Bathtime Books

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆    I received this book as an advanced reader's copy.  This novel is the twelfth in the Dark Protectors series by Rebecca Zanetti. If you haven't read the prequels, you can still read this novel and mostly understand what is happening. Of course, if you do, you will miss out on much of the character and plot establishment that occurred in previous novels as Zanetti interweaves previous main characters throughout this novel. I have read one or two related novels previously but I'm not following the series. The novel follows the romance of Grace, an enhanced human female, and Adare a vampire/demon. As with most of her previous novels, the chemistry between the two feels a little bit forced but the romantic scenes are spicy. I didn't really like either character much. They were a little flat in my opinion. The plot also left something to be desired. If the main heroine is smart and caring, then why would she not explain her motivations for striking out solo and r...

★ ★ ★ ★☆ This was my first novel by Deborah Wilde. The description promised a fun supernatural PI with some hot romance and this book totally delivered! I really enjoyed this first in the series and ran out to get the next one so that I wouldn't have to say goodbye to Ash and her friends. There are plenty of reasons to enjoy this book. A fun and interesting heroine, a will-they won't-they romance, a well-woven storyline and fully realized world. The characters were fun and didn't feel like they were a pale rehashing of others I had met before. Another reviewer drew parallels to Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series, and I agree there are some character and storyline parallels, but this is different enough and I was happy to take this ride. I also really enjoyed the author's use of existing Jewish folklore and the call outs to more modern references like Alice in Wonderland and Scooby-Doo. This was a quick read as well, so you can devour this fun book in an evening - if...

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley. ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ I picked out this book after reading the jacket cover. I found the description of the plot charming and hoped that the story would be witty and a lighthearted read. The novel, based upon the author's experiences as a personal assistant to Carrie Fisher, actually left me feeling a bit despondent. The first-person narrative is overly detailed and anxious. I had a hard time reading beyond the first three chapters as I felt that the author struggled to convey to the reader the awe that was clearly inspired by meeting and working for the famous actress. The author continually stated that he felt the force of the actress's charisma and that her "shine" and "wit" made him want to continue to be in her orbit. As a reader, these statements didn't really jive with the descriptions of the interactions described on the page. The narrator's internal dialogues, which did read like train-of-thought monologue...

I received this book as an advanced readers copy from Netgalley. ★★★★★ Ilona Andrews is an author whose novels I voraciously read. This one was no different. I couldn't put this book down and finished it in one sitting. It was action-packed and the chemistry between the protagonist and her love interest was stellar. Reader be aware, this does have a love scene. Many of the author's previous novels, while they feature romantic stories, don't have explicit scenes. This novel is set in a parallel universe where due to an epidemic flu and the subsequent solution, magic has been introduced into the world. I would recommend that any reader who hasn't read the first novels in this series starts with the other series first to give them a good grounding and so they won't be confused. The universe that the authors' have created is detailed and there are a lot of moving parts. Even though I had read the previous novels, it had been a while so I couldn't remember som...

Description: Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter--and lived to tell the tale. But she's never faced off against her own kind . . . until now. Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment--at worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery.Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom, but trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and an ex-boyfriend turned thief My Review: As the novel begins we find Rachel loafing around with few jobs to her name and even fewer dollars.  We find she and Ivy shopping on the far side of town, the only place where Rachel can gain access after her shunning.  Suddenly a woman approaches Rachel and without properly identifying herself attempts to drag Rachel off.  Rachel does not comply, of course, and we find ourselv...

Description: Seattle police detective Joanne Walker started the year mostly dead, and she's ending it trying not to be consumed by evil. Literally. She's proven she can handle the gods and the walking dead. But a cannibalistic serial killer? That's more than even she bargained for. What's worse, the brutal demon can only be tracked one way. If Joanne is to stop its campaign of terror, she'll have to hunt it where it lives: the Lower World, a shamanistic plane of magic and spirits. Trouble is, Joanne's skills are no match for the dangers she's about to face—and her on-the-job training could prove fatal to the people she's sworn to protect…. My Review: After finishing Murphy’s last novel, Walking Dead, I swore to myself I wouldn’t bother reading her series until it was finished and I could read it through – book one to whatever. Well that didn’t quite work out. Due to my having a lot more free time than usual (read: unemployed) I decided to pick up...

Description: Thorn is a member of the Pilot’s Guild—those who possess the magical ability to navigate Crosspointe’s deadly seas. When a malevolent master within the Guild bans him from the sea, it seems his life is over. Then he is kidnapped and forced to serve aboard the rogue ship Eidolon —pitch black from bow to stern—and Thorn finds himself battling a mad captain, a mutinous crew, and the terrifying magic of the sea. But there is a saboteur on board, trying to make sure the Eidolon never arrives safely in port. Thorn begins to realize his kidnapping may have been no mere chance— and that the cargo the black ship carries may seal his doom…  Review: The Black Ship is the second novel of Crosspointe, not a true sequel it can stand on its own.  The novel doesn't follow the main protagonists of the first novel, although there are some cameos late in the book.   As the book starts we are introduced to Sylbrac, a Pilot who is attending the guild's spe...

Description: Raine Benares is a seeker. She finds lost things and missing people- usually alive. But now she's been bonde with the Saghred, a soul- stealing stone of unlimited power, and must hunt down its escapees. Especially since one of them is also hunting her.... Review: Shearin starts the book by plunging the reader into the chaos that has become Raine Benares' life.  We find her chasing down the spirit of an uber bad guy whose soul has managed to escape from the Sahgred.  If I just lost you its time for a quick recap: the Sahgred is a big bad rock that has the power to suck souls out of body to increase magical power of the one who is 'in-control' of it.  At this point in time Raine is in control of the Saghred, but she doesn't want to be.  Sarad Nukpana on the other hand desperately does want to be in control of the rock.  Unfortunately for him he was sucked into the darn thing when trying to gain control of it from Raine.  However he just ...

Description: Distant member of the royal Rampling family, Lucy Trenton's ability to detect majick has embroiled her in a dangerous intrigue that threatens her very life. Her only hope lies in her most persistent suitor, ship captain Marten Thorpe, but Lucy isn't sure she can trust him.... Review & Summary: This is a review from Curled Up with my own comments added. The intital entry in a series of novels about the port city of Crosspointe, The Cipher  also works completely as a stand-alone book. Lucy Trenton, a customs official and distant cousin of the king - she calls him "Cousin William" is a loyal servant of the crown. Still, although she thinks of herself as a law-abiding citizen and looks down on anyone who dares to bend the rules, she has a few secrets, too: since childhood, she has been able to sense majick. The only one who believed her when she was a child was a mysterious stranger who scared her thoroughly. After her experience with him, she sto...

Description: Being a mechanic is hard work. Mercy Thompson, for instance, just spent the last couple of months trying to evade the murderous queen of the local vampire seethe, and now the leader of the werewolf pack - who's maybe-more-than-just-a-friend - has asked for her help. A book of fae secrets has come to light and they're all about to find out how implacable - and dangerous - the fae can be. OK, so maybe her troubles have nothing to do with the job. But she sure could use a holiday ... My Review : This book picks up more or less where the last one ended.  Mercy is still working on her issues with intimacy after her rape and the subsequent panic attacks that it has left her with.  We are also trying to figure out what she is to the pack, and what this means for her relationship with Samuel. There are three concurrent plots in this novel.  1) Adam and Mercy's relationship. 2) Samuel and his attempted suicide. 3) The kidnapping of Finn, a bookstore owner w...

Description: Harper Blaine was your average small-time P.I. until she died—for two minutes. Now Harper is a Greywalker—walking the line between the living world and the paranormal realm. And she’s discovering that her new abilities are landing her in all sorts of “strange cases.” But for Harper, her own case may prove the most difficult to solve. Why did she—as opposed to others with near-death experiences—become a Greywalker? When Harper digs into her own past, she unearths some unpleasant truths about her father’s early death as well as a mysterious puzzle. Forced by some very demanding vampires to take on an investigation in London, she soon discovers her present troubles in England are entangled with her dark past back in Seattle—and her ultimate destiny as a Greywalker. My Review: Harper Blaine is an intriguing and engaging heroine.  Although parts of the plot move a little quickly overall Richardson does a commendable job pulling the reader into the story. ...

Description: For once, Joanne Walker's not out to save the world. She's come to terms with the host of shamanic powers she's been given, her job as a police detective has been relatively calm, and she's got a love life for the first time in memory. Not bad for a woman who started out the year mostly dead. But it's Halloween, and the undead have just crashed Joanne's party. Now, with her mentor Coyote still missing, she has to figure out how to break the spell that has let the ghosts, zombies and even the Wild Hunt come back. Unfortunately, there's no shamanic handbook explaining how to deal with the walking dead. And if they have anything to say about it which they do no one's getting out of there alive. My Review: Let me preface my review by saying that I really like CE Murphy. I like her heroines, and her references to pop culture, and the vivid worlds she creates. But I don't really like this book that much. Why? Because there were so many va...

Description: Some wounds take time to heal...and some scars never fade. Rachel Morgan, kick-ass witch and bounty hunter, has taken her fair share of hits, and has broken lines she swore she would never cross. But when her lover was murdered, it left a deeper wound than Rachel ever imagined, and now she won't rest until his death is solved...and avenged. Whatever the cost. Yet the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and when a new predator moves to the apex of the Inderlander food chain, Rachel's past comes back to haunt her. Literally. Review: I'm still a bit tired of writing reviews for this series. Since it worked so well last time, let's let someone else have a stab at it. This is a good one from SF Site, it's by Jennifer McCann and I mostly agree with what she has to say, especially about the unveiling of Kiston's killer. What a let down. With more angst and upheaval than a junior high school dance, Rachel is a taste treat. Still trying to...

Description: Despite dating one vampire and living with another, Rachel Morgan has always managed to stay just ahead of trouble... until now. Morgan's already complicated personal life -- living in an old church in the Hollows of Cincinnati with vampire Ivy Tamwood and a pixie named Jenks -- turns downright chaotic when an insane demon inexplicably ransacks her home, a mysterious murderer begins a brutal killing spree, and her best friend, Ivy, suddenly packs up and moves out. After vampiric crime boss Piscary and villainous councilman Trent Kalamack learn about a demon-crafted artifact in Morgan's possession, she becomes the unwilling focus of an otherworldly power struggle that will change her forever. For every action has its price, and when the demonic Algaliarept dares to walk openly under the sun, even Rachel Morgan can't hide forever. My Review: Rachel has herself a heap full of trouble, and this time she doesn't even have a clue what is happening. This novel is...

Description: The evil night things that prowl Cincinnati despise witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan. Her new reputation for the dark arts is turning human and undead heads alike with the intent to possess, bed, and kill her -- not necessarily in that order. Now a mortal lover who abandoned Rachel has returned, haunted by his secret past. And there are those who covet what Nick possesses -- savage beasts willing to destroy the Hollows and everyone in it if necessary. Forced to keep a low profile or eternally suffer the wrath of a vengeful demon, Rachel must nevertheless act quickly. For the pack is gathering for the first time in millennia to ravage and to rule. And suddenly more than Rachel's soul is at stake. My Review: Somehow or another, Rachel has gotten herself into even more trouble than can be easily dealt with. Her ex-boyfriend Nick pops up in her life again to be an annoying thorn in her side, and with Jenks morphed into human shape, she hauls off to save Nick's an...

Description: Some days, you just can't win. Witch and former bounty hunter Rachel Morgan's managed to escape her corrupt company, survive living with a vampire, start her own runner service, and face down a vampire master. But her vampire roommate Ivy is off the wagon, her human boyfriend Nick is out of town indefinitely and doesn't sound like he's coming back while the far-too-seductive vampire Kisten is looking way too tempting, and there's a turf war erupting in Cincinnati's underworld. And there's a greater evil still. To put the vampire master behind bars and save her family, Rachel made a desperate bargain and now there's hell to pay--literally. For if Rachel cannot stop him, the archdemon Algaliarept will pull her into the sorcerous ever-after to forfeit her soul as his slave. Forever. My Review: Harrison's third Hollow's Series novel is much better than the second. The book starts off with a bang as the action pits Rachel's brain aga...

Description: It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night. She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pressing the limits. Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play -- and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul. My Review: Harrison has made leaps and bounds in improvement with her second effort in the Hollows Series. This second novel improves in character design and pacing, but there were still a few areas that left something to be desired. The main character is still suffering from an overgrown sense of righteousness, while recognizing her moral dilemmas as part of character progression, the angst is a bit heavy-handed and over played. The introduction of the FIB charac...

Description: Rachel Morgan is a runner with the Inderland Runner Services, apprehending law-breakers throughout Cincinnati. She’s also a witch, one of the many Inderlanders who revealed themselves after a genetically engineered virus wiped out 50% of humanity. Witches, warlocks, vampires, werewolves-the creatures of dreams and nightmares have lived beside humans for centuries, hiding their powers. But now they’ve stopped hiding, and nothing will be the same. On the run with a contract on her head, Rachel reluctantly teams up with Ivy, Inderland’s best runner… and a living vampire. But this witch is way out of her league, and to clear her name, Rachel must evade shapechanging assassins, outwit a powerful businessman/crimelord, and survive a vicious underground fight-to-the-death… not to mention her own roommate! My Review: Harrison's first book is a solid effort. The Hollows are an interesting setting for the story and the back-plot with the description of how the world came to be ...

From Publishers Weekly The search for a traitor in the highest circles of power forms the main plot thread of Butcher's 11th hard-boiled fantasy novel featuring Chicago's wizard detective Harry Dresden (last seen in 2008's Small Favor ). Harry, a warden of the magic-governing White Council, finds himself in an unusual position when Morgan, his fellow warden and frequent antagonist, asks for his help. One of the White Council's leaders has been murdered, and Morgan was found at the scene of the crime holding the murder weapon. If he has been framed, then another senior wizard is behind the killing and may be trying to destroy the council entirely. Aided by werewolf and vampire allies, Dresden investigates with his trademark sardonic noir flair. Despite the sprawling plot, both fans and newcomers will get into the fast-paced action. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. My Review: After reading so many of Butch...