Review: Born At Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Book Stats:
Born At Midnight by C.C. Hunter
(Book #1 of Shadow Falls)
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle, 315 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 3/29/2011
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Romance, Paranormal

Goodreads Summary: Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams,  Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen... One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever.  Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world. Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either.  Or does she?  They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason.  As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas.  Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past.  Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs.

I'd have to say this book surprised me. I didn't expect much but I felt comfortable with the story so everything else flowed really well. The starter of this series is not the type that makes it clear what it's actually about and I don't hold it against that. Nothing like a little mystery to keep us going right? So the plot is a little all over the place but trust me, when it struck the chord, you'll realize this book might not be so mellow. Not really much went on for half of the book but the other half will leave you breathless!

Story-wise might be a little ehh but the characters make up for anything that might need filling. It's hard not to fall in love with the supernaturals! Kylie Galen is a 16 year old which acts and thinks like one. So expect a lot of indecisiveness and a lot of typical teenage emotions. Throw in a difficult situation at home, a ghost haunting her and being shipped off to a place full of "freaks" then you have her initial drama. I didn't find her whiney in an unbearable way. The way she thinks is very realistic and her character was very relatable.

I liked Kylie but I loved Lucas & Derek or Derek & Lucas. I don't which one to pick! You have the sweet warmth from our green-eyed Fae, Derek & the blue-eyed mystery of a werewolf, Lucas. I can't even blame the girl for being caught up in both. Now, I didn't really learn much from their characters but C.C. Hunter did a fantastic job building each of their relationships with Kylie. I also liked Miranda and Delia. They we're blunt but very genuine. It's a little sad when they we're thought of as freaks because throughout this book, you just learn not to judge a book by its cover. Ehem. I know, guilty as charged!

Just like them, you will also come to like the rest of the campers at Shadow Falls. The ending caught me a little off guard. In the back of mind, I knew it was a possibility then I ruled it out only to be proven wrong.. or right. Sorry for being vague, but you're gonna have to read this one to find out what I'm talking about! *wink. While I can't say that the story mind-blown me, I still liked this book. There's a lot of Urban Fantasy books out there and I'd have to say that this is of the better ones. In fact, I'm starting the second book, Awake At Dawn as soon as I hit publish.

 ★★★★

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Review: Painted Blind by Michelle A. Hansen

Book Stats:
Painted Blind by Michelle A. Hansen
Source: Copy provided by publisher via Netgalley
Format: E-book, 331 pages
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: 5/3/2012
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Mythology, Romance

Goodreads Summary: Seventeen years old and agoraphobic, Psyche Middleton vows her dad will never see the risqué photos she took during a summer modeling stint abroad, but one of them ends up on a billboard in her Montana hometown. Now everyone—especially her dad—can see it. And yet, somehow, those are the mundane things in her life because she is about to fall unexpectedly, head-over-heels in love with Erik, a mysterious young man who rescues her from a crowd of admirers, and who she’s never actually seen because…he can make himself invisible. As strange as this may seem, it’s about to get even stranger. Erik takes her to his palace in an idyllic kingdom, and she is swept into the beauty and culture of his world, but his affection has one condition: she may not see him. Overtaken, intrigued, and still not wholeheartedly believing he’s real, Psyche is going to have to decide if she can love him blindly; because if she can’t, she may lose him forever.

I have taken Classical Mythology and World Mythology courses over my semestral studies so I've been familiarized with the Greek gods and goddesses along with their myths. Once I read a passage in class about a woman who went through lot of physical and emotional turmoil over a love for a god that left me breathless and Painted Blind does not disappoint on its own delicious re-telling of Psyche and Eros's love story.

First of all, I did not expect any of what I just read at all! This book left me breathless as well. This was far.. way far from being a fluffy romance read. It's full of emotions, adventure and a beautiful view of the immortal world. 

I didn't thoroughly loved this book but by reaching the end, I was satisfied. I guess you can say, I had a love and hate relationship with it. Now, after reading this book, you won't even need any convincing that Ms. Hansen has one brilliant imaginative mind. Although, there was a lot of exciting aspects to the story, the execution to some of it was rather sloppy in my opinion. There were a lot of scenes that could have been more efficient, in a way that it would have been realistic, but I get that this is fictional fantasy so I just decided to shrug it off and keep reading. 

There was a lot of twists and turns, characters that you or may not be familiar with that are given a fresh personality and the love aspect of the book was crazy but beautiful all the same. This book did have the type of relationship that progressed way too fast to get a handle but it's individual characters blossomed throughout. Psyche's especially. There were a lot of faults to their characters but I liked them nonetheless. The sub-characters and their stories also warmed my heart. The villains of the story acted like so accordingly which receives a thumbs up for me!

This story is definitely a hit or miss depends on how you like your dose of happily ever after. I like mine heavy with a little bit of drama so this suited me just fine! Trust me, Painted Blind is packed with almost everything, you'd wonder if it's right for a book to be all-in-one.

★★★★

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Review: Gaia's Secret by Barbara Kloss

Book Stats:

Gaia's Secret by Barbara Kloss

(Book #1 of A Pandoran Novel)

Source: Won from Goodreads giveaway
Format: Paperback, 342 pages

Publisher: Self-published

Publication Date: 9/22/2011

Reading Level: Young Adult

Genre: Sci-fi, Romance

Goodreads Summary: Eighteen-year old Daria Jones feels trapped in the cow-strewn suburbs of Fresno, California. And with a dad so overprotective he’s installed video and thermal surveillance down the street, she doesn’t get out much. Until the night he disappears. Following the trail of notes he left, Daria gathers three things: someone’s after her, her dad’s gone to another world on a cryptic mission, and the only one left to trust is her ex-best friend, Alex.After a heart-wrenching break and three years of silence, Alex is the last person she wants to see. But the more she learns about her dad’s absence, the more she realizes she must go to that other world to find him. Even if it means trusting the guy she hates. She agrees to follow Alex through the nearest of seven portals—the heart of Yosemite National Park. But finding her dad in a magical world isn’t easy with a brigade of dark sorcerers chasing her trail. Amidst a world of diabolical creatures, ancient magic, and bizarrely intuitive vegetation, Daria discovers the truth of her past. But unless she conquers the dark force that’s hunting her, Daria will never see her dad again. And if the dark force gets its way, the world as she knows it will never be the same. 

My Thoughts:

First of all, I want to thank Goodreads and Ms. Barbara Kloss for that giveaway that sent me this little gem. I honestly didn't even remember entering the giveaway and I was so surprised to have this sitting in my mailbox!

Let me calm down for a second before I say this.... How is it possible that this is not on everybody's TBR or currently-reading shelf? I can't say that the story was very original but the execution of it was way better than I expected! This book held my attention from the beginning to its end. The story was action packed yet full of emotions that will send you through a thrilling roller coaster ride to figure out the mystery of Daria's identity. 

One of the things that made this book potent was its characters. Daria can probably land on the Top 50 head-strong female characters that I can think of. With that, she's the type of character whom you'll be drawn to whether for the good or the bad. In this case, both. She is a coming-of-age woman who has dreams of seeing the world after being shunned from it by her father. I love that she has dreams, and wants to prove to the world she is anything than just. It's hard not to sympathize with her on that since don't we all have those feelings of anxiety over our untold futures? It's also easy to feel the frustration budding from her character over a lot things. Some things I just don't like about her, is that for someone who supposedly bright, she asks very obvious questions and does very stupid selfish things sometimes.

I loved loved loved Alex. Although I have my fair share of love over stalker-ish male protagonists, it's nice to read about a guy who don't have to be controlling to be memorable. He was patient, sacrificing and all in all, loyal. 

"When it comes to protecting you, I never have a second thought. Your life is so precious to me that I don't trust anyone else with it. If any of them harmed you- touched you- I can't explain it but giving them a quick death would've been a difficult favor to grant. It surprises me- scares me a little. I've never... felt that way before."

Oh, the romantic tension in this book had me fanning myself! It was subtle but from the beginning, the moment I heard Alex's name, I. felt. it. Constant denials usually bug me but I loved the hesitations in this book. It made them more.. realistic. Their relationship is heartbreaking as it was beautiful. Why you ask? You're gonna have to find that out for yourself.

I've watched Avatar before so when I saw the word "Pandora", I immediately went giddy inside. It's fun for me to imagine a place as best as I can and with the word "Pandora", it's limitless! The imagery presented in the descriptions did help me see Gaia but I had fun picturing it for my own. There's the strange mix of historical and modernity that really makes you wonder about their world.Barbara Kloss was able to pull off a breathtaking ending and turn it into the a nerve-wracking cliffhanger but I definitely didn't close the book with anger. I felt satisfied actually but I know I want more. I can only hope that as my heart is hurting, it will be mended in the sequel. I can't wait to get my hands on The Keeper's Flame!

Rating:

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Review: Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

Book Stats:

Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

(Book 1 of Anna Series) 

Pages: (Hardcover) 316

Publisher: MacMillan

Publication Date: 8/30/2011
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Romance

Goodreads summary: Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story... Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay. When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home. And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Final Verdict:
This book never ceased to take me out of my comfort zone. I can't say the idea was fresh but the Kendare Blake's execution of it made it so as if it was a breakthrough from the unkown. I can't lie, the story is very weird to me. There's the whole deal of witches, "killing" ghosts and things that I would normally avoid. This puts a dent on things I've come to know about those type of stuff. Usually ghosts just walk right through you right? WRONG! It took me a while to warm up to the story but I was enthralled the moment I was done with Chapter One.
First of all, it was a breath of fresh air to read from a male's POV. It's not hard to relate as if he's a girl but you can still feel HIS thoughts. Even though this is told from Cas, most of the story does not actually pertain to him, it's mostly about Anna, just from his perspective. 
I honestly didn't know what to think of the romantic aspect of the book when I first thought about reading it. Would it be so wrong to say I was interested? She's a dead girl after all... It would have been easy for the author to just lay an easy romantic plot out there and make it the main focus but no, it gradually builds up and it's the cherry on top of a fantastic journey of redemption, longing and darkness.
We're not children, neither of us. We don't believe in fairytales. And if we did, who would we be? Not Prince Charming and Sleeping Beauty. I slice murder victims' heads off and Anna stretches skin until it rips, she snaps bones like green branches into smaller and smaller pieces. We'd be the frickin dragon and the wicked fairy. I know that but I still have to tell her."It isn't fair"Anna's mouth twists into a smile. It should be bitter- it should be a sneer but it isn't."You know what you are, don't you?" she asks. "You're my salvation. My way to atone. To pay for everything I've done."
I almost shed a tear or two over that! It's heartbreaking and I can't but agree that it isn't fair. The characters have dark stories that they each bear and it wasn't hard to gradually like them for them despite the very weird circumstances. For one, Cas is alive and Anna is dead.
I don't like cliche's but for this one it worked out. People from different "social statuses" coming out to tackle a single purpose. It developed a nice bonding between unexpected friends which is exactly what Cas needed. So as for sub-characters, they we're likeable.
The book did slow down for me at some parts that I didn't pick up the book to continue for a little while but I did finish it with satisfaction. I definitely liked this enough to anticipate it's sequel, Girl Of Nightmares.

Rating:

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Review: Love's Rhythm by Lexxie Couper

Book Stats:
Love's Rhythm by Lexxie Couper
Pages: (Kindle) 192
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Publication Date: 4/17/2012
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Romance, Erotica, Contemporary

Goodreads Summary: His music moves the world. Can his love move her heart?Nick Blackthorne knows all about words of love. They’re the reason he’s the world’s biggest rock star. The irony? He turned his back on love a long time ago, lured away by the trappings of fame. An invitation to a friend’s wedding is a stark reminder of how meaningless his life has become. When he enters that church, there’s only one woman he wants on his arm—the one he walked out on a lifetime ago. But first he has to find her, even if all she accepts from him is an apology.Kindergarten teacher Lauren Robbins once had what every woman on the planet desires. Nick. Their passion was explosive, their romance the stuff of songs…and it took fifteen years to get over him. Then out of the blue Nick turns up at her door, and all those years denying her ache for him are shattered with a single, smoldering kiss.But molten passion can’t hide the secret she’s kept for all these years. Because it’s not just her heart on the line anymore…and not just her life that’ll be rocked by the revelation. Product WarningsRemember your first crush on a rock star? Now add smoldering sex, a raw and undeniable passion, soul-shattering orgasms. And secrets…

Final Verdict:
I understand that Nick had a pre-story before this and appeared in one of Lexxie Couper's series. I was confused when I saw the "Dedication" part, but now I know the reason behind it. This story played on a lot with the typical rockstar mojo. The fame, the tours, the groupies. Nick Blackthorne had that in the palm of his hands until an invitation to his friends' wedding brought him out to sought the life he left 15 years ago.
Lauren, the girl who Nick left for the fame and fortune, continued with life even as the bitter memories of Nick haunt her everyday. She got her job, a home and... a family. Until Nick suddenly showed up in her school's parking lot where she accidentally knocked him out cold but bringing out the passionate heat in her that only he can.
Being fictional did this book a favor because I would have never, in a million years, think all of that could have been realistic whatsoever but hey, I know nothing about the life in the limelight! It's a sweet short story of redemption of a long lost love over the deluding lure of fame and the chinks brought on by insecurities. My heart goes out for both of them actually. It's nice to have both of their POVs alternate in chapters because it gave me more insight to their situations. There was a lot of skepticism, longing, hatred and love. It's not necessarily an angst filled story but you could just feel the burning heat... *phew!
I don't know if I'll ever get used to it and I've read a handful of Adult novels/Erotica but it never fails to make cringe whenever they try to dirty talk or use really derogative terms while doing the deed. Am I the only one? Hm? Sometimes, It does work for the feeling it's trying to give the story but often, it's more than what my brain could handle. Other than that, I didn't really have issues with this book.
I wasn't expecting much with this being only 192 pages. I don't know if it was the characters urging me the feeling of sympathy or maybe the steamy sex between the protagonists but I liked it enough to read the whole thing in one sitting. There was more to it than just that, there were little twists to it that I would have never thought could fit but Lexxie Couper made it work for Nick and Lauren's story!
Sometimes, It's nice to wind down with fast-paced short stories that aren't too complicated and if you're looking for that, Love's Rhythm can definitely bring a bang for your buck.

Rating:

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Review: Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Book Stats:
Storm by Brigid Kemmerer
(Book #1 of The Elemental Series)
Pages: 353; Paperback
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: 5/1/2012
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Sci-fi

Goodreads Summary:
Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream.
Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn't want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death. And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all. The storm is coming.... 

Final Verdict:
This has been in my TBR shelf for so long. Due to the high ratings and the undeniably appealing cover, I just had to give it a shot. Just like most readers, I think I died and gone to literary heaven when I heard that there we're 4 good-looking brothers within the pages of this book.
I can't say I was disappointed but it definitely did not live up to my expectations. I wanted a nice introduction to their Elemental world but all I got was confusion. With nearly everything. The elementals, Becca's school situation and the past. It's like I walked into the middle of a movie and I'm just left trying to figure out what's happened. A lot of the motions set into place we're mostly cause of what happened beforehand. It would have been nice to at least have half of the backstory explained in full detail but no, I was left with itty bitty pieces of it for me to stitch up to get a full understanding. That was frustrating for me!
 I didn't feel any connection with the characters either. They felt dead to me. Especially the guy protagonist! Honestly, I didn't see the appeal of the Merrick brothers anymore. It's a damn shame because I really thought they ALL could have been amazing ones. There were hardly any lines, mouth-watering descriptions or even wits for me to at least swoon over. Not to mention, I found most of them are jerks. Granted they went through what they went through but how am I supposed to like a guy who's pissed or indecisive half of the time? There were some points we're I liked them but other than that, I didn't really care for them.
I kind of liked Becca. I found myself sympathizing with her but not as much as really liking her character. I kind of liked Hunter too but after I got to the end? Not really as much.
I guess one of the things that kept me reading was because I was trying to figure out who Becca was going to end up with! I was going for Hunter then to Chris then to Hunter then to Chris. I don't really care for "love triangles", usually they annoy the crap out of me. This one was bearable although there wasn't a lot of romance to begin with. The relationship between the characters we're pretty hard to distinguish.
Past halfway throughout the book, an actual story picked up and I found myself invested. There was enough mystery and I was actually shocked for a second or two when we got to couple of twists.
Overall, I liked it enough to finish it but BARELY. Maybe it went too slow or too fast, I really don't know. It feels like everyone liked this book and I'm missing out because I feel otherwise! Brigid Kemmerer tackled too many interesting subjects for this story; A normal one and a fantasy, a couple then a love triangle. I'm sorry to say, that for me, it all felt short. Even reaching the end, too many questions we're left unanswered. But at least, Becca did end up with a guy or….. did she? Agh, I don't know.

Rating:

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Review: In Bed With A Highlander by Maya Banks

Book Stats:
In Bed With A Highlander 
by Maya Banks
(Book #1 of  the McCabe Series)
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle, 368 pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Publication Date: 8/30/2011
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Romance, Historical, Erotica

Goodreads Summary: Maya's beguiling new trilogy features three unforgettable brothers risking everything to save their clan and their legacy—and surrender their hearts to love. Ewan McCabe, the eldest, is a warrior determined to vanquish his enemy. Now, with the time ripe for battle, his men are ready and Ewan is poised to take back what is his—until a blue-eyed, raven-haired temptress is thrust upon him. Mairin may be the salvation of Ewan’s clan, but for a man who dreams only of revenge, matters of the heart are strange territory to conquer. Though the illegitimate daughter of the king, Mairin possesses prized property that has made her a pawn—and wary of love. Her worst fears are realized when she is rescued from peril, only to be forced into marriage by her charismatic and commanding savior, Ewan McCabe. But her attraction to her ruggedly powerful new husband finds her craving his surprisingly tender touch; her body comes alive under his sensual mastery. And as war draws near, Mairin’s strength, spirit, and passion challenge Ewan to conquer his demons—and embrace a love that means more than revenge and land.

Honestly, even after reading a pretty promising synopsis, I don't know what took over me to jump on reading it right away. I even dropped the book I'm currently reading to see what it's all about. I actually don't know what I was in for, I only read couple of books dated in a historical setting or era. I guess, that was part of the pull, because it was different.
Okay, immediately, the story was in full throttle and I found myself flipping through pages like a maniac. Honestly, I couldn't read fast enough!

I guess you can call this a fluffy read despite the really hot sex scenes. I really thought this was under the genre of comedy because I burst out laughing more than I usually do with adult books. The dialogues we're very different, so that added more humor to it.
I don't know how many times I've face-palmed myself over the things that Mairin did or said because I really did lost count. She was so... innocent but acts like she knows what she's doing. Truly, I was laughing my ass off! It's not hard to like a character when she's just a warm soul yet ever so spirited. I immediately liked her character from the beginning. She does have the sense of royalty in her character with the way she takes care of things but she also snorts like a normal woman. Pay in mind that this was in the times of castles and dungeons where unladylike behavior was frowned upon but she was a woman of her own.

Ewan. I have a hard time saying his name without incessant giggling but I don't know, it just sounds funny to me because in my language, Tagalog, "Ewan" means "I don't know". Anywho, his character wasn't one I warmed up to right away because he was cold but I can't deny the spark he gives to the dialogues. He was as witty as Mairin, so the two find themselves squaring off more than usual. Not to mention, he was a king and she didn't cower on his feet. But I eventually liked him when he showed the other side of him. Shoot, I like my men protective and loving. Ewan became just that.

The romance was not abrupt, even though they we're married initially, it only escalated and gave way to genuine romantic tension. Their relationship had mature roles and needs but sweet all the same, I found myself sighing and awwing.

I liked the other sub-characters. As much as I immediately warmed up to Mairin, I also did with Ewan's son, Crispen. His brothers, Alaric and Caelen. They we're not focused on but I liked them anyway. As well as the others who served their kingdom. They were, as they said, A clan. A family. It really did felt like that.

I was impressed by how much I liked the characters despite the little hateful ones. I wasn't expecting much with this book. To my surprise It did give me enough and more! The story wasn't mind-blowing but it was thoroughly enjoyable. I have to admit, I was hesitant at point to continue because I thought it wouldn't end good. This is my first book from Ms. Maya Banks and I'm for sure going to read more of her work. I think I'll have to read the other one of the McCabe series next because I'm looking forward to Alaric's story!

★★★★

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