Review: SHADES OF WICKED by Jeaniene Frost!

Release Date: October 30th, 2018

Type: Paranormal Romance, Series, Book 1, New series, Bad boy, Spin-off series, Good-Bad Guy

My review: I have been a giant fan of Jeaniene Frost since the second Night Huntress book was released, which is when I discovered them. And honestly, I've been waiting for Ian's story since the beginning. But I remember reading a review Jeaniene Frost did, and she said something along the lines of Ian having not grown up enough yet. And honestly, it made sense. But the further the Night Huntress series, and its spin-offs, went, the more you could see Ian developing into who he needed to be to get his own story. And I thought I was ready, but I was so not prepared.

I could not put this down. It is for sure a one-sitting read. In fact, I wasn't even aware how long I had been sitting in one position, eagerly turning pages, until I finished, stood up, and heard all my joints crackle. But I had to know what was going to happen. I loved reading about Ian and Veritas snarking at each other, starting to fall in love, trying to get out of the different scrapes they find themselves in.. It was all wonderful.

This is Jeaniene Frost at her best. She brought everything we loved about her complex and entertaining plots, all the characters we know and love, and mixed in a grumpy older Law Guardian and a snarky-yet-noble scoff-law. I cannot wait for the next book!!

About the Book: In this thrilling new Night Rebel series set in New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress world, sexy and ruthless vampire Ian finally meets his match!

The Rule Breaker

Master vampire Ian is unrepentant, shameless…and every shade of wicked. He’s made one too many enemies in his two centuries of existence, including Dagon, a demon who now lays claim to his soul. Ian’s only chance to escape Dagon is to join forces with a Law Guardian, but he’s never been able to abide by the rules for long.

The Law Maker

Veritas’ normal role is police, judge and jury to reprobates like Ian. But she has her own ax to grind with Dagon, so if she can use Ian as bait…well, all’s fair in law and war. As they scour supernatural hotspots to perfect their trap, Veritas soon realizes Ian’s devil-may-care, roguish image hides something much more powerful. And Ian discovers that Veritas has shocking secrets of her own. As they’re drawn to each other with a passion as intense as their peril, either love or justice will prevail. But each will have devastating consequences… 
Cover Lovin': I wish Ian's hair would look redder, but otherwise, I love it!

Recommendation: Can be read without the rest of the Night Huntress world, but some knowledge of it would definitely help.

Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars (5/5)!!! I knew when Ian finally got his own story that it would be EPIC, and I was so not disappointed! But how am I supposed to wait until the next book?!?!

Taking the morning off! (Otherwise known as "Ew, Taxes")

I'm taking the morning off to work on getting my taxes done. Or at least start the process. Since I have a home business (Avon), it's always a lot of work to make sure I have everything I need. Fingers crossed I can remember everything I have to have so I don't have to pay out the nose! So instead I leave you with some lovely cover pretty - Jeaniene Frost has released the cover for her next Cat and Bones book! As well as the links to my contests.

FIRST! The pretty!

The cover!!! EEEK! A new cover model, but she looks tough enough to pull off Cat. And speaking of Cat... Helsing gets his cover debut!

And now the stepback:
BEAUTIFUL! I can't wait to own this. Finally, Cat and Bones get to get a little... ahem, *closer* on the cover.

*Sigh* How am I ever going to wait to get this book???

So finally, remember today is the LAST DAY to enter my contest to win a copy of "Insight" by Jamie Magee. You have until 11:59 tonight to get your entry in! Go HERE and fill out the form. Winner will be announced tomorrow! And I'll get the winner's contact info sent off to the author.

And you have until Thursday of next week to enter my contest for one of THREE copies of "Night and Chaos" by Naomi Clark! Enter HERE and fill out the form.

And make sure to stop by on Monday to enter yet another contest. And more great content on the way in the weeks to come!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Epic Cat and Bones-ness! REVIEW of "This Side of the Grave" by Jeaniene Frost

Why this book?: Love Jeaniene Frost. LOVE Cat and Bones. Mostly Bones.. but Cat certainly has some seriously awesome moments too.

Type: Series, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Ghosts, Ghouls, Epic battles, Awesome nicknames

About the book: Really, it seems like things will never settle down enough for Cat and Bones to get some time alone. The undead world is far from quiet, with ghouls attacking masterless vampires, and the threat of war leaving everyone jumpy. The ghoul Apollyon has singled Cat out as the reason for the tension, and the cause of the uprising. So now Cat, Bones, and the crew must find a way to diffuse the situation before an undead war turns the world upside down.

Review: This book made me finally move Jeaniene Frost to the Do Not Read In Public catagory. Not because the book was bad, but because I was sick of the weird looks I keep getting whenever I laugh out loud, smile at the page, or squirm on the end of my seat because I can't handle all the action. Cat and Bones get into the most delicious scrapes, and I literally wiggle in my seat to see how the heck they manage to get themselves out. There are some readers out there that talk about books being crack - well Jeaniene Frost is my drug of choice. I crave these characters and their interactions. I love to see how they deal with each new situation. And you can genuinely see the character development from book to book, even with the characters that get less limelight.

The one thing I missed in this book was the tension between Cat and Bones. Where they fought not only the outside world, but each other in their attempts to keep the other safe. But this goes along with the development aspects. Considering what happened at the end of "One Foot in the Grave," Cat and Bones took a huge step forward in their relationship, and "This Side of the Grave" truly reflects that change. But as I said, I admit to still missing it, just a little. Another book for the keeper shelf, "This Side of the Grave" did not disappoint. A fast-paced, intricate plot and characters that are beyond loveable, I eagerly anticipate the next one. Heck, I eagerly anticipate my next re-read of the series.

Cover Loving: YES! A beautiful cover, and an equally beautiful stepback. It fits perfectly with the rest of the series, and I love the gargoyles.

Recommendation: Definitely something for fans of excellent, epic Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. This is one of my favorite series of all time, and is the subject of much re-reading. I would recommend the entire series to anyone.

Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE 5/5. Seriously, Jeaniene Frost really didn't disappoint with the newest Cat and Bones book.

Have you read "This Side of the Grave" by Jeaniene Frost? What are your thoughts? Have you read the rest of the series? Tell me your thoughts in the comments! Want to read it? Get your copy at Amazon.com via the link at the left!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Review of "Night's Darkest Embrace" by Jeaniene Frost (Anth)

This story, "Night's Darkest Embrace," is the first story in an anthology by three awesome authors - Jeaniene Frost, Shayla Black, and Sharie Kohler. I plan to review each story while we wait for this awesome book to be released on October 26th!

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from one of the authors via a contest on a blog she contributes to. And I'm an Amazon Affiliate which means if you purchase the book from one of my links I get an eensy percentage.

Type: Paranormal Romance, Anthology, Different Dimensions, Demons

About the book: Mara is a partial demon, which allows her to enter another dimension - Nocturna. She keeps returning in hopes of finding her cousin Gloria, or at the very least - kill the demon that kidnapped and killed her. At least that's part of the reason - Raphael is the other. Ever since he saved her that night years ago, she can't get him out of her mind. But despite being attracted to him, she knows he's not telling the truth, so it's up to Mara to figure it out for herself, and maybe find out of Rafe is one of the bad guys after all.

As for my thoughts, I can definitely see some parallels between Mara and Cat from Frost's Night Huntress series. Of course, I love love love that series, so it's not like that's a problem. Mara is driven and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve her goal, even better if she can enjoy herself along the way. I would have liked to known if she had any more special powers, being a "partial," but I can see how time and space constraints might lend to leaving that sort of thing out, especially when they're aren't necessarily important to the plot. And Rafe... well.. woo! I'm not giving anything away (because if I said anything about what/who he is, it would be some major spoilers).. I'll just say he made me very happy, and I want him. In fact, he can drop Mara whenever he wants, I'll take him. Rafe seems like the kind of guy I want watching my back.. and massaging it, and kissing it.. I mean, what?

As for the plot, I really enjoyed it. The story took place mostly in other dimensions, and the description of each one, however brief, left me interested. And it gave me enough to imagine what that place was like. I'd love to see more of this world and these characters, but at the same time, this story was enough for me. Usually I dislike short stories or novellas because I think they're too short, and therefore lack all the character development or world building that I thrive on, but this story left me feeling sated in those departments. I just want more because I want more of Rafe. -Wink-

I'm going to give "Night's Darkest Embrace" by Jeaniene Frost, story one in the Haunted By Your Touch antholoy, a FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). I liked the story, I loved the characters, and I'd definitely recommend it to others.

Stay tuned as I read and review the other stories in the antholoy, "Mated" by Shayla Black, and "Darkest Tempation" by Sharie Kohler! And make sure to pick up your copy of "Haunted By Your Touch" on October 26th.

Happy Reading! 
~!~ MG ~!~

Heroes I can't live without: Part II

First off, don't forget to enter my contest for an ebook by HP Mallory! Read the rules, and comment to enter on this post!

Now! Welcome to Part II of my spotlight on Heroes from Romance, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, etc etc, that I just can't live without. Want to check out Part I? Click here.

First up... BONES from the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost. We meet Bones in book one - "Halfway to the Grave".. and every Cat book features this total dreamboat. Even the Night Huntress World novels.. Bones has a couple cameos. Thank goodness. I can't imagine life without Bones. Even when Bones made me sooo mad in one of the books (NO SPOILERS!).. I still really loved him. Sigh. I want a Bones in my life... well, not A Bones.. just Bones. Please? Who doesn't want a vampire bounty hunter? One who only hunts the bad guys. And he loves so deeply and so.. sexily.

RANGER! MORELLI! That's right, this section is a two-fer. Because who I would pick really depends on my mood.. so therefore I would take both.. at different times (or both at once, if it was one of those days *wink* ). I love the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Morelli is.. safer. When I have the mood to settle down and cuddle, I want Morelli. He symbolizes that happily ever after. Ranger on the other hand... He's mysterious, he's dangerous.. if I'm in the mood to be a rebel or a wild girl, I'm definitely in a Ranger mood.

Frankly, I don't think Stephanie needs both of them. She's more than welcome to toss one (or both even) to me. On that note... DIESEL! I'll take him too. He's not technically one of her guys, I'll take him. And continuing on that line.. look for my review of "Wicked Appetite" in the near future.


And finally (for this installment, anyways...) LUCIAN ARGENEAU!

I love the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands, but Lucian is probably my favorite of them all.. so far, anyways. Lucian is.. well, quite old, and therefore a little out of touch with the present. But he know how to take care of his family, and will do anything for them. I think my favorite scene is a toss between him shirtless, wearing a pink apron and cleaning the floor of his sister in law's house... or when he's wrestling with his sister in law's huge dog, trying to give the dog his medicine, and even though the dog bites him, he just pats him on the head and sends him on his way. Lucian, despite how strong and (sometimes) overbearing he is, he's still the best. At least that's my opinion.

That's it for today, folks! Six (or technically seven?) that I can't live without... but guess what, there's still more! There will be another installment in "Heroes I can't live without" in the near future.

Have a great day! And until next time, Happy reading!
~!~ Morning Glow

Cover for "This Side of the Grave"!!!

I'm sure you've all seen these by now (and if not, WHY NOT?!) but it never hurts to oogle a little more. I'm a huge, huge, HUGE fan of the Night Huntress series and World books. In fact, I love Bones. I'm still waiting for him to leave Cat and come be with me. Of course, I love Cat too, so that might end up being an awkward situation.

Oh, right, I was showing you all the covers....

OH MY GOSH, LOOK AT THE PRETTY!!!

I simply cannot wait until February 22, 2011 (the official release date)



And the stepback? EQUALLY YUM!!!



There are no words for how much I am in love with this book cover. Seriously. And Bones. Oh yum Bones.

Review of "Eternal Kiss of Darkness" by Jeaniene Frost

 Squee!! Another Night Huntress world book! Not as good as a Cat and Bones story... or is it?!

Disclaimer: I, the reviewer, bought this book for myself. I did not receive this book, nor any form of monetary incentive in exchange for a positive review.

Type: Series, Vampires, Paranormal Romance, Sexy and Powerful Alpha Male

From the back of the book: "  Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she's only imagined in her worst nightmares. At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he'd seen it all. Then Kira appeared - this fearless, beautiful... human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable. But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.  "

I am quite a big fan of Jeaniene Frost and her Night Huntress series. So when readers first met Mencheres, he was described as a powerful, old vampire. I  know he was supposed to look young, but I couldn't get that "OLD!" idea out of my head. So when the author mentioned the second Night Huntress World book would be Mencheres' story.. I was a little wary. At least until she explained that Mencheres actually looks like a young Oded Fehr. Then, I'll admit, I was drooling a little. And after reading "Eternal Kiss of Darkness".. well, I can be firmly placed in the Mencheres-loving category.

I'm not sure I've mentioned this before, but I do love Jeaniene Frost's take on the vampire mythology. Much of what is considered vampire lore today are lies spread by the vampire community so they could easily prove they weren't vampires - So crosses, garlic, etc do not harm them. But I think my favorite part is the green-flashing eyes. When a vampire is hungry, using some of their power, or (and my favorite part) getting a little excited in the pants-region.. their eyes start to glow green. I believe at one point, Cat called it something like an optical hard-on.

Some of the scenery in this book, Mencheres' idea of a safe hideout, couldn't be more amusing. In one scene, Kira wakes only to hear screaming and something moving very fast. Where are they, you might ask? In Disneyland, under Thunder Mountain Railroad. I distinctly remember chuckling when Mencheres told her their location. And even better? They later find themselves in the Haunted Mansion, doing some very paranormal type-things, that fit in wonderfully with the theme of the ride.

One of the things I love the most about Frost is her ability to write some seriously kick-butt heroines. First Cat, who has no problem fighting back and taking the bad guys down, and now Kira, who doesn't bat an eye at standing up to people much older and more powerful than herself. And that includes Mencheres. I would have loved to see more scenes of other vampires witnessing how Kira spoke to him. This big, bad, ancient vampire being chastised by a human (and later not-so-human) female.

And a quick side-note... I love how the author used Egyptian history to suit her needs. The pyramids were not elaborate burial chambers, at least not how most people believe - but were instead supposedly comfortable retirement homes for vampire rulers after their reign ended. As a history nerd, I was quite interested and wanted to read even more. And I won't give anything away (no spoilers, promise), but Egyptian mythology/religion does play a hand in the ending.

I'm going to give "Eternal Kiss of Darkness" a FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). I practically inhaled it, forgoing an early bedtime in my desire to keep reading about both Kira and Mencheres. Frost has yet to disappoint me with her novels, and I believe EKoD has even surpassed "First Drop of Crimson" in my mind. Her Night Huntress World novels just keep getting better.. I hope she keeps it up, and finally gives us Vlad's story!

Read "Eternal Kiss of Darkness"? Tell me your thoughts in the comments. Want to check it out? Find it at Amazon.com!


Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow

Review of "First Drop of Crimson" by Jeaniene Frost

Yay! Finally another review. I would say I've been busy, but really, I think I've just been lazy. Or in a reading slump. And it's not like I don't want to read, because I do, I just have so much to read, so many good books to dive into, that I can't pick which one to move onto next. But I think I have finally moved past this, or at least I've managed to read something and do a review. So here we are! Reviewing "First Drop of Crimson" by Jeaniene Frost.

Quick Disclaimer: I, the reviewer, bought this book myself. I was not given this book, nor any money, in exchange for a review. Though I wouldn't complain if it happened. Just saying.

From the back of the book:
" The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows - her best friend and half-vampire Cat Crawfield - an she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness - and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortals who lusts for a taste of her. He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human - even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the nightmare together... "

Alrighty! Sounds good, huh? It was. Jeaniene Frost is one of my favorite authors, and I'll admit to not even reading the back of the book until now. I knew she had a new book coming out, and I dived on it the second I saw it. I absolutely love the Cat and Bones books, even when I want to strangle Cat for being stubborn, I also want to hug Jeaniene Frost for keeping Cat in character. And I believe the same goes for Spade and Denise in this, their own book.

Denise appears several times in the Night Huntress series, those that feature Cat as the main character, so you already have some sense of what she's like. Same with Spade, since he appears several times to help Bones out when necessary. But it was good to finally see these characters in their own spotlight. Normally I would complain about the occasional mopey-ness of Denise, but considering her background, both what the reader knows from the Night Huntress books, as well as what we find out about her life since then in this book, she has every right to be. And I like that Jeaniene Frost keeps these horrors in mind when writing this book, because Denise won't be happy-go-lucky all the time, she's going to get depressed, or upset, or fear she's failed people.

A few weeks ago, Jeaniene Frost put some quotes from "First Drop of Crimson" up on her livejournal, and reading them, I honestly thought this book was going to be a little more... funny than it turned out to be. Which I thought would put it at odds with the supposedly dire straits that Denise, and therefore Spade, are in. But it turns out, this book is the perfect mix of the darkness and drama needed to make it a good story, and the lighthearted funny moments that make you sit back and smile, maybe even chuckle a little, because you need to break the tension. For example, I won't say who, but someone starts singing "Pirates of Penzance" because he or she is drunk. And it's definitely one of my favorite scenes from the book, even if it is a short bit.

The only thing I could find to complain about was that I would have loved another good fight scene. Don't get me wrong, there are enough in the book to make it nail-bitingly awesome, but I just love a good fight scene, I can't help myself. I love getting the chance to see the heroes and heroines in action. And part of me wanted to see Ian, Bones, and Spade bicker a bit more, just for the fun of it. I can't help myself, I think their friendship is just adorable.

All that said, I'm giving "First Drop of Crimson" by Jeaniene Frost a FIVE out of FIVE. I loved it, I'm so reading this again and again, and trust me, I've already recommended the Night Huntress series to everyone I know that would be interested, and quite a few that aren't. Good thing I have a huge pile (and by pile, I mean three shelves) of To Be Read books, otherwise I would go crazy waiting for the next book in the series.

Hope you all get a chance to check out "First Drop of Crimson," or any of the Night Huntress novels by Jeaniene Frost. And as always, Happy Reading!
~!~Morning Glow

Review of "Destined for an Early Grave" by Jeaniene Frost

So, I just finished "Destined for an Early Grave" by Jeaniene Frost, and all I can say is.. Oh my gosh! I wish I had more friends who read this series so I would have someone to talk to about this book. Man.. just.. whoa! When I finished the last page, I squeaked. I kid you not, it's that kind of story. This would have to be the best book I've read all year, but then Jeaniene Frost hasn't disappointed me yet!

So! In this book - Cat, Bones, and the crew are back, and this time the bad guy is stronger than they could have imagined, with a claim that has Cat and Bones worried. The vampire Gregor, called the Dreamsnatcher, is claiming to be married to Cat under vampire law, since she was sixteen. Mencheres arrives to explain to Cat that the memories of her month spent with Gregor have been blocked, and only if she agrees to go to Gregor and have him bring her memories back will she know the truth of their supposed marriage. Cat and Bones aren't taking the situation well, and tempers are rising. Are Cat and Gregor really married? And if she gets her memories back, will she choose Bones or Gregor?

As I said, I loved this book. Cat is such a great heroine, stubborn but strong. And Bones.. whew, I'd take him any day! And of course I love their friends- Mencheres, Spade, Rodney, Vlad, and the new addition - Fabian. In the beginning, part of me wanted Gregor to be somewhat of a good guy, maybe to make the decision just a little harder, give him some redeeming qualities, maybe. But as the book wore on, no more. I wanted Cat and Bones, and all their people, to survive. I wish I could get into the ending, the amazing twists, the heart wrenching moves.. Oh, dear. All I can do is suggest that everyone read this, and of course the books before it. Frost already has a few books planned out, Cat and Bones will have at least three more, and Spade and Mencheres will each have their own book. I can't wait!

I give this book a five out of five. I couldn't put it down, and I know I will keep going back to it over and over. It has everything I wanted and needed, romance, drama, emotional ties to amazing characters, and the thrill of seeing the characters fight for their lives, and their love. Make sure you all check out "Destined for an Early Grave" by Jeaniene Frost!

Never fear!

Hello readers! No, I haven't forgotten that I have a blog, and need to update it every so often, I promise! I have been busy, with my work orders, rainy days (meaning wet basements!), it's Fair week in my county, and the best part is a big book sale in a nearby town tomorrow. Who knows what treasures I may find.

All that, and I've been waiting for my Amazon order to arrive, which it did today. "Destined for an Early Grave" by Jeaniene Frost (which was released this tuesday, everyone go get a copy!) has finally come, and I've already got my nose buried in it. My review of it will be up in another day or so, I assume.

And, I want to give special thanks to Ann Aguirre (her blog can be found HERE ), because thanks to her, I won an ARC (advanced reader copy) of "Indiscreet" by Carolyn Jewel. You can expect that review soon, as well. And also, thanks are due to Marta Acosta (check out her blog HERE ), because thanks to her contest, I won a copy of "Dead Man's Boots" by Mike Carey. And you can expect a review of that following "Destined for an Early Grave" and "Indiscreet."

Take care, everyone, and I will be back on here soon with my reviews!

Another contest for you all to check out!

Two blogs in two days, that seems to be a record for me, at least so far! I just had to post about a new contest I've found. Everyone needs to head over to BOOKJUNKIE to take part in an amazing contest. A chance to win a 50 dollar gift card, as well as two secret new releases, or a stash of books and goodies. I wouldn't know which to choose! Go HERE to enter.

And another thing, July 28th brings the release of Jeaniene Frost's new novel "Destined for an Early Grave." This will be book four in her Night Huntress series, and I already have my copy pre-ordered! From book one (which I read when there were already two released, and the third was on the way), I was in love with this series, and it's now in my top ten list of series.

I really suggest everyone check out Jeaniene Frost's new release "Destined for an Early Grave," and of course, head over to Book Junkie for the contest! Happy reading! Though.. I think I'm going to head back to the couch for a few more episodes of Stargate SG-1. Still working my way through the series!