Category Archives: 4 Flames

Kitty Steals the Show
Series: Kitty Norville #10
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: Adult Paranormal
Source: Publisher
ISBN: 9780765365668

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Kitty has been tapped as the keynote speaker for the First International Conference on Paranatural Studies, taking place in London. The conference brings together scientists, activists, protestors, and supernatural beings from all over the world—and Kitty, Ben, and Cormac are right in the middle of it. 


Master vampires from dozens of cities have also gathered in London for a conference of their own. With the help of the Master of London, Kitty gets more of a glimpse into the Long Game—a power struggle among vampires that has been going on for centuries—than she ever has before. In her search for answers, Kitty has the help of some old allies, and meets some new ones, such as Caleb, the alpha werewolf of the British Isles. The conference has also attracted some old enemies, who’ve set their sights on her and her friends. 


All the world’s a stage, and Kitty’s just stepped into the spotlight.

I admit that I have this entire series sitting on my shelf and have yet to read them.  I have been dying to read them from book one, but when I was sent this book for review I decided to read it first.  I will say that you should start from the beginning of this series because I feel like some things went over my head and characters that were referenced had no impact for me.  If I had read from the beginning I think I would understand the world better and who was who before getting halfway through the book.

That being said,  I still enjoyed the book.  I loved the world that author Carrie Vaughn created and the character of Kitty was pretty interesting.  I like how the author portrays her in the book and she actually held an appeal of being the main character.  She has a backbone and doesn’t back down which is hard to find in the female characters.  The scenes in London were described beautifully and made this reader feel like I had just entered the London streets.  There were plenty of twists and turns that were perfectly paced and kept me reading from start to finish.

Overall I was pleasantly pleased by this book.  I have heard good things and bad things about this series.  After reading this book though, I look forward to reading from the beginning books so I can form my own opinion on the series as a whole.  Definitely a series that will be kept on my radar for future purchases and maybe even featured in my Spotlight Series of the Month further down the road!

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review *

Club Shadowlands
Series: Masters of the Shadowlands #1
Author: Cherise Sinclair
Genre: BDSM Contemporary Erotic Romance
Source: Personal Purchase
ISBN: 9781596321335

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)


Her car disabled during a tropical storm, Jessica Randall discovers the isolated house where she’s sheltering is a private bondage club. At first shocked, she soon becomes aroused watching the interactions between the Doms and their subs. But she’s a professional woman–an accountant–and surely isn’t a submissive…is she? Master Z hasn’t been so attracted to a woman in years. But the little sub who has wandered into his club intrigues him. She’s intelligent. Reserved. Conservative. After he discovers her interest in BDSM, he can’t resist tying her up and unleashing the passion she hides within.

I have been hearing about this series for months now.  The BDSM genre is usually a taboo read for others, but I have been a reader of this genre for a long time now.  I am surprised I had never heard much about it before, but Club Shadowlands kept popping up in my browsing of reviews.  So I caved and bought the series and couldn’t wait to start them.

When Jessica is stranded in the middle of a storm,  she walks until she finds herself knocking at the door of Club Shadowlands.  After the butler-like man answers the door, he tells her that he needs to get permission from the club owner before she is allowed to stay.  Master Z allows her to stay on two conditions.  She can either sign a contract and join the rest of party that is in full swing, or she can stay in the entryway where it is not much warmer than the storm raging outside.  Jessica is so cold and exhausted she reads quickly through the contract — actually just glancing at it — and signs it so she can just get warm inside. What she walks in on though is nothing like she expected.  Jessica is suddenly surrounded by Dom’s, Sub’s and curious looks.  Master Z takes her under his wing and tries to show her around a bit.  

While the story is hot, steamy and definitely worth the money, I had a hard time bringing myself to like Jessica.  She was just so naive and innocent to the point of me wondering if she actually ever had sex in her life.  She acted like she had never seen people dirty dancing or showing public displays of affection.  Now granted, some of those public displays is not something that is usually seen on the streets, but still she acted way too childish with her reactions.

Now Master Z on the other hand was the sexy creature you hope to run into when you are a damsel in distress.  Hot dang that man could bring a girl to their knees with his looks and voice.  If you have ever wondered what a Dom should like in this genre of reading, then look no farther than Club Shadowlands.  Yes he can be strict, but he also has a soft spot with his subs.  I really like how the author even had a small paranormal element in the book of how Master Z could read emotions as well.  Not something you find in regular contemporary books, but it added a little extra to the story.

If you are a fan of the BDSM reading craze, then I highly recommend reading this series.  I am so happy I discovered this author and series to the point of where I can’t wait to start the next book ASAP.

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, strong BDSM theme and content (including/not limited to bondage, caning, restraints, spanking, etc), exhibitionism, voyeurism.

Because You’re Mine
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Genre: Historical Romance
Source: Publisher
ISBN: 9780380781447

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Lady Madeline Matthews would rather shame herself than sacrifice her freedom. To avoid marrying an aging, lecherous lord, she seeks out the company of Logan Scott, for a torrid affair with the notorious womanizer would surely condemn her in the eyes of good society.


In truth, Logan is an intensely private man tormented by past betrayals. Now a forward little minx, completely at sea in London’s sophisticated whirl, is disrupting his life with her vibrant charm and unspoiled beauty. But when what begins as a kiss threatens to blossom into something more rapturous and real, will Logan and Madeline have the courage to drop the masks they hide behind in the name of love?

Yes, I am on a Lisa Kleypas reading kick.  Since discovering and reading Dreaming of You, I scrounged my shelves to find any other books by this author that have been sent to me for review.  I passed other review books just to move it to the top of the pile since Historical Romance is not my usual cup of tea.  So when I found myself actually craving more from this genre based solely on my previous experience with Lisa Kleypas, I just had to read them.

I think Dreaming of You will always be my favorite Historical Romance, but Because You’re Mine is also on the top ten list for me.  This is not to say that I there weren’t some things that I didn’t like, but it was pleasurable enough to read that I would consider it as one of the better books in this genre.

Madeline was an iffy character for me.  She decides that she is not going to marry the man that her parents have chosen for her.  After seeing a photo of Logan Scott who is an actor, she decides to leave school and try to work for him at the theater.  After finding a way to get a job there,  she quickly worms her way into everyone’s heart.  She was kind of meek and mousy, but that is just her character of prim and proper among the quirky and sometimes comical theater bunch.  I did love the way she stood up to Logan when he was being an arse.  Seriously, I think that was her saving grace for me in this book.

Logan was the typical “pound my chest and do as I say” type of man in this book.  He had a hard life growing up with no title or wealth.  He worked hard to amass his fortune and his heart belongs to the theater.  Everything comes second in line when the theater is involved.

Madeline decides to throw herself of Logan to lose her purity and ruin herself to her parents.  She plans on using Logan for this scheme, but Logan is being stubborn about it.  She enlists the help of others in the hopes of winning the plan.  Along the way they fall in love.

End of part one of the book and on to part two.  When Logan finds out that Madeline was doing all of this as a plan, he kicks her to the curb so to say.  What he doesn’t expect is for their one time of love making to produce a child.  Yes, Madeline becomes pregnant.  This is where I started not to enjoy the book.

In previous chapters Logan had no problem with Madeline being betrothed to another man.  He told her that they would find a way.  But when her parents reveal this to him and she explains her plan to him, he becomes ticked off and cold to her.  He tells her to leave and never come back.  Um, hello?  You have been telling her it wouldn’t matter.  Now you are telling her to leave? Yes, she lied and you think she used you, but you couldn’t let her explain the situation first?

When Logan finds out that she is pregnant he basically tells her he will marry her and the only use she is for him is to carry his child.  He is cold, mean and an all around brute.  Madeline is patient with him and hopes to regain his trust.

Secrets of Logan’s past come into light, characters are revealed to be more than what we thought, and a romance needs to be repaired before a happily ever after will come.  A historical romance that had good points and bad points, but one that I am glad I read.  This author can write the best Historical Romance and I am so glad to have discovered her.

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Of Poseidon
Author: Anna Banks
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Publisher
ISBN: 9781250003324

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . . 


Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

What can I say? The beginning of this story had me crying. Of course, that could be because I get very emotional with books, but that’s not the point. The story, in my opinion, has your emotions going through a roller coaster ride and has you questioning a lot of things. You’re sad one moment, your angry the next, then you are happy. I felt very frustrated with almost every single one of the characters at least once in this book.

The main problem I had was that everything started off too fast. I felt that Galen and his problems were introduced into the book faster then I had expected. The author could have done so much with the characters but instead she went straight into a relationship between Galen and Emma and showed the already existing yet strained relationship between Rayna and Toraf. Don’t get me wrong though, I loved every single bit of the relationships, I just feel like she could have done more with them.

I would have to say that out of the whole book, my least favorite character was Rayna. She is a complete jerk at the beginning towards Emma and has you wanting to punch her at certain points. She’s the type of girl that just frustrates you to no end yet also has you feeling bad for her because of her situation. I can’t help but feel bad for Galen and Toraf for having to deal with her even if they don’t mind it.

The main part in the book that I liked and had me wanting more was when the author finally revealed the answer to the problem I had been wondering about half way through the book. Although, it was not fully what I had expected it to be, it had me grinning and thinking, “I knew it!”

Even after saying all that, I still loved the way the story turned out. I thought that she did a terrific job keeping the plot going and leaving it hanging at the end for a second book. The roller coaster ride of emotions in it makes it even better.

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

The drama and romance continue in this 144-page full-color graphic novel adaptation of the second Vampire Academy novel, Frostbite, which was overseen by Richelle Mead and features beautiful art by acclaimed British illustrator Emma Vieceli.

When you love a series as much as I did with the Vampire Academy, I will look for anything to revisit the characters again.  Also, since I am starting to read more graphic novels lately, this book was able to fill both needs at one time.

While the book does not go as in depth as the books do,  they are a good refresher book to help you remember things that happened in the actual novels.  While we refresh our memories through this book, we also get some amazing artwork that helps bring the characters alive in our minds through sight.  The artwork is amazing in my opinion.  The artists really did outdo themselves with bringing little details to life with their art.

If you are wanting to read this series as a graphic novel instead of the actual book, then this book gives you a story without going overboard.  I also feel that this is a great way to refresh your memory if you were fans of this series in regular print work.  Overall a great addition to have if you are a serious Vampire Academy fan or if you are just starting out on the adventure.

Very Good! I would recommend this book!