Review: ABOUT A VAMPIRE by Lynsay Sands!

Release Date: September 29th, 2015

Type: Vampires, Immortals, Series, Book 22(!!), Life-mates, Soul mates, About Dang Time!

About the Book: With immortal good looks and scorching charisma, Justin Bricker has yet to meet a woman he can't win over. His potential life mate should be no different. But instead of falling into his bed, Holly Bosley runs away and ends up mortally wounded. To save her, he has to turn her. And then Bricker learns the shocking truth: Holly's already married.

Holly wakes up with a bump on her head, a craving for blood, and a sexy stranger who insists they belong together. She needs Bricker's help to control her new abilities, even as she tries to resist his relentless seduction. Choosing between the world she knows and the eternity he offers is impossible. But Justin is fighting for his life mate—maybe even his life—and he'll break every rule to do it.  [Synopsis from Goodreads.com]

My Review: Let's start off with what I didn't like so much, and get that out of the way first. I wish this had been longer. I really wanted more time between when they parted and the ending to be allowed to build up - more than it did. This just felt like everything was wrapped up nice and neat in too short of time. A little more angst at the end would have fit this perfectly. And as much as Lynsay Sands writes light-hearted stuff, I thought a little pining would have been good for them both.

Now on to what I loved - Bricker. Bricker is one of the youngest (actually, he might be the youngest??) immortals we have read about. He considers himself handsome, suave, and a ladies-man, so it was hilarious to see him up against a woman who didn't respond to that sort of behavior. As young as Bricker might act sometimes, mostly due to the fact that he lived and worked with a lot of MUCH older immortals, Justin Bricker needed someone like Holly to tone him down. You can see how their relationship dynamic would work, and it will be great to see them together in future novels.

If you want a fun, and often very funny, immortal/vampire romance, Lynsay Sands is one of the best go-to authors. And even better, she has a long series to devour if you enjoy it. Twenty-two books in and still going strong, long-time fans of the series will enjoy seeing past characters pop back in now and again, as well as their unattached friends and cousins that we can only hope will get their own book in the near future.

Cover Lovin': This fits in well with the rest of the series, and the graveyard thing makes sense for the very beginning.

Recommendation: "About A Vampire" can be read as a stand-alone. But to truly appreciate Justin Bricker and the trouble he put the rest of his friends and family through, I suggest reading more of the series.

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars (4/5)! It was great to see Bricker finally get his own book, and this just rekindled my love for the series. I will have to go back and re-read old favorites!

Get your copy of "About A Vampire" on Amazon.com today! Also check out the next book in the series, "Runaway Vampire" coming out February 2016!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Mm, Mm, Yum. REVIEW of "Hungry for You" by Lynsay Sands

Why this book?: I'm a huge fan of the Argeneau series and Lynsay Sands in general, and I've been sitting on this book for a while.

Type: Vampires, Immortals, Series, Mates, Humor, Paranormal Romance, Favorite Series, Favorite author

About the book: Alex has been running a successful restaurant for years, but now that she is trying to open a second, things are falling apart. Alex can’t believe her bad luck – there’s a small fire resulting in smoke damage, incorrect tile installed, paint delivered with the wrong label so her restaurant is neon green instead of the right color – all these mishaps are eating up way more of her savings and loans than she could have ever imagined. But when her head chef quits, Alex fears she might have to give up on the whole shebang.

Sam, Alex’s sister, offers Cale Valens to be the stand-in head chef. Only problem is, Cale is an ancient immortal that hasn’t eaten in centuries. But after Cale discovers Alex is his lifemate, he’ll do anything to stay by her side – even fool mortals into thinking his less-than-second rate cooking is a five star meal. But when Alex is attacked, Cale begins to think these “accidents” might not be so accidental.

My Review: “Hungry for You” is another cute addiction to the Argeneau Vampire series. Lynsay Sands is excellent at mixing romance and humor, and it is always a treat to watch the characters banter, as well as listen to their thoughts. I do so love a strong, goal-driven heroine – and Alex is just that. The restaurant, and cooking in general, is very important to Alex and she has no problem putting it before her love life. Cale is smart enough to understand, though certainly male (and human) enough to not like it – so he uses his superior business skills to help her.

Cale seemed a little more down-to-earth than some of the other Argeneau men, though still clueless when it comes to modern women. That’s an Argeneau trait I happen to really enjoy. And frankly, it’s part of the fun, to watch the wooing and dating struggle. Cale’s accident and the following revelation felt incredibly dead on, and therefore sticks out in my mind. Every so often you just read a scene and go “Yeah, that’s exactly what she/he would do in this situation,” and it’s a nice feeling. Refreshing, maybe.

And of course, I loved the side characters – Bricker in particular. I hope he gets his own book soon… he definitely deserves it!  Be sure to check out the next novel in the Argeneau series – “The Reluctant Vampire” coming May 31^st of this year.

Cover Loving: Works for me! Fits well with the rest of the series.

Recommendation: Fans of fun, humorous paranormal romance series will love Lynsay Sands Argeneau vampire stories.

Final Recommendation: FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). Good, fun, excellent new book in a great series.

Have you read "Hungry for You" or another book by Lynsay Sands? Share your thoughts in the comments. Want to pick up a copy? Get it from Amazon.com!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

My gosh, the epicness. REVIEW of "Song of Eidolons" by Jessica McHugh

 Be sure to enter my contest for a copy of "Insight" by Jamie Magee HERE!

Why this book?: Jessica told me I'd like it. I should learn to trust her judgement, she writes good books.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Type: Fantasy, Immortality, The Fountain of Youth, Isolation, Reality is usually not as good as fiction - but Delaney's life is pretty epic

From the back of the book: Delaney Lortal is a unique breed of girl. She is well spoken, extremely well read, and highly ambitious for love, but it is not those qualities that make her so unique. It's not even because in twenty-two years of life, she has never set foot outside of her grandfather's house. What makes her so unique is the truth behind a mysterious secret that has made her a target of a clandestine Order called the Orisanima. As wonderous as it is heartbreaking, Song of Eidolons follows Delaney's journey of enlightenment as she struggles to peel back the layers of deceit to discover the amazing truth about her origins.

My Review: I don't know why I was surprised when this novel turned out to be so amazing. I read "The Sky: The World" by Jessica last year ( My Review ) and I absolutely loved it. So after two equally wonderful books, I'll just know to expect it from now on. "Song of Eidolons" features excellent characters, not just the good ones, but the deliciously evil villain as well. Delaney's feelings, emotions, and complex history are completely breathtaking, to say the least. And Dags, her grandfather, is so noble and yet so.. not. The story itself is epic and emotionally moving. A tale that blinds you with it's brilliance and magnificence.

"Song of Eidolons" is written beautifully, similar in style to the high fantasy novels I read and loved so much when I was younger. To say the writing flows is putting it mildly. The dream sequences within the story had me confused, as Delaney is herself in them, but not, make sure to stick with it. The payoff in the end, when Delaney and the reader finally learn about her origins, is well worth that momentary confusion.

I wish I could talk more about how truly wonderful and original this story is, but I'm afraid of giving away too much. And the shock and awe of Delaney Lortal's origin and creation are not something I would want to steal from any reader. So go read the book, really.

Cover Loving: At first, the cover doesn't seem to be a big deal - nothing special. But once you read the book, you realize the cover fits perfectly.

Recommendation: Definitely recommended. Fans of fantasy and mind-blowing tales will absolutely love "Song of Eidolons." An author you will want to keep an eye on!

Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). I'm still a little speechless and flabbergasted by how good this book was. Delaney's story and life are so deep and enchanting, this is definitely a book for my keeper shelf!

Want to pick up a copy of "Song of Eidolons" by Jessica McHugh? Get it at Amazon.com! Have you read "Song of Eidolons" or another book by Jessica McHugh? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~