Wind Warrior Giveaway Finalists!

The Wind Warrior Blog Tour ended today. I have selected 5 finalists with the help of Random.org to be entered into the pool of finalists from all the participating blogs. Author Cynthia Roberts will be in touch if you are one of the winners.

The finalists are.......

Michele

Cindy

Crazy Cat Lady

lag123

Angel Jacklyn

Congratulations to all of you, and the best of luck in the final drawing. I will be in touch via email.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Review: Venom (Elemental Assassin #3) by Jennifer Estep (Blog Tour)

Title: Venom
Series: Elemental Assassin #3
Author: Jennifer Estep
Available: Now
Reading Level: Adult


5 out of 5 Stars




**Spoilers for earlier books in this series below!**




Description from Goodreads:


What kind of assassin works pro bono? 

It's hard to be a badass assassin when a giant is beating the crap out of you. Luckily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My current mission is personal: annihilate Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who murdered my family. Which means protecting my identity, even if I have to conceal my powerful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most. To the public, I'm Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland's best barbecue joint. To my friends, I'm the Spider, retired assassin. I still do favors on the side. Like ridding a vampire friend of her oversized stalker—Mab's right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his massive fists. At least irresistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I'll take my chances. Then there's Detective Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland's finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sister was dead. She probably thinks the same about me. Little does she know, I'm a cold-blooded killer . . . who is about to save her life.


My thoughts:


Gin Blanco is still retired, and running the Pork Pit. Also dealing with the broken heart left behind by the fickle Donovan Caine. Foster brother, Finn, takes her out to the club owned by his on again off again vampire girlfriend, Roslyn. Gin is expecting a night on the town, but what she gets is a front row seat view of Roslyn’s stalker, Elliot, in action. Gin is wracked with guilt knowing she is the reason Roslyn ever crossed Elliot’s radar. Gin decides it is up to her to take him out, and save Roslyn from the crazy giant. This won’t be easy because Elliot is one of powerful Mab Monroe’s henchman. Lucky for Roslyn, Gin enjoys a challenge. Gin is also dealing with the arrival of her long lost baby sister. Retirement has turned out not to be as boring as the former assassin expected.


Verdict? Loved it! This is a series that just keeps getting better and better. I adore Gin even with all her faults. She is a chick you just can’t help but love. Plus what is better than an assassin who bakes to relieve stress. I was also so happy to see the frustrating Donovan Caine take a hike. I have good feelings about new love interest, Owen, but admit I still long for a Gin and Finn hookup. With that said,  I admit the chemistry between Owen and Gin is good stuff.


Gin’s close friends played an even bigger role in Venom, and we get a few interesting tidbits of information about their pasts. This series features a fantastic cast of well developed and interesting characters. I love how well they fit together to complete an intricate, and well paced plot. This is Urban Fantasy done right.


Venom was non-stop action. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. The ending was superb, and I can’t wait for the next installment of this series. A must read for anyone looking for a kick ass Urban Fantasy series.

Jennifer Estep on the web:

Website | Blog | Twitter

Books in this series:

Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

Title: Web of Lies
Series: Elemental Assassin #2
Author: Jennifer Estep
Available: Now
Reading level: Adult


4.5 out of 5 Stars




**This post contains spoilers for earlier books in the series!**






Description from Goodreads:


Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon. 

I'm Gin Blanco. 

You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I’m retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren’t aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coalmining tycoon, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I’m a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn’t made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man . . . dead or alive.


My thoughts:


Gin Blanco is now a retired assassin, and running the Pork Pit full time since inheriting the BBQ restaurant from Fletcher. Yep, life is a little boring, but Fletcher had asked her to retire before his brutal murder. She feels like the least she can do is honor her dead handler’s wishes. At least until things get a little monotonous, and Gin finds a girl who needs protecting. Still pondering the meaning behind the file Fletcher left her, Gin could use the distraction and the action.


I liked this one so much more than the first. I’m still not a Donovan Caine fan though. Gin, you can do better girl! This one was packed full of serious action. I love Gin, and have nothing but admiration for her tenacity. A few mysteries brought up in the first book are solved in this installment. Of course that means a few new ones also pop up. I’m so excited to see where Gin’s adventures take us next. Thanks to a few well timed flashbacks, we learn more about Gin’s past. We also witness her attempt to digest what was in the file Fletcher left her. Retirement is turning out to be almost as exciting as when Gin was working as a paid assassin.


I also enjoyed learning more about Gin’s nontraditional family unit, the love they share, and how far they are willing to go to protect each other. Gin has come so far from the frightened orphan living on the streets. Definitely a character you can’t help but to love (knives and all). This is a fantastic series brimming with the potential of more awesomeness to come. I loved it!

Jennifer Estep on the web:

Website | Blog | Twitter

Books in this series:

Source: Purchased by moi.

Waiting on Wednesday (24)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we can’t wait for. This week I’m waiting on,

Drought by Pam Bachorz

Releases: January 2011

Synopsis via Goodreads

Ruby Prosser dreams of escaping the Congregation and the early-nineteenth century lifestyle that’s been practiced since the community was first enslaved. 

She plots to escape the vicious Darwin West, his cruel Overseers, and the daily struggle to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive and gives Darwin his wealth and power. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient that makes the Water special: her blood. 


So she stays. 

But when Ruby meets Ford, the new Overseer who seems barely older than herself, her desire for freedom is too strong. He’s sympathetic, irresistible, forbidden—and her only access to the modern world. Escape with Ford would be so simple, but can Ruby risk the terrible price, dooming the only world she’s 
ever known?

What book are you waiting on?

Review: Spider’s Bite by Jennifer Estep

Title: Spider’s Bite
Series: Elemental Assassin #1
Available: Now
Number of pages: 395
Reading level: Adult




4 out of 5 Stars










Description from Goodreads:


"My name is Gin, and I kill people." 

My name is Gin Blanco. They call me the Spider — the most feared assassin in the South (and a part-time cook at the Pork Pit BBQ joint.) As a Stone elemental, I can hear the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet and feel the vibrations of the soaring mountains above me, though I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride. 

After a ruthless Air elemental double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way. I may look hot in a miniskirt, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble when irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine agrees to help. The last thing a coldhearted killer needs when she's battling a magic more powerful than her own is a sexy distraction ... especially when he wants her dead just as much as the enemy.


My thoughts:


Gin Blanco was left to fend for herself after her family was brutally murdered by a fire wielding elemental. Living on her own on the rough streets of Ashland, and eating out of dumpsters to survive all while still a child. Then Fletcher Lane took her in, served as a father figure, and eventually introduced her to the life of an assassin. Now Gin is all grown up, and has quite a reputation as the paid killer known as "The Spider". Her most recent assignment is supposed to be a quick and straightforward kill. After Gin planned to take a much needed vacation. Imagine her surprise when the person who ordered the hit decides to double cross The Spider by hiring another assassin to take her out, murdering her handler, and torturing a man close to her. Gin puts the vacation on hold while she seeks revenge for those she loves. 


This was an exciting start to a new series. I never thought I’d sympathize with an assassin until I met Gin. The poor girl has had a rough life, and now focuses on taking the law into her own hands. Most of the people she is hired to kill are pretty sleazy folk so that makes the whole hitman thing a little easier to forgive. She is very skilled in hand to hand combat as well as the use of knives. As an elemental she also has the power of stone and ice to fall back on. She is the epitome of badass chick, and a great addition to the Urban Fantasy genre!


I enjoyed the world the author created, but I wish she would have given a little more background on the elementals and how it all worked. I also wasn’t feeling the chemistry between Gin and Detective Caine. I was secretly rooting for Finn to sweep her off of her feet, but the references to him being like family dashed most of my hopes of a Gin and Finn hookup.  Still a really strong start to the series. I’m currently devouring the second book, Web of Lies. 

Jennifer Estep on the web:

Website | Blog | Twitter


Books in this series:

Source: Purchased by moi.

Winners of Seduced by a Highlander!

The winners (decided with the help of Random.org) of Seduced by a Highlander by Paula Quinn are:

Anoymous

Anita Yancey

LSUReader

cheryl c

Sue A

Congratulations! 

I’ve emailed the winners. Please respond by August 31st or I will have to select a new winner.

Thanks to everyone who entered. Don’t forget there is still time to enter to win Sin Undone and the huge Wind Warrior Giveaway.

Review: A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers

Title: A Safe Harbor
Series: Building Sanctuary #1
Author: Moira Rogers
Available: Now
Reading Level: Adult


4 out of 5 Stars










Description from Goodreads:


Find out how it all began... 

During the bite of the Great Depression, sole female dominant Joan Fuller struggles against the rise of cruelty among her alpha counterparts. The men tolerate her interference--until she breaks from the pack and allies with a witch and a vampire. Now the Boston alpha intends to bring them all forcibly back into the fold--and teach her a lesson she may not survive. 

Seamus Whelan and his werewolf bootleggers intend to retire from smuggling and savor their fortune, but first they must do a favor for an old friend: escort some female wolves to safety. An easy job, if their leader wasn't a prim ex-debutante with enough power to challenge Seamus himself. Chance makes them allies; powerful need makes them lovers. 

Together, they have the opportunity to build a sanctuary for their kind, but first they must free themselves from Joan's past, and the powerful man who would see her destroyed.


My thoughts:


The two authors who make up Moira Rogers never disappoint. They always bring fantastic characters and an intense plot. A Safe Harbor is no exception. A great cast of new characters, along with sightings of favorites from their Red Rock Pass series. The relationship between Seamus and Joan was sweet. Aware of her trust issues with dominant male wolves, he was so patient and attentive with her. He is definitely going on my swoon worthy list. Even with Joan’s innocence and fears the sparks between the two main characters fly. This is good paranormal romance!


I’m a big fan of historical fiction and werewolves. Combining the two was a win with me. I can’t wait to read the next installment of this new series.

Books in this series:

A Safe Harbor

Undertow: Coming in October!

Find Moira Rogers on the web!

Website |  Blog |  Livejournal | Facebook

*Received from the author for review.

Review: One Season of Sunshine by Julia London

Title: One Season of Sunshine
Author: Julia London
Available: Now
Number of Pages: 392
Reading Level: Adult


3 out of 5 Stars








Description from Goodreads:


Should some questions be left unanswered? 

Adopted as an infant, Jane Aaron longs to know the identity of her birth mother and why she gave her up. Her only clue is the name of the small Texas town where she was born, so she’s come to Cedar Springs for answers. 

Handsome ad executive Asher Price lost his wife, the beautiful, mysterious Susanna, in a terrible car crash eighteen months ago. When he hires Jane as the nanny for his two children, sparks fly. Jane finds herself falling in love with both Asher and his children, but begins to suspect that Susanna was not the perfect mother and wife the family portrays her to have been. 

As Jane gets closer and closer to finding out the truth about both her own and Susanna’s past, devastating secrets begin to emerge that may be more than anyone can bear. Will the truth bring Jane and Asher closer together or tear them apart forever? 


My thoughts:


Jane Aaron moves to Cedar Springs, Texas in search of her birth mother. Taking a leave of absence from her job as a school teacher, Jane needs to find a job to help make ends meet. After a quick, and impersonal interview she is hired as a nanny by a very wealthy widow. Jane and her new boss, Asher, clash from day one. Lucky for Jane he finds her outspokenness attractive, and doesn’t fire her. As the relationship between Asher and Jane begins to evolve into an intense attraction, they find several obstacles standing in their way. 


This was a good story, but the characters left much to be desired. Jane came off as whiny and selfish the majority of the time. With her character’s age, and the amount of education she had I found her too immature to really fit the part. Asher was a bit better, but he still ranked low on my interesting scale. With that said, the plot and pace of the story was good. I also really loved what the resolution entailed, and never saw it coming. 


I don’t usually comment on the covers of the books I review, but I felt the need to with this one. I found the cover of this one very misleading. I know the cover isn’t always a perfect representation of the characters, but this one makes me think this story is about a young girl and her grandmother. Not a 20 something searching for the woman who gave her up for adoption.


While overall I did enjoy this one, I  never felt any connection to the characters or sympathy when it came to their troubles. A nice solid story, but the lack of realistic characters caused this one to be flawed in my opinion. Still a solid 3 stars considering the pace was enough to keep me reading. I’m usually a character driven reader, and find it difficult to finish books with characters I don’t enjoy. That was not the case with this one as the plot was enough to hold my interest.

*Received from the publisher in exchange for my review.

In My Mailbox (22)

In My Mailbox is a meme where we showcase books received during the week. It is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. 

For Review:

Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens

Branded by Keary Taylor

GoD and DoG by Wendy Francisco

Purchased:

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane

Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

Kindle deals scored this week!

Shadowfae by Erica Hayes

Reign Check by Michelle Rowen

Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey

What was in your mailbox?