Sucked In (The Series That Just Plain Sucks Book 1) by Charissa Dufour

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I think it will appeal to the fans of the Language in the Blood series and fans of John Hennessy's vampire books. Basically any one who doesn't take their vampires too seriously. I gave it 5 stars.

Sucked In (The Series That Just Plain Sucks Book 1) by Charissa Dufour on amazon.com

When Ashley Hawn is on date with Isaac; an attractive man she has been dating for a while. She innocently mentions that there were rumours of a wizard in her family’s past. He is suddenly a lot more interested in his date and she painfully finds out what he really is. The next few days see her struggling to hold on to her new vampire life. She is helped by her ‘vampire baby sitter’ Nik as the two struggle to find out who wants to capture and sacrifice her. Despite disliking Nik, Ashley recognises she needs him to stay alive. The banter between the reluctant protector and the hapless but stubborn new vampire is what makes this book so much fun to read. Ashley Hawn, the main character is a writer of vampire novels. The sort of novels I normally hate and in which all vampires are attractive, brooding and uber powerful. Thankfully Charissa Dufour isn’t that sort of writer. She takes the whole genre with a healthy dose of humour and a good pinch of salt. She has created in Ashley a heroine that is flawed but also highly entertaining.  I can’t wait to read more about this hapless new vampire.

 

Paradox - Bound By Blood (Paradox series Book 3) by Patti Roberts

I reviewed books 1 and 2 in the series quite a while ago, so I was glad the pace of the third book was a bit calmer. It allowed me to get back into this fairly complex story and get reacquainted with all the characters. Patti (who designed the Language in the Blood covers) continues strongly with this excellent series. And of course the cover of Bound by Blood is beautiful. 5 star read.

Paradox-Bound By Blood (Paradox series Book 3) by Patti Roberts on Amazon.com

Bound by Blood is the third book in the Paradox series and probably my favourite so far. We were introduced to a lot more characters in book two and I was pleased to learn more about their back stories in Bound by Blood. Especially Claire proves to have a few skeletons in her family’s closet. Now three books in I have a much clearer idea about Altair and what’s at stake. Patti has succeeded in knitting the events that took place in Altair together with the events taking place on earth and around Grace. The pace is a bit calmer initially as we switch between the present and historic events on Altair, but towards the end the tension rises, mainly due to the fact that both Abaddon and Pandora have arrived in the present. The book ends again on a heart stopping cliff-hanger so I’m off to Amazon for book 4 in the series.

 

Wolf Eye Alibi (Wolf Eye Lighthouse Series) (Volume 2) by Terri Lyndie

I normally don't start a series at the second book, but I was assured this was a stand alone book. The writer just has set a few books in the (I assume) fictional and eccentric town of Wolf Eye. It is my first book by this author and I'm pleased to have discovered yet another talented independent author. This was a fun and 5 star read.

Wolf Eye Alibi (Wolf Eye Lighthouse Series) (Volume 2) by Terri Lyndie on Amazon

The books starts strongly with a wedding descending into chaos as the Groom and Bride are arrested for murder. I was hooked from the first chapter as I followed hapless bridesmaid Mia run from the law when the local cops wants to arrest her and the groom’s brother (Jonah) too, as accessories to murder. The character of Mia is great; a pampered Manhattan princess out of her depth in the Michigan wilderness. I chuckled as she was thrown from one ordeal to another; fighting off mosquitoes as well as Jonah’s advances. As this book is written from a first person perspective we experience these ordeals first hand and you can’t but help liking Mia. A few chapters in I was rooting for her and Jonah to get together and find out who framed the not-so-happy couple.  Even though this is the second book in the series, it stood perfectly on its own and I had at no point the feeling that I had missed something. Funny, racy and action packed till the end.

Losing Nuka (Litmus Book 1) by Kayla Howarth

One of the lovely things about being part of a writers group (IASD) is to share our experiences. Being it our highs or lows, other writers sharing help us connect better with the world. A few years ago I would not have considered blogging and engaging on other social media. Kayla Howarth is one of the success stories coming out of our group. She must be very hard working as I see her name popping up everywhere and her books are now getting the attention they deserve. She has taken the brave step to concentrate fully on her writing and I think it is paying off. Book 2 in the Litmus series has just been released and I thought it was high time to see what Kayla has been doing with her time. I enjoyed the Institute series so I knew it was not going to be a chore. I'm glad I found this a five star read too.

Losing Nuka (Litmus book 1) by kayla Howarth on Amazon.com

Losing Nuka is the spin off from the Institute series, of which I devoured the first 3 books. First the good news; Allira married Jayce and had a baby together (yeah!). The couple live happily together in the suburbs with Nuka, William and their daughter Illyana. Now the bad news; time has moved on from the end of the last book and the little six year old Nuka is now a stroppy 18 year old teenager. She knows Allira isn’t her real mother but when she starts digging into her back ground she discovers that a lot of things were hidden from her; including who her birth mother is. From here on the book could be carrying the tag line: Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true. Nuka blunders into the world as only stroppy teenagers can and starts looking for her biological mum. Her privileged back ground does not prepare her for the underground world of illegal fights (Litmus) and all other sorts of shenanigans her biological mother is involved in.

The style of this book will be familiar to Kyla’s fans. We see the world from the perspective of the main character; Nuka. We experience her love, pain and doubts first hand. We might not have great sympathy at the start for this girl but as we experience her growth as a woman so directly, we certainly have a few chapters in. The dialogue is again sharp and packed with humour. Especially when Nuka and her love interest Brett are sparring it out. There are some good characters here and the action comes thick and fast. I found myself rubbing my rib cage as I joined Nuka on her journey into the belly of Litmus and she had her ass handed to her after a rough fight. Great stuff Ms Howarth. It would be better to read the institute series first as this is a continuation of the story, but I think you would have no problem reading this book as a stand-alone. Most of the returning characters are explained just not in great detail. Looking forwards to Saving William, the next in the Litmus series.

Smoke & Mirrors: and other stories by Tom Benson

I'm quite familiar with this writer and have even shared the pages with him on the Anthology 'You're not Alone.' So when he advertised that his bundle of short stories was free, I had no hesitation in downloading it. It is a short book and even shorter for me as I had come across some of them in other publications. However a good introduction to Tom Benson's work. 5 stars.

Smoke and Mirrors: and other stories by Tom Benson 

This is a nice bundle of short stories. Short, but full of impact, drama and excitement. The themes vary, from an Alien criminal on the loose here on earth to a pilot trying to find his way to his downed plane in order to stop it falling in enemy hands. If there was one common thread it would be retribution, hence the tag line ‘The end justifies the means…’. There is something warm and comforting (somewhat nostalgic even in the Pawnee express.) in reading these stories; we encounter some good guys doing the right thing or a wronged person getting his pound of flesh. I think the writer really comes into his own when he sets his story in a battlefield situation. I know Tom Benson has a military background and it shows in the detail. It makes the stories that much more real and believable. Some of the stories have since or before appeared in other bundles, so if you have read some of Mr Bensons work you might have already come across some of these. If you are new to this writer it is a great introduction to his work. Recommended.