ARC Review: Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones

Death and the Girl Next Door

by Darynda Jones

(Darklight # 1)

Darynda Jones is an automatic follow for me since reading the fantastic Charlie Davidson series.  I am not much of a Young Adult reader but I am glad I gave this book a try because I absolutely enjoyed it. 

Lorelei McAllister is a 16year old very quirky, very sarcastic and an independent girl with the ability to see visions with a mere touch.  With her BFFs Glitch and Brooke, they try to unveil the mystery of the two very hot boys who suddenly became interested in Lorelei…in a stalker kind of way.  She also discovers a few more things, such as her parents’ disappearance, her grandparents secret and the history of her ancestors that makes the very being that she is now…the history goes way back.

Lorelei reminded me of a young Charlie, both having natural abilities that goes hand in hand with death, sort of.  Jared aka Azriel as a young Reyes aka Rey’aziel also have some similarities.  Reyes comes from evil and Jared doesn't, but both are very mysterious and their main goal is their heroines' safety and protection.   I almost expected to find out that they were somehow connected.  Lorelei and Jared were great together but you can see that there will be a complicated relationship between them.  The steam factor between them is very mild but the attraction is definitely palpable.

Lorelei’s BFFs, Glitch, Brooklyn and friend Cameron definitely have some kind of love triangle there. And there is a big mystery between the tree boys that kept the mystery going through out the book.  The mystery goes on with the disappearance of Lorelei’s parents and the connection between the boys and the local town’s people. 

Darynda covers a good amount of Paranormal and bit of Christian mythology/biblical history in this book.  There are also demons, ghosts, and angels that kept me wanting to read more.  But what I loved most was that she kept the Charlie Davidson element in this book.  The humor, sarcastic banter, suspense and mystery was very similar but in a low tone, surely appropriate for the Young Adult audience.

*ARC provided by publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon

Interview and Giveaway with Tara Sivec

Tara Sivec

You've probably seen our reviews and have noticed how much we are enjoying reading Tara Sivec's series, CHOCOLATE LOVERS.  Today is the official release day of FUTURES AND FROSTINGS, which was awesome by the way.  We are very excited to have her here with us today!

So Tara, let's get to know you! Tell us five things about yourself that will shock and amaze us.

1. I've never had a one-night stand
2. I married my high school sweet heart
3. If I see a clown I WILL punch it in the face
4. I have 5 tattoos
5. I hate chocolate

Describe your Chocolate Lovers series in five words!

Inappropriate, drunken, foul-mouthed with vibrators.

What can we expect from your second book Future & Frostings?

Inappropriate, drunken, foul-mouthed with vibrators.

Seduction & Snacks is the first book in your Chocolate Lovers series and the first book published and is really popular, how does it feel to be a successfully published author?

I still don't feel like a published author. I'm just a soccer mom from Ohio! All of this still feels like a dream. I figured I'd have to pay people to read anything I wrote. And it would just be family members which would mean I'd have to pay them double since they're greedy bastards.

Claire from your series loves to bake, do you also like to get busy in the kitchen? Any recipes you wold recommend?

I LOVE to bake. I'm a huge baker and my cookie trays at Christmas are legendary. I'm not one to try any crazy recipes, I usually stick to the basics. Chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, etc. Although, if you like white chocolate and cranberries, Google the recipe for Cranberry Hootycreeks. DELICIOUS!

I thought Seduction and Snacks was hilarious, is it hard to write the humour in your books, or does it come naturally?

 It sort of comes naturally for me. The way I write is the way I talk and interact with people so it's not forced or anything. Some days I don't feel funny at all, but then I just text my best friend or call someone in my family and they get me on the funny track again.

What was the last book you loved, and more interestingly the last book you wanted to throw against the wall?

The last book I loved was One Pink Line by Dina Silver. So sweet and wonderfully written. Total opposite of me LOL! I really haven't wanted to throw any against the wall. Well, 50 Shades and I have a love/hate relationship. So maybe that one.

If you only had $20 left in your purse what would you buy?

Books for my Kindle. Or a hooker. But $20 wouldn't buy me a very good hooker.

Do you listen to music when you wrote, is their a favourite playlist on your iPod at the moment?

I'm kind of weird about that. I can't concentrate if I'm listening to music. Music gives me TONS of inspiration for story ideas so if I'm listening to something while I write, I will go completely off track imagining a different story I could write instead of the one I'm supposed to be concentrating on. I like to listen to music when I'm not writing to give me ideas. Right now, 30 Seconds to Mars is on constant repeat on my iPod and has helped give me inspiration for my romantic/suspense series.

Quick fire questions!

 Sex or chocolate? SEX SEX SEX!
Morning person or night owl? Morning person. I'm too old to stay up late with all those youngsters.
Blonde and beautiful or dark and broody? Dark and broody
Ereader or book? Ereader
Sweet love making or rough sweaty shagging? Rough sweaty shagging!


Futures and Frosting
by Tara Sivec
(Chocolate Lovers # 2)

Carter, Claire and Gavin have formed the perfect little family. Their friends are getting married and everyone is growing up, maturing and ready to face the future. Or are they?

From bachelorette party hell, porn addictions, dinner roll baseball and botched wedding proposals to finding out everyone's extended family is chock full of crazy, Carter and Claire begin to question the strength of the ties that bind them. Unfortunately, these ties have nothing to do with fuzzy handcuffs and everything to do with the mounting differences between them.

Will their friends make a mess of things with their inappropriate comments and need to know everything, or will they convince the couple that happily-ever-after sometimes really can start with beer pong?


READ OUR REVIEW

One winner will get a SIGNED copy of SEDUCTION AND SNACKS as well as a SIGNED copy of FUTURES AND FROSTING. US only.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UTC Insider: October 2012

Author of the Month: Karen Marie Moning
At the end of this month, one of the most highly anticipated books will release. ICED is one book that we are all looking forward to reading so naturally, we decided to make Karen Marie Moning our Author of the Month for October. Please stay tuned because we have a few surprises in store for you!

Author Appearances:
This month we have a ton of fabulous authors! We hope some are familiar favorites and some are new to you! Here's a little glimpse of the some of the authors spotting by UTC this month: Donna Grant, Lori Foster, Jessica Scott, Terry Spear, Kallypso Masters, Jacquelyn Frank, and Olivia Cunning!

We also have special appearances from audio book narrator, Phil Gigante!

Battle of the Covers:
The Fever series edition.

Reading on the Dark Side:
We'll be casting J.R. Ward's Fallen Angels series this month so stay tuned!

And the Winners Are...

Gena Showalter Giveaway

Marlene B

Megan Hart Giveaway

Maria S
Leev W
Sandy L
Pam C
Lissette M

SWAG Giveaway

(unclaimed prize)
Julia I

GLBT Madness Hop
GIFT CARD WINNER: Shari V
RJ SCOTT WINNER: Juliana

Winners were chosen through Rafflecopter. Emails have been sent. You will have 72 hours to claim your prize (by just responding to the email you get from us).

ARC Review: Savage Hunger by Terry Spear

Savage Hunger

by Terry Spear

(Heart of the Jaguar # 1)

 

Savage Hunger is the first installment of the Heart of the Jaguar series. This is my first Terry Spear book and my first Jaguar Shifter story. I have to admit I am intrigued. This book is suspenseful, fast pace and has a captivating romance with a good plot.

Connor Anderson and his Sister Maya are Jaguar Shifters who visits the Amazon yearly to enjoy the forest and let their jaguar half enjoy its native environment. One summer, Connor comes across an incident between military and the drug cartels. He is forced to intervene, save the life of a woman in danger. A woman that later will change his life of solitude.

Retired Army Captain, Kathleen McKnight is back in the Amazon in search of the one man who rescued her from an unexpected ambush a year before. Now out of the army and experiencing PTSD, she thinks finding her savior will help her overcome this problem. What she finds in the Amazon forest is more than what she had expected in a million years.

Connor and Kathleen created steamy scenes in the depths of the Amazon forest. I loved their chemistry together and the sexual tension between them was strong. Although there was an Insta-love between them it easy to accept and over look because, well, Connor was just so entranced with Kat that claiming her was just inevitable.

I especially loved Kathleen. She’s was in the military and that just puts her in the “kick ass heroine” category in my book. I like to see heroines who can handle her own in a fight. My only complain about her is her acceptance of her situation that Maya had created. She did not have a sense of anger or even a twinge of “WTF” moment from what Maya had done. Though it was with good intentions, the little sister needed some butt spanking.

I’m not sure what Ms. Spear has installed for this series, but I’m hoping Maya will have her HEA. I think she deserves it after being stuck and living with her brother all this time.Overall, Savage Hunger was an enjoyable read. It was fast paced and well written. I can’t wait to know more of these Jaguar Shifters.

 

*ARC provided by Netgalley



Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Futures and Frosting by Tara Sivec

Futures and Frosting

by Tara Sivec

(Chocolate Lovers # 2)

After a few months of moving in with the love of her life and the father of her child, Claire is blissfully happy. I mean yeah his snoring drives her to the brink of murder and finding his best friend passed out drunk on her sofa far more frequently then she would like drives her a little insane, but they are mature adults right? They can move past these obstacles and find their happily ever after, no well meaning but crazy friends, bizarre family members or fake porn addictions can tear apart their relationship...

I blame this book ENTIRELY for my reputation at work for being a crazy person! For example this is an actual conversation I had in my head whilst I was reading this at work:

Sane Suzanne: Must not laugh, must not laugh, must not laugh..
*gargled laughter noise*
Paranoid Suzanne: What the HELL is that bitch looking at!
Sane Suzanne: Maybe I shouldn't read this book in public..must not laugh..
Id Suzanne: Fuck um! Read on...you know you want to, just one more chapter...
*shuffles round in seat to disguise the crazy muttering*
Paranoid Suzanne: Was she staring at me AGAIN! Has she nothing better to do...
Sane Suzanne: Must not laugh, must not laugh, must not laugh
*smoother laughter, ends up making a snorty laughter noise, not dissimilar from a asthmatic pig*
Id Suzanne: Who cares what they think, this book is sooo good, read some more...c'mon you know you want to hear what Gavin will say next....
Sane Suzanne: Must... Stop... Reading....smoother laughter SMOOTHER LAUGHTER
*more asthmatic pig noises and some shuffling to hide face behind kindle*
Paranoid Suzanne: God she is looking and whispering with her friends now damnit why are they laughing at me, WHY?WHY ARE THEY LAUGHING!
Sane Suzanne: Right back away slowly from the kindle... And NO don't bitch slap her, remember you NEED this job, back away back away....

This conversation lasted the whole hour, don't get me wrong, it has its advantages, I always have plenty of room at my lunch table as no one wants to sit next to the girl who has weird convulsions and I can always get to the front of the queue, and now I have no friends, I can get much more done in my spare time!

Okay, now less about my traumatic lunch time experiences and more about the book. I loved it, much like the first one is was hilarious in a foul mouthed sarcastic way, which I adored, whilst still managing to have a sweet love story at its core. I liked that this book was after the HEA of the first one, showing that just because they have said their I-love-yous doesn't mean to say that their lives are now perfect, they still have insane friends, strange families and a 4 year old with a mouth like a trucker, as well as their own foibles to contend with.

This was a fantastic read definitely one of my favourites for this year, I am not sure if this series continues after this book or not, but whatever Tara Sivec brings out next you can guarantee I will be reading it.

Under the Covers Quote

"I think there's green Jell-O in the trunk with the turtles." I state before rolling over and snuggling under the covers.

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

ARC Review: Highlander Reborn by Laura Hunsaker

Highlander Reborn

by Laura Hunsaker

Describe HIGHLANDER REBORN in three words

Angela: Engaging. Primal. Tease

Annie: Temptation. Mysterious. Magical

Laura Hunsaker fuses together her take on vampire mythology with highlander yumminess. What are your thoughts on this?

Annie: Laura puts together two of my favorite things- vampires and highlander. But she does it in a way that is unique and engaging. I wanted to know what Nevin would do when faced with this transformation that he never wanted. Paired with the fact that he is a vampire and a highlander only makes him more interesting...and tempting.

Angela: I thought it was a great idea. The combination of a great warrior as the hero from the highland era with a vampire heroine with a royalty background worked well. I was entranced with Amalia and Nevin's fate to be together despite of their social status.

Readers may want to know... How did you think the book progressed especially since its a short novella?

Annie: I like Laura's voice. It's very concise which makes reading a novella by her enjoyable. HIGHLANDER REBORN is tightly-written and had a believable romance that bloomed wonderfully despite Nevin's initial restraint. I thought that the author created an interesting conflict that was character based but still made it so that Nevin realized he has fallen for Amalia at a pace reader's would believe and accept. That being said, it would be nice to see more from them if future books allow.

Angela: I am not a writer in the least but I have to appreciate the work that is put into any book, short or regular length. However, I am a reader and a reviewer. I want to be honest and say that this novella was not enough for me. I felt Nevin's refusal of his lust and hatred for Amalia to switch to love was a bit fast for me. I do consider that this is a short story and there really isn't enough time for Laura to show that. But after reading this book, I felt very needy for more.

Okay, so this book has a pretty hot panty-melting cover! What were your initial thoughts when you saw it!

Annie: Laura brought me behind the scenes so I got a secret peek at the cover before everything was decided but the first thing I told her when I saw the drafts was, " You picked good, girl. The guy is smokin' " And then I so eloquently expressed that, "I want to sit on his face". Which made Laura spew out her Coke.  That man just does something bad to my ovaries. Also, I'm a fan of the green kilt!

Angela: Well, I have to say that I have been stalking (not really) this model via his photographer Jenn Leblanc. I have seen him as an elf, semi naked, in the lake, dripping wet, as a highlander, etc. I actually saw these proofs before from Jenn and when I saw it on FB for Laura's Book, I was super excited. This guy can rock a book cover and I would read a book just by seeing him in front of it. 

*ARC provided by author