Samson's Lovely Mortal (Scanguards Vampires #1)

Samson’s Lovely Mortal (Scanguards Vampires #1)

Author: Tina Folsom

Adult Book

(Amy’s Review)

Synopsis:

Vampire bachelor Samson can't get it up anymore. Not even his shrink can help him. That changes when the lovely mortal auditor Delilah tumbles into his arms after a seemingly random attack. Suddenly there's nothing wrong with his hydraulics - that is, as long as Delilah is the woman in his arms.  His scruples about taking Delilah to bed vanish when his shrink suggests it's the only way to cure his problem. Thinking all he needs is one night with her, Samson indulges in a night of pleasure and passion. However, another attack on Delilah and a dead body later, and Samson has his hands full: not only with trying to hide the fact he's a vampire, but also with finding out what secrets Delilah harbors for somebody to want her harm.

I got this book as a free read on Amazon.  I was a bit skeptical about it considering it was about a vampire who had an impotency problem.  I did get a good laugh in the beginning with the vampires going to see a psychiatrist because they have "issues".  The whole “can’t get it up” problem only lasts a couple of chapters then you get to the action of the story.  I really liked this book.  It showed you a female character who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and go for what she wants.  There are many books that give you a woman who is quiet and shy, always waiting for man to read her mind on what she wants.  Well, that is not this book.  I am anxious to continue with the series. 

Rating 4 out of 5 

This Dark Endeavor By Kenneth Oppel

This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein

Author: Kenneth Oppel

YA Book

(Annette's Review)

In this prequel to Mary Shelley’s gothic classic, Frankenstein, sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor’s twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor can cure him. Unwilling to give up on his brother, Victor enlists his beautiful cousin Elizabeth and his best friend, Henry, on a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life. Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy, and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.  Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science, and love — and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

I have not read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but after reading This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, I have now added it to my growing list of books I want to read. This Dark Endeavor is the story of young Victor Frankenstein.  It is a dark and intriguing story of family, love, and science. Victor, his twin brother Konrad, their cousin Elizabeth, and friend Henry are a lively and adventurous group.  They discover a secret library within their home which includes books of alchemy and other dark and mysterious titles.  They are forbidden by their father to ever go back to the library which makes it all the more enticing to Victor.  When Konrad falls ill with a mysterious illness, Victor will go to great lengths to find a cure. He goes against his father’s wishes and returns to The Dark Library in search of a possible cure.  Victor finds a book that includes a recipe for the Elixir of Life, a mixture he believes will save Konrad's life.  Victor, his cousin Elizabeth, and his friend Henry secretly set out to find an old alchemist who they believe can help them create the Elixir.  Alchemy has been banned and its use is punishable by law if caught.   When they find the alchemist, he begins to translate the book and tells them about the ingredients they need to find and where to get them. The three friends head out on a dangerous journey to find the ingredients to make the Elixir and struggle with believing in the Elixir or the hope of what medicine can do to help Konrad. As the others begin to doubt the value of the Elixir, Victor continues to believe that it will save his brother's life and will go to extreme lengths to prove it. A love triangle between Victor, Konrad, and Elizabeth adds a bit of romance to the story as well, and Victor struggles with his loyalty to his brother and his growing feelings for Elizabeth.  Even though Victor’s motives often do not seem pure as he has a dark edge to his character, you want to root for him because you see his other side where he will do anything for those he loves. Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down.  It has a bit of everything in the story and kept me on the edge of my seat.  I loved the characters, and the story is well written. 


Rating 4 out of 5

Enchantment: Channie #1

Enchantment: Channie #1
Author: Charlotte Abel
Older YA Book
(Amy's Review)

Sixteen year old Channie Kerns leads an idyllic life of seclusion and magic deep in the Ozark Mountains ... until her family is forced to flee for their lives.  They leave everything and everyone behind to start over in Louisville, Colorado. Magic is forbidden while they are in hiding, but Channie can't resist the temptation to enchant a group of local boys. When her overbearing parents catch her flirting with these "sex-crazed, non-magical delinquents," they slap a chastity spell on her to protect her virtue.  The spell is triggered by lust, so just navigating the halls at her new school is an ordeal. She can't even touch a boy she's attracted to without blasting him with a jolt of magical energy that feels like a taser.  When Channie falls in love with Josh Abrim, a BMX racer with dangerous secrets of his own, she rebels against her parents and turns to dark and forbidden magic to break the chastity spell ... with disastrous results.

This was a really cute story.  Enchantment and her family are on the run because of her fathers gambling problem.  When they leave their home in Arkansas and move to Colorado, Channie never thought she would find her love, Josh.  Channie "Enchantment" is a mage whos power is being loved by others, but when her parents re-name her to Chastity to protect her virtue they end up cursing her.  Channie cannot even touch Josh becuase of the curse which puts a strain on their new relationship.  When Channie and Josh attempt to get rid of the curse with the Dark Book, they are put through tests.  This book also reveals secrests about Josh that he didn't even know.  I loved the "country" family and they way they interacted with each other.  The majority of the story Channie and Josh are trying to find ways to make out without triggering the curse.  Its funny how you realize that it is what all teenagers are really thinking about.  I enjoyed it and will continue with the series.

Rating 3 out of 5 

Sweet Evil

Sweet Evil

Author: Wendy Higgins

Older YA Book

(Amy’s Review)

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.  A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

I really liked this story about Angels and Demons.  The main focus on the story is with Anna, a half angel/half demon human.  Anna is the only one of her kind which makes her dangerous.  Raised by her adopted mother, Anna has gifts that she has no idea what to do with.  She can see people’s auras and feel their emotions.  When Anna meets Kaidan, she feels this strong pull for him.  Anna doesn’t realize that Kaidan is dangerous, and it is forbidden for her to be with him.  Kaidan is a half demon who feeds off of lust, but feels compelled to help Anna figure out where she came from.  Anna faces so much heart break from Kaidan that you feel for her.  Being only 17, she is put in situations even adults wouldn’t be able to handle.  This book pulls so many emotions from you; it’s happy, sad, funny and exciting and even a bit steamy.  The story really focuses on the relationship with Anna and Kaidan, which will break your heart.  There’s some action at the end, so it helps you understand the struggles that are to come for Anna, but leaves you with so many questions.  This is Wendy’s first book, I am very impressed.  It was very well written and the idea for the story is intriguing.  She was able to write a story about Angels, Demons, Lucifer and God without it being overwhelming with religion.  Her scene and character descriptions make you feel like you right there with the characters.  It makes you want to know more about them.   I hope other readers enjoy this book as much as I did.

Rating 4 out of 5 

Pyxis: The Discovery #1

Pyxis: The Discovery #1
Author: K.C. Neal
YA Book
(Amy's Review)

Corinne lives an average teenage life working at her dad’s cafe, hanging out with her best friend, and trying to forget a falling-out with her almost-boyfriend Mason. Things take a strange turn when she uses her late grandmother’s food dyes for a bake sale, and her customers suddenly find her irresistibly alluring. Then she discovers she and Mason are haunted by the same dreams of a dark force that consumes everything in its path. Pursued by shadowy figures and a crazy woman with secrets from the past, Corinne must find out who her grandmother really was. In her quest to unravel her family’s history, she learns she is destined to protect this world--and the dark world of her dreams. She races to find the answers she seeks before her nightmares break free.

The first book of this series is a opener.  You find out alot about the characters and this strange Pyxis but you don't really find out what this "Pyxis" is about or its purpose.  It has great character developement so you get to see the relations between them.  Corinne is a Pyxis, what that means yet I don't know.  She is protected by a Shield, Mason, and has 2 Guradians, Angeline and the other has not been named. Other than a aunt who is suffering from a stroke, she has no idea what is happening with her and the source of her dream/visions.  I had to laugh because when Corinne made sweets for a bake sale she used this weird liquid she found for food coloring.  Only a teenager would be that brave.  The character personalities were dead on for teenagers which is a relief because a lot of stories are not realisitc of true teenagers. I think a lot of YA readers will enjoy this story because of the cuteness of it.  I am curious to read the next to find out more about this strange group and see what they are supposed to do. 

Rating 4 out of 5  

Primal Heat: Donna Grant

Primal Heat (Novella)
Author: Donna Grant
Adult Book
(Amy's Review)

Being an American in Britain isn't easy. For Krista, its downright hard especially when she's plagued by erotic dreams that increase as Halloween approaches. So when she's given a dare by her co-workers to pluck a rose from the most haunted house in Cardiff, she agrees never thinking it would be more than a scare tactic.  As a Time Agent, all Orrin wants to do is capture the Weres before they feed off the people of Cardiff, but when he lands on Earth and discovers the woman he's been sharing dreams with is there, he can't help but find her. All he planned to do was talk, but the lust that flared between them left no room for talking.  But the Weres have come for more than food. They've come for Krista, to claim her as the mate to their leader. To resist their seduction is futile. Unless a Time Agent is involved.

Short stories are not my favorite because I just don't get enough before they end.  This story was different, werewolves on a spaceship from another planet with aliens hunting them hmmm....definately different.  The character descriptions were good but you just wanted to know more about the others.  Krista's character was complex.  I believed she was older but was put in a situation where she was dared to do something and acted like she was 12. All in all it was a good story but would be nice if it were longer.

Rating 3 out of 5

Whisper: Heather Hildenbrand

Get your copy now on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Whisper-ebook/dp/B007VDNIQM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335630006&sr=1-1

Dirty Blood

Free on Kindle today!

http://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Blood-ebook/dp/B004V08RS2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335446668&sr=8-1

This is a 5 star rating book by Heather Hildenbrand!  Get it today!

Slave to Sensation: Psy Changling #1

Slave to Sensation: Psy Changling #1

Author: Nalini Singh

Adult Book

(Amy’s Review)

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of “rehabilitation”—the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was…  Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a Changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several Changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion—and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities—or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation…

Sascha is a Psy, a human with no emotions, no feelings, just a shell.  In this world, the Psy are above all others, they are the leaders and they believe they are perfect.  With no feelings, no anger or hate, no lust or emotion, they believe they have the perfect world.  When Sascha is asked to take charge of a deal between the Psy and the Changlings, (shapeshifters), she believes that this will help her status as a Psy.  Sascha is a Cardinal, a Psy with the potential for great gifts, but her gifts have not developed yet.  When she meets Lucas, the alpha for the Dark River Pack, she begins to feel different.  Sascha is not supposed to feel at all, but now she is.  This book is awesome and different.  I love the world that Nalini has created.  It has a sci-fi/paranormal feel to it.  So different than anything I’ve read.  The characters have so much depth that you could write stand alone stories on each of them.  Both the main characters, Sascha and Lucas are such head strong characters that you feel empowered by them.  This is the first book in the series which I will continue to read. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Prophecy: Child of Light

Prophecy: Child of Light (Vampire Realm #1)
Author: Felicity Heaton
Adult Book
(Amy's Review)


A vampire unlike any other, Prophecy lives life in the dark until the night she encounters Valentine, a gorgeous vampire who is both her enemy and the man who will change her life forever.
Convinced that the prophecy about her is wrong and unable to ignore the vision of them that he saw in her blood, Valentine goes against his orders to execute Prophecy and kidnaps her instead. The attraction between them grows as they search for the truth behind the prophecy, battle a dark evil that threatens to destroy the world, and attempt to evade their families and the Law Keepers. When the truth about her is revealed, will Prophecy be strong enough to face it? Will they discover a way to save the world from Hell? And will they finally see past the hatred bred into them by their families and surrender to their love?

Prophecy has lived inside her vampire home her entire life without ever stepping outside the front gate. She has no idea of what life is like outside of her home besides what she has seen on TV. Her vampire family tells her it's because they want to keep her safe. What Prophecy doesn't know is that she is the long awaited Prophecy for the vampires, one that is supposed to destroy her entire race. When Prophecy decides one night to sneak outside the walls of her home to feed on a human, she meets Valentine. Valentine is a vampire from a rival family. When Valentine finds out who Prophecy is by biting her, Valentine has to tell his family what he has found. Valentine didn't count on his vampire leader to have him kill Prophecy. When Valentine decides to kidnap Prophecy and try to help her, it is the beginning of an adventure for her. One that will not only help her find out who she really is but what she has to do. This story is a long one but a good one. You can't help but feel for Prophecy in this story, she is like a child, just getting to see the world for the first time but she is in her 20s. Felicity has created this vampire story with the vampire families living in different "Houses". They are all rival Houses. This story has vampire, witches and werewolves all with different pasts. There is action throughout the story, and the story with Prophecy keeps you reading just so you can find out the mystery about her.

Rating: 3 out of 5