Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series, the Review:

A Review of Karen Marie Moning’s Fever Series

Jennifer Feuerstein

The books on Amazon

Okay, so this Jester Review is going to be a little different. I know there’s a lot of rave attention for this series out there and I had a few people ask me to review it. Honestly, in my humble opinion, it just cannot be done on an individual book basis. If you’re going to read one, you’re going to read them all. Therefore, this review will be a little longer than the average. That being said, let’s jump in…

The Fever Website

Darkfever

Bloodfever

Faefever

Dreamfever

Shadowfever

The Fever Series is a departure from Ms Moning’s usual material. It currently consists of five novels and I’ll talk about each a little bit later. This story line is dark and twisted, definitely not your average paranormal romance. The romance part is more an undercurrent pulling you in without realizing the shore is drifting further away. It is also a first person narrative, which is an interesting spin for a series so dark.

The books’ highlight is the transformation of the title character MacKayla Lane. Certainly not the typical heroine, she has flaws that the books readily use to sweep the rug from under you. I did notice some of her introspections could get a little lengthy or repetitive at times. Did that stop me, hell no! The entire cast of characters is worth mentioning as well-developed. I’ll leave the interesting journey of learning about them up to you. –I’m a stinker that way- The Fever series has a few little stumbles in the beginning, but the ride is definitely worth overlooking those. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions that will have you jumping, crying, and pacing the room like Barrons in a temper. At one point, I called a friend in a panic I had reacted so vividly to what I’d read. For me, this is the mark of a good book. I can forget everything around me and become engrossed in the world the author has painted… and boy was I ever engrossed!

 A few words of wisdom: Have all the books ready. Trust me; you’re not going to want to run around finding the books once you start. The second thing I can tell you- If you need to get to bed, do not read the last chapter of Dreamfever. It will only suck you in to reading the first three chapters of Shadowfever. Not like that’s a bad thing… unless you have to work in 5 hours.

Darkfever: The first book wastes no time at getting you hooked on the series. Poor MacKayla is tossed into confusion so fast, it’ll give you whiplash. Her humor and way of coping will keep you laughing and the plot twists will keep you guessing. All while the darkness stalks you…

Bloodfever: For me this book was more interesting because it kept me guessing about the side characters. Seeing them from MacKayla’s ever-changing point of view kept me wondering just who was who. Like those mystery movies where you keep changing your mind about “who done it”.

Faefever: Just when things get kind of predictable and you’re screaming “the Butler did it”, Ms Moning gives us this book. In essence, it’ll flip everything you thought you knew on its head and turn the tables on MacKayla.

Dreamfever: Definitely the darkest and most erotic of the five novels, this one will have you questioning just what you’ve gotten yourself into. As I said before, if you have something to do or somewhere to be, stop before the last chapter. To be on the safe side, stop before the last two. Once you start those, you’re not going anywhere.

Shadowfever: This one was not my favorite of the group. It tries to bring everything together and a lot of it ends up being very confusing and almost too much to learn. I did enjoy Mac’s walk on the dark side… but that would require too many spoilers to explain.

Overall, for the entire series: Five out of Five Jester Hats! Yes, this is a “run people over and toss them out of your way to own every one of these books” series. And once hooked, you’re probably not going to be doing much besides reading them. The week it took me is pretty much a blur in my memory… as witnessed in the five hat rating. And the fact that I won’t loan them out…

There is much more I could say about this series, but I don’t want to take up the space especially since I could do a week long review…  If you have questions or would like a more detailed review/opinion, please feel free to comment or email me. I’m always happy to discuss the exploits of my bookworm addiction.

~Jennifer Feuerstein~

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A Review of Cassandra Clare's City of Fallen Angels

A Review of City of Fallen Angels

Jennifer Feuerstein

 

   City of Fallen Angels, Amazon

 

As always let’s go over a little background information. City of Fallen Angels is Cassandra Clare’s fourth book in the Mortal Instrument series. Just when you thought the Shadowhunters had won, a new battle emerges.

Quick recap. City of Bones 3 Jester hats, City of Ashes 4 Jester hats, and City of Glass 4 Jester hats. This one, blows them all away in my opinion. It starts up a little after City of Glass ended and Ms. Clare writes it like a brand new series. The book was meant to be told more by Simon’s point of view, but the rest of the cast is still highly present and accounted for.

The character development is great and the plot is amazing. The conflicts, oh the conflicts are so juicy I wish I could let you in on the secrets. But, the Jester promised you no spoilers in her reviews so there will be no giveaways. The only downside to this book is having to wait until May 2012 for the next one!

And here’s where the previously mentioned WARNING comes in. If you’re the type who can’t stand cliffhangers, wait to read this until the next book is available and have it close at hand. Cassandra Clare leaves us with a whopper of a cliffhanger. I personally screamed out “WHAT!” in the middle of work and then cursed when an internet search informed me I had to wait until next year.

So, to sum up this little review, I give City of Fallen Angels 5 out of 5 jester hats. I really enjoyed this book the most in the series so far. It had me riveted to the point where sleep was not an option. Ask my boyfriend, I even read while eating. I could not put it down and I love a great cliffhanger. Is it May yet?!

In November, I’ll review the adult Fever series by Karen Marie Moning and you won’t want to miss it! Never fear, I’ll continue to review the new Cassandra Clare books as they’re released.

As always, I welcome suggestions for books to review.

~Jennifer Feuerstein~

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A Review of Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel

A Review of Clockwork Angel

Jennifer Feuerstein

 

  

Clockwork Angel, Amazon

As always let’s go over a little background information. The book is the first in Cassandra Clare’s second series Infernal Devices. We’re still following Shadowhunters, but it’s a prequel to the Mortal Instruments series. Read on to find out what I thought of Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Angel.

Well, if you’ve read City of Bones you pretty much know where Clockwork Angel will go. There aren’t many surprises in store as far as plot and the characters are pretty similar to those in the Mortal Instruments.

As you may have noticed in my last review, a lot of people will tell you this has to be read before City of Fallen Angels from Mortal Instruments. Not necessarily true. A few characters from Clockwork will be seen in Fallen Angels, but nothing in Clockwork Angel is important for enjoying or understanding Fallen Angels. Just wanted to dispel the notation it had to be read.

All in all, I was very disappointed with this installment. It’s interesting to learn about the past of the Shadowhunters, but it isn’t very well developed. The characters and plot mirroring City of Bones is redundant and boring. Taken by itself, it’s an interesting read but it just doesn’t work with her writings overall. I mean, most people will read it because they liked Mortal Instruments and they’re going to be disappointed by the lack of a new plot.

Clockwork Prince will be the next book in the Infernal Devices series and is due out December 6, 2011. I can only hope it won’t mirror City of Ashes, but I think I’ll check it out from the library instead of buying it… just in case. (The blurb from her website seems oddly reminiscent of City of Ashes –sigh-)

So, to sum up this little review, I give Clockwork Angel 2 out of 5 jester hats. It’s an okay read, but with a redundant plot and character development it feels like déjà vu. If you’re going to read this one, rent it or borrow it from a friend. I, personally, was disappointed. Hey, copy for sale anyone?

Up Next: the review of City of Fallen Angels… and it comes with a WARNING sticker. In November, I’ll review the adult Fever series by Karen Marie Moning and you won’t want to miss it!

As always, I welcome suggestions for books to review.

~Jennifer Feuerstein~

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A Review of Cassandra Clare's City of Glass

A Review of City Of Glass

Jennifer Feuerstein

City of Glass, Amazon

You’ll probably remember I reviewed City of Bones (3 Jester hats) in July and City of Ashes (4 Jester hats) in August. As always let’s go over a little background information. The book is the third in the ongoing series The Mortal Instruments and is listed as a young adult. We’re following the Shadowhunters as they fight to stop Valentine, mostly told through Clary’s point of view. Read on to find out what I thought of Cassandra Clare’s third novel, City of Glass.

Well, City of Glass continues where City of Ashes left off with only about a week passing in between. It’s full of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Oh, and did I mention the epic battle? Yeah, don’t miss out on that. The book boasts a few great fight scenes and new interesting characters.  I found myself taking notes during this book trying to figure out how it would end. I have to say I did figure it out, but only about a chapter ahead of the reveal.

The unfortunate part is that Cassandra Clare originally meant for this book to end her series and then changed her mind. The book wraps up the conflicts, but leaves you feeling a little deflated. The ending, in short, could have been a little more developed. Thankfully, she continues the story in City of Fallen Angels, which I’ll review later. (Again, I know it’s hard but trust the Jester and hold off on reading it until you see my review.)

Word of Advice: Before the release of City of Fallen Angels, Ms. Clare released Clockwork Angel which is actually from her Infernal Devices series. It’s set before the Mortal Instruments and many people would lead you to believe you have to read it after City of Glass. I, for one, say this isn’t necessarily true. You will see a few characters pop up, but it’s not necessary. I’d even advise against it, but I’ll explain that next month...

So, to sum up this little review, I give City of Glass 4 out of 5 jester hats. It’s an enjoyable, worthwhile read full of action and suspense. Watch for my reviews of Clockwork Angel and City of Fallen Angels next month. Clockwork Angel will be reviewed October 9th and, because I know you can't stand the suspense, City of Fallen Angels will be reviewed early on October 23rd.

~Jennifer Feuerstein~

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A Review of Cassandra Clare's City of Ashes

A Review of City Of Ashes

Jennifer Feuerstein

City of Ashes, Amazon

You’ll probably remember I reviewed City of Bones last month, July 10^th. As always let’s go over a little background information. The book is the second in the ongoing series The Mortal Instruments and is listed as a young adult. Again we’re following Clary’s journey to find her missing mom and learn more about herself. Read on to find out what I thought of Cassandra Clare’s second novel, City of Ashes.

Well, City of Ashes is certainly action packed. If you’re like me, you’ve probably already read the second book and maybe the third after you finished City of Bones. (Word of warning, do not read the fourth Mortal Instruments Book or Clockwork Angel without checking my reviews) This second book picks up right where City of Bones left off. We discover more about the mysterious Valentine. Clary is confused about her relationships and feelings. The best part in my opinion is we have more Jace. Yay! His life pretty much turns upside down and the book rushes toward conflict at the pace of an Indy Car.

There is more character development, but this book is mostly about the events unfolding. As with the first book, you can pick up subtle clues in the context of Cassandra Clare’s writing or just enjoy it mindlessly. Either way, it’s a good read.

So, to sum up this little review, I give City of Ashes 4 out of 5 jester hats. It’s an enjoyable, worthwhile read. If you read City of Bones and had the jaw-dropping experience I had, you’ll rush out for this one at all costs. Expectation adds ½ jester hat from City of Bones and the other extra ½ jester hat is for MORE JACE! Watch for my review of City of Glass next month.

~Jennifer Feuerstein~

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Jezebel's Wish: A Book You Don't Want To Miss

Review: Jezebel’s Wish by A.J. Nuest

Once in a while a romance comes along that strikes so many chords in the reader that the story lingers in their mind long after the last page is turned. Jezebel’s Wish is such a romance.

Jezebel Evans is an emotionally scarred woman but what makes her unique as a heroine is the fact that the scars are self-inflicted. Jezebel’s fiancé dies suddenly, leaving her adrift on a sea of regrets and boiling over with guilt; both for surviving and for the words she can’t take back.

Looking to distance herself from painful memories, she visits her mother’s horse farm, Redemption Ranch. Frustrated over a clock she can’t turn back, sleep deprived from hellish nightmares, and uncertain about her future, city girl Jezebel is sharp tongued, and generally a pain to live with; that is until her mother pays for riding lessons and Jezebel meets a horse named The Reverend and veterinarian/riding instructor Matthias Saunders.

The gentle, unconditional love of the aptly named stallion begins to thaw the ice surrounding Jezebel’s heart while the infinite patience and understanding of the Vet helps Jezebel trust again; but humans are ever a perverse species.

Showered with love, affection, and understanding to a degree she never thought possible from a man, Jezebel struggles to release the guilt and self-loathing that weighs down her soul and threatens to destroy the first chance at happiness she’s ever had.

Watching this character struggle with her demons was cathartic. I think everyone, especially women, can relate to Jezebel’s feelings and the actions they provoke. It isn’t often a writer can create a character that inspires a reader to loathe and then love them. I found myself wanting to shake Jezebel for her behavior and the decisions she made but at the same time I acknowledged that I’d have likely acted the same were I to walk in her shoes; that is the mark of a master storyteller.

Jezebel’s Wish is an emotional roller coaster of a ride that will leave you breathless; but also filled with hope. It is a book you don’t want to miss.
--Rachel Lynne

Rachel Lynne

Suspense … Southern Style!

Ring of Lies

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Review for Patricia Eimer's Luck of the Devil

Review

I’m so excited about Patricia Eimer’s new book, Luck of the Devil from Entangled Publishing. I’d heard great things whispered around Twitter and Facebook, so I was salivating to get my hands on it. Patricia graciously bestowed a copy to me at my begging and I devoured the book. I’ve got three words to describe Luck of the Devil, funny, funny, and funny.

The whole concept of the heroine being Satan’s daughter had me intrigued. How could you make the devil’s daughter good and likeable? Patricia pulled it off with flying colors. And might I add, Satan is pretty funny too. Each character is developed so well they jump off the page.

Both main characters have their crosses to bear. Faith has not only a demonic family but is a demon herself, wings, tail, and horns. Matt’s angelic commando family, with a love for smiting demons, believes Matt should join the family business and  not only join the cause against Satan, but also give freely of his seed and produce more pure soldiers.

Though Matt and Faith fight to maintain their lives and loves, their families have other plans.

Personally, I can’t get enough of humorous stories and Luck of the Devil didn’t disappoint.  I have to give Luck of the Devil five skull and crossbones. NNNNN

Excerpt:

“You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?” Lisa and I stared in revulsion at the freshly dead body of my former boss lying on the carpet in his office, wearing nothing but plaid boxer shorts, a striped tie, and his white lab coat.

“Faith, I’m sorry. I was hungry.” She winced and shuffled her feet like a guilty child caught sneaking into the cookie jar. She waved her hand at me, like I should know how it is.

I did. That didn’t make the consequences any nicer if we were caught. In a hospital. With the dead body of the head of pediatric surgery.
“You were hungry?” I pushed a lock of curly blonde hair behind my left ear.

“I see a man, I eat his soul. That’s what I do. It’s not like I enjoyed it or anything. I mean, have you seen Harold?”

“That changes everything, obviously. People will understand. Not. What are we going to do with him?” Some days I wondered why I bothered keeping a human job. Oh, right. I was an adult who didn’t want any involvement in Dad’s evil schemes. I was capable of being a productive member of society, rather than leeching off the human race like some overgrown demonic tick. And I had bills to pay. Crap.

“Could we shove him in the closet?”

“No, the stench would give him away.” I’d done a twelve-hour shift as charge nurse on the pediatric ICU and I was too tired for this shit tonight. All I really wanted was a cold beer and some mindless television. But no, apparently I got to deal with a dead surgeon instead.
Hello, I’m Faith Bettincourt, and this is my life.

Lisa fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, her glossy, caramel waves held neatly in place with a black patent headband. Her wide eyes latched onto mine. Great. She was doing the big, baby animal eyes. Everyone knew I couldn’t resist baby animal eyes.

She was tall, she was tan, and she was completely stacked. I wasn’t into women, and even I found myself giving her what she wanted to keep her happy. It hadn’t been too bad before she’d been turned into a succubus, but now she had enough mojo to turn a convent into a cauldron of simmering sexual tension.

“Maybe it’s not as bad as it looks, though?”

“Lisa, you sucked Harold dry. In his underwear. And you’re dressed in a cheerleading uniform that’s two sizes too small. How can this not be as bad as it looks?” It wouldn’t do any good to yell at her. Yelling would just make her cry, and I sucked when it came to tears.

Besides, I felt guilty enough already. Lisa hadn’t been a bad roommate before the whole Turning Into a Succubus thing. In three years, she’d never been late on the rent, she’d always kept her parts of the apartment clean, and we’d never had one of those awkward moments where you accidentally walk in on a hookup from the night before in his birthday suit rooting through the fridge. Everything was great until my half-brother decided to turn her into a wild, lust-driven succubus with no self-control.

“Maybe he’s not dead? You didn’t check for a pulse. Maybe he looks dead and he’s just passed out?” My roommate, the succubus, an eternal optimist. It was a good outlook to have when we worked the pediatric wards together—trust me, there’s no greater nurse out there than Lisa—but right now? Right now, I wanted to wring her swanlike neck. Barely five-foot-two, I’d be forced to get a step stool to reach her. Stupid, six-foot-tall, size-three succubus.

“He’s dead. Trust me. You drained the life right out of him.” Not that I could blame her. As a willing, and untapped, donor, he would have made one hell of a meal.

She sniffled and scuffed her feet together. “I have been trying to do better. I mean, he’s the first person I’ve accidentally killed in three months. And it’s not my fault, it’s Harold’s.”

“It’s Harold’s fault you ate his soul?” She didn’t expect me to believe he asked her to drain him dry, did she?

“Well, most people sort of get panicky and I know to stop, but he had this big grin on his face the whole time, so I kept eating.” She stalked back and forth across the room, wringing her hands.

“Sweetie, I love you, you know I do. We’ve been rooming together, what? Two years? Three? And you’ve handled this whole Daughter of the Devil situation great, especially after the whole succubus mess with Tolliver. But I think this Accidentally Eating People thing might be a bit of a problem.”

“Oh shit. Tolliver. Do you think he’s going to be upset?” She crossed her arms, tucking her shaking hands underneath her armpits. “He told me if I killed one more person he was going to strip my powers.”

“And that would be a bad thing?” I leaned against Harold’s desk and rested my weight on my hands. Glancing down, I noticed a brown spot on my light blue scrub pants and scratched at it with my thumbnail. It was flaky. Definitely liquid food supplement, then. Good.

“No. Yes, I mean—oh, this is hard. I would be happier if I wasn’t a soul-sucking sex demon anymore.”

“But?”

“But once he strips me of my powers, protocol requires he chain me to a rock beside the lake of fire and let demon lords feast on my soul while imps bite off my toes. And you know I can’t handle anyone touching my toes. It’s just not something I can even think about right now.”

“Uh-huh.” Lisa was particular about people touching her toes. She only had one pedicurist in the entire city she’d let touch her, and the woman charged out the ass. “That doesn’t sound pleasant.”

A small, black-robed figure materialized, the cowl of its cloak pulled low to disguise the fact he was nothing more than a disembodied demonic spirit. Great. Malachi. Now my night was shot to hell. Although, he might have an idea about how to get rid of Harold’s body. He may look like a demonic pixie, but Malachi had serious power. And the connections to get things done when he needed it. “Tolliver is exaggerating.”

“Really?” Lisa asked.

“No, not really. But if it makes you feel better, the imps will give you a ceremonial nibble, and ignore you to fight with each other for scraps from the table.”

“Oh.” Her bright smile turned into a frown and her shoulders slumped forward.

“Not helping,” I said through clenched teeth. I should have known Malachi would be a pain in the ass. He was supposed to be my bodyguard, but more often than not I kept him out of trouble and not the other way around.

“What are we going to do about Mr. Bag O’Bones here?” He hovered over Harold’s body and twirled to face us. “I take it this is your handiwork, Lisa? Sloppy, but effective. I’ll give you a ten for effort but a two for style. Cheerleading outfits were out years ago.”

“I was actually going to ask about that,” I said. “We’re nurses—that’s like the most-requested stripper outfit of all time. Every guy’s got a Naughty Nurse fetish.”

“Not if their mothers were nurses like Harold’s. His turn-on isn’t Naughty Nurses, it’s Cheeky Cheerleaders, so I had to think fast. It wasn’t planned or anything. Give me a break. I wouldn’t even wear this crap when I was in high school. Polyester double knit doesn’t look good on anyone.” She stalked to Harold’s couch and plopped down, making her skirt flounce upward. I winced and averted my eyes. I didn’t need to see those parts of my roommate. “It isn’t like I ate his entire soul on purpose. He enjoyed it!”

“At least he died happy.” I picked up his ‘World’s Best Pediatrician’ trophy and tossed it from hand to hand.

Malachi chuckled. “I’m sure you made him very happy. After all, that’s the whole point of being a succubus. Men give their souls in return for the pleasure you provide.”

Lisa’s frown drooped.

“But you’re supposed to take the soul back to Hell, not eat it yourself. His Excellency won’t be pleased with you. He’s big on sharing, you know.” Malachi wagged his sleeve at her like some sort of demonic schoolmaster and I coughed to hide my giggle.

I sat the trophy down and started playing with the pens in Harold’s cup. I had one of those weird issues with clutter and disorganization in my workspace—blame nursing school—and Harold was a slob. If he had been this disorganized in surgery he would have been lucky not to have killed someone from a completely preventable mistake. “As much as it pains me to say this, Dad isn’t our problem right now.”

“He isn’t?” Malachi sounded surprised. “And why is that? Don’t tell me this is going to be another one of your cute little acts of rebellion against His Majesty. Do you know how much of an administrative hassle those are for me? Can’t you just be content playing Florence Nightingale and give me some peace?”

“This is not an act of rebellion. Besides, he’d be happy Lisa’s doing what she’s made for. He’s still not our biggest concern because, let’s be serious, what’s he going to do? Ground me for letting her drain him? He hasn’t grounded me since I tried the whole chastity pledge thing in high school.”

“I remember that fight. The other demon lords and I took bets His Excellency would suffer a heart attack right there on his throne.”

“Well, he didn’t have a heart attack and everyone managed to survive.” I pushed myself away from the desk and sat in the overstuffed black leather chair—why did doctors always get such nice chairs?—and crossed my feet on top of the desk.

“I know. I won four souls and an addled incubus.”

“See? Everybody won off the deal.” I grabbed the glass apple on Harold’s desk. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Clever.

“Except your mom with her fourth husband.” Lisa gnawed on her thumbnail. What a waste of her $30 manicure.

“Oh yeah, Henri.” I smiled at the memory of my mom’s fourth husband and the demise of their marriage.

“I was so glad to be rid of him I quit the chastity club the next day.”

“And His Evilness’s fatherly instincts kicked in and snatched young Mr. Taylor’s soul,” Malachi said.
“Always with the downsides, aren’t you?”

“Sorry,” he said. “So what are we doing with Dr. Wilkins? Since he’s dead and all?”

“Could you send him to the lower demons to get rid of? They do that sometimes, don’t they?”

“We could,” Malachi said, dragging out the words.

“Really?” Lisa sat up and stopped chewing. “We could let them eat the body and no one would ever know?”

“They might. But Tolliver will hear about it and you’ll have to explain why you screwed up and drained him.”

“Damn.” She slumped back against the couch, the very picture of dejection. Desperation rolled off of her. Or maybe that was eau de Harold? I wrinkled my nose. Most likely Harold. Desperation smelled like a guy’s locker room, and this was worse. More like rotten meat and old coffee. Definitely Harold.
“So what else can we do?” I asked.

“Leave him in an alley?” Malachi suggested.

“Oh, please. You don’t think someone’s going to notice?”

I laced my fingers together and stretched them over my head. My wings were killing me, my tail itched, and my horns were starting to come out on their own accord. They usually stayed hidden while I was in public, folding underneath my skin like a demonic Swiss Army knife, but keeping everything in check took way too much effort when I was tired. Stress always made my self-control slip and it became harder to keep the human part of me firmly in place. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused all of my energy on keeping my extra bits hidden.

“We want someone to notice,” Malachi explained, allowing me to focus on something other than my own discomfort. “We want someone to find poor Harold and think he died of a heart attack while in the back alley with a hooker.”

“Hey!” Lisa said, and bright red flames erupted around her hair. Apparently, someone else was exhausted, too. And more than a little touchy.

“Or he got mugged,” Malachi continued. “Or any other logical explanation for why he’s dead in nothing but a pair of cheap boxers and a lab coat.”

“But look at him.” I stood up and pointed at Harold’s corpse. He reminded me of a pruned version of his former self, all gray, with his veins adding a nice touch of purple for color. “You don’t think they’ll find that a bit odd?”

Malachi floated closer. “You were hungry, Lisa. I think you pulled every bit of his soul out of him. You even loosened his fillings.”

“I couldn’t help it.” She sniffled again.

“There, there.” Malachi bounced next to her, brushing his cloak against her shoulder in what I thought was meant to be a consoling gesture. “Stop crying. You’ve already sucked him dry, might as well enjoy the high.”

“But… ”

“Here’s what we’ll do. Get the horrific rug that’s in front of the elevator. We’ll wrap him up and throw him into the biological waste dumpster.”

“But what about the security cameras?” Lisa stood in front of the desk, next to Harold’s body. “They’ll see Faith getting the rug and the two of us carrying him out.”

“Oh, in the name of all that’s evil.” Malachi shook the cowl of his cape back and forth. “You really aren’t the brightest demon, are you? Let me clarify. Faith, summon the rug, and once Harold’s wrapped in it, transfer him into the dumpster outside.”

“Right.” I closed my eyes, resting my hands on Harold’s desk, and focused on the green patterned rug in front of the elevator. Once I had the edges defined in my head, I willed Harold’s final resting place to heed my commands. I saw it dissolve, and I opened my eyes to watch it appear on the floor underneath Harold. I tucked the ends around him and fixated on the overlapping edges, willing them to glue themselves together and secure his body.

“Sorry, Harold,” I whispered, walking around the desk to kneel beside his head. I touched the seam over the spot where his prune-shaped heart should have been. “I would’ve liked you if you hadn’t grabbed my ass every morning. Come to think of it, I’m not all that sorry you’re dead. You kind of had it coming.”

 BIO:

Patricia Eimer is a small town girl who was blessed with a large tree in the backyard that was a perfect spot for reading on summer days. Mixed with too much imagination it made her a bratty child but fated her to become a storyteller. She currently lives in Pittsburgh with her two wonderful kids and a husband that learned the gourmet art of frozen pizzas to give her more time to write. When she’s not writing she can be found fencing and arguing about with her dogs about plot points. Most days the Beagle wins but the Dalmatian is in close second. She’s in a distant third. 

Luck of the Devil   Patricia's Website   Patricia's Blog

Book Review - Haunting Beauty by Erin Quinn

Book Review by Shannan Albright

Haunting Beauty Book 1 of the Mists of Ireland

By Erin Quinn

From Berkley Sensation

Blurb:

Danni always believed she was an abandoned child. Then the seductive Sean Ballogh appears out of nowhere with a startling story challenging everything Danni thought was true. He claims that Danni's family has been searching for her ever since she disappeared twenty years ago. He's come to bring her home to Ireland. Now, Danni must rewrite history to save her family, to fight a force more evil than she ever imagined, and to reunite herself with the man she was destined for-or risk living forever in time as nothing more than an ethereal memory, a tragic and haunting beauty.

Review:

How many of us wished we could go back at some point in our lives? What would you give for the ability to change an outcome, mistake, something which shadowed your life? Danni Jones believes she has been abandoned by her mother, living in Phoenix, Arizona she is alone, being clairvoyant only adds to her feeling of isolation. For Danni sees visions where past, present and future merge and a man holds her destiny in his hands.

Darkly seductive Sean Ballagh comes to Phoenix to bring her back to Ireland and into a family who spent the last twenty years searching for her. Danni senses there is much more to Sean’s sudden appearance in her life, more even than Sean is aware of. Soon the two find themselves thrown into a tragic past which only Danni can change. With their lives on the line can she alter the past and give them the future they were meant to have?

Haunting Beauty is a book that stayed with me long after reading the last page. Her world where one can met oneself and change the past was rich in detail and through her world building made it plausible. From the first page she drew me in with characters that haunted your imagination and stole your heart. The plot is a brilliant balance of love, loss, betrayal and sacrifice. The romance between Danni and Sean was unforgettable and poignant. Their passion and love reminded me why I read and write romances.

I had the pleasure of meeting Erin Quinn in June at the Arizona Dreamin Romance Reader Event. I had just grabbed up one of her Mist of Ireland books in the hopes of having her sign it later that day when she entered the bookstore. Now you must understand I have been a fan of hers for quite awhile now and to have her standing quite suddenly right beside me was quite a shock. With a voice that shook like the San Andreas Fault just spit wide open I introduced myself to her.

Thinking back on it I cringe at the image I must have made telling her I was a huge fan of hers. Images of Steven King’s Misery flashed through my mind and I groaned inwardly and yet, she seemed not to notice at all and seemed happy to meet me. I found her to be gracious, intelligent and warm. Throughout the day and into the evening I would bump into her just long enough to get a few thoughts and hopes she had on her Mist of Ireland series and agreed to be interviewed for Digital Digest. The interview will go up July 29^th.

My next review will be in August and will cover her second book in this series Haunted Warrior. Pick up her books and get lost in the Mists of Ireland.

Her fourth book Haunting Embrace is due out October 2011 and I hope many more to come.

Four Clovers ~ I gave this my highest rating. The book stayed with me years after reading it and found myself searching the web and her blog for future installments.

~Shannan Albright~