ARC Review: The Fangover by Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love

The Fangover

by Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love

Better start off being honest.  I knew about this book, mainly because Erin McCarthy is part of the duo writing it and I happen to love her work.  Was I terribly interested in reading it, though?  Well, it was probably one of those "Oh yeah I gotta get to that someday".  Of course, I also thought this had two separate novellas.  Then I happen to win an ARC of this at RAW and my grabby hands had to read it right away.  Well, I was so pleasantly surprised!

Call me whatever you want but I didn't co-relate the fact that the book is called "The Fangover" with the movie "The Hangover".  Yeah, that joke went right over my head (see what happens when you're not paying attention?).  And that is exactly how I can possibly describe this book.

Vampire rocker kills himself (meets the sun) and his friends are throwing him a funeral "party".  They get a little tipsy and somehow they all wake up the next day without recollection of how that night ended or what happened.  All they know is that a human was turned and got married to one of the band members (vampire), the dead vamps sister is stuck in bat form, another band member is missing a fang and oh yeah, there's a passed out human priest in the bath tub.  And let's not forget about the parrot!  Now they just have to backtrack and try to figure out what went down.

So, there are actually two main couples throughout this story.  One is Stella and Wyatt.  Stella is Johnny's sister (dead vamp).  Wyatt has been a member of the band for a while and has had a crush on Stella for just about that long.  This was just the perfect opportunity for him to show her that he would be there for her and that they can be good together.  I liked the fact that their romance started before the drunken behavior night and that we are given glimpses into their past.  Even though Stella got on my nerves a bit at times, Wyatt made up for being extra sweet and caring while still being hot.

Then there's Cort and Katie.  I actually enjoyed them a bit more.  Katie used to be human and was part of the day band.  Cort has had a crush on her for a while but humans have always been off limits so he stayed away.  Now, not only did he turn her but he married her.  I thought their romance was cuter even though I also wanted to pull my hair at their lack of communication and misunderstandings.

In the end, this book was a fun parody, not meant to showcase deep emotions but to make you laugh and it definitely achieved that in my opinion.  A little bit of comic relief while throwing in some sexy vamps who are just not all there.

Purchase Links: Amazon

Covers to Covet

PERFECT FIT

by Carly Phillips

(Serendipity # 4)

Love the series and all but have to admit that this is the BEST cover so far!  What do you girls think?  Have we met him before?  Because either my brain is total mush or I just don't remember him.  But I'll be thinking about Mike now because holy hell he's hot!  Can't wait!

Carly's NY Times Bestselling SERENDIPITY series was such a hit with readers, she brings you back to the picturesque upstate NY town, where three siblings have grown up in the shadow of their proud and respected police chief father. But what do love, fate, and fortune have in store for the next generation of Serendipity's finest?

MIKE
Always feeling like the odd man out in his family, Michael Marsden wanted to make it on his own. So he escaped Serendipity to become an undercover cop in Manhattan, where the Marsden name wasn't known. But Michael's independence is compromised when he returns home to replace his sick father as chief of police. Back in the shadow of his family, he's as lost and restless as ever, until he's challenged by someone he never anticipated.

CARA
Cara Hartley is the Serendipity cop with whom Mike had a one night stand three months earlier. Neither expected anything more but fate has other things in store. When Mike returns as Cara's boss, the sexual tension between them is impossible to ignore - and the unexpected emotional connection continues to grow. But Cara's a small town girl while Mike has a wanderer's blood in his veins.

Together their chemistry explodes but ...
Both are convinced a future together is impossible. Until Mike's real father's secrets come back to haunt him and he realizes there are some things worth staying and fighting for. Including Cara.

Available February 2013

Cover Makevoer for HEIRESS FOR HIRE by Erin McCarthy

And a brand new story by Erin McCarthy coming March 2013 SEEING IS BELIEVING

Can't wait!!!!

No covers yet, but did you know about Maya Banks' new series Breathless?  To fill the void left by her Sweet series she's announced she will be releasing a new trilogy.  The first book RUSH is set to release February 2013 and here's what she had to say about it:

For those of you familiar with my Sweet Series, these new books will be very much that same flavor with a mix of my Harlequin Desires as well. I've kingly said that if you take the heroine from Tycoon's Rebel Bride and put her with Damon from Sweet Persuasion you have a good idea of the first book heh

Cannot wait for this!!!!  RUSH will be closely followed by FEVER (April 2013) and BURN (August 2013).

DARK DAYS

by Caitlin Kittredge

(Black London # 6)

Jack Winter is back. But his demons are far from behind him…

Jack Winter and his girlfriend Pete Caldecott have encountered a lot of strange creatures in the Black—primordial demons, hungry ghosts, witch hunters, and the Prince of Hell himself, Belial. When Belial asks Jack for one last favor to help him keep his throne,Jack may have finally met his match because Belial's rival is something that no one— human or demon—has ever seen before…

DARK DAYS

There’s a revolution brewing in Hell, and Jack might be the only one who can stop Belial’s rival from ripping a hole between the Black and the mortal world—a catastrophe that could be worse than
Armageddon. But to win, Jack will have to do the one thing he swore he never would: become a servant to the Morrigan, and risk
losing everything he knows and loves… including Pete.

Available April 30, 2013

 IF I SHOULD DIE

by Amy Plum

(Revenants # 3)

The final book in Amy Plum's Revenant series.

Available May 2013

Interview and Giveaway with Erin McCarthy

Erin McCarthy

As you probably know if you follow this blog we love a good sweet and hot romance story, and Ms. Erin McCarthy manages to deliver that everytime.  With some light humor and a lot of heat she always makes us want to be IN her stories.  We are very excited to have her here today, so maidens, please help us welcome Erin McCarthy.

Thank you so much for stopping by UTC, we are fans of our work!
Thank you and thanks for having me!

I have to admit that you make car racing sexy and even made me want to watch the sport again. What is about drivers that you find is the most appealing?

I think it's that their job is so clearly competitive by nature. They have to take risks at such high speeds to win, but it's also requires a lot of strategizing and team work. So when it comes to relationships, they're going to fight for what they want, which I think is sexy.

You've written some heroines that at the beginning were a bit too much for me to deal with and got on my nerves, but somehow when you got to their book you made me like them (ie Suzanne and Tuesday). What do you think was the trick to that?

Well, when you see characters not at their best, like when Suzanne is fighting with Ryder, or Tuesday is dealing with her father's diagnosis of cancer, you may not like the things they say or do, but most of us have done or said things or had periods in our life that we're not exactly proud of. But once I have the freedom of being in their point of view, you can see and understand why they say and do the things they like, and how they're struggling with really strong emotions. Now if only we could read minds in real life. ;-)

How many more books can we expect to see in the Fast Track series?JACKED UP is the sixth and last book in the series.

*Noooooooooooo*

In Jacked Up, Nolan has a playboy younger brother Rhett. Do you have any plans to write a book about him?
You know, I honestly had no intention of writing a book for Rhett, but so many readers have asked about him, I'm considering writing at least a novella for him.

*Yes!*

What was your reason for not pairing up Eve with a driver?
Oh, Lord, that would have never worked! lol. Eve has spent way too much time managing her brothers' careers to want anything to do with a romantic relationship with a driver. She would either want to manage his career or just be jealous that he has the job she wanted. Jealousy is never good for a successful relationship. She needed a guy who didn't crave the spotlight.

Are you a NASCAR fan yourself? How much research did you have to do about the racing world? Was it fun? *waggles eyebrows*

I didn't really know anything about NASCAR until I started writing this series, but I ended up discovering I really love the adrenaline rush of racing. Research is fun because it involves grabbing a few friends and a six pack and going to the track. I had to read a lot on the sport, but just sitting in the stands and watching is the best part.

If we were unforgivably rude and pulled at random five things from your hand bag, what would we find?
Nothing interesting! Just the usual... mints, my wallet, lipsticks, pens. Boring.

Quickfire Questions
What was the last movie you watched?
I'm not sure... but I did watch the TV show Downton Abby last night. I'm on the second season.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Gardening, listening to live music, bellydancing, swing dance, sitting on the beach, reading (of course), traveling.

What is the last book you read?
I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells. It's about a teen sociopath who discovers a demon living next door.

Morning person or Night Owl?
Night Owl. Morning is the seventh circle of hell. If I wasn't required to drive my son to school, I would sleep until ten and be damn happy about it.

She’s holding tight. He’s hanging loose.
Eve Monroe is a stock-car PR pro who puts her career first—until an on-track wardrobe malfunction reveals more than the sexy smile of her race-car brother’s jack-man, Nolan Ford. The video’s become an internet sensation, and it’s Eve’s job to calm the sponsors and put a spin on the unexpected exposure. It may be purely a public relations job, but now that Eve’s seen what’s under Nolan’s crew suit, it’s gotten a little personal—and after a few dates she has Nolan pretty revved up. If only she’d learn to relax and enjoy it…

And they both have the same drive.
Nolan’s sure that the spontaneous birthday bash he’s throwing for Eve in Las Vegas should loosen her up. It does more than that. Somewhere between cocktails and a smoking-hot motel-room derby, Eve and Nolan wake up hitched, thanks to a post-sex-high detour to a Vegas chapel. A hangover marriage to a virtual stranger isn’t good for anyone’s image, so Eve plans to play the happy wife long enough to satisfy the press, and then quietly part ways. Now all she has to do is convince her new personal jack-man. But Nolan has plans of his own…

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ARC Review: Jacked Up by Erin McCarthy

Jacked Up

by Erin McCarthy

(Fast Track # 6)

There is something about fast cars, being around the racetrack and even a little bit of grease that I just find irresistible, and there is no better series to fulfill that need than the Fast Track series.  With some light humor, romance, sexual tension and a good storyline, I usually find myself anxiously awaiting the next book.  And JACKED UP did not disappoint!

Eve Monroe is the sister of some of our favorite drivers!  She is also their manager and the one that keeps everyone in line.  So when she is faced with the PR nightmare of having one of Chase's crew members jump the wall, rip his pants, and while changing a tire have his ass and family jewels showing on national television because he didn't wear any underwear... well, there's not much she can do other than do some yelling.

She is tough and everyone sees her as a bit of a bitch, but in the end this is really not what she wanted to do or who she wanted to be.

Enter Nolan Ford.  OMG he is adorable, ass hanging in the wind and all!!!!  He is just a small town boy, you can tell he comes from a loving family, and truly loves his job.  And he has a crush on Eve.  Nothing, not their financial differences, or the fact that they technically work together, will keep him from getting to know her better.

I really liked the fact that Eve doesn't end up with a driver.  Nolan is perfect for her.  Even though she comes from racing royalty and grew up differently than him, he is willing to give her the best that he can and truly wants to make her happy.  When he helped her fix her car, or the whole Vegas thing.  Just adorable!

One thing I love about this series is that the stories are nothing alike.  Each is very unique, the issues they have to go through and their journey to their HEA, and this couple was certainly not the exception.

I see a lot of potential for new characters in this series developing from the Ford family (or would that be a spin-off?), could that be possible?  I can't wait to see who's next!  Because there is another one, right? Right?

Favorite Quote:
"Look, they're open twenty-four hours. Just like your thighs, babe."

*ARC provided by publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: High Stakes by Erin McCarthy

High Stakes

by Erin McCarthy

(Vegas Vampires # 1)

I've been wanting to read this series for quite some time now, mainly because I looooooove Erin McCarthy's writing in her contemporary stuff and this one looks like fun.  And it was fun.  Just not exactly what I expected, maybe?

So we have Ethan Carrick who is the head of the vampire council and running for re-election.  He's campaign manager recommended that he should get married and settle down in order to give a good image while running for re-election.  And he finds the perfect candidate.  Brittany Baldizzi is a dentist, she's sweet, giving, a good person.  She is also an Impure, half vampire half human, although she's not aware of it.  She should fit the bill perfectly.  Except she doesn't stir any interest in Ethan.

After he controlled her mind to have her living with him (at his casino hotel at any rate) her sister Alexis comes in guns blazing to rescue her sister.  And now that is exactly what Ethan was looking for.  A woman with fire and passion that can challenge him.  But she is not good for his image.  While dealing with all this, they will also have to deal with assassination attempts on Ethan.

So now the storyline was cute, it's fun and light and humorous.  Ethan is pretty sexy although I wouldn't drop any of my other harem hotties to fit him in.  But Alexis got a bit on my nerves at times.  Yes, sometimes there CAN be too much snark.  The ending was a bit abrupt as well, all of a sudden all these things happened and then they were spending eternity together.

I am still very much intrigued to see what happens in the next book, although I can say that this series can't compare to Fast Track.

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Bad Boys in Black Tie by Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy and Morgan Leigh

Bad Boys in Black Tie

by Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy and Morgan Leigh

(Watson Brothers # 3)

Good With His Hands - 4 Stars

How come I didn't know about this series by Lori Foster?  Well, I really enjoyed this story, which is # 3 in the Watson Brothers, and believe me I'll go back and read the rest.  It was cute, funny, sexy and hot.  There's the girl next door, Cassidy, who's a bit of a tomboy, doesn't worry too much about how she dresses or what her hair looks like.  She works with, and now lives next door to, hunky and to-die-for hot Pete Watson.  They've been best friends for over a year, they have a great routine together, almost as if they're married, but it's not sexual between them.  Until Pete decides that he wants it to be sexual.  And of course, Cassidy had been drooling over him the whole time and torturing herself by being so close and not having him so she's all for the idea of them together.  Pete was just too cute.  The guy just had no clue sometimes about things and it was adorable to see him wonder how his charms might not be working on Cassidy.  She's the girl with the plan of where her life is going and what kind of guy she wants to marry.  And that guy is so not him.  But maybe he can make the effort and be what he feels her ideal is.  Or make her realize that she wants him instead as he is.  Because he realizes he's been falling for her this whole time.

Miss Extreme Congeniality - 3.5 Stars

I'll tell you what with this Erin McCarthy story.  It was hot!  The sexual tension was there constantly BUT I was not sold on the heroine of the novel, nor was I sold on how quickly they "fell for each other".  Let me explain.  CJ and White are undercover cops on a case.  They've been working this case for a while and she just hates his guts, she thinks he's a playboy chasing after skirts and has no respect for him as a person.  But she wants him.  Wyatt on the other hand seems to not have noticed her much, she gives off a very don't-mess-with-me vibe and he's kept his distance.  So they haven't had a chance to even get to know each other in the slightest.  Then one night while on assignment working at a party they decide to have sex.  As a deal.  She will go to Wyatts' house for an all-night sex-fest and then after that he will transfer to another city when they're done with the case.  But it turns out that the wild night of passion turns into I love yous.  But still a very hot story and an enjoyable read.

Last Call by Morgan Leigh - 3 Stars

Tess is a singer at a local bar in Justice, North Carolina.  She's recently moved to the town (and I'm not telling you why).  One night she catches the eye of a really good looking, if a bit rough and greasy at the moment, bad boy.  Fletcher felt that connection, lust and need, at first sight.  Recently divorced from his gold digging wife, he's still a bit careful with women but he can't not go after Tess that night.  But he's keeping a secret from her.  Tess and Fletcher definitely have sexual chemistry, but here's another I-love-you-the-morning-after-I-met-you situation.  I think I would've been happier to see them have a happy for now ending to this story.  Personal choice.

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Slow Ride by Erin McCarthy

Slow Ride

by Erin McCarthy

(Fast Track # 5)

Contemporary Romance

I find myself at odds on how to rate this book. First of all, I haven't been a fan of Ms. Tuesday Jones a.k.a. Tuesday Talladega, gossip blogger extraordinaire. But she started to grow on me in the last book. Fast forward to the beginning of this book and I was actually liking her.

Her father has just passed away, which was a big thing for her and she's still struggling with her grief. Her best friend just got married. And she has to figure out how to deal and move on.

Along comes Diesel. He's a retired stock car driver, who had a pretty bad accident and because of that has been off the track and off the public eye since. Tuesday and Diesel are about as polar opposites as you can get. She's outspoken, outgoing, calls it like it is, and pretty much doesn't know what a mouth filter is. Diesel is more serious, very private, and likes to be in control.

As a couple, these two had me from the get-go. Their relationship worked, they complemented each other nicely. When she wanted to bitch and rant, he would be nice and cool her off. When he wanted to be sexually dominant she gave up control and enjoyed the ride. They just worked. Plenty of chemistry, and a lot of hot sex! Riding crop, hat and boots... just saying!

So the romance worked for me. We also got the light, fun style of writing I have come to expect from Erin McCarthy. Her books are always so easy to read, and quite frankly very enjoyable.

But I did have some issues. Every time Tuesday was facing something emotionally difficult she went for a bottle of wine. It didn't bother me as much in the beginning. What bothered me was Diesel's immediate reaction to her having a glass of wine. He had a pretty bad and judgmental attitude about it from the start when it didn't seem to me like it was a big deal. But towards the end you can see it does become a bit of a problem, just not handled correctly.

Another thing that bothered me, actually pissed me off, was Tuesday's lack of respect for Diesel's feelings and request. I won't say what it is, but she does something towards the end of the book that is a complete betrayal and even if she was intoxicated at the time, she should've had more sense than to think that was ok.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story. I do think the characters are cute together, and even though we didn't get any racing storyline, it still felt it was part of the series.

Now, of course I had to read the teaser for Eve's book. I've been waiting to see Eve get her HEA since book 1. And this is looking up to be an interesting one! Can't wait for summer 2012! 

Purchase from Amazon

Review: An Enchanted Season Anthology by Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, Maggie Shayne & Jean Johnston

An Enchanted Season (Psy Changeling #3.5 & Murphy Sisters #1)

by Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, Maggie Shayne & Jean Johnston

Anthology-Paranormal Romance & Contemporary

Find it on Goodreads!

Overall Anthology Score:

I thought two of the stories in here were great I loved them, but the other two not so much. But I think likeing 50% is pretty good so I definately don't regret buying this anthology

Melting Frosty by Maggie Shayne

Holly and Matthew both had tradegy strike when they were 12 years old around the Christmas holidays. They both reacted completely differently though, Matthew has become a Scrooge who hates everything about Christmas and Holly who loves it and sees it as a chance to celebrate her happy childhood.

I didn't like this story that much, I found Holly really irritating, I don't like to think of myself as miserable, but bloody hell I hate it when characters are all happy-happy-joy-joy, does it make me a bitch if it makes me wanna slap and tell them to stop smiling all the damn time?! Matthew was okay, he was meant to be ruthless and icy, but he soon melted under the glare of all that Christmas cheer.

It was a quick read and it did have some funny and sweet moments but it just wasn't for me.

Charlottes Web by Erin McCarthy (Murphy Sisters #1)

Charlotte has loved for 8 years. 8 years of lusting and yearning for him. But what she doesn't know is that Will loves her right back, has done for years. With a little bit of witchery will they finally get together this year?

I LOVED this story. I have never read Erin McCarthy before although I have had Flat-Out Sexy on my TBR mountain for quite a while! I think now that I have had a taste of EM's writing it is going to be bumped up a bit! The story was funny, sexy and a little mischevious and it definately left me gagging for more.

Beat of Temptation by Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling #3.5)

This is novella is the reason I got this book and I am so glad I did! It is about Tamsyn the DarkRiver packs healer and Nate one of the packs Senitals. If you have read the Psy Changeling books you will recognize them, they have been together for a long time and this book lets us see just how they got together. Like all NS's book it was fabulous, I loved both Nate and Tamsyn and I think together they make a great couple.

If you are a fan of the Psy Changeling series then this is a great little story about two of the recurring characters, if Psy Changeling is new to you then this gives you a glimpse in to the amazingness of this series!

Gifts of the Magi by Jean Johnston

A couple are running a Bed & Breakfast but it has hit hard times, a mortgage payment is due and a massive snow storm has just started meaning that all the guests booked into the Inn for Christmas have had to cancel. But when a Buddist, a Jew and a Muslim (yes I know the start of a bad joke lol!) unexpectedly walk through the door it all starts to look up.

A really sweet story about looking on the brightside and the virtues of hardwork. It was nice, it was cute, but it wasn't for me. I found it a little boring and there wasn't much of a story going on, just a series of unfortunate events that turn in to a series of miracles. It wasn't bad, but maybe I would have apprciated it more if I read it at Christmas time!!

Some stories are hotter then others but over all:

Review: The Chase by Erin McCarthy

This might be my least favorite book in this series. *cue gasps* It would get 3.5 feathers if we did half ratings.  However, it was still a great book, and such a romantic story of lovers reunited.

Evan Monroe... we know him as Elec's playboy brother, who swore he would never marry. Hot body and a sweet talker, he can charm his way into any girls pants. What we didn't know was that 10 years ago he was ready to propose to his girlfriend, Kendall. And then she broke his heart without an explanation. This is where I started "not liking" Kendall.

When we find out the reason why she dumped Evan I just wanted to roll my eyes and shake some sense into her. Even so, Evan wants her back because he realizes he's still in love with her.

Except now she's also a driver. This throws a whole new set of problems at them, and again, I feel she doesn't deal with this situation well. When we finally get a happy moment there's a twist that I was expecting and almost predicted at one point, and she almost ruins their relationship for good.

Maybe I just like Evan too much, but I was in his corner throughout this whole book, and even though there's been a bit of lack of communication in every book in this series, this one just had a lot of immaturity.

In the end they get their HEA and Evan makes a decision that I'm a bit surprised about but it's a nice turn of events.

Of course, I had to read the excerpt for the next book! I wasn't too sure if I would want to read a book about Tuesday, however, we learn a bit more about her in The Chase because she's Kendall's best friend, so I was a bit interested. After reading the excerpt all I have to say is it sounds like it'll be a fun book and I can't wait to read it!