Early Review: Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #3) by Larissa Ione/Reading Romances May Challenge

I chose this book for the Reading Romances May Challenge

2) Read a book by a favorite author or from a favorite genre.

Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #3) 
by Larissa Ione

May 22nd 2012 by Grand Central Publishing

Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, Regan Cooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse-he's about to become a father.

Demon-slayer Regan Matthews never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he's ever wanted-a family.

Genre: Young Adult, Steampunk

Publication Date: May 1st 2012
Publisher: Amulet Books

Format: eARC, 368 pages 

Series: ?

Source: Netgalley

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My Review:

First line: Regan Matthews was going to die

Last line: Too spoilery.

Favorite quote: From virgin to dad in zero to sixty.

Guardian Regan Matthews is pregnant and almost ready to deliver. Normally women in her situation would be thrilled, counting the minutes and preparing everything for the new arrival... but hers is a quite different situation. 

First of all, her baby was conceived in a very unorthodox way, one that made the father-to-be freak out and decide to kill her. So now she's in hiding and he's in an induced 'coma' of sorts, thanks to his siblings. A very strange situation, indeed. But it gets weirder. How? Well, the father is Thanatos, the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse. A.k.a Death, if his Seal breaks. 

And in Thanatos' mind, Regan, an OCD Aegis Guardian and psychometric empath with other gifts, has tried to purposefully break his Seal. After drugging him with an aphrodisiac and trapping him in his own body with one of her abilities. Practically 'raping' him to end the world. Even if he did enjoy it immensely and wants to do it again, he's still majorly pissed off and wanted to kill her. Until he found out she was pregnant with his baby, of course. He did get pissed off all over again when she told him they wouldn't be raising the baby.

Regan feels terrible for what happened that day. She really regrets it, but she was drugged as well, by one of Than's vampires, and didn't notice that Thanatos was 'restrained' by her powers at all. She also was not aware that there was a possibility os his Seal breaking and releasing the Apocalypse on Earth. As a matter of fact, she was made to believe quite the contrary. And now she's knocked up by a very, very mad Horseman. Very hot, too. Who wants her to make up for the eight months in which he was trapped by his siblings so as not to kill many people with his rage. And he wants her to make up for this time sexually. While they try to understand each other, his brother, whose Seal broke and is now known as Pestilence, is wreaking havoc all around the world. And he wants to kill his baby.

Oh, man. I've been waiting patiently to read this gem for months now!!! Thanatos is the perfect example of the wounded, flawed hero. And super hot and damaged. How can a girl not go crazy over that? 

It was kind weird to read about a man going on about how his virginity/his seed/his innocence were stolen, though. You usually expect a heroine to whine about that kind of thing. LOL. But it was completely understandable. He wasn't overly whiny about it, thankfully. Just indignant for a while. Then things became much more interesting.


Larissa Ione always manages to surprise me with the depth of her characters and the twists in all of her plots. When you finally think you're getting something... everything changes. LOL. It should be frustrating, but it's really refreshing. Thanatos has been my favorite character ever since the first book in the series, so I was in absolute heaven just reading more and more about him. He suffered so much... it felt good to see him finally find some happiness.


Also, her angels are very different from what we are used to expect from angels, so that, too, is quite fascinating to read about. No perfect little goody-shoes in these books. They are good, of course, but even they are not perfect... and even their goodness can go bad. LOL.


But I particularly want to see more of Harvester. She gives me very mixed feelings. Oh, and I'm dying to know what really went on in Reaper's past. And what awaits him in the future... The curiosity is burning me up!


Not to mention that I want to see more of Reseph/Pestilence. Like, right NOW. You are killing me, Mrs. Ione!!! In a good way, obviously. Sort of. LOL. That first chapter only served to make me squirm! December, come quick. :X


If you don't mind some spoilers, check out the synopsis for Rogue Rider. It sounds like it will be out-of-this-world good. :)


* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig

Blackbirds 

(Miriam Black #1)

by Chuck Wendig 

Published April 24th 2012 by Angry Robot

Miriam Black knows when you will die. She’s foreseen hundreds of car crashes, heart attacks, strokes, and suicides.

But when Miriam hitches a ride with Louis Darling and shakes his hand, she sees that in thirty days Louis will be murdered while he calls her name. Louis will die because he met her, and she will be the next victim.

No matter what she does she can’t save Louis. But if she wants to stay alive, she’ll have to try.

Genre: Adult, Supernatural

Publication Date: April 24th 2012

Publisher: Angry Robot

Format: eARC, 416 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley

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My Review:

First line: Car lights strobe through busted motel blinds.

Last line: "It is what it is."

Favorite quote: "Why, Paul, what do you think of me? I am the very model of chastity." He isn't buying it. She lights the cigarette and waves him off. "Dude, I discarded the key to my virginity belt long ago – just up and tossed it into a river, I did. That being said – no, Paul, I did not bang your uncle."

Once in a while I like to do this thing. That is, I see a book, fall in love with the cover and force myself to read it, regardless of the content. Sometimes, I do the opposite. I go for the blurb, without really caring for the cover. But this particular review is a case of the former.

This time, obviously, it was cover love at first sight.

Blackbirds was one of the most intense, most intriguing and, yeah, sort of the most disgustingly graphic book I've read in a while. And there was absolutely nothing wrong with that. It was exciting. It was surprising. It was crass and to-the-point and felt like a slap of reality to the face. It was glorious. And I couldn't put it down.

Sure, I enjoy my journeys to fantasy worlds, along with romantic escapades, almost-perfect heroes and even more perfect endings as much as the next girl... but once in a while, crude reality does it for me.

Miriam is damaged goods. She had a traumatic childhood and youth... and she can tell how and and when you'll die as soon as her skin brushes yours. She keeps a notebook with info of some of the people she's touched and have dies, and keeps notes on when others will die. Why? Because a girl needs to eat and dead people don't need their money anymore.

One night, after grabbing a few bucks from a woman beater who died from an epileptic attack after giving her a pretty shiner, she's out in the highway, looking for a ride. A ride to anywhere, as long as it's far away from where she is.

After a brief encounter with a couple of idiot frat boys (who really regretted messing with her, I must add), she jumps in Louis' truck. The interior of his truck is so clean and shiny, and he's so nice that Miriam quickly assumes that this Frankenstein, I mean, Louis is a rapist/murderer/ and/or psycho. Surprisingly enough, he isn't. However, what is even more surprising is what she sees when she touches him. He will die, like we all will. But not from old age or an accident or even suicide. No. He will be murdered. And he'll call her name right before he dies. 

Miriam freaks out and can't jump off his truck fats enough, not accepting his pity and offer of monetary help, but she does listen to him when he tells her there's a bar and motel just a few minutes ahead. Really could use a drink. Or ten. In the bar, she meets pretty boy Ashley, with his feminine name and big smile. But in no time she'll regret ever meeting him.

She knows that it's useless to try and change the future. She's tried before. Countless times. To no avail. And, once again, fate is laughing at her. The more she tries to run from Louis and try to avoid his death, the closer she gets to him. And the date of his death. Which will be her fault. Can she make it in time? Can she stop it? Can she, for once in her life, do something good and useful?

Oh, man. Miriam talks. A lot. Most of it nonsense and usually at the wrong time. And hell if I didn't love her for that. That girl just loved to hear herself talking. She was also a heavy smoker and constant liar. She ate like a lumberjack. And she drank like the world was going to end in the blink of an eye. But she had a hard life (and that's putting it mildly), and those actions fit her perfectly. She was a broken girl with no hope for life or her future, and I loved her. I just wanted her to find some kind of happiness somehow. There was so much wrongness within her, and still I cheered for her.

The entire book was roller coaster ride. That's the only way I can describe it. It kept me on edge the whole time. 'What's going to happen next?', 'Show me more of her past!', 'How is he/she going to die?', 'Will she make it?'. Just... wow. The only thing that still bugs me a bit is that it wasn't very clear how she got that ability. Maybe after that very traumatic episode with the red shovel? Not sure... but I still loved the characters and the story. Sad and bittersweet, as it was. We'll probably find out more about all that in the next book. I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel, Mockingbird. :)

If you like intense books that ensnare you, leaving you unblinking and attentive until the ride is over, and then stick with you even after you're done with it, then run and grab yourself a copy of this crazy good tale.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Manga Rec #10 : Butterflies, Flowers, vol.1 by Yuki Yoshihara

Butterflies, Flowers, vol.1 (Butterflies, Flowers #1)

by Yuki Yoshihara

A hilarious office romance!

Choko Kuze is the sensible daughter of a venerable family who went bankrupt. She joins a real estate company as an entry-level office worker, but her eccentric boss is harder on her than anyone else in the company! After hearing him inadvertently call her "milady," she realizes he was the young servant boy she knew as a child. At work he's a tyrant, but after hours he insists on treating her like a lady of the nobility. Is romance even possible for a couple locked in such a crazy role reversal?

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I have been anxiously waiting for some publisher to translate Yuki Yoshihara's work. You can't possibly imagine how happy I was when I found out that VIZ Media was going to start this series!!! *-* (Even if it's not my favorite series of hers, it's till her work anyway. LOL).

Masayuki worked as a servant for Choko's family when she was a kid... so when he become the boss in the company she now works, things start to get weird. He's very conflicted.

 Sometimes he treats her badly, like a very demanding boss would. 

Other times, he's very sweet and caring, almost like a babysitter or white knight.

Choko gets very confused... and starts to fall for him.

This manga is so preposterous it's hilarious. There are certain situations that make this an adult manga, but nothing actually happens for a long time. :P

All in all, Butterflies, Flowers is sure to make you laugh. The drawings and the characters expressions are remarkably funny.

There's no way you won't fall in love with Masayuki. He's such a dear! And Choko is unbelievably amusing.

Need some fun and are tired of reading about teenagers?

Give this one a try and let me know what you think. ;)

Review: The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

The Demon Lover

(Fairwick Chronicles #1)

by Juliet Dark (Carol Goodman)

Kindle Edition, 432 pages

Expected publication: December 27th 2011 by Ballantine Books

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I gasped, or tried to. My mouth opened, but I couldn’t draw breath. His lips, pearly wet, parted and he blew into my mouth. My lungs expanded beneath his weight. When I exhaled he sucked my breath in and his weight turned from cold marble into warm living flesh.

Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of her having written the bestselling book The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she’s found herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name. But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: Her incubus is not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the demon, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this supernatural lover from her heart.


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My Review:

The Demon Lover was nothing like I thought it would be. When I first saw the cover, read the summary and an excerpt of the prologue, I thought, WOW. I HAVE to read this book now.

But when I actually got to it... let's just say it was very difficult to get into the story. I felt no connection to the main character. None. The other characters were all very mysterious and... ecletic. Really, just too odd. Even if they were paranormal. And most of them felt superfluous, I guess. They weren't very important to the story at all. Maybe in the next books?

This is a supernatural romance with a lot of mystery. Really, A LOT of mystery. That was the biggest problem for me. There was way too much of it. (I used to think there couldn't possibly be such a thing, but as it turns out...). If I had to read one more sentence of: they shared a strange look, they looked at each other as if sharing a secret, they were whispering in secret, they exchanged glances... GAH!!!

When you thought something would be cleared, that something would finally be explained... there seemed to appear three more different mysteries. No answers at all. O.o Anyone heard of Hydra of Lerna?

I caught myself skipping a great deal of pages, which is not a good sign. The book was so long! It's not that the story wasn't interesting (I really wanted to get a taste of a demon lover myself, LOL), but it's very tiring when nothing is ever explained... and, at long last, when they eventually do explain somethings, we get THAT kind of sucky ending. Yeah, well... (It was only when I was halfway through it that I found out this book was part one in a series -jeez-, but this was such a long, tiring read all I really wanted was some kind of closure...).

What I did enjoy VERY much was... (guess, guess!!!) YES, the incubus! LOL. Liam was my favorite thing in the whole book. The only exciting things that happened were when he was around. Yes, there were many sexual interactions, (but you only need to read the summary to see they're coming) and I'm not ashamed to say (okay, maybe just a little) that they were the only reasons I kept turning the pages. That and because I wanted to read more about Liam. (and does the author make you work for it! >.>).

I was all kinds of disappointed. With the too-long book, with the empty, distant characters, with the ending that failed to meet any and all expectations... (those that still resisted my initial frustration). I'm sorry about so much whining and complaining, however, that's how it was for me.

The author is very good with describing objects, houses, nature, clothes (her detailing of art work and the interior of the forest just leaves you breathless.), she's obviously very creative and has studied a lot about folklore, fairytales and celtic fables, but, for me, not even those super interesting things could save this book.

Then again, who knows? Maybe you'll love it. It has every kind of paranormal creatures: vampires, demons, fairies, familiars... you name it. It's worth a try, at least.

*eARC provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Lady Seductress's Ball by Eliza Knight - Review

Lady Seductress's Ballby Eliza Knight

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: December 19th 2011 by Carina Press

As the wife of the elderly Earl of March, Olivia Covington has never known the intimacies of the bedroom. Though her curiosity is piqued by the shocking whispers of society ladies, she is too wary of causing scandal to indulge in an affair. But Tristan Knightley, Earl of Newcastle, tempts her to throw off propriety.

Tristan wants Olivia for his own, and has sworn off all others until he can rid himself of the obsession. He is sure once he has a taste, he will tire of her, and can return to his rakish existence. Unable to wait to have her in his bed, he invites her for a tryst at Lady Seductress's Ball...


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My Review:



First of all, this book includes explicit sex scenes and so it is not recommended for those under 18 years of age. So, with that out of the way...


The book starts with one of the many lascivous dreams Olivia, the Countess of March, has been having. And the main star is always the gorgeous rakehell Tristan, the Earl of Newcastle.


Olivia is suffering from what she calls 'amatory deficiency'. She yearns for a lover's hot touch and caress. All the things she's been hearing about in the ladies' retiring rooms. She craves and fantasizes for the attention and pleasure her sick, older husband hasn't been able to give her. She also regrets marrying him only to please her parents and to make their dying wish come true.


During her first dinner party, organized to celebrate her husband's recovery from a recent illness, she gets to meet Lord Tristan Newcastle. The tension becomes obvious and the sparks start to fly. After a brief rendezvous in the gardens they realize they cannot deny their desires anymore.


Olivia's husband, Henry, falls ill yet again. As he lays in bed dying, she receives a note from Tristan. It's an invitation for the Lady Seductress's Ball. The perfect place to enjoy any and all libidinous adventures, "where clothing is but a waste"...


Let me tell you something. This book made me crave quite a few things... LOL, including strawberries and honey. ;P


I really enjoyed the writing and how easily it flowed. The scenes were very hot, without being too much, and I liked the way romance blossomed from all that lust. You also get to see the couple's POVs, which is always nice.


What bothered me a bit (but not overly much, mind you), was that, given the time period the story was set in, there were a few words and expressions that didn't quite fit.
If you overlook it, you'll enjoy it immensely. It doesn't get in the way, really, but I've been reading a lot of historical romances lately, so I couldn't help but notice.
Yeah, I'm annoying like that.

Oh, by the way, the summary gives you the idea that the heroine was a virgin (which irks me tremendously. Why do all heroines HAVE to be virgins? Geez... talk about stereotypes! Not only in historicals, but also in contemporary romance! Do women like to think/remember about losing their virginity EVERYTIME they read a book? o.O But I digress.)
Anyway, as it turns out, she was NOT! Okay, maybe she was a virgin to good sex, but not literally a virgin (she WAS married, after all). Thank goodness. LOL


I would like to thank Carina Press and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book in advance.