The Cold Kiss Of Death by Suzanne McLeod

The Cold Kiss Of Death is the second book in the spellcrackers.com series by Suzanne McLeod.  Here is the blurb.


All Genny wants is to live the quiet life and to do her job at Spellcrackers.com but there's her tangled personal life to sort out first. She's being haunted by ghosts who want her help. Her witch neighbours want her evicted. Genny's sort-of-Ex - and now her new boss - can't decide whether he wants their relationship to be business or pleasure now he knows all her darkest secrets. And then there's the queue of vampires all wanting her to paint the town red - how long will it be before they stop taking 'no' for an answer and Genny's life becomes even more complicated? But when one of her human friends is murdered by sidhe magic, Genny is determined to find the killer. Her efforts to find the real murderer lead her to some of the most dangerous and seductive fae - but her search is hindered by the vampires, who have their own political agenda. Then when all the evidence points to Genny - she's the only sidhe fae in London - and she's named the main suspect; it's not long before she's on the run - and not just from the police - but from some of London's most powerful supernaturals.

This is the second time that I have read this book.  I am re-reading the three books in the series in preparation for the fourth one The Shifting Price Of Prey being released soon. This is not a book that can be read on its own you really do need to read the first book The Sweet Scent Of Blood before reading this one.    I adore this series it is set in London and features 24 year old Genny who was born to a sidhe fae mother and vampire father.  Genny works for spellcrackers.com where she cracks spells; she also has the virus 3V which means she is basically a vampire junkie.  She craves being bitten by a vamp and if she doesn’t get bitten she can die as her body produces too much blood.  So in order to overcome this she takes G-zav which is sort of like methadone and it stops her cravings.  Being sidhe Genny’s blood is coveted by vampires.  Not only is it tasty to them but many believe it is powerful and will give the vamp drinking it extra powers.  So for these reasons Genny keeps herself to herself and tries to keep away from the vamps and stays under the protection of the witches.  However in book 1 Genny killed the uber master vampire known as the Earl and now all the vampires in London are courting her in the hopes that she will become their blood pet.  But Genny also met Malik Al Khan the handsome master vampire who has wanted Genny since he first tasted her blood when she was four and now Genny is starting to think she may turn to him for safety.

This book deals with Genny’s vampire problems and more.  We discover more about the fae and their relationship with Genny.  Ms McLeod introduces us to lots more fae.  Their descriptions are just fantastic.  We have tree fae and fish fae and then there is a great new character called Travis who is a kelpie.  Plus we can’t forget the possible love interest Finn who is a satyr and Genny’s boss.   There is intrigue, double crossing and a murder mystery to solve.  For me spellcrackers.com is Urban Fantasy as its best.  The characters are superb and the tension between Genny and Malik is sizzling with world building that is imaginative and immense.  I would recommend this series to people who like Urban Fantasy.  If you have read and liked The Hollows by Kim Harrison you should give these books a try.  I am so glad that re-read this book there are some things that I either didn’t grasp or that I forgot first time round and for the second time I am going to give The cold Kiss Of Death 5 stars.  

Keep Me Safe by Skye Warren

Keep Me Safe is a non consensual dark erotic novella by Skye Warren.  Here is the blurb.

When Rachel is abducted by a group of thugs, one man steps in. Zachary wants her for himself, and she has no choice but to trust this stranger to keep her safe. When danger strikes again, Rachel's body may endure the pain, but will their tenuous bond survive the abuse?

WARNING:
This book contains explicit scenes of dubious consent, graphic violence and disturbing situations. Please don’t read this book if that makes you uncomfortable or offends you. For ages 18+ only.


Please note in order for me to review this book there are a few small spoilers.

I came to read this book because I saw one of my friends at Goodreads had read it and thought it might be a little bit like Captive In The Dark which I loved.  This book is written in the first person POV by Rachel and the story starts with Rachel who has been kidnapped by a local gang.  In a twisted way to protect her from more violence she is raped by Zachary who is one of the members.  

Now this is a pretty grim book it has graphic violence and rape in it so I was concerned about how I would feel reading it but I didn't feel as bad as I thought I would.  Even though the start seemed promising my problem with the book was because I found the plot to be ridiculous and I really disliked the characters.   I had no feelings what so ever for Rachel.  I don't know if this is because it is a short book so we don't get to know her or if it is because I just didn't like her.  Rachel doesn't refer to Zachary as raping her, she instead refers to it as he f**ked her.  After the rape happens she meets back up with Zachary and they have a night of consensual sex in which she immediately falls in love with him.  I mean really come on.  I found the rest of the story to be one big rape scene.  Poor Rachel just seems to keep getting randomly raped and she refers to herself as a whore with a dirty c**t.  

Please be warned that this book may not be for you.  I cannot stress enough the graphic violence and rape in it and so if you think you will be offended and upset do not read this book.  This book had potential to be a really great read if only the characters had been explored in some depth.  I didn't like the book and not for the reasons that some people may and I am going to give Keep Me Safe 2 stars.

Liberating Lacey by Anne Calhoun

Liberating Lacey is an erotic romance novel by Anne Calhoun.  Here is the blurb.

Newly divorced Lacey Meyers wasted too many years yawning through sex in the missionary position. Now she's looking for a hookup with a man who can make her shatter. What she gets is a hot younger cop with handcuffs...and he's not afraid to use them. Hunter Anderson knows the score-thoug,h classy, successful women like Lacey might play with guys like him, at the end of the evening, they walk. But when one night leads to another and then another, he finds himself getting too attached to a woman he can't have. Lacey knows Hunter-gorgeous, hard-edged and eight years younger-won't want anything permanent. No matter how hot and daring he makes her first public sex, quickie, backseat encounter and secret fantasy role-play, she can't mistake adventurous sex for emotional involvement. They both know it's got to end, and soon, or someone's going to get hurt. Reader Advisory: Lacey's highly erotic "forced" sex fantasy comes true in this book. Lucky her!

I don’t know where to start with this review.  I enjoyed Liberating Lacey in fact I’m going to give it 4 stars however not a lot happens in the book so I don’t know what to say about it really.  The book is solely about Lacey and Hunter’s relationship and how it grows from a supposed one night stand into something more.  Nothing happens in the book apart how Lacey, Hunter and their relationship  grows. Both Lacey and Hunter are well written and extremely likeable characters and the love scenes between them are hot, especially when they are playing bad cop, but that is about it.  Don’t get me wrong it is a good story and I would recommend this book to you but well there is no more to say about it, well apart from the cover which I think is pretty bad.  This is a nice read and I would recommend it for those times when you need a bit of feel good story.

At Peace by Kristen Ashley

At Peace is the second book in The Burg series by Kristen Ashley and follows the story of widow and mum of two Violet Winters and her next door neighbour badass alpha male Joe Callahan. Here is the blurb.

Violet Winters once had it all but lost it when her husband was murdered by a criminal madman. During a cold winter night Violet has to leave her warm bed to tell her neighbour to turn the music down. And that’s when she meets sinister, scarred, scarily attractive security specialist, Joe Callahan.

She wants to deny it, but Violet can’t beat back the hunger she feels for Joe so she gives in again and again. Feeling it himself, Joe feeds Vi’s hunger, breaking his own rules to keep her in his bed.

Even though Violet had only one man in her life, she’s sure Joe is giving her the signals and Vi decides she’s ready to take a second chance at life and, maybe, love. But Violet doesn’t know the dark secrets in Joe’s past, secrets so soul-wrenching, they’ve drained him dry. With nothing left to give, Joe’s determined to live his life alone and he breaks Violet’s heart.

Crushed by Joe’s betrayal, Violet comes to terms with the fact that, no matter what signals he gave, Joe was not theirs to win. But Violet’s husband’s murderer is obsessed with her and heartbreak again haunts the door of the Winters home. When it does Joe is forced to face the knowledge that he can’t fight Violet’s pull, she’s under his skin and filled him full to bursting.

Joe needs to win her back and put his life on the line to keep Violet safe. But, having had it all once, can Violet endure losing Joe?

I enjoyed this second book much more than the first For You.  For a start I really liked both Violet and Joe and whilst the book is long I didn’t get bored at any point unlike book 1.  This book has heart breaking moments, heart-warming moments, sexy moments and scary moments.  Violet has been through a lot in her life but she is a fighter she never gives up.  She is a great mum but she is also a woman and I liked how Kristen Ashley covered these two different aspects of her character.  Joe…well I have to say in the beginning Joe is a dick but he eventually wins my heart over.  I like Joe but he is not my favourite KA hero.

At Peace is again a more serious grown up storyline.  I enjoyed it lots and unlike For You I found the pacing of At Peace to be spot on.  Kristen Ashley fans will not be disappointed with this book and if you haven’t read any KA yet why not she writes awesome books.  I am going to give At Peace 4 stars.

Grave Memory by Kalayna Price

Grave Memory is the third book in the Alex Craft series by Kalayna Price.  Please be aware that there may be spoilers for the earlier books in my review.  Here is the blurb.

When the dead need to talk, Alex Craft is always ready to listen…

As a Grave Witch, Alex solves murders by raising the dead—an ability that comes at a cost, and after her last few cases, that cost is compounding. But her magic isn’t the only thing causing havoc in her life. While she’s always been on friendly terms with Death himself, things have recently become a whole lot more close and personal. Then there’s her sometime partner, agent Falin Andrews, who is under the glamour of the Winter Queen. To top everything off, her best friend has been forever changed by her time spent captive in Faerie.

But the personal takes a backseat to the professional when a mysterious suicide occurs in Nekros City and Alex is hired to investigate. The shade she raises has no memory of the days leading up to his brutal ending, so despite the very public apparent suicide, this is murder. But what kind of magic can overcome the human will to survive? And why does the shade lack the memory of his death? Searching for the answer might mean Alex won’t have a life to remember at all.

Alex Craft is a Grave Witch meaning she is a witch who has a connection with the dead, she can see and touch ghosts and she can raise a the memory of a dead person, a shade.  She has also recently found out that she is half Fae and is coming into new magical powers such as planeweaving meaning she can touch different planes of reality.  Alex has now become partners with her old friend Rianna who has been held captive in Faerie for some years.  They have just got an office for their PI business Tongues For The Dead and are looking for their first case which literally falls from the sky for them in the form of a suicide.  But as Alex and Rianna dig further into the case they discover that they have a serial killer on the loose who is possessing people and eventually forcing them to take their own lives.  Whilst Alex is working her first case she is also dealing with the two hot guys in her life.  Death her lifelong friend who is a soul collector that has started having feelings for Alex that he shouldn’t because soul collectors and mortals do not mix.  Then there is the Winter Queens assassin Falin Andrews who is under the influence of the Queen and must obey her orders.  Things are never easy for poor Alex.

This is a series that you really need to read in order to get the most from the story, there is so much going on and the story follows from one book to the next.  It is quite some time since I read the first book so I can’t remember all the details which is a shame, however you do get little snippets here and there of what has happened before so you can pick it up.

I was a bit down on book 2 Grave Dance so whilst looking forward to book 3 I was also a little apprehensive, however I needn’t have been as I really enjoyed it.  There is a lot happening in this book but for me it wasn’t as disjointed as I found book 2 to be.  The case that Alex and Rianna are working on is exciting and unusual but not overwhelming in information to the point of confusion.   Alex’s friends Tamara and Holly who have been constant in the earlier books take more of a back seat in this as the characters seem to grow apart a little bit as their lives change and they have secrets from each other.  For those of you like me who are Team Death we do get to learn more about him as Death takes up a starring role in the second half of the book.  Falin is under the compulsion of the Winter Queen so we get to see a different side to him but like Holly and Tamara we don’t see Falin that much.  I have mixed feelings about the love triangle.  I am Team Death but I also like Falin too so I can see why Alex doesn’t know who to choose and I am intrigued to see shich way Ms Price will go with this storyline.  I am also really enjoying the introduction of Alex being Fae and I loved it when they venture into Faerie.

There was some re-hashing of the story from time to time which always annoys me in a book.  I also found the big climatic ending to be rushed and I must admit I was confused by events that take place so for those reasons I am going to give this book 4 stars.  I would recommend this book to those of you who like Urban Fantasy.  It really is a great series and this has been my favourite book of it so far.

For You by Kristen Ashley

For You is the first book in The ‘Burg series by Kristen Ashley.  It tells the story of 42 year old February Owens who 2 years ago returned to the town in which she grew up after being away for 15 years.  She runs the family bar along with her brother Morrie and works hard at staying away from her ex Detective Alec Colton.  However when an old friend is found dead in the alley behind the bar Feb and Alec are thrown back together whilst the hunt is on for the murderer who has an unhealthy obsession with Feb.

I have read quite a few Kristen Ashley books recently and whilst this book follows the wonderful KA formula of girl meets boy with trouble along the way it didn’t hit me like her other books have.  The greatest thing about a KA book is her characters and because her books are long and revolve around the main hero and heroine you need to like them in order to like the story.  This is part of the reason For You didn’t push my buttons.  I didn’t really feel any love for Colt and I don’t know why.  I mean he ticks all of the KA hero boxes and I did like him but I just didn’t love him.  Feb is a different story though I did love her.  The other reason why I only liked this book rather than loving it was because of the pacing.  As I have said it is a long book and for 80% of it we follow the everyday life of Feb and Colt, we know there is a big ending coming but when it does arrive I felt that it was rather rushed.

The ‘Burg series is more serious and grown up than the other KA books that I’ve read and the reason that I might be a bit down on this book is because I read it immediately after the Rock Chick series which I adore.  I would still recommend this to people to read especially KA fans and I will definitely be continuing with the series.  I would like to give For You 3 stars.

18 and Over Book Blogger Follow (9)

18 and Over Book Blogger Follow is a feature that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by Crystal from Reading Between the Wines.  This is a Friday blog hop with the objective to find and visit other book blogs that share the same interest as you, namely books geared towards the 18 and over crowd, and make some friends!

This weeks question is.......


Do you have a 'feel good' read or author that you go to whenever you are feeling sick or down?

Yes I do.  This year I was introduced to books written by Kristen Ashley.  They are not the type of books that I used to read as they are Romance books.  They have fantastic characters especially the uber alpha males in them.  They are long books with a great storyline and a happy ending and they consume me, I get totally lost in them so they are perfect for forgetting all my troubles.  I have read quite a few of them this year and thankfully there are a lot more to go.


Thanks for stopping by.  Do you have a feel good book or author?  Please leave a comment below.  Have a great weekend and Happy Reading.

Slave (Finding Anna) by Sherri Hayes

Slave is the first book in the Finding Anna series by Sherri Hayes.  Here is the blurb.

Stephan has lived the lifestyle of a Dominant for five years. After several rebellious teenage years, it gave him the stability and control he had been seeking after his parent’s death.

As president of a not-for-profit foundation, he knows what his future holds and what he wants out of life. All that changes when a simple lunch with his college friend and Mentor, Darren, leads him to buying a slave.

Thrust into a situation he never thought he’d be in, Stephan can’t walk away. He is compelled to help this girl in the only way he knows how.

Brianna knows only one thing, she is a slave. She has nothing. She is nothing.

Can Stephan help Brianna realize that she is much more than just a Slave?

This book was not what I was expecting it to be.  From the blurb I thought it would be a very taboo story with some sex thrown in and it wasn’t.  I mean it is a taboo subject of buying and owning another person…a slave…but it didn’t come across as strongly as what I thought and hoped it would.  Stephan is a rich guy who is CEO of a non-profit making foundation raising money to help those worse off.  He is propositioned over lunch by his friend and fellow Dom Darren who informs him about a young girl who is being kept as a slave by an acquaintance named Ian.  Darren doesn’t think the girl is happy to be there and he wants Stephan to buy her to take her away from her life with Ian.  Stephan agrees and so begins the story of Stephan and Brianna.

Slave is told from both viewpoints of Stephan and Brianna so we get to see a much more rounded story, knowing what the other is thinking and feeling.  Brianna is a very scared young girl who cries a lot, Stephan is exactly as you would expect him to be, controlled, rich and handsome.  Whilst I wanted more from their relationship than what I got I did get a little shocked sometimes by Stephan’s treatment as a Dom over Brianna.  I had questions about the plot and in particular Brianna.  I couldn’t understand how she thought she was a slave to Stephan and that people could actually buy other people and for it to be ok.  I could understand how she thought that way with her life with Ian but not with Stephan.  The other issue I had was with how Stephan treated her and why he thought he was better equipped to rehabilitate Brianna to being free of Ian rather than getting her professional help.  It is for these reasons that I am giving Slave 3 stars.  To me Slave is the book love child of Captive In The Dark and Gabriel’s Inferno, it has potential to be great but it let me down.  I’m not sure if I will read the other books that are planned for this series.          

Stalking The Others by Jess Haines

Stalking The Others is the fourth book in the H&W Investigations series by Jess Haines.  Here is the blurb.

Vampires, werewolves, mages–the Others are very real, and wreaking havoc in Shiarra Waynest’s life. But now, she’s returning the favor…Once, she was one of the good guys–or as close as a New York P.I. can get. Then Shiarra Waynest was drawn into the world of the Others. Every faction has its own loyalties and agenda. And Shia’s recent betrayal by her ex-boyfriend means that she may be on the verge of becoming a rogue werewolf at the next full moon.Of course, with all the threats against her, Shia’s not sure she’ll live long enough to find out. The enigmatic vampire Royce wants her back in his clutches, as do two powerful werewolf packs, along with the police. Instead of going into hiding, Shia is enlisting the aid of her enchanted hunter’s belt and every dirty P.I. trick she knows. If she’s going down, she’ll take out as many of her enemies as she can–and hope that in the process, she keeps whatever humanity she has left.


I have been waiting patiently for a year since the end of Deceived By The Others for Stalking The Others to be released so that I could find out what would happen with our heroine Shiarra Waynest.  Would she turn furry at the next full moon and more importantly would she get it on with our handsome manipulative sexy genius vamp Alec Royce.  So on 3 July as soon as I woke up I downloaded Stalking The Others to my Kindle and started reading immediately.

This book picks up straight away from where Deceived By The Others left off with Shia escaping Royce’s house and starting on a murderous rampage seeking revenge on Dillon, pack member of the Sunstrikers, who has possibly infected her with Lycanthropy and Chaz, leader of the Sunstrikers and her ex-boyfriend who betrayed her.  Shia is all alone with nowhere to go and no money, all she has is her enchanted hunter belt, which gives her superhuman powers and speed, constantly whispering in her ear.  She needs to seek retribution before the next full moon which is only 24 days away.  We follow her on this journey with a count down of the days until the full moon.  It was so excited wondering whether Shia would sprout fur and fangs and I couldn’t read fast enough to get the answer.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the story as Shia hunts down her prey but I was not expecting for it to be darker and grittier than the previous books.  I certainly wasn’t expecting the badass Shia that we get in this instalment and I loved it.

If you liked the earlier books you will not be disappointed and if you like Urban Fantasy I would urge you to try this series.  I am going to give Stalking The Others 4 stars.  I would have given it 5 but Ms Haines tended to keep giving us the same information over and over and I got a tad fed up with this.  But other than that I thought this was a great addition to the series.  So did Shia turn furry and did she get it on with Alec……well you will just have to read it and find out for yourself.    

Rock Chick Regret by Kristen Ashley

Rock Chick Regret is book 7 in the Rock Chick series by Kristen Ashley.  I hate giving away spoilers but I would like to warn people that there is a rape storyline to this book, there is nothing graphic but I know some people will be put off by this. Here is the blurb.

Sadie Townsend is known by all as The Ice Princess and she’s worked hard to earn her reputation. Her father, a now-incarcerated Drug Lord, has kept her under his thumb her whole life and she’s learned enough from living in his world to give everyone the cold shoulder. But one inebriated night, she shows the Real Sadie to the undercover agent she knows is investigating her father, the handsome Hector Chavez, and he knows he’ll stop at nothing to have her.

Hector makes one (huge) mistake; he waits for Sadie to come to him. Tragedy strikes and Sadie’s got a choice, she can retreat behind her Ice Fortress or she can embrace the Rock Chick/Hot Bunch World. Guided by Hector, the Rock Chicks, the Hot Bunch and her new gay roommates, Buddy and Ralphie, Sadie negotiates a life out from under her father’s thumb, a life that includes poison, arson and learning how to make s’mores.

Oh my goodness I am in love with Hector Chavez, I think he might be my favourite KA hero in the Rock Chick series.  Anyway sorry I digress Rock Chick Regret has a traumatic start for our new heroine Sadie Townsend.  I found it quite shocking because in the earlier 6 books the hot bunch always manage to save the day and therefore save the Rock Chick however in this instalment it doesn’t happen that way.   

Sadie is the Ice Princess, she has learnt over the years to be cold and bitchy in order to protect herself from her drug lord fathers ways.  I enjoyed seeing Sadie change over the course of the book as she learns to let people in and trust them.  It is because of this that she tries to have a relationship with Hector rather than pushing him away like the other Rock Chicks and this made a refreshing change.  Their relationship was lovely to read as they work through Sadie’s Ice Princess persona and her attack and that has made this probably my favourite Rock Chick book.  The usual crew all make an appearance with a little scene at the end with Ally and Ren which is setting us up for the final Rock Chick book which tells their story.  I cannot wait for that book Ally is my favourite Rock Chick she is feisty and mouthy and full of secrets.  I am going to give Rock Chick Regret 5 stars.