Jun
08

Title: Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood #1)
Author: J.R. Ward
Published: September, 2005 by Signet Eclipse
Pages: 393
Rating: ★★★★☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other – six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed – leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate – Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead – a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

Final Thoughts:
Lots of romance, sex and vampire lore, made this one a very enjoyable read. A very promising start to this long series. I can’t wait to start on Lover Eternal.

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Jun
05

Title: Blood Ties (Oliver Nocturne #3)
Author: Kevin Emerson
Published: June, 2009 by Scholastic
Pages: 224
Rating: ★★½☆☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

To avoid the summer sun, the Nocturnes head for vacation at Isla Necrata, a resort whose location always changes, putting it near a geologic calamity- most often a volcanic eruption. As a bonus, Oliver is allowed to bring Dean along, the only catch being that he has to pretend to be Oliver’s servant. Before they get there, the Nocturnes must endure a particularly uncomfortable visit with Oliver’s extended, Old World vampire family, who live in Morosia, a vampire city underneath Rome.

At the same time, Oliver discovers that Emalie has stowed away, believing that Morosia may hold clues to her mother’s whereabouts. Oliver must keep his family from finding out about her, sneak out of family obligations to meet up with her on the surface, and search for the oracle that predicted his destiny, which he learns is in the Asylum Colony, somewhere deep beneath Morosia.

Final Thoughts:
More of the same if you’ve read this series before. Oliver’s off on family vacation tracking down information on his vampire prophecy. Dean’s zombieness made is enjoyable enough to get through.

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Jun
02

Title: May (Conspiracy 365 #5)
Author: Gabrielle Lord
Published: May, 2010 by Scholastic
Pages: 181
Rating: ★★★½☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

On New Year’s Eve, Callum Ormond is chased down the street by a crazed man with a deadly warning: They killed your father. They’ll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days! Cal has hit rock bottom. He’s lost the only clues he had to the Ormond Singularity: the family secret that’s turned his life into a nightmare. And now, trapped in a high-security prison for the insane, he’s lost his identity too. Against all the odds, he must escape and carry on his father’s quest for the truth – but how? Nobody knows where he is, and no one can hear him scream. He has 245 days. His life is on the line …

Final Thoughts:
Probably the best so far in the series, plot movement wise. A bit of a shake up from the usual I’d come to expect during the first four books. Let’s just say, if you don’t like reading about sane people stuck in mental asylums, you are sure to be frustrated.

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May
30

Title: April (Conspiracy 365 #4)
Author: Gabrielle Lord
Published: April, 2010 by Scholastic
Pages: 181
Rating: ★★★½☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

On New Year’s Eve, Callum Ormond is chased down the street by a crazed man with a deadly warning: They killed your father. They’ll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days! Stranded in the middle of nowhere, terrified and alone, Cal is on the run. Somehow he must make sense of his father’s mysterious drawings and solve a family secret from the past: the Ormond Singularity. But first he has to dodge the police and thugs who are closing in on him, and save his sister’s life. He has 275 days. His world is falling apart…

Final Thoughts:
The mystery is slowly unfolding, but there is still plenty to keep you guessing. More enjoyable than the previous books and with an ending like this one, it has me excited for more to come.

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May
29

Title: March (Conspiracy 365 #3)
Author: Gabrielle Lord
Published: March, 2010 by Scholastic
Pages: 181
Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

On New Year’s Eve, Cal is chased down the street by a crazed man with a deadly warning: They killed your father. They’ll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days! Now everyone’s searching for Cal, the psycho kid who’s meant to have attacked his uncle and put his sister in a coma. He’s desperate to clear his name and protect his family, but he also has less than a year to solve an ancient family secret: the Ormond Singularity. And the closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous his life becomes. He has 306 days. The threat is growing…

Final Thoughts:
The story is still building its web. Mystery, action and the strength of friendship. Fun light reading.

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May
28

Title: February (Conspiracy 365 #2)
Author: Gabrielle Lord
Published: February, 2010 by Scholastic
Pages: 183
Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

On New Year’s Eve, Callum Ormond is chased down the street by a crazed man with a deadly warning: They killed your father. They’ll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days! Now he’s on the run. The people who killed his father want him dead, and the police are chasing him for a crime he didn’t commit. A month has gone by and he’s still no nearer to solving the Ormond Riddle, the family secret that has turned his life into a nightmare. Can he trust the mysterious Winter Frey, or will she lead him further into danger? He has 334 days. The clock is ticking…

Final Thoughts:
A quick afternoon read with lots of suspense. Only lessened by the fact that there are 10 more books therefore the main character isn’t going to be bumped off just yet.

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May
26

Title: Need (Need #1)
Author: Carrie Jones
Published: December, 2008 by Bloomsbury
Pages: 306
Rating: ★★★★☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

Zara White suspects there’s a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She’s also obsessed with phobias. And it’s true, she hasn’t exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane…but Zara’s pretty sure her mom just can’t deal with her right now.

She couldn’t be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara’s overactive imagination. In fact, he’s still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There’s something not right – not human – in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you’d have to fear.

Final Thoughts:
Very addictive. I love when a romance is able to capture you so easily. Pixies, shifters and lots of phobia naming make for a very fun read.

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