Review: Revived by Cat Patrick

Title: Revived
Author: Cat Patrick
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Publication Date: May 8, 2012

Reviewer: Kati

Summary: As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life. 

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.

Review: I love both books by Cat Patrick. They are completely consuming. Cat has an amazing writing style. You start the book and can't stop until you've read every single word. Cat Patrick is by far one of my most favorite authors ever. Must read Revived and Forgotten. Although I have not said very much about the book I do adore it and  I recommend it to everyone!

Review: Boyfriend from hell

Title: Boyfriend from Hell         
Author: E. Van Lowe
Publisher:   White Whisker Books
Publication Date:  August 13, 2011

Reviewer: Elisa

Summary: Fifteen year-old Megan Barnett and her single mom, Suze, have a special relationship—they are friends, close friends, who do almost everything together.
“But come on, guys, she’s my mother… Can I really tell her that while we’re snuggled up on the sofa watching Spider Man Three, I’m secretly undressing James Franco with my eyes? Of course not…”
The special bond takes a turn for the worse when Suze decides to start dating again. She hasn’t had a man in her life since Megan’s father left ten years ago.
Enter two mysterious young men, Megan’s new classmate, sinfully attractive bad boy, Guy Matson, and the dangerously handsome art dealer, Armando. Before long Megan and Suze both wind up in steamy relationships.
But neither of the handsome pair is quite what he seems. In fact, one of them is Satan, with his sights set on a new bride. Megan has precious little time to figure out how to stop him. If she doesn’t, either Megan or Suze are quite literally going to HELL. (goodreads.com)

Review: Megan, our protagonist is smart, neurotic, precocious and funny in an "I don't know I am funny" way. Her voice actually reminded me a little of the Sloppy First series, which I completely enjoyed. This book opens with her mom deciding she wants to start dating and Megan is having a really hard time with it. Though she won't tell her mother that, she just goes about trying to ruin each man she finds. So, it is a little like Peter and the Wolf when Megan sees something distinctly dastardly about her mother's new boyfriend, Armando. Is he really as evil as she begins to think he is or can things be easily explained away? Also, what about this cute and smart boy she is somewhat dating? He keeps getting her into trouble, tardy slips are piling up and her mom doesn't like him at all...

This was a quick and easy, fun book to read. Megan got pretty jerky there for a while, but it can be chalked up to teen angst and made sense. Megan does wake up and realize what a jerk she is being and fixes what she needs to fix. Yay! 

The ending has a good action scene. The bad guy is pretty bad, but the reason he is there in the first place...really sad and a little surprising to me as I didn't notice any hints in the narrative at all. I like getting a hint or two just to make it feel believable. But then that Megan rolls with this reason and the resolution! and deals with these things so easily? Kinda weird to me. I know when I was young, I was completely unsentimental and handled a lot easily, but this was too much for anyone to remain unemotional. It does, however, leave a pretty big opening for a new, more malicious bad guy and sequel.

So, it is a quickie read with a paranormal twist. Young protagonist, but enjoyable and I will probably pick up the next book at some point. It is well-written, just the ending was quick and a bit miraculous (too convenient) in its timing. I liked it and give it 3 stars.

-Elisa

Review: Angels Chimps and Tater Mitts

Title: Angels Chimps and Tater Mitts 

Author: Mike Ball 
Published: March 29, 2012
Publisher: CreateSpace
Reviewer: Annie

Summary: For years the essays of award-winning humorist Mike Ball, published under the title "What I've Learned So Far..." have evoked laughter and tears in readers all over the world. Mike's sharp wit, blended with his gentle homespun style, has been compared to Mark Twain, Erma Bombeck, Dave Barry and even Ernie Pyle. One reader said, "Mike Ball can make me laugh and cry in 400 words." This is second What I've Learned... So Far book. Volume I, Bikes, Docks & Slush Nuggets, was published in the fall of 2009.

Review: This book is a collection of what I think was at one point a newspaper column.  It’s a bunch of short snippets/stories about his life, his opinion on things, or stories he has been told.  Each chapter is short and to the point making it a very easy book to pick up, open to any chapter, and enjoy reading for a couple minutes.  Some of the stories were humorous while others were touching and then there some that were just plain interesting.

I enjoyed all the short quirky stories in this book, if there was one I didn’t like as much I could easily head another page or two and pick up a new one.  The only bad thing was that I was trying to finish the book quickly so I could review it, if it were up to me this would be a great book to just pick up every now and then and read a few chapters.  It’s a nice change in between long novels, and it doesn’t hurt that some of the stories were about Michigan and Ann Arbor!

I would recommend this book to almost anyone but especially someone with a short attention span and doesn’t like to get involved with long books.  Or someone who doesn’t have a lot of time to read, this is great because each chapter grabs your attention quickly and it’s over before you know it and you can get back to whatever other important things you have going on in your life.  

-Annie

Review: Speak to Our Desire

Title: Speak to Our Desires 

Author: Brenda Clough
Published: May 25, 2011
Publisher: Book View Cafe
Reviewer: Annie

Summary: It’s June 1969 in New York City. The moon is in the second house, Jupiter has aligned with Mars, and private investigator Tim Coates is having his own personal summer of love. A gorgeous blonde girl hires him to find her missing mother. Finally, his life is starting to look like Nero Wolfe’s! But Ellie Quartern and her mom are not your standard damsels in distress. They share an eerie and destructive secret that warps hearts and destroys lives. As Tim digs deeper into their dark private world, he's not in a mystery, but a horror novel. And he discovers that the Rolling Stones were wrong. Even when you get what you want, you just might find that it’s not at all what you need.

Review: The story centers on a detective who is presented with a missing person’s case by a very beautiful woman. He soon finds out the missing person is this woman’s mother and they both have a special ability to read minds and thoughts of others and sometimes influence those thoughts.  The story continues in the search for her mother as well as giving the reader an in depth background of her life leading up until now.  I enjoyed this book for the reason that it is very realistic with the slightest touch of fantasy/sci-fi which is a genre I enjoy.  It was a bit confusing at first since you didn’t know when the story was jumping around different times.  You would be reading in current time and suddenly go back 10 years ago in the next chapter with no warning or reasoning to why you are suddenly learning about the past. A lot of times this bothered me since it never really seemed to tie anything up.  I guess by the end if just gave you a full picture of her life, but up until then I was a little frustrated. This was the only downside, the writing was great and I really felt for both main characters.  To my surprise I also liked the ending and the way everything was wrapped up.  I’d recommend this book to someone who enjoys detective stories, especially ones with a twist (as this one has that!).

-Annie

IMM

Review: Insatiable

Title: Insatiable (Insatiable #1)
Author: Meg Cabot
Publisher:   William Morrow
Publication Date:  June 8, 2010

Reviewer: Elisa

Summary: Sick of vampires? So is Meena Harper.
But her boss is making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn’t believe in them.
Not that Meena isn’t familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you’re going to die (not that you’re going to believe her; no one ever does).
But not even Meena’s precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side . . . a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire-hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.
The problem is, he already is dead. Maybe that’s why he’s the first guy Meena’s ever met that she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena’s always been able to see everyone else’s future, she’s never been able look into her own.
And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.
Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future . . .
If she even has one.

Review: This turned into a wild romp of a book with an ending I didn't expect. I love that.
Other than that this book pokes fun at itself from the get go as everyone is a vampire in a vampire obsessed world because hey, how weird, even this book is about vampires with a character named Meena and some talk about what Stoker got wrong and right!  Silly.  Also, Meena writes for a soap opera named Insatiable, so draw that parallel since the book is of the same name.  Remember, soaps are over the top, chock-a-block with crazy situations and characters, if that drives you nuts, look elsewhere.  

Meena is a strong heroine with a hero complex.  The book pulled me in fairly quickly. The characters are quirky and pretty interesting, I remembered who was who and became invested in their outcomes.  I did figure out who the bad guy was quite quickly, but I don’t think Cabot was trying to keep it that much of a mystery.  Meena’s ability is a little different than what we are seeing in the books these days and she has already dealt with it; she knows what works to help others and what doesn’t.  That isn’t what this story is about which was refreshing to me.  The target age of this novel seems to be early 20s because there aren’t any characters trying to figure out where to start, but rather how to continue.  Meena’s brother has been laid off and living with her, her best friend is pregnant, Meena is working towards a promotion and works her butt off and Meena has to make a very big choice about which direction her life will go.

It is a bit of a paranormal romance, but also just sort of a wacky character study of vampires vs vampire hunters, what a “good” vampire might be vs a bad one, vampire dogs and a big ole fight at the end.  I will pick up the next book in the series.  I enjoyed the tongue in cheek wackiness.

-Elisa

Review: A Fatal Debt

Title: A Fatal Debt
Author: John Gapper
Publisher:  Random House Publishing Group
Publication Date:  June 26, 2012

Reviewer: Ethan

Summary: This timely debut thriller by an award-winning Financial Times columnist is a gripping tale of lethal intrigue set in the high-stakes Wall Street world—where wealth and privilege are no match for jealousy and betrayal.

Review: The crash of the Wall Street Market ushered in a new era of consciousness of the wrongdoings of those running the U.S. financial system. Fatal flaws came to light, and the American people demanded retribution for the misuse of their money. When the government, in an attempt to hinder a looming economic depression, bailed out large financial institutions, the lives of millions of Americans were instantly changed. There was a large focus on the impact of these events on lower and middle-class citizens, but in "A Fatal Debt", debut author John Gapper creates an imaginative thriller, focusing on a CEO who also saw a drastic change of life after the financial crash. 

Harry Shapiro had it all. A high profile position as owner and president of a top financial institution at the heart of Wall Street provided him with the luxurious lifestyle most people can only dream of. Unfortunately, the combination of one sour deal, in this case the purchase of a smaller, struggling company, and the market crash left a lasting mark on Shapiro's life. After a public hearing finds Shapiro at fault for the collapse of his company, the once confident financier is left jobless and depressed. 

This is how Ben Cowper, a young psychiatrist at New York's Episcopal Hospital finds Shapiro. When Harry's wife discovers her husband in his study, clutching a handgun, she immediately brings him to the hospital. After a short assessment of the man, Ben believes that Shapiro is suicidal and that he should be kept in the hospital for further evaluation. But Harry will have no part of this diagnosis. At the encouragement of the hospital, which received generous donations from the Shapiro family, Ben decides to release Harry from the psych ward and to treat Harry at his home. 

After a chat with Harry, Ben feels that he is making some progress. Shapiro seems content with his situation, and willing to work with Ben. A few days later, Ben is shocked to learn of a fatal shooting in the Shapiro's mansion. With the profile of Shapiro's psychiatric condition suddenly raised, Ben finds himself inside a murder investigation that could lead loss of his job, medical license, and even his life. 

Gapper has created an edge of your seat thriller that grabs you from the very beginning. Drawing on the events surrounding the market crash, he introduces fascinating characters into the high-stakes world of Wall Street. Despite losing a bit of urgency in the last third of the story, the opening events are strong enough to propel the reader through the rest of the book. A mixture of murder investigation, legal thriller, and medical drama, "A Fatal Debt" is a fast paced novel that should not be missed.

-Ethan

Review: How to Eat a Cupcake

Title: How to Eat a Cupcake
Author: Meg Donahue
Publisher:  HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date:  March 13, 2012

Reviewer: Elisa

Summary: Funny, free-spirited Annie Quintana and sophisticated, ambitious Julia St. Clair come from two different worlds. Yet, as the daughter of the St. Clair’s housekeeper, Annie grew up in Julia’s San Francisco mansion and they forged a bond that only two little girls who know nothing of class differences and scholarships could—until a life-altering betrayal destroyed their friendship.

A decade later, Annie is now a talented, if underpaid, pastry chef who bakes to fill the void left in her heart by her mother’s death. Julia, a successful businesswoman, is tormented by a painful secret that could jeopardize her engagement to the man she loves. When a chance reunion prompts the unlikely duo to open a cupcakery, they must overcome past hurts and a mysterious saboteur or risk losing their fledgling business and any chance of healing their fractured friendship. (goodreads.com)

Review: My sister loaned it to me after her book club read and enjoyed it. I think they even had the author out to answer questions. This book is about a sister-type relationship with two characters who had a major falling out years before. They open a business together, work at repairing their rift and help each other figure out what needs figuring.  It covers sister issues, the relationship of employers and domestic employees and the power of communication and how it can affect your life in both positive and negative ways.  The point of view swaps between Annie and Julia so you know exactly what they are thinking and why.  The relationship is worked out fairly easily, and while there is some pain and the reader knows why, we don’t do a deep dark delve into either character.  The chapters are somewhat short so you feel like you race through this story, and the sad, angry and scary parts don’t drag on at all.  It makes a wonderful beach read and the cupcake descriptions sound amazing!  In fact, I really wish it offered a few of those recipes.  Yum!

-Elisa

Hiya

Hello Lovely Readers,

How have you all been? I will try to make it more of a habit to talk with y'all cuz I know I'm slacking. I finally created a new banner! I hope you love it as much as I do!!!

There may be some lovely news soon. I have to wait to tell you though.
Whose excited for August??

I don't believe I have anything else to talk about. How sad. Still no internet on my end. But as you can see I am keeping up!

Hmmmm. I could mumble on but I will just say good bye until next time.

Review: Somebody to Love

Title: Somebody to Love
Author: Kristan Higgins
Published: Harlequin
Publisher: April 24, 2012
Reviewer: Kati

Summary: After her father loses the family fortune in an insider-trading scheme, single mom Parker Welles is faced with some hard decisions. First order of business: go to Gideon’s Cove, Maine, to sell the only thing she now owns—a decrepit house in need of some serious flipping. When her father’s wingman, James Cahill, asks to go with her, she’s not thrilled…even if he is fairly gorgeous and knows his way around a toolbox.
Having to fend for herself financially for the first time in her life, Parker signs on as a florist’s assistant and starts to find out who she really is. Maybe James isn’t the glib lawyer she always thought he was. And maybe the house isn’t the only thing that needs a little TLC…

Review: I think i'm becoming a sap. I have never read so many contemperary romances in a row and loved them all so much. This story makes me smile, wanna cry and beg for more about this beautiful family. Must read. I can't wait for more by this author. Definatley something for me to look forward to! Does any one have any contemp. romances they think I should read?

Review: Balkan Magic

Title: Balkan Magic       
Author: Emigh Cannaday
Publisher:  CreateSpace
Publication Date:  November 10, 2010

Reviewer: Elisa

Summary: Free-spirited Annika Brisby has just turned down a proposal that promises a lifetime of security but no adventure. Seeking some distance between herself and her ex-boyfriend, Annika travels to the Balkan Mountains. A day hike gone to havoc sends her through a broken portal to another world. She is discovered by wood nymphs who seem convinced that Annika's presence is more than just chance, and they vow to get her back home with the help of a slightly debauched elf named Talvi. Unnerved at his advances, Annika makes the best of her situation by learning all she can about this dream-like new world. But the more she gets to know the genuine Talvi, the more she wonders if there's a path leading them toward each other. Together they sail over a monster-filled sea, navigate through a forest of flesh eating trees, and encounter a family of trolls, but the greatest obstacle will be Annika's ability to trust her new friends and confront her deepest fears. (goodreads.com)

Review: This book took me a little work to get into it, but once Annika meets Talvi at the bookstore and then once she is finally sucked into the portal the adventure truly begins and I was hooked.  Annika is stuck in this other world, the portals have been closed and they are going to figure out why.  She finds out she is stuck between two worlds in more ways than one which answers why she never felt she fit in at school.  She is stuck in a faery world and does quite well over there.  But if she had to choose for any reason, which world would she pick?

There is a romance as Annika really starts falling for Talvi, but she doesn’t know if she can trust him or if he is playing her.  Not that she wants to be serious, they are from two different worlds and she is free-spirited and all.  But she certainly gets her panties in a bunch when he looks like he is flirting with others!  And then we get a little love triangle junk.  That is ok, except then we get a lot of stomping around, yelling fights and jealousies.  Talvi just turned 300, but man is he a baby!  It felt like we were in high school for a while.  But nothing ever goes too far or too wrong.  I think basically because so many things had to happen in this book that things kept moving.

There is a prophecy, some fighting and lots of loving (when they aren’t fighting).  I loved the trolls and how we got to read more about fixing up their house than the big fight at the end…but hey, it was my favorite part of the story.

So, I thought this was an enjoyable fantasy adventure story.  It is filled with all sorts of creatures, sirens, trolls, unicorns and wood nymphs and I wouldn’t mind trying the pixie dust or fairy brandy!  I think it got a little too involved in random details and tangents which made the story a little bloated.  But, it helped delve into the characters with a show not tell vibe.  And I knew without a doubt that it got to me when I reached the end and wanted to continue reading to know “what happens NOW”!?  So the story had issues, but it was enjoyable and creative and had a lot going on.  I give it 3.5 stars and can’t wait to read the sequel.    

-Elisa

Review: The Harder they Fall

Title: The Harder they Fall
Author: Trish Jensen
Published: May 01, 2012
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Reviewer: Kati
Summary: Food fight, love match, or both? She’s a lovable klutz trying to save her family’s restaurant chain. He’s a stuffed shirt angling to buy it. Who will trip up and fall in love first?

Darcy Welham’s dad is ready to sell his five-star restaurants and retire, but she’s determined to prove she can be trusted to keep the family business going. Darcy’s sure it’s what her mother would have wanted. Only one problem: her life turns into a comedy show when she’s nervous. Pratfalls, spills, slips and fires—all in a day’s misadventures for Darcy. She can’t even wait on tables without dumping food into the customers’ laps. When supper lands on a sensitive area of businessman Michael Davidson’s finely creased trousers, he tries to have his gorgeous but careless waitress fired, only to discover that she’s the person he has to win over if he wants to buy the restaurant chain for his bosses. From that antagonistic start, Darcy and Michael soon find that there’s more to each other than first expected. She’s clumsy because she’s got low self-esteem. She may be a disaster as a waitress, but she’s a genius as a cook, with a talent for creating mouth-watering new dishes. Darcy begins to realize that Michael is not a stuffed shirt at heart—he’s patient, strong and brave, which any man who dates Darcy has to be, because she turns into a Danger Zone every time he makes her heart flutter.

Review: This book was. Ok, I loved the characters I just don't like how it skipped around. I feel towards the end it skipped major events. I also read this books for the romance not the sex scenes so where can I find a non rated R book? I think you adult readers should give it a try. There are a few books by this author that I have been wanting to read. I do love the characters. Their funny, cute and highly memorable.

Review: The Key

Title: The Key
Author: Simon Toyne

Series: Ruin Trilogy (#2)
Publisher:  William Morrow & Company
Publication Date:  June 19, 2012

Reviewer: Ethan

Summary: Hounded. Haunted. Hunted. She is the most important person in the world. She is The Key. In the ancient Turkish city of Ruin, American journalist Liv Adamsen lies in an isolation ward staring at walls as blank as her memory. She knows she entered the monumental Citadel at the heart of Ruin but can remember only darkness. Something strange is stirring within her, whispering that she is 'the key'. But the key to what? For the Ghost, a mercenary operating in the Syrian Desert, Liv may unlock one of mankind's most potent secrets. For the brotherhood in the Citadel -- now cursed by a terrible plague -- her return may secure the mountain and ensure their survival. And for a powerful faction in Rome, she threatens the very future of the Catholic Church. Hunted across continents and caught in the centre of events that defy explanation, Liv turns to the only person she trusts -- a charity worker named Gabriel Mann. Together their paths lead to a shocking discovery -- one that will tear them apart and change the world forever!

Review: In his debut novel, Sanctus, author Simon Toyne thrilled audiences with his high concept, religious conspiracy thriller. The dazzling story continues in The Key, the next novel in his planned trilogy. The novel opens days after the events of the previous book. After her brother's strange death captured the attention of the world, Liv Adamsen finds herself in a hospital bed, unable to fully remember the events that brought her there. She can vaguely remember entering the secretive religious Citadel located in Ruin, but has no clue how she ended up in the hospital. Even worse, she is hearing whispers that claim she is 'the key'.

Unbeknownst to Liv, a web of conspiracy is coming to fruition within the confines of the Catholic Church. The mysterious inhabitants of the Citadel, known as the Sancti, were meant to protect an ancient sacrament. When the sacrament was released, all leaders of the group were killed, leaving the compound without a clear direction and threatening the future of the entire church. Even more, a plague has set in, killing the Sancti one by one. Leaders of the Vatican believe that Liv holds the key to the sacrament, and will stop at nothing to return her to the Citadel. As a cat and mouse chase ensues, Liv realizes the enormity of the situation. With the aid of Gabriel Mann, a charity worker who's family has long sought to reveal the sacrament, Liv must discover the true meaning of 'the key' before her life and the fate of the entire world comes crashing down.

Despite the complexity of the plot, Toyne expertly manages all aspects of the story through his streamlined prose. The novel picks up right where Sanctus left off, allowing the urgency of the story to permeate the entire novel and the characters to continue to develop believable relationships and reactions to their situations. Toyne never lets the enormity of his concept drown out the subtle motivations of his characters. He seamlessly weaves actions, history, romance, and suspense into a nonstop thriller that pulses forward to a shocking and extremely satisfying conclusion. The Key successfully continues the precedent set by Sanctus, and leaves the reader anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this gripping trilogy.

-Ethan

Review: One For The Money

Title: One For The Money

Author: Janet Evanovich
Series: Stephanie Plum
Publisher: HarperTourch
Publication Date: June 2002

Summary: Trenton native Stephanie Plum is out of work, out of money, and her car's in repo-hell.So how does a hardly working girl turn to when the going gets tough? Meet cousin Vinnie, bail bondsman. Stephanie figures it's nice work if you can get it -- shagging bail jumpers for $10,000 a pop. So she joins up. Not that she knows the first thing about it. But hey, beggars can't be choosers.

But now the bad news -- there's a cranky ex-prize fighter dogging her, unfinished business with Maestro Morelli himself, and a nasty habit she has of leaping first and looking later. If Stephanie doesn't wise up fast, the first dead body she sees could be her own.

Review: I can't stand the differences between the movie ad the book. Way to many changes sadly I started this series at about the 8th one so I never got to enjoy the beginning of the series. I told my librarian that I loved the movie. She told me to check out the book and how she loved the beginning of Janet Evanovich's series. I tried it and regret it. You read the first book then watch the movie maybe you will have a different reaction. Foe those of you who have read the whole series what did you think of the first book?

Review: The Night Eternal

Title: The Night Eternal
Author: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Series: The Strain Trilogy (#3)
Publisher:  HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date:  October 25, 2011

Reviewer: Ethan

Summary: The Earth lies shrouded in darkness...And it is our world no longer.

Two years have passed since the vampiric virus was first unleashed upon humanity—and nuclear winter has cast the poisoned world into eternal night. The remnants of the living who were not turned have been subjugated—with many imprisoned in camps to be bred and bled for the sustenance of the Master's vast vampire army.

Yet the fight continues. Dr. Eph Goodweather, of the Centers for Disease Control's biological threats team; his former colleague and lover, Dr. Nora Martinez; and the exterminator Vasiliy Fet lead a band of freedom fighters aided by Mr. Quinlan, the half-breed offspring of the Master, who now is bent on revenge. At humankind's darkest hour, one of them may hold the key to salvation. But a traitor is among them. And who will be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so that others may live?

Review: Over the years, Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro has become well known for his fantastic horror films. Disgusted with the recent treatment of vampires in film and literature, del Toro sought to write a novel that portrayed the monsters as he thought they were meant to be. He enlisted the help of seasoned author Chuck Hogan (The Town) to create The Strain Trilogy, a set of novels about vampires taking over the world.

The Night Eternal, the third and final novel in the trilogy, begins two years after the events of the previous novel. After a nuclear holocaust, the entire planet has been shrouded in darkness. Vampires have essentially taken over the world. Because the creatures rely on human blood to survive, they have set up camps, where humans are farmed (think a dairy farm where blood is harvested instead of milk). The entire vampire race is lead by The Master, an ancient being that has been planning this takeover for thousands of years.

There are, however, some humans who have managed to escape the fate of the rest of their peers. Dr. Eph Goodweather, a former doctor from the Center for Disease Control, leads a rebellion with the help of another doctor, an exterminator, a half-breed vampire who seeks to kill the vampires, and a couple of former gangsters who refuse to be turned into the creatures. Eph mourns the loss of his son, who was captured by The Master, and vows to do whatever it takes to rid the earth of the monsters. With the help of an ancient book, the group has one final shot to kill The Master, ending the strain and destroying all of the creatures.

This is one of those novels that really only works if you have read the others in the trilogy. After reading the first two novels, I came into this one with an attachment to the characters and desire to see how the story would pan out. Del Toro and Hogan write in a very cinematic style that works well for this kind of story. They give just enough to keep the reader hooked, while still maintaining a sense of suspense. The action sequences fly off of the page and the characters are written in a way that really made me care what happened to them. There are some plot holes and continuity issues that bugged me, but in a story of this nature, I didn't really mind them. This is a fun B movie of a novel that does a fine job in ending what began as an exciting horror trilogy.

-Ethan

Guest Post: Sherry Soule

Hi everyone, I’m Sherry Soule—waving from Castro Valley, California, where it gets pretty foggy even in the summer. And even with the fog burning off by afternoon, I’m chilling on my laptop and chatting on Twitter about my favorite books and movies.

Thank you for letting me hang out today as part of my epic Moonlight Mayhem Blog Tour this summer. It’s a thrill to get to be a guest and meet all these awesome booklovers.

My tour has been so much fun and it is nice seeing the familiar names in the comment section of each guest post. For those of you who haven’t heard about my Moonlight Mayhem blog tour it’s not too late to join the fun!

To celebrate the release of author, Sherry Soule’s new paranormal, romance novel, MOONLIGHT MAYHEM, we thought it might be entertaining if she did an interview with one of the the main characters from her recent release, MOONLIGHT MAYHEM. Sherry has decided to interview the heroine, Shiloh Ravenwolf.

If a snarky, kickass, and vibrant type of heroine, who can rival the darkest of evils, aided by her quirky fashion sense, appeals to your inner bad girl, then you'll love Shiloh. She's a unique teen witch.

If you’ve already read the novels, this interview should be amusing and insightful. If you haven’t read the series yet, hopefully the character interview will pique your interest.

Please state your name: 

Shiloh Nahimana Ravenwolf

Astrological sign: 

Leo

Age:

16

Height:

5’6”

Weight: 

120, slim yet curvy

Hair /Eye Color:

Long hair, which is as black as a raven’s wing and bronze-colored eyes

Job: 

High School student by day / Heritage Witch and Amateur Demon Hunter by night

Vehicle:

Used Black Jeep Wrangler

Dog/Cat:

Ah, do shades count? Okay, cool—then I have three little supernatural pitbulls named, Bakaz, Kasha, Zrekam, and Azeri.

Favorite food:

BBQ Chicken Pizza! Yum

Describe yourself in three words:

out-spoken, hopeless romantic, survivor

Wardrobe/Personal Style:

I have my own quirky style. I like to wear hoop earrings; several chunky bracelets, a cropped pink top that sits above my navel and shows off my sparkly bellyring; low-rise jeans, and to finish my unique look, I put on my favorite boots: patent leather hot pink Doc Martens. The boots are my security blanket. They remind me who I am: Shiloh Ravenwolf. Badass Witch. And if I was gonna kick ass and take names, I needed my boots.

Where do you live? Are any other people living with you? Who are they?

Whispering Pines, California with my dad, Jackson and my mother—Jillian.

What were three things you liked to do when you were younger?

My friends and I would sneak onto the Ravenhurst Manor estate (long before the Donovan family moved back to town) and dare each other to stand on the porch for five minutes. I won twice. Although, my gaze caught eerie shadows swooping menacingly within the shrubs and trees. Super freaky.

Favorite Pastime: 

Love to shop (fashionista), enjoy gossiping with my friends, and reading romance novels. And, ah, kissing my hot BF, Trent. *major swoon*

What makes you happy?

Being with the supercute, and may I add—very buffed boyfriend, Trent Donovan

What is your greatest fear?

That I will succumb to the darkness residing inside me

What would you change about yourself if you could?

Uh, I would not blurt things out so much. Then I wouldn’t have to keep inserting my foot in my mouth. Feet taste nasty.

What is it that you have never told anyone?

Wow, tough question. About the demon blood tainting my humanity.

What's the worst thing you've ever done? Why?

I lied about my gift of Sight. Only my Aunt Lauren And my mentor, Evans (he’s like my watcher.) know my secret.

If you could be an animal, what would it be?

Oh!—I’d like to be a raven and be able to fly!

Signature Move: 

Power of telekinesis. Moderate kickboxing skills. Launch energy balls. Spell casting.

About the Author:

Sherry Soule is a writer blessed with a vivid imagination and lives in San Francisco, California. She writes supernatural tales of romance, magick, and demon slaying. Her debut novel, Beautifully Broken was published August 2011 and is nominated for best paranormal romance (Wizard and Witch 2011) by The Romance Reviews (TRR).

MOONLIGHT MAYHEM Synopsis:

Shiloh Ravenwolf thought she was getting used to the supernatural events of Whispering Pines, but the full moon has brought another surge of threats to her coastal town. Ferocious wolves, deadly necromancers, and shambling zombies have descended upon the neighborhood, and Shiloh must gain control of her magical abilities—fast! But it sucks that Shiloh has a crippling fear of the dark. For a demon slayer, this can be an epic problem.

When her classmates are attacked by a mysterious animal and her father is murdered, Shiloh vows vengeance. Forcing her phobias aside, she forms an unlikely coven of supernaturally gifted teens to help her eradicate this menace, but Shiloh’s battling a different monster within herself. She’s struggling not to become the very thing she fights: evil.

But with demon blood inside her—anything can happen…

Moonlight Mayhem is the second novel in the unforgettably epic Spellbound series.

Where you can find author, Sherry Soule online:

Official Blog: http://www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com/

Official Spellbound Series Universe: http://thespellboundseries.blogspot.com/

Twitter @WriterSherry: http://twitter.com/writersherry

Book Trailer/YouTube: http://youtu.be/5uqVXKygvUs

goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11634793-beautifully-broken