Book Review: One Grave at a Time

One Grave at a Time
Jeaniene Frost
Night Huntress #6
Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Rating: 3

Cat and Bones are back for another round of supernatural smackdown, this time with the crazy ghost of Heinrich Krammer, a former witch hunter who becomes corporeal on Halloween night and burns innocent women to death.  Many of our favorite characters return to help out like my favorite Ian along with Spade and Denise and Cat's mom. Mencheres and Kira do not make an appearance sadly.

What was my main issue with this book you may ask? Bones is too perfect. He is so perfect in fact, he is beginning to sparkle. Yes ladies, I said it. Blasphemy it may be, but read this excerpt and tell me you don't see it.

"I stared at my husband's profile noting how his sculpted cheekbones, curving dark brows, and exquisite crystal skin only highlighted the ruthlessness of his expression.

 Ok, so we all know that Bones is gorgeous and ruthless and blah, blah, blah. There are about 20 occurrences of these types of lines throughout the book. It's getting little ridiculous. We get already! Bones has no flaws, is absolutely perfect in every way and is so hot you could cook breakfast on his abbs. Now that we have that covered, can we get to some actual important plot in the next book please?

The one good thing this book does is introduce a new character. Tyler the flamboyant medium is amazingly hilarious. He has the best lines in the book hands down. Without him, this would have been a complete waste of time for me.

It is becoming increasingly apparent to me that this series is starting to take a nose dive. It started out amazing at first, but after book three, things got a little dicey.This is not quiet the weakest book in the series as it is still entertaining, however it is completely lacking in that original Cat and Bones magic that we all love so much. Is it because now that they are finally together, things have settled down with their relationship? I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something is definitely missing. In my honest opinion, it is about time Ms. Frost puts Cat and Bones' series to rest and focuses her energies on the Night Huntress World books and Vlad's new series that begins with Once Burned. I think we could all use some fresher blood.

Thursday's Dirty Little Secret

 

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies over at Under the Covers. This week's question is...

"Who is your author crush? And if you were to write a fan letter to them, what would you say?" 

 

Dear J.R. Ward,

I am writing this letter to you now to let you know I have the deepest love and respect for your writing. My favorite series of all time is your Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Now that you know I love you so much, I was hoping you would do me a favor. Please make me the leading lady for Xcor's book! I haven't been able to stop thinking about him since I finished Lover Unleashed and I think we would be perfect together. I have already gotten the ok from my hubby to get down and dirty with this fictional character who I wish wasn't so fictional so please go ahead and write those amazing steamy scenes you are so good at, featuring Xcor and I. You could even make the tension that much better by writing me in as Wrath's long lost daughter that he never knew about after getting a human girl pregnant. I mean , what's one more obscure relative? Everyone seems to be part of his family line in some way or another these days. Anyway, take care, I love you, adore that new dark red silk robe you've been wearing to bed these days.

Sincerely,

Jess, Xcor's Shellan

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine where we book bloggers discuss upcoming releases we are dying to get our hands on! This week's WoW pick is...

Tales of alpha angels...from four alpha authors. 

They soar through the night, unearthly creatures of legends and lore. Four masters of urban fantasy and paranormal romance explore the rapture of the heavens above, and the darkness below in four all-new stories of angels and guardians, and good and evil.

 I think this looks great! I haven't read anything from the two authors at the bottom so it would be nice to get an idea of their work. I really want to read the Guild Hunter story  about Noel the angel that is badly hurt in Archangel's Kiss.

Well that's it! Thanks guys! Leave your WoW in the comment box below!

Book Review: The Gladiator's Master

The Gladiator's Master
By Fae Sutherland & Marguerite Labbe
M/M Romance, Historical Romance
Rating: 3

A sexy gladiator and his master getting sweaty? Yes please! The cover is gorgeous and so are the men, so you'd think this book would have blown my mind. Unfortunately not so much.

This book was just ok for me. Usually my next phrase would be, "and here's why..." However, in this case I have to say I couldn't quite put my finger on why this wasn't a great read for me. The premise was fairly new to me and the characters were likable enough. The story is truly heartfelt and the love between Cealius and Gaidres is both fiery and sweet. There is just something here that is missing for me, some essential spark that isn't tangible, the story either has it or it doesn't. I found myself becoming easily distracted and taking frequent breaks to read something else. I have to give the authors props for writing such hot and steamy sex scenes, but even these fell flat for me at times.

Lot's of people who have reviewed this book seem to love it, so I feel kind of weird saying it was just ok, but there you have it

Thursday's Dirty Little Secret

 

It's that time of the week again! You know you've been waiting for it! 

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies over at Under the Covers where we answer a prompted question divulging our deepest darkest book obsessions! This week's question is:

"If you could have wings, what would they look like?" 

 

 This is a great question! I would love to have black wings tipped with a deep plum purple and sparked with silver on the underside.

What do you ladies want your wings to look like? 

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking The Spine where we share the books we are impatiently waiting for. This week's WoW pick is...

Clockwork Prince

Cassandra Clare

The Infernal Devices #2

Release Date: December 6th, 2011

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B over at Should Be Reading where we share a teaser from our current reads! To participate just:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 The above directions were copied from the host's blog. So here we go! This week's teaser is:

A Clash of Kings

A Song of Ice and Fire #1

By George R.R. Martin

"He spurred his horse back into motion, trotting over and around a scatter or corpses. Downriver, the Blackwater was jammed with the hulks of burning galleys." 

So ominous!  This book has been really great so far! The characters are just amazing, you can't help but want to find out what lies in store for them. Well that's it! Post your own teaser on your blog or if you don't have your own blog, post your teaser in the comments section! Either way leave a comment so we can all enjoy your teaser!

Thrift Store Treasures: Savy Book Buying for the Page Addicted

This week's featured titles were all bought by me at my local Goodwill for under $15! I get such a high finding quality books for so little money, especially with how expensive bound and ebooks are getting these days! Here is this week's haul!

Can you believe the deal I got? I'm telling you guys, check out the local thrift stores each week for new inventory! It has really paid off for me. I mean, come on! I got the original hardback edition of Shadowfever for $5.99! That's a great deal when it is $26.00 retail.

Book Review: Unclaimed

Unclaimed
Courtney Milan
Turner #2
Historical Romance, Harlequin
Rating: 4

Sir Mark Turner is the very picture of respectability. He's the most eligible bachelor in London and a celebrity for writing his practical guide to chastity. Behind all the fame and fortune, Sir Mark longs to be seen as the man that he is, imperfect just like everyone else. When he meets fiery Jessica Farleigh, he gets just that; Jessica despises him for his fame and Mark is determined to make her like him. Behind her beautiful facade, Jessica has a secret, she is actually a courtesan tasked with seducing the virginal Sir Mark and ruining his reputation, but will she find love instead?

Unclaimed is an absolutely delightful twist on the tale of seduction in the 1800s. This time, the man is the virginal, innocent one and the woman is set on bedding him. This was very well written with a unique take on regency style historical romance. You will get your silk and scandal style romance fix with a few surprises. First off, there is so much depth behind both Mark and Jessica's tales. They have each suffered society's demands in their own ways and have survived their dark pasts.

All Jessica knows how to do is survive, but Mark shows her something completely different and it frightens her. I have to say I liked Jessica a lot. Have you ever noticed that the majority of characters named Jessica in literature and film are all either stupid, bitchy, slutty, or a combination of the three? I was so happy when I picked this book up and found a Jessica who is intelligent, courageous, and loyal. Yay! I finally have a literary Jessica I can look up to!

In summation, the passion between Mark and Jessica made chills run down my spine throughout most of the book and that's saying a lot as they don't actually do anything but kiss for 3/4 of the book! Their chemistry is smoldering and their shared painful pasts will make your heartache. A wonderful tale for any romance lover.

Thursday's Dirty Little Secret

 

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies of Under The Covers where we bloggers divulge our secrets by answering their question! This week's question is:

An evil fairy sneaks into your bedroom one night when the full moon is out and magicks you to wake up in the world you would like to live in the least. Where do you wake up?

 

I recently read and reviewed Plague of the Dead by Z.A. Recht. I had a fun time enjoying the zombie killing goodness, but I would never want to wake up in a world overrun by zombies. I don't know if I would have what it take to survive that. I think I'll stick to playing Dead Island on my Xbox to satisfy my zombie smashing lust. 

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine where we bloggers discuss which upcoming releases we just can't wait to get our hands one! This week's WoW pick is:

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do. 

Yes, it's another YA book this week, but this one looks pretty interesting and has received some great reviews. I'm always up for reading a great YA story and this one reminds me of some of my favorites for example: A Great and Terrible Beauty the first book in the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray. I loved that series so much! I'm interested to see if this book is a winner. The Girl of Fire and Thorns releases 9/20/11.

Book Review: Plauge of the Dead: The Morningstar Strain

Plague of the Dead: The Morningstar Strain
Z.A. Recht
Morningstar Saga #1
Genre: Horror, Apocalyptic Fiction
Creature Feature: ZOMBIES!
Rating:3

Plague of the Dead is not my usual fanfare here at Wickedly Bookish, however it is in one of my favorite genres; books about the apocalypse! No, no one likes to think about the end of the world, but you've got to admit there is just something about a good dystopian plot where we truly can blame the government for all our problems.

Yes, this is a book about zombies overrunning the planet. Basically, the American military is experimenting with viruses in Africa for possible future biological warfare. They call it, the Morningstar Strain, and what do you know, some of it just happens to get out and infect the general population. Nice job guys. Countries from all over the world pitch in their soldiers to help evacuate uninfected civilians and barricade the "carriers" inside the continent.   Of course, we all know this can't possibly work, but it's a neat idea. Recht puts an interesting spin on the zombie apocalypse making this a thought provoking read. Is this something that could happen in the foreseeable future?

I really liked the author's explanation for slow and fast zombies. Fast zombies are called "sprinters" and are living carriers of the virus that have been taken over by its parasitic nature. Slow zombies or "shamblers" are reanimated carriers whose bodies are bogged down by the effects of rigor mortis. Cool huh? There are some pretty neat concepts in this book and calling the virus Morningstar was just ingenious because it really does just pulverize everything in its path.The virus is a blood-borne disease and therefore can infect everyone if they get bitten or scratched making the story that much more tragic. Many characters almost get away and then are infected at the last possible moment. I have to admit, there were times I got paranoid over how easy this virus would be to spread around the U.S.  Many coughing strangers incited me to consider the merits of my household items as zombie bashing weapons.

Plague of the Dead is well written and fun to read, however the emotional side of the story fell flat for me about a third of the way in. Most of the characters are in the military and therefore are being addressed by their last names. That would have been fine if half their names didn't sound the same and start with similar letters. I found myself flipping pages back to figure out who the hell just ate it and if I should care. "Was it the guy I was starting to like? Nope, never mind, nobody important to the story." Of course I was sad when people got infected and either killed themselves or succumbed to the virus, but really many of the characters lacked depth for me. Almost all of the lower ranked soldier characters were the generic smart-ass sarcastic, foul mouthed soldier which is important to have a similar character to lighten the mood, however it just gets annoying after the second guy. It was almost like the author said, "Hey, people will like this character so much, that when I kill him off, I should have a handful of characters to replace him!."

I guess my point here is, I enjoyed this book and all its zombie methodology, however I felt like the heart of the story was missing. The characters basically just bounce around from place to place avoiding zombies. They don't seem to have much direction until near the end and the characters are so emotionally detached from the reader that it is hard to feel much. Of course you will want them to survive, but your heart won't pound in anticipation of their fate.

Thursday's Dirty Little Secret

 

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies of Under The Covers where we answer a new question and divulge or darkest dirtiest secrets. This week's question is:

Complete the following sentences with fictional character names:

I would have a one night stand with...

I would marry....

I would like to be sandwiched between....

I would turn bi for...

 

 This is a great one!

I would have a one night stand with Ranger from the Stephanie Plum series.

I would marry Illium from the Guild Hunter series.

I would like to be sandwiched between Qhuinn and Blaylock form BDB! They would go bi for me for one night right?

I would turn bi for Georgina Kincaid, our favorite succubus!

And there you have it Wicked Readers! Now you know! I'd love to hear your answers too so head on over to the above link and link up!

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine where we discuss the upcoming releases that we are just dying for! This week at Wickedly Bookish, I am absolutely dying to read:

Destined

P.C. Cast & Kirsten Cast

House of Night Series #9
Release Date: October 25, 2011 

In Destined, the forces of Light and Dark collide as their epic struggle focuses on Tulsa's House of Night. Zoey is home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side and preparing to face off against Neferet. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, he and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together if Rephaim can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow.

But is Zoey really safe? Does she truly know those who are closest to her? And will love win when it is tested by the very soul of Darkness? Find out what s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.

I have been following this series since the beginning. The first four books were amazing, but from there on the books have taken a dive. The two most recent ones Burned and Awakened were better and renewed my interest in the series, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. Then why, you may ask, are you dying for it's release? Well Wicked Readers, I just can't give up on this series. I keep hoping that we will get back to that awesomeness of the first four. I keep hoping that my faith will be rewarded and that this series will go back to its roots and not prove to be the money siphoning franchise it is turning out to be. Sometimes I wonder... Did they authors plan for it to be drawn out unecessarily with filler book after filler book? Or did they start out with the hope of people liking it, and then when they did, they decided, "Hey let's get all the money we can out of this one?" I really just want to see what happens to my favorite characters and find out what they heck they are doing with Heath's storyline! 

Book Review: Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead

Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead
Christiana Miller
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Humor
Rating 5

Mara just can't seem to catch a break. Her witchy ways are getting her into trouble left and right and just when things start to look up, she realizes the cozy country cottage she inherited from her Aunt Tillie has a few dark passengers. Will Mara be able to survive her legacy with the help of  her own power, a tricky toad, and a flamboyantly fearless best friend?

This was so much fun to read I didn't want it to end! Christiana Miller weaves a captivating spell with a whole lot of humor, a generous portion of thrill, and just a dash of heat.

By no means would I call this a paranormal romance, however I feel it fits into the urban fantasy category nicely with its magical and chilling elements.Right from the start I knew I was going to love this book. The humor, sometimes quirky, sometimes dry, is non-stop and often offers relief from some of the scarier moments of the story. I had to stop reading this at night because Mara's dreams and her interactions with the cottage's other inhabitants were seriously creeping me out.

Miller's grasp of creating memorable and nearly palpable characters is incredible. As much as I love Mara, I'd have to say Gus was my favorite character. He is honestly just so funny and crazy you never know what he's going to do next. Gus is also a great friend to Mara. I teared up when they had to part ways for our girl to go live in Aunt Tillie's house. I missed Gus right along with Mara and felt her joy whenever he popped back into the story. 

If you are looking for a paranormal story that has it all, this is it! You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll probably pee your pants at some point whether it be from laughter or fear or both. I just can't begin to emphasize how well this book integrates humor and drama in just the right amounts. Whatever emotions, or bodily functions, this book evokes in you, there is no doubt you will have a great time.

For more information on Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead, a possible sequel, and the author herself, stay tuned this month for our Wicked interview with Christiana Miller. In the meantime, go pick yourself up a copy! 
Amazon.com
BarnesandNoble.com

Author of the Month: Christiana Miller

September's Author of the Month Is:

 Christiana Miller Author of Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead

Author Bio

Christiana Miller is a novelist, screenwriter and mom who's led an unusual life. She's had her DNA shot into space, where she's currently cohabiting in a drawer with Stephen Colbert and Stephen Hawking. She's been the voices of all the female warriors in the games Mortal Kombat II and III. She's been the writing intern on one of the Star Trek series and walked through the Starship Enterprise. Some of her more unusual jobs include working as a fortune-teller for charity events, reading coffee grounds and tarot cards; working as an actress for murder mystery parties; and being paid to play pinball. If her life was a TV show, it would be a wacky dramedy filled with unique characters who get themselves into bizarre situations. If you want to know more about her and the people in her world, check out her website at www.ChristianaMiller.com

Retrieved From:http://www.christianamiller.com/Christiana_Miller_Site/My_Books.html

 As you Wicked Readers know, Wickedly Bookish features only indie authors. I've picked Christiana Miller for this month because of her wickedly witchy tale Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead. I'm thoroughly enjoying it and should have the review up soon. In the meantime, enjoy some of Christiana's favorite quotes from the book!

"Blasphemy, thy name is woman. When the Gods give you a gift, it's impolite to spit in their many-splendoured eyes."

"Call me ungrateful, but I would happily trade it in for a toaster."

"Sacrilege, woman! Lord Grundleshanks the Deadly is a most important toad. A poisonous toad. The Emperor of Toads." Gus tapped on the glass. "I can't believe he's letting that cricket jackboot all over his head. Come on, boy. Crickets are just glorified cockroaches. Chomp, chomp."

 

"One of the problems with being a witch is when you ask the universe a question, it generally gives you an answer. Or just enough of one to ruin a perfectly good week."

 

"Just because someone can do magic, doesn't mean they should."

 Check in all month for reviews, weekly discussion threads, and an interview with the author herself! Want to know more about Christiana Miller now? Visit her at:

Christiana's Official Website 

Follow Her On Twitter 

Like Her On Facebook 

Book Review: Shameless

Shameless
Anne Stuart
House of Rohan #4
Historical Romance, Harlequin
Rating 5

I was graciously provided with a copy for review by Netgalley for Harlequin. Having never read this series before with the exception of a short story, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this book could easily be read on its own. I absolutely loved the setting, characters, and sultry situations the couple gets themselves into.

Bennedick Rohan is in the market for a new wife after the loss of his previous two to childbirth. He is also in the market for a mistress. Rohan knows what he wants, a subservient wife to provide him with an heir, and an adventurous mistress to please him in bed. When he meets Melsande Carstaris, widow and good Samaritan, he finds neither, and both.

I love the contrast of these two characters. Melisande is sweet and naively virginal to the pleasure of the flesh as her first marriage was to an elderly man. She spends her days helping former prostitutes find a better life for themselves by teaching them a trade and giving them a place to stay while they get on their feet... and off their backs. Sorry couldn't help it! Benedick has set out to dedicate himself to experiencing all the pleasure and depravity he can until he meets Melisande and finds himself annoyingly infatuated with  her. These two are so different from each other that they are absolutely perfect together rattling off dry quips and finding themselves in compromising situations.

This was a great read. It really had it all, humor, romance, and a few thrills towards the end. I will most definitely be starting the series from the beginning so I can find out more about the Heavenly Host, a secret deviant society. I also am interested to read the stories of some of the couples briefly mentioned in this story. So I guess while I wait for the next installment to come out, (I hope it's about Brandon and Emma!), I will be catching up on what I missed out on!



Don't miss out on this weekend's blog hop over at The Blog Entourage where I am a weekly guest entertainment blogger.

Thursday's Dirty Little Secret

 

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies of Under the Covers where we bloggers divulge a new secret about ourselves each week. This week's question is:

If you could spend the day with your favorite heroine, who would you pick and what would you do? 

  This was a no brainer for me. I would choose Stephanie Plum any day! What!? You may ask. You aren't picking a paranormal character? Jess this is so unlike you! Yes, Wicked Readers it is. However Stephanie and I were cut of the same cloth, the same klutzy, dumb luck driven, frizzy haired cloth. I love her to death! Steph and I would race around town in that monster of a baby blue Buick catching fugitives with a pair of handcuffs and a buxom former ho, Lula. We'd stop at the Cluck n' a Bucket for some lunch and then head over to Rangers to drool at him all day and beg him to utter his famous line, "Babe." After he left we would sneak up to his penthouse and sniff his shower gel. Dinner at her parents house would not be dull as we enjoy her moms pot roast and watch Grandma Mazur attempt to dress up like Lady Gaga. And finally our day would not be complete until we got shot at or blew up a car and had to wait for Joe Morelli to come pick us up. Joe would shake his head is disbelief and would kick my cute little butt out of the Plum world with a "I already have enough on my hands with one Stephanie. I don't need a Jess on my hands too." 

 Sound like fun? You should check out the series! There is never a dull moment in Stephanie's world.

Book Review: Hunting Ground

Hunting Ground
Patricia Briggs
Alpha & Omega #2
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Creature Feature: Werewolves, Vampires, Fae
Rating: 3

Anna and Charles attend a werewolf conference in Seattle where the world's alphas are gathering to decide whether to come out to the public or not. Politics and danger await them as someone has it out for Anna.

I didn't like this one as much as the first. Don't get me wrong, I love this series, this couple, and this world. I liked Hunting Ground it just lacked that wonderful welling up of emotion I got from the first book and the short story that precedes it. Anna and Charles are a wonderful match and Anna is proving to be such a strong willed and utterly courageous mate. This newest installment in the series was an interesting lesson in werewolf politics and pack magic, and the inclusion of Arthurian legend really brought it all together near the end. I just would have liked to see something more concrete on Anna and Charles' relationship. It almost feels like we are back at the short story. When is Anna going to finally trust Charles and open up to him? It's just a bit frustrating to me.

That being said, I am looking forward to the release of the next book Fair Game which is set to release February 2nd, 2012. Now isn't that just a nice long wait?