Category: Uncategorized

Shattered (Donna Harp Series) by Karl Jones (@kast1j)

romancebookworm2 Comments

Ok, I will be as honest as I can be. I am not normally a crime novel fan and it is NEVER my first choice when grabbing a book. I decided to give this one a shot simply because I am fan of the novel that Mr. Jones wrote with Michelle Hughes, 10 Nights.

This is a very clever whodunit and I have to admit it intrigued me. It takes place in the sleepy English town of Greenville. Two teens are brutally murdered and the town is furious and confused. Like most places the first person they look at is the one person that was known to have seen one of the victims last. Jason Denton is an author and a former detective. He also just happened to find one of the bodies and it puts him right in the path of law enforcement looking into the case.

This is one of those books that you can not put down. The characters are well written and have a life of their own. I read this late one night and scared myself to death! That DOES not happen so that tells you how awesome this book is. This book is a murder story and very graphic. Love the change of pace from my romance novels and look forward to more Donna Harp.

Rated 5 stars

Raphael by D.B. Reynolds (Vampires in America) @DBReynoldsWrite

romancebookworm1 Comment

It is no secret that I am a fan of vampires and if you can create a series that entangles me, well then I am a fan for life.  D.B. Reynolds has created a group of vampires that I am enthralled with.  Book one starts with Raphael.  Raphael is one of eight vampire lords that rule over the North American continent.  Sexy, rich and powerful.  Does it get any better?  While Raphael is away on business, betrayal is the name of the game when one of his “children” (Alexandra) is kidnapped.  Realizing that humans are involved and knowing that they are a weakness that can lead him to the person behind this atrocity, he has his people bring in a human private investigator.

Cynthia Leighton is smart, intuitive and is able to get the job done.  Even though she knows about vampires and has done odd jobs for them, the thought of working with the powerful vampire lord is a little unsettling.  Digging deeper into the powerful world of Raphael leads her into a love that consumes them both.

I really enjoy this series and have read all of them several times.  Cynthia is a very strong heroine and I love that she knows what she wants and goes after it.  There are moments when you roll your eyes and want to tell her to suck it up though. 🙂  Raphael’s character is written so well, that you can picture him and since the power rippling off the pages.  The sex in these books is real.  What I mean is they are things that you could actually have happen to you, besides the sucking of the blood.

Don’t take my word for it though.  Pick this series up and immerse yourself in D.B Reynolds’ world of Vampires in America.

Rated 4.5 stars

At Grave’s End by Jeaniene Frost (@jeaniene_frost, @avonbooks

romancebookwormLeave a comment

What do you do when your job depends on no one recognizing you but everyone does? Cat has gone through multiple hair colors and looks but she still gets noticed(and not in the good way) when she is out on stings with Bones and the team. Cat is not happy that things are changing the way they are though. When a new advisary from the past makes an appearance, Cat is ready to whip some ass.

Patra is old and revenge is the name of her game. I would have liked to have seen more from Patra in this book. I think she is an interesting character and would have liked more hands on from Mencheres. This was his battle but he seemed to throw it at Bones and Cat.

Enter the world of ancient magic and the power it holds over all races. How far would you be willing to stop the one you love from destroying everything you hold dear?

Rated 4 stars

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (@jeaniene_frost, @avonbooks)

romancebookworm1 Comment

OMG! I do not consider myself a book snob and will totally read just about anything that sounds good to me. I was hesitant to read the Night Huntress books simply because I didn’t think they would appeal to me. I can thank my friend Jena for setting me straight and introducing me to the world of Jeaniene Frost!

Any book that starts out with a girl driving around with a dead body in the truck and it doesn’t faze her, has my attention!

Cat is out to hunt vampires. Plain and simple. Having been the byproduct of a rape against her mother by a vampire, you could say that she has revenge on the mind. Cat is not your ordinary girl though. She is a half-breed and with that status comes some of the same “perks” of being a vampire. Cat finds that the easiest way to hunt vampires is to work the bar scene. Pretending to be drunk, she lures them out and stakes them down. It seems to work for her until she meets a vampire that turns her down flat. Seems strange to her but she moves on to another and succeeds. Returning to the bar the next night she is approached by the vampire that turned her down and thinks she will strike gold twice in a row. She was wrong and winds up chained in a cave.

Bones is an old and very strong vampire who is also a hunter. After he follows the girl that hit on him and watches her stake one of his kind that he happened to be tracking, he follows her home and watches her nonchalantly destroy and bury the other vampire. Knowing that this was his only real lead in a long time to his prey, he knows that she has something to do with the man he is chasing.

When Cat wakes and realizes that she is chained in a basement by a vampire, she knows the end has come. Bones realizes that the girl is just a hunter until he sees the vampiric glow of her eyes. This girl is something rare and different. Bones sees an opportunity to train her and use her as bait to get to the big fish he is trying to reel in. Cat agrees since she is willing to work with a vampire to kill more of them.

You need to check out this series of books and enter the world of Jeaniene Frost. She is able to sink her teeth into you and draw you into her world. Check out Puretextuality’s Author Interview with Jeaniene HERE.

While you are at it check out the rest of the amazing blog setup over at Puretextuality. I think you will all find something you will enjoy on the site and make sure you tell them that Romancebookworm sent you!

The Bite Before Christmas by Lynsay Sands and Jeaniene Frost (@Lynsay_Sands, @jeaniene_frost)

romancebookwormLeave a comment

This is a two part book. The first story is by Lynsay Sands (Check out more reviews here!) one that I had been waiting on and was stoked that Teddy has his own story! Teddy Brunswick is the police chief of Port Henry, where several immortals have made their home. While not all the folks know about them, quite a few do and Teddy has had his hands full. With Christmas around the bend and no family, he is tired of going to other people’s homes for Christmas and take Margurite up on the offer of a cottage for the holiday. Who knew a storm would blow in and take out the power.

Katricia Argeneau has reached the point where a lot of immortals go rogue. Having been alone for more centuries then she can count, she wants to get away. When a series of weather related events leaves her at her cousin Decker’s cottage for the holiday, she hopes that it will get better. How much better can it get when you realize that the man you just ran into is the life mate you have been dreaming about for hundreds of years?

Teddy is shocked to discover that he is attracted to the beautiful young woman and is disgusted with himself. Having no intention of being one of those old men that chases younger women, he is hesitant at first with Katricia. When he discovers that they are life mates during a shared dream, his belief in a family of his own is restored.

The second story is a novella from Jeaniene Frost and I have to admit I have not read her stuff. I have read reviews from fellow bloggers and knew that there were a lot of folks that enjoyed her Night Huntress series. I just didn’t know if I would. Let me tell you that I really enjoyed this novella. Even though I was a little lost on the characters, I still got a sense of their relationships and nuances and was intrigued.

Cat and Bones are a vampire couple who are completely in love. During a birthday celebration, a former flame of Bones is brutalized and the hunt is on! Discovering a long lost relative is in the cards and then a whirlwind of demonic mishaps. I don’t want to go into a lot of detail with this story since I think you NEED to read the Night Huntress books! As my friend Jena would probably tell you, they are a must have in any collection!!

Rated 4 stars

The Duke and I (Bridgerton Series, Book 1) by Julia Quinn (@avonbooks, @JQAuthor)

romancebookworm1 Comment

This is the first book that I ever read by Julia Quinn and it is still one of my favorites of all time. I have to admit that I have a thing for books with dukes and Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings, is the type of devilishly handsome rogue that gets my imagination flowing! Simon has been accosted by debs and their matchmaking mamas at every turn and is exhausted by the endless parade of young misses.

Daphne Bridgerton is the fourth of the Bridgerton family, and longs to have a huge and loving family of her own. The problem is that most of the men of her acquaintance see her as a friend and not a romantic interest. Enter the devious minds of two kindred spirits. These two decided that the best course of action to get the ton and their families off Simon’s back and to show the world how attractive Daphne actually is, is for them to become engaged. The theory is that the men who have seen Daphne as a friend will look at her different if a duke is with her.

It works like a charm. Come and enjoy this humorous and romantic story about how the best laid plans can lead to an everlasting love.

Be sure to check out all of the books in the Bridgerton Series here.

Rated 5 stars