one of the babies is his. And though Merry knows she was already pregnant when he took her, she can’t prove it.

To save herself and her babies from Taranis she will use the most dangerous powers in all of faerie: a god of death, a warrior known as the Darkness, the Killing Frost, and a king of nightmares. They are her lovers, and her dearest loves, and they will face down the might of the high courts of faerie—while trying to keep the war from spreading to innocent humans in Los Angeles, who are in danger of becoming collateral damage.

I've never been so heart broken about not enjoying a book so much. I just got on the band wagon for the Merry Gentry series about a year ago, so I was so excited when this one came out because I had just read all the other for the first time only months before and I didn't have to wait the years for this one to come out like others did.

But after all the hype, I was super let down and so sad by this book. I really thought there would be so much more about the babies. I'm so very angry about what happens towards the end (I refuse to write any spoilers so you'll just have to deal) that I literally threw my tablet! I've never done that! Ugh, I'm still so mad!

Overall, I honestly think I'm hanging up the Merry Gentry series. Sad, but true.