KindleJo's Brain Dump

3.75

3.5 stars

3.5

Review originally posted here: http://mamakittyreviews.com/?p=5188

I am always looking for a new paranormal series to read, and I found one!



This first journey into the Bruixi world brings us to the Scottish island of Arran and our heroine, Isla Macallen. Isla owns a successful tour guide business, (although the locals think she is just a guide), and thinks of herself as an ordinary woman who has overcome a traumatic past. Because of the strange tattoo on her neck, the locals have shunned her as a witch.

Dr. Jeremiah Rousseau, or “Jere”, is a parapsychologist who validates or de-bunks ghost stories and other paranormal activities and then writes about his experiences. He is handed the opportunity to head to Scotland to the island to investigate the rumors of a line of witches, that may be related to a life changing event from his past, when his editor forces a vacation on him.

The first books in a new paranormal series can be tricky because we also as readers need an introduction to the world and its rules. This was handled beautifully in Fire on The Island, since Isla and Jere are learning for the first time we get to learn right along with them. I loved this aspect of the book, it made everything work for me.

3 stars, short story

full 4 stars :D

I had so much fun reading this book!!!
A light contemporary romance, with great characters.
see my full review http://mamakittyreviews.com/?p=4898

Time travel, treachery, mischief, sexed up faries, political marriage, goblins, Wyrds, and romance!
This book was a just fun to read.
See full review at http://mamakittyreviews.com/?p=4854

Quick recap

Enslaved in Shadows is the first novel in Tigres Eden’s Shadow Unit series. The book begins with us meeting Jesminda (Jes) and her best friend Bells on vacation in Belize, where Jesminda’s family is from originally. Jes wants to have a little fun and step outside her normal comfort zone, enter Draven our dark haired, green-eyed, walking sex god. Jes and Draven meet up for a steamy, no names, one – night stand. The next evening, Jes and Bells arrive at a party being held by a friend in his club, where Jes sees her mystery man from the night before with another woman and flees with Bells in utter humiliation.

Fast forward five years: Jes has just divorced and escaped her abusive husband with her five year old daughter and seeks help from the Shadow Unit. During her marriage to Marcus, Jes has her world turned upside down by learning about not only the existence of vampires and shape shifters, but also that her best friend is a shape shifter and her husband is kidnapping vampires for nefarious reasons.

Draven is actually Agent Stone of the Shadow Unit and is put in charge of the mission to protect the human woman and her child while trying to rescue the kidnapped vampires. Sparks fly when he discovers his fantasy from five years ago is actually his mission.

What I liked

I loved the characters, Jes and Draven made me believe their emotions. You get enough interaction to decide how you feel about all of the secondary characters. Some you will love, some you will hate. No one in this book is perfect, which I really appreciate.

The premise of the “Immortal” community, I really like where Ms. Eden is headed with her immortal characters. Vampires, shape shifters, royal blood lines, and slaves to the Gods.

The smexy time! Hot – like take an ice cold shower hot. Draven is drool worthy.

What I didn’t like

Some of the descriptions in the first sex were just over the top for me: “Stings of cyclopean desire tighten and stretched as her orgasm crashed over her body” and “It was foreplay to the tenth degree times infinity”. For me, sometimes less really is more.

I would have liked a little more world building, some more background into each of the races and cultures. There were a few things about mating that nagged me at the end of the book, but I am hoping that may be clarified in the next installment. I also felt that one plot device was left completely out in left field.

While I understand the draw of ending a series novel in a cliff hanger, I didn’t get a great feeling from this ending. I believe that to be intentional. This is not a book with a HEA.

Overall, I like this one and will read the next in the series, Burned in Shadows when it comes out. This is a good first novel.


Full review posted here: http://mamakittyreviews.com/?p=4794

review to come

3.5 stars.

Brandon Fisher is on his probationary period with the FBI and his first case is one for the record books. This is a rather dark story (Hannibal Lecter worthy serial killer and a very imperfect main character). Early in the investigation, this case gets personal for Special Agent Fisher. We as readers get a first person view into the FBI procedures as well as the mind of our special agent. The plot and pacing were spot on, and nothing is given away too early.

Here is where my review takes on a personal tone. The story is told in both first person (with Brandon) and third person (with several other characters). I had a hard time adjusting to this however, not so much that I quit reading. (Yes kids, the plot was that engaging). I also had some issues with Brandon as a person, but my issues with him were also something necessary to the plot of the story and made for a very good progression device.

You really do get to know the main cast of characters, and they are fleshed out very well. About a third of the way through this book I really appreciated the different narratives (the switching between first and third person), and could see how it really helped to tell the story in the best way possible.

Overall this is a book I really enjoyed and I will be reading the next in the Brandon Fisher FBI Series: Silent Graves (late 2013).

This is a 4.5 star book!

This third (fourth if you include the short story) installment in the Amoveo Legend picks up right where[b:Untouched|12532672|Untouched (The Amoveo Legend, #2)|Sara Humphreys|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327024850s/12532672.jpg|17519336]leaves us. William is going after his mate, Layla knows that her mate has found her and is horrified to be tied to someone just because destiny says so. You can truly understand her fears based on the knowledge that she has been given regarding the Amoveo species.
William is patient and understanding. Their chemistry burns off the charts. There were some twists (one predictable and one not so), that kept the story flowing at a perfect pace. I did feel that one of the characters got off WAY to easily, but that's just me. The world building and politics continue in this installment all the up to the dramatic conclusion. The HEA was believable.

I am hoping that Raife gets a short story or that his story continues to build some in Tati's book.

All in all I recommend this series, a nice twist on shape shifters and great romance.
Book 1 - [b:Unleashed|10880685|Unleashed|Sara Humphreys|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348841461s/10880685.jpg|15796225]
Book 2 - [b:Untouched|12532672|Untouched (The Amoveo Legend, #2)|Sara Humphreys|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327024850s/12532672.jpg|17519336]
Short story [b:Undenied|16034024|Undenied|Sara Humphreys|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348320991s/16034024.jpg|21805389]

3.5 Stars for this short story (50 pages).

This was a very short and sweet story in the Amoveo series. I loved it, I'm just greedy and wanted more. It is a nice taste of what is to come for the rest of our friends in Amoveo land though. I can't wait to see who is next. (I cheated and read this one after Untamed, so now I await book 4)

3.5 Stars

This book was funny, sexy, and light.

Ms Walker takes us on one heck of a ride.

Thoughts:

I loved the characters, I was fully invested in them. The reactions of the characters was so real that it felt like I was living it, not reading it. This is what makes a story GREAT instead of good... The romance was hot and realistic. The suspense kept me riveted, I had to know what would happen next to everyone and with everything!

My only complaint, and it is very minor - was that there wasn't an epilogue to tell me about Roz.

This is a MUST read trilogy!!!

This book picks right up where If You Hear Her left off. Again, this is part of a trilogy.
The characters - AMAZING
The suspense - FABULOUS (in Ruth Buzzie's voice)
The romance - HOT SMEXY YUMMY

Seriously kids, this is shaping up to be a great trilogy. We got some insights into the baddie from book one, we got a new threat, we got a love story, a healing story, and we got an honest look into how people react in real life situations.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. Can't wait to find out if I'm right about the bad guy - I'm off to read If You Know Her.