Title: Shade (Shade #1)
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Published: May, 2010 by Simon & Schuster
Pages: 320
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan’s band playing a critical gig and Aura’s plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend’s life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan’s sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He’s gone.
Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn’t help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding–and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit. As Aura’s relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura’s heart…and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Final Thoughts:
Ghosts visible to everyone sixteen and under, I really loved this idea. It did take me a while to get into it, though. I still enjoyed the mix of characters so it wasn’t boring per se, but nothing substantial seemed to be happening until the second half. I’d seen people raving over this for a while so I’d grabbed myself a copy without reading the blurb, but that didn’t save me. A friend of mine let me in on the world breaker after she read it. It’s probably one of the better ones I’ve seen, killing off the love interest, especially so early in the book, really sucked me in.

Title: Strawberries and the Beast
Author: April Moone
Published: October, 2011 by Dreamspinner Press
Thanks: Dreamspinner Press via NetGalley
Pages: 192
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

Reckless, flamboyant Keigo is bisexual. Blunt, aloof Masaki is straight. Their conflicting personalities make them unlikely friends, but after some careful maneuvering on Keigo’s part and one strawberry-flavored kiss, Masaki gives more of himself to Keigo than he ever thought possible. More than he’s willing to share with his girlfriend. But Masaki’s fear of commitment threatens to shake their rocky relationship to pieces.

Keigo’s new feelings for Masaki are confusing enough even before his on-again, off-again lover, Kaname, blows back into town. Kaname is a manipulative beast, demanding Keigo’s undying fidelity in return for his cruelty, and Keigo’s fragile relationship with Masaki cracks under the weight of his presence. If Keigo really wants to build a life with Masaki, he’ll have to discover the strength to free himself of Kaname and convince Masaki to be with him forever.

Final Thoughts:
Sex. There is lots of it. If that’s what you’re after, you’ll be pleasantly rewarded. Almost every chapter is packed with hot m/m action. There is a plot too, although it takes its time showing up. With dual POV’s, chapters switch seamlessly, delving into the fears of each of these guys. Both are likeable, but they’re more than a little broken. It’s also very Japanese, incorporating the feel of the culture into the English text while still maintaining enough of a balance. Plus there’s a glossary of terms if you need to refresh yourself.

Title: Forbidden (The Demon Trappers #2)
Author: Jana Oliver
Published: September, 2011 by Pan Macmillan
Thanks: Pan Macmillan, AU
Pages: 416
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

Riley’s beginning to think being a demon trapper isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Her dad’s been stolen by a necromancer, her boyfriend’s gone all weird and she’s getting warm and fuzzy feelings for someone who’s seriously bad news. It’s tempting to give it all up and try to be normal, but that’s not an option. Because the demons have plans for Riley. And they’re not the only ones.

Final Thoughts:
While the first book introduced lots of world building, this one felt scaled back in that regard. The dystopian-esque setting takes the backseat to Riley’s love life and the trust issues surrounding her after the events of Forsaken. I liked the romantic focus, but when there’s a love square (yes – she has three potential love interests) you end up spreading things a little thinly with some of them. The final quarter of the book does pack some serious punch though, so if you can stick around until then it’ll probably hook you enough to come back for book three.

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours or publishers!

• Drawing Blood by Poppy Z. Brite (purchased)
• Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride (purchased)
• Evermore by Alyson Noel (library)
• Blue Moon by Alyson Noel (library)
• Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel (purchased)
• My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey (purchased) – My Review
• Hades by Alexandra Adornetto (won – thanks Lisa @ Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me)
• Divergent by Veronica Roth (purchased)
• Dawn of Darkness by Daniel A. Kaine (purchased – eBook) – My Review

It’s been a couple weeks since my last mailbox. I haven’t really been anywhere, or spent much money lately, which has been good. Just reading and studying. I preordered Dearly, Departed a couple months ago, it’s one I plan on reading over summer. I haven’t got a copy of Halo at the moment, so I’ll have to hurry up and get myself one because Hades is looking lonely on my shelves. The two Evermore books were borrowed from the library because I wasn’t sure whether I’ll like them enough to spend my money on them yet. The other four I ordered at an online discount bookstore for around $2 – $4 each. I’ve been wanting Hold Me Closer, Necromancer for a while. It’s meant to be like the short-lived TV series Reaper, which was a favourite of mine, so I was excited when I found this one cheap.

Here are my latest reviews if you want to check them out:
Johnson, Maureen Shades of London #1, The Name of the Star
Kaine, Daniel A. Daeva #1, Dawn of Darkness
Shirvington, Jessica Violet Eden Chapters #1, Embrace
Smith, Andrew, Stick
Vincent, Rachel Soul Screamers #5, If I Die

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

Title: Embrace (Violet Eden Chapters #1)
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Published: October, 2010 by Hachette Australia
Pages: 382
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

All Violet wants is to be with Lincoln. But he has a secret so great it could tear them apart.

Then there’s Phoenix. He’s intense and enigmatic, but always there for her.

Caught up in a battle between dark and light – where angels seek vengeance and humans are warriors – Violet must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice. And who to trust…

The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her destiny.

Final Thoughts:
It’s obvious from the blurb that there’s a love triangle on the way. I usually love these, but this one not so much. It was heavily weighted to one side, and for me it wasn’t the side I wanted. There’s lots of build up to one relationship and then bam, you’re shoved into the other one. I realised there was a need to develop the second pairing, but the way it was done came across somewhat jarring considering the strength of her feelings towards the first guy. Now with that said, I actually did love this book. The plotting is very well thought out, with lots of depth to the angel lore that is sometimes lacking in others of the genre. Everything comes together well, with lots of tension and revelations. It renewed things enough that I can forgive the romantic detour.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read and share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

There’s definitely a triangle going on here. Personally, I’m liking Lincoln so far in this Australian angel series, so here’s a little snippet between him and Violet that stood out to me.

“Do you really think that exile can protect you? Are you really sure he isn’t the very thing you should be running from?”
I half laughed. “That smacks of jealousy, Lincoln.”
He didn’t look up. “Of course. Isn’t that what you were aiming for?”

– Embrace by Jessica Shirvington, page 186.
Published in October, 2010 by Hachette Australia.

Title: Dawn of Darkness (Daeva #1)
Author: Daniel A. Kaine
Published: October, 2011
Pages: 318
Rating:  
Purchase: Amazon // Smashwords

Unburdened by the pain of loss and heartbreak, Mikhail is content with his life of solitude. But everything began to change the day he realised he has a psychic ability — the power to alter the emotions of those around him.

Ushered into the Military Academy with others like him — other Daevas — Mikhail does his part to help tip the scales of war against the vampires that destroyed the world and plague what remains of humanity. But after going up against his first vampire, Mikhail starts to question everything he thought to be true.

To discover the truth and expose the lies he once believed, Mikhail will set out on a journey of discovery, and learn some things about himself in the process.

Final Thoughts:
Evil vampires, questionable vampires, an apocalypse and supernaturally gifted humans thrown into the military…sounds like fun, right? Lots of paranormal action and conspiracies coupled with a gay romance you won’t want to put down. It’s both erotic and endearing. The character development simply hooks you. But the twists, take it from me, starting it before bed may be hazardous to your mental health and your sleeping pattern.