Redemption by Susannah Sandlin

Redemption
by Susannah Sandlin
Series: The Penton Legacy
Publisher: Montlake
Publication date: June 12, 2012
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

For vampire Aidan Murphy, life has never been so desperate. The vaccine used to treat a global pandemic has rendered human blood deadly to his kind, leaving them on the brink of starvation and civil war. In tiny Penton, Alabama, Aidan establishes a peaceful community of vampires and unvaccinated human donors. He dares to hope they can survive until his estranged brother descends upon Penton and begins killing the humans. Determined to save his town, Aidan kidnaps an unsuspecting human doctor and finds himself falling in love for the first time in nearly four centuries. Dr. Krystal Harris thought she was coming to Penton for a job interview, but Aidan Murphy has other plans. Infuriated by his high-handed scheme to imprison her in the small town, Krys can't ignore the attraction between them. But is it love? Or does her dangerous, charismatic captor want only to bend her to his will?

I love sexy, tough, complex and noble vampires and Redemption satisfied my craving. I was immediately drawn into the world Sandlin created. I consumed this in a few hours and cannot wait for the next installment.  Intense characters, fantastic world building and a unique plot make this the perfect start to a promising new series.

In the tiny town of Penton all is not as it seems. After a vaccine renders human blood fatal to vampires, Aidan Murphy has built a small tight knit community in rural Alabama. Here vampires and unvaccinated humans live side by side. If successful his community may be the answer for his race. After the loss of their doctor he searches and finds Dr. Krystal Harris. When things go wrong the night of her interview, Aidan is forced to hold Krystal hostage. The tale that unfolds is riveting and perfectly paced as Aidan works to save his town from a threat and deal with the beautiful and captivating doctor.

The characters were well developed and I connected with each of them. I found Aiden to be complex and a totally smexy vampire. He is a born leader, and protector. He carries the burden of this town and its people on his shoulders. He cares about his community and makes it a point to know both the humans and vampires. To him they are his family and bonded to him by blood. Aiden has a painful history and has closed himself off. When he enters a room his presence consumes the room and others look to him for guidence. Beneath this exterior is a passionate, sensitive man and I loved discovering the many sides of him.  Dr. Krystal is smart, compassionate and flawed. She is also curious and her need to know, geeky side, lands her in trouble. Watching the two of them interact was funny, sweet and smoking hot. The relationship grew slowly and I liked that. Members of the community added to the tale and had substance. Hannah was one of my favorites. She is a vampire with physic abilities and her back story was interesting. Of course there are evil characters and unknown players who add to the suspense.

The world building is solid and I liked Sandlin’s twist. While she has not changed much about vampires, the back story and vaccination twist were believable and refreshingly original. The utopia Aidan is trying to create was interesting and the perfect setting for endless plot lines. I love small town series, where you get to know everyone and Penton appealed to me. The plot, character development and flow was wonderful. I quickly became invested in the characters and the tales outcome. Sandlin has a gift for weaving a suspenseful plot with fleshed out characters. This appears to be a series where each can be read as a standalone and focuses on one couple.

Redemption is a must read for fans of suspenseful paranormal romances, and vampires. Fans of the Sweetblood and Night Huntress series will eat this up. The next two books in the series are due out later this year and this reader cannot wait. The titles are Absolution which releases October 9 and Omega due out December 18. 

I want to thank the author for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. 

I gave this 4.5 coffee cups out of 5.

*Sandlin is a pen name for Suzanne Johnson author of the urban fantasy Royal Street, which rocked my face off.  See my review here. 

Cover Reveal:Rua by Miranda Kavi

 

Today I am proud to be showcasing this amazing cover reveal 
with Bookish Brunette's Blog Tours

Rua 
By Miranda Kavi  
Publication date: September 3, 2012

A girl with an unknown destiny.
A boy from a hidden world.
When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets.
The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window.
He knows what she is . . .
Intriguing and deeply romantic, RUA is page-turning YA novel with a supernatural twist. 

 Author Bio:

Miranda Kavi is a YA and Urban Fantasy author. She has worked as an attorney, an executive recruiter, and an assistant in a biological anthropology lab. She loves scary movies, museums, and is hopelessly addicted to chocolate. She lives in the Houston area with her husband and daughter.

Author Links:
Goodreads

Twitter
Facebook

Isn't the cover gorgeous and the synopsis has me intrigued. 
I am looking forward to reading this one :) 

What do you think?

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore

Angel Eyes
by Shannon Dittemore
Series: Angel Eyes Trilogy #1
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication date: May 29, 2012
Genre: YA Christian Paranormal
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through . . 

ANGEL EYES

Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake.

Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.

Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.

A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.

With a complex protagonist and a battle against evil, Angel Eyes was beautiful written and a delightful addition to this popular genre. While steeped in faith, this novel didn’t overwhelm and I enjoyed the tale, romance and battle of good verse evil.

The tale begins as Brielle Matthews returns home during her senior year of high school. A victim of tragedy and over-whelmed with guilt this ballerina has had her light snuffed out. Suffering from bouts of depression, guilt and gloom she just wants to sink into her own darkness. When Jake shows up at her quiet little Stratus, Oregon school she is immediately intrigued by him but quickly tries to shut those thoughts down.  Dittemore slowly reveals the tragedy that has forever changed Brielle as she weaves Jake and Brielle together through fate. The tale that develops was sweet, action-packed and thought provoking.

Brielle is complicated and brilliant on so many levels. She is guilt-ridden and broken. I wondered if she could ever be whole. She questions herself, her faith and perhaps even her existence. Watching her transform, take control of her life and accept love again was enjoyable. Jake was sweet, protective and very firm in his beliefs. He gives Brielle a gift that will forever change her. The romance that develops between them is sweet. It isn’t swoon-worthy but has an innocents and acceptance about it that was believable. There are both evil and good characters that added to the tale and helped advance the story.

While the tale isn’t completely original, a task that would be hard for anyone in the angel genre, Dittemore did offer some unique twists. Her introduction of the halo was interesting and drew me into the tale. The different classifications of angels and their purpose was fascinating. I enjoyed her descriptions of them and their roles. Her depiction of the demons held my attention. Of course there is a battle between good and evil and souls to be saved. The author placed her own mark on them and kept me entertained. The messages and questions raised about faith delivered throughout the tale were thought provoking. While not bogged down with religious scripture and messages Dittemore does tackle difficult questions like why God spares one life and not another. Presented from multiple POV’s (including the villains) this tale started slow and awkward but became more action packed as it progressed. The ending chapters were climatic and suspenseful.

Angel Eyes was an enjoyable, entertaining read that fans of angels are sure to enjoy. Filled with thought provoking questions it lets the reader experience the ramifications of their decisions. I am looking forward to Broken Wings the next book in this trilogy.

I want to thank Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I gave this novel 3 coffee cups out of 5.

The Sunday Post ~sharing books and news

The Sunday Post ~14th Edition

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

I am trying to limit my book purchases and failed again this week. Although both were under five dollars ~confessions of a book addict. 

News to share: In October I will be hosting my first Read-a-Thon called Fraterfest from October 5th thru the 8th. Click here for details! It should be tons of fun and the perfect chance to tackle that scary TBR pile :)

Last week on the blog I shared:

• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (review)
• ALIBI Volumes I-IV: The Complete Series (review)
• Waiting on Wednesday 
• A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean (review)
• Sweet Chaos by Misty Evans ( review)
• Black Moon Awakening by Lina Gardiner (review and international giveaway)

This week on the blog:

• Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore (review)
• Cover Reveal of Rue by Miranda Ganguly
• Redemption by Susannah Sandlin (review)
• Waiting on Wednesday 
• Red by Kate SeRine (review)
• Etiquette for an Apocalypse by Anne Mendel (review)
• Goals for Summer Wrap-up Read-a-thon August 4-12th hosted by Jude@In Between (sign-up and join the fun)
• Goals for Review Copy-Clean Up hosted by Celene @Nyx Book Reviews and Vicky @Books, Biscuits and Tea. I did this last time and it is a great way to get caught up on reviews, make friends and have a good time! Click on their links to join in. 

Books I received for Review:

Trouble in Texas by Katie Lane

courtesy of Grand Central and netGalley.

Invisible by Carla Buckley
courtesy of Random House and Edelweiss.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
courtesy of Simon and Schuster and netGalley


Books I won or was gifted:

Blood Lust by Zoe Winters
and 

Save My Soul by Zoe Winters
Books one and two of the Preternaturals series
courtesy of author and Rebecca @Kindle Fever

Eden's Root by Rachel E. Fisher
courtesy of author and Autumn@The Autumn Reviewer

Purchased cause I am an addict :)

Be sure and visit the other blogs linked below!
What's new in your world? 

Fraterfest Read-a-thon

For the Month of October I will be reading books with Zombies, Vampires, Ghosts, Shapeshifters, Witches and things that Go Bump In the Night! To kick it off I am hosting a

Fraterfest Read-a-Thon 

inspired by the author of things that go bump in the night

Rhiannon Frater 

    

Fraterfest Read-a-thon details:

Begins 12:01 am (CST) on October 5th and ends at midnight October 8th. I am hoping to provide some motivation to attack your TBR pile. You can read whatever you want as long as one book is either a Rhiannon Frater novel or a bump in the night book (vampire, zombie, shapeshifter, ghost etc). For my peeps who fear losing sleep a mystery will do ;) If you can only participate during a few days of the read-a-thon that is okay too. There is no requirement to follow me but it's always appreciated. You don't have to have a blog, feel free to follow along on twitter, goodreads, or facebook. I will be using the hashtag #Fraterfest. Throughout the event there will be fun challenges and prizes. On Sunday October 7th from 6pm(EST) to 8pm(EST) I will host a twitter party hashtag #Fraterfest. You do not have to follow me on twitter but you can do so here: @kimbacaffeinate. There will be some awesome Frater prizes for read-a-thon participants. To qualify you most post your goals and results and participate in at least one challenge. These can be on your blog, facebook page, goggle+ or goodreads. As long as you can share it. 

To join in the fun, grab my button (post on your blog or share on any social media) and link up below. If you are interesting in hosting a challenge for this event, please email asap. On October 5th, I will post a new linky for you to update your link with your goals/results etc page. This post will also include a schedule of events for you to participate in. I am very excited about this read-a-thon but it won't be any fun without you..so link up my caffeinated book loving peeps! Remember you can participate as much or as little as you want. The goal is to attack that TBR pile and have fun! 

                                                <a border="0" href="http://www.caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2012/07/fraterfest-read-thon.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa411/kimbathecaffeinatedbookreviewer/fraterfest1.jpg" /></a>

Black Moon Awakening {review & giveaway} by Lina Gardiner

Black Moon Awakening
by Lina Gardiner
Publisher: ImaJinn Books
Publication date: May 15, 2012
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

Shapeshifter Jude Black, level six operative for the Therian Senate and their deadliest weapon, has served his superiors for ten years without question. He was raised to believe his job is one of the highest, most honorable occupations in the realm. Killing is what he does, and having each mission wiped from his memory is a non-issue until his brother Garrett goes missing.

When it appears that the Senate's only concern is to make him forget the whereabouts of his only brother, Jude begins to question his loyalties. Then he meets the beautiful, hazel-eyed Letitia Hawkes and all his precepts are put to the ultimate test. She is a werewolf, one of his race's sworn enemies, but she's being used by Eideroche Medical, the same people who made his brother disappear.

Jude's convinced Letitia is the key to the answers he desperately needs to find his brother. At least that's what he tells himself as he teams up with her to find out just what Eideroche is up to. But soon Jude finds himself in the deadliest battle of his life as he falls in love with the one woman that both of their races will consider a traitorous act punishable by death.

Black Moon Awakening quickly captured my attention from the first page and held it to the last. Sworn enemies work together to protect their races, humankind and stop a twisted plot for supremacy. This tales was action packed, with a romance that left me wanting more..

The tale begins when we meet shapeshifter Jude Black. Black is a level six operative for the Therian Senate.  He is sent to investigate Eideroche Medical center along with the senator’s rookie son.. They see a young woman carried into the center in the dead of the night. Black makes the decision to save her and the rookie is badly burned in the process. He quickly realizes that the beautiful, Letitia Hawkes, is a werewolf and sworn enemy of his race. Something major is going on at Eideroche Medical center and it involves Letitia. Before Black can put the pieces together all hell breaks loose and he finds himself and Letitia in danger. The tale that unfolds is suspenseful, romantic and at times hilarious. I loved watching these two interact and found myself giggling, swooning and all out laughing at some of the scenes. What a fun ride!

The characters in Gardiner’s novel immediately captured my attention. Jude Black reeks of smexy. He is the Therian’s top agent and has served them loyally for ten years. Ever since his brother Garrett went missing he has been questioning his life and the Senate. I liked this handsome, loyal, strong, and noble shapeshifter. Letitia Hawkes in Black’s opinion is beautiful. She is tall, graceful and fearless. This downright terrifies him. Despite knowing this werewolf is more than capable, he finds himself being overly protective. I loved watching these two sworn enemies interact. The attraction they feel for each other and seeing them build trust was both hilarious and sweet. Gardiner provided purely evil characters for me to loathe. The leader at Eideroche Medical is one sick and twisted creature. He flat out made my blood run cold. Traitors within both races made the tale interesting and my emotions run high. I love it when a book makes you want to jump in and kick some butt.

The world building, plot, and flow are splendid. Gardiner weaves suspense, mythology and a dark secret into the plot that kept me enthralled. The dynamics and history of the Therian’s was fascinating and the way they handles operatives was unique. I quickly connected with the characters and found them to be well developed. The romance was dripping with sexual tension and I enjoyed watching it unfold. The pace was heart racing and I quickly consumed this. Gardiner has set the stage for what appears to be an exciting new series and I look forward to learning more.

I highly recommend Black Moon Awakening to fans of suspenseful paranormal romances, mystery and urban fantasy. I have read and enjoyed Lina Gardiner’s previous works and encourage you to check them out. If a second novel isn't in the works I will be severely disappointed. I want Garrett's story and more about the ancient secrets! 

I want to thank the author and ImaJinn Books for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I gave this novel 4 coffee cups out of 5.

 My review of:What She Doesn't Know by Lina Gardiner

Now for the Giveaway. 

Lina is giving away two copies of Black Moon Awakening and it's open internationally! 

Enter the rafflecopter below and Good Luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sweet Chaos by Misty Evans

Sweet Chaos
by Misty Evan
Series: A Kali Sweet Urban Fantasy Story #2
Publication date: July 3, 2012
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon 

*contains sexual content

Three hundred years later, the ghosts from her past are hunting for revenge.

The past always finds a way to bite you in the ass.

As a three-hundred-year old vengeance demon, I’ve made a lot of enemies. The worst was Queen Maria, the Italian Court’s most devious succubus and a ruler who used me as a weapon of mass destruction to inflict pain and kill hundreds of humans in her torture chambers.

Now she’s back, this time as a ghost, and she’s invited a new friend to the party—a vampire king who wants my head on a stake. Together they’re bringing a war to Chicago that will topple the carefully constructed world I’ve protected for centuries.

But I’m Kali Sweet. I never run from my past…and I’m not about to hide from my present

Sweet Chaos delivered non-stop action, danger, and kick-ass characters that kept me spellbound. If you have been following my blog you know about my infatuation with chaos demon Radison Beaumont. In fact I recently interviewed him. If you missed this hilarious post, you can check it out here. While each novel can be read as standalone, I highly recommend you read Revenge is Sweet first. You can see my review of it here.

Kali once again finds herself in the thick of things. She is a vengeance demon and Queen of the Undead. Toel a master vampire is unhappy with this and is working to raise an army. In the meantime she is hired by his brother’s to capture him. They want him alive so they can seek justice for their master’s death and make an example of him. While trying to capture a ghost on a side job, she gets more then she bargained for. It appears the ghost is Queen Maria. She was the Italian Court’s most terrifying ruler and succubus. That was until Kali killed her. The tale that unfolds as Kali tried to stop them is action packed, suspenseful, and delicious. I became completely caught up in the cases, the characters and of course Rad.

Evans characters are delicious, well fleshed out and kick-ass. Kali is one tough cookie. She is constantly trying to make amends for her past and protect the lives of humans. Despite being swept up in one crisis after another, she is focused, and a total kick-ass demon. I love how she interacts with her colleagues and friends.  Her snarky, quick-witted comments had me laughing aloud. While she hasn’t spoken the words for fear of breaking her heart; it’s obvious she adores and loves Rad. Radison wasn’t in the book nearly enough to satisfy moi. He is rakishly handsome, a swoon-worthy romantic and a total kick-ass chaos demon. Did I mention how handsome he is? Toel the evil vampire is totally gnarly dude and added to the suspense throughout the novel. Damon, leader of the Bridge Council, had me rolling in laughter. I still feel a smidgen of a love triangle and I hope Rad squashes him.( like a bug) I adored Maddy and the relationship that is developing between her and Kali. Cole, Kali’s partner and protector takes a lot of crap, but I’d trust my life with him. I am hoping we learn more about him.

Evans has created a unique, fascinating and humorous world. I love how things are developing in this series and look forward to watching it unfold. Her characters have depth and believability. The pace is fast, and she weaves together all of the plots brilliantly. Fans of the Hollows, Cats and Bones and the Mercy Thompson series should find this series to be just what the doctor ordered.  

I highly recommend Sweet Chaos and the Kali Sweet Urban Fantasy series to fans of urban fantasy. Evans delivers lovable characters, suspense, action and paranormal elements that will delight you. Misty Evans is on my author’s to read list and I hope she is busy writing book three. (like now, seriously.)

I want to thank the author for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I gave this novel 4 coffee cups out of 5.