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.

Masque of the Red Death
Series: Masque of the Red Death #1
Author: Bethany Griffin
Genre: Young Adult Steampunk/Dystopia
Source: Amazon Vine
ISBN: 9780062107794

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Everything is in ruins.


A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.


So what does Araby Worth have to live for?


Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.


But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.


And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

When I was typing up the top portion of my review layout,  I had a hard time figuring out how to classify this book.  Young Adult? Yes. Dystopia? Yes. Steampunk? Yes.  So I just put it all together and made my own classification.  What grabbed my attention the most about this book before reading was the cover.  Oh my goodness!  It is gorgeous, dirty, gritty and mysterious all rolled into one picture.  It truly is a picture of many words.  Then I read the summary and thought I would give it a try.

I am having a hard time writing this review though.  I just finished it and frankly, I wasn’t a big fan of this book.  I have read so many reviews on this book and every other one is full of praise.  I must be blinded though by the cover, because I just can’t hold it in the same glorious light as others.  I don’t know if it is because I am still a little confused on how to actually place this book in a certain realm in the young adult genre, or if maybe my reading tastes should stay away from anything with Steampunk involved.  I just couldn’t bring myself to enjoy the world that was created.

On the other hand,  I did like a few of the characters.  There is nothing specific that made me like them, I just felt a connection with them which just shows the reader that the author can flesh out a character pretty well.  Beyond the characterization though, the story moved at a slow pace and drawn out in one too many places.  There was even times I wondered how much longer a certain scene was going to go for.

This is a darker themed book.  As others have mentioned, it has a certain Poe-like feel to it.  Yes, it does seem to have that feel to me as well.  Dirty. Angst. Death. Danger and tragedy.  All the makings for a dark and stormy night read.  While this isn’t one of my favorite books this week or even this month, I will still give the second book a try for the simple fact of the ending of the first book.

If the library doesn’t have it, don’t worry about reading it!

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

The Reckoning
The Darkest Powers #3
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Personal Purchase
ISBN: 9780061662836

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

My name is Chloe Saunders. I’m fifteen, and I would love to be normal.


But normal is one thing I’m not.


For one thins, I’m having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother – who just happens to be a sorcerer – but, between you and me, I’m leaning toward the werewolf.


Not normal.


My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us – permanently.


Definitely not normal.


And finally, I’m a genetically altered necromancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying.


As far away from normal as it gets.

 *possible spoilers*

The Reckoning is the third and final book in The Darkest Powers Trilogy.  When you finish a final book in a series,  a reader comes to expect questions being answered and loose ties to be, well, tied up.  Readers hate having questions still when they finish a series because we know there is not another book on the horizon.

Finishing up this series has left me with more questions than answers.  I was hoping that this book would be the saving grace of this series.  After such let downs with the first two books,  I was hoping that the author was leaving the best for last.  While the action scenes were plentiful and the characters have shown growth and maturity,  I still couldn’t bring myself to rate this book higher than what I have.

These are just a few of the questions I still have even though the series is done.

1.  Why does the necklace that Chloe wears change color?
Did I miss the answer to this question somewhere in the series? I don’t remember reading it and it really bugs me that it was never explained.

2.  Does Tori ever realize who her Father is?  I know this was one of the mysteries of the first two books, and Chloe has her suspicions confirmed in book three, but no one ever tells her who her true father is by the end of the book.

3.  What was Chloe’s Mom trying to tell her and where is she now?  When Chloe pushes spirits back, where do they go?
Now I understand that Chloe’s mother was trying to tell her to run, but she never made it clear why she knew and how she had this information anyway.

4.  After Chloe releases the demi demon, the head honcho demon appears in the room.  He tells Chloe to grow up strong and shows an interest in her.  Why?  Is there some secret in the demon world that they get to have the necromancer souls after death?

As you can see, some of the questions are ones that could be critical to the story.  Also at the end of the book when they are deciding what to do with their lives, why does Chloe just automatically forgive her Aunt Lauren?  I would have been giving her hell for what she had done, but that is just my opinion.

After finishing this series, I can honestly say that this trilogy was a disappointment to me.  I do think the author had a great plot in mind,  but it didn’t feel fleshed out and executed to the full potential.  I am still glad I did finish reading all three books and found some answers in the final book.  I even found myself starting to enjoy Tori in this one.  Will I read the series again in the future? Probably not, but I would read other stories by author Kelley Armstrong.

Okay book, but it left me wanting more!

The Awakening
The Darkest Powers #2
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Personal Purchase
ISBN: 9780061662768

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl — someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I’m as far away from normal as it gets. I’m a living science experiment — not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization call the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters. I’m a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control: I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.


Now I’m running for my life with three of my supernatural friends – a chaming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch – and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

After finishing the previous book titled The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong,  I made sure to have The Awakening handy to continue on with the story.  The Awakening picks up right were the previous book left off.  Even though the first book wasn’t a favorite book of mine,  I was still interested in seeing where the author would take the characters and what would happen to them next.

While The Awakening still had some slow parts that did become repetitive — ex. hide, run, chased, repeat — the book did have some questions answered and character development that was desperately needed.  I can see Tori starting to open up a little more.  Derek is lightning up and showing a softer side.  Simon is still Simon and some small details are brought to light about him.  Liz finally accepts what has happened to her. Chloe is getting stronger and her powers are also getting powerful.

Again there is a bunch of repeat actions and loose ends as well.  I am a little disappointed that the questions are starting to out weigh the answers, but I guess that is a good thing to keep the reader interested until the final book.  Obviously, everything can’t be revealed before then, but I do wish some things would start clearing up.  The gang is also still looking for the boys’ Father in the hopes of him answering their questions.

I will keep reading the series in the hopes that the final book will finally answer my questions.  While this is not one of my favorite series,  I still have high hopes for it.

Okay book, but it left me wanting more!