Review: Honeymoon of the Dead - Tate Hallaway

In wintry Wisconsin, occult bookseller  - and witch - Garnet Lacey isn't immune to the cold.  Thank the Goddess she has love to keep her warm, even though her new husband doesn't actually have a pulse...

No honeymoon is ever exactly perfect, but mine won't even get off the ground.  Literally!  After an extremely eventful wedding - and that's putting it mildly - Sebastian and I are about to jet-set to Transylvania for some quality R & R.  Yeah, I know it's not exactly every girl's fantasy honeymoon, but it suits me just fine.

Unfortunately, thanks to a vengeful frost demon, Sebastian and I - and our plane - are stuck in exotic Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Honestly, it wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't seeing Gods and Goddesses everywhere I turn.  I'm starting to think my new visions might be caused by the Goddess possessing my body, because ever since She moved in, I've been getting these weird waves of dizziness and seeing beings of a higher power.  And let me tell you, there are plenty in Minneapolis.  Go figure.

Now I'm learning quickly that dealing with Gods and demons - not to mention running into some people I would have rather left buried in the past - doesn't leave much quality honeymoon time for me and my new vampire hubby...

The Garnet Lacey Series:
Tall, Dark & Dead
Dead Sexy
Romancing the Dead
Dead if I do
Honeymoon of the Dead

Visit Tate Hallaway's website for more information

Review:
With Garnet and Sebastian finally married they are supposed to be jetting off on their honeymoon but with trouble attracted to Garnet like a magnet things don't go quite to plan.  Their plane is unable to take off due to a frost demon looking for revenge and the couple find themselves stuck in Minneapolis. Determined to make the best of things Garnet wants to share the favorite haunts from her old stomping ground with Sebastian.  However with 2 Goddesses fighting for control of her body she is suffering with dizzy spells and strange visions not to mention bumping into people she would rather have left in the past.  It isn't looking like this is going to be the holiday of a lifetime that they had planned on.

I have enjoyed reading the Garnet Lacey series so was sad to discover that Honeymoon of the Dead was going to be the last book in the series.  Garnet is a likable character - feisty and fun and her internal monologue usually has me laughing out loud.  This series has been great for fun light reads but I have to say I was a little disappointed with this last installment.

There were so many things going on in the plot that the story felt a bit disjointed and I never felt that everything was completely resolved.  One of my favorite things about the other books in the series has been the great cast of supporting characters.  I have to confess that I've never been Sebastian's biggest fan so I was disappointed that Parish didn't make an appearance (although I guess that is understandable considering they are on their honeymoon!).  We do get a brief visit from Matayas and William but I missed Izzy, Parish and the coven.  It was nice to see Agent Dominguez again but we didn't get to find out anything more about him and he was there more as a convenience for the plot.  I'm not even sure what he was doing in Minneapolis apart from the fact that Garnet needed a law enforcement friend.

There were still some laugh out loud moments and I'm glad I got to find out how things end up between Garnet and Sebastian.  This may not have been my favorite book in the series but I'd still recommend it to fans of the series.  If you've yet to read anything about Garnet then I would recommend the series to fans of light, humorous urban fantasy / paranormal romance stories.

Source: Library

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Review: Dead If I Do - Tate Hallaway

I've finally found Mr. Right.  Sure, he might not have a pulse, but as a girl who's sharing a body with a short-tempered Goddess, I'm not one to judge.  Sebastian is the vampire of my dreams, and I'm dying to walk down the aisle.  Everything couldn't be more perfect.

Well, except for the fact that the awesome band I hired for the reception has been replaced by some guy with an accordion and lederhosen.  And the bridesmaid's dresses somehow got switched to salmon-pink taffeta with butt-bows.  Not to mention the fact that Sebastian's ex-lover, the zombie-slash-vampire-slash-witch who just happens to be the mother of his undead son, wants both of us six feet under.  Now I know why some girls turn into Bridezillas...

The Garnet Lacey Series:
Tall, Dark & Dead
Dead Sexy
Romancing the Dead
Dead if I do
Honeymoon of the Dead

Visit Tate Hallaway's website for more information

Review:
Garnet and Sebastian are finally planning their wedding but, as you can probably guess if you've read any of the previous books in this series, nothing ever goes quite to plan.  When Garnet introduces Sebastian to her estranged parents the evening doesn't get off to a good start when they discover Sebastian is a vampire.  It only gets worse when Matayas' mother (& Sebastian's ex) Tereza appears and curses them. 

Having spent centuries in suspended animation Tereza has finally come back to life - well sort of!  With Tereza back on the scene and the wedding plans falling down around their ears it isn't certain that there will even be a wedding.  As if life wasn't complicated enough Parish is also back on the scene and he wants Garnet back.

If you're a fan of the Garnet Lacey series then you will probably enjoy reading Dead If I Do.  Although I felt there was less action than in some of the previous books I do think that this was probably the funniest book so far.  I was a bit disappointed that the plot was so predictable though - it didn't have any of the plot twists that I would expect after reading the earlier books. 

This series has always had a chick-lit feel to it but I thougth that Dead If I Do took this one step further - still an enjoyable read but not quite what I was expecting or hoping for.  I've always had a soft spot for Parish & think I prefer him to Sebastian but I felt that way even more with this book & was routing for Parish to win Garnet back.  I will still be reading the next book & I'm looking forward to finding out what trouble Garnet can get herself into next.
Source: Library

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Review: Romancing The Dead - Tate Hallaway

Planning a wedding can be a real pain in the neck - when you're marrying a vampire.

Especially when said vampire - the wickedly handsome Sebastian Von Traum - goes missing.  And Matyas, his half-vampire/all-attitude son, turns up.  It's not like Garnet is used to an easy life, but having recently escaped the clutches of Vatican witch-hunters and the FBI, she was quite looking forward to settling down.

No chance of that though, unless she finds Sebastian.  Plus she needs to get someone to cover her shift at the occult bookshop, make sure Micha, the sexy new member of her coven, feels welcome and ditch the stray dog which seems to be following her.  But Lilith, Garnet's inner goddess, has got other ideas...

The Garnet Lacey Series:
Tall, Dark & Dead
Dead Sexy
Romancing the Dead
Dead if I do
Honeymoon of the Dead

Visit Tate Hallaway's website for more information

Review:
This is the third book in the Garnet Lacey series & continues on a few months after the end of Dead Sexy.  I'd recommend reading the series in order - although this review won't give spoilers for Romancing the Dead it will include spoilers for previous books so I wouldn't recommend reading further if you've not read the previous books.

Sebastian and Garnet have just got engaged but with Garnet's track record that doesn't mean everything is going to go smoothly.  She is still struggling with jealousy issues, hating the fact that Sebastian has ghouls (people he feeds from) but not wanting to become his main food source.  She is also nervous about moving in with him & worried about what the future will hold - with him being an immortal vampire & her being a human who will age. 

Sebastian has talked Garnet into starting a new coven - something she has been very wary of doing since her coven was slaughtered by the Vatican witch hunters.  This introduces a whole host of interesting characters - including the gorgeous Micha.  When Sebastian disappears Garnet isn't sure what to think especially with Matyas back on the scene.  They have to team up to try and find out what has happened & form an uncomfortable truce.

I enjoyed this installment of the series & am looking forward to seeing where the story will take Garnet next.  I'd say the plot was a bit more predictable than the previous 2 books but I still enjoyed it & there were some things that took me by surprise.  I was disappointed we didn't get to see too much of Sebastian in this one but it was interesting to see the relationship between Garnet & Matyas developing and I think the coven are going to add interest to future books in the series.  Overall this wasn't my favorite book in the series but was still enjoyable & I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

Source: Library

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Friday 56 - Dead Sexy

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends

• Grab the book CLOSEST to you.
• Share the 5th sentence on the 56th page.
• Note the title & author
• Link back
 

The 5th sentence:
 
Sebastian watched me intently with the kind of concentration usually reserved for someone speaking English with a thick, alien accent.
 
Page 56, Dead Sexy by Tate Hallaway

Review: Dead Sexy - Tate Hallaway

Garnet Lacey should've known she'd never get away with murder.

Especially when the people she unleashed her inner goddess, Lilith, on were Vatican witch-hunters.  And anyway, it's not like she doesn't have other things to worry about, like not letting her vampire boyfriend find out that her vampire ex is stowing his coffin in her basement.

So, what with all of that, plus the zombie students popping up everywhere and the seriously gorgeous FBI agent on her trail, Garnet's got plenty on her mind.

What to do?  Well, a teensy love spell might encourage the cute FBI guy to listen to her side of the story and she could break it at any time, right?  But between love spells gone wrong and sharing her body with Lilith, pleading innocence might not be so easy...

The Garnet Lacey Series:
Tall, Dark & Dead
Dead Sexy
Romancing the Dead
Dead if I do
Honeymoon of the Dead

Visit Tate Hallaway's website for more information

Review:
This is the second book in the Garnet Lacey series & continues the story from a few months after the last book ended.  Now that Garnet & Sebastian have managed to avoid the Vatican witch hunters life should be back to normal but that all changes when an FBI agent turns up at the store to question Garnet.  He wants to question her about the murders of 6 Vatican witch hunters the year before.  Garnet panics and realising that she is the prime suspect she tries to hide her identity.  The fact that the FBI agent is psychic doesn't help so she takes matters into her own hands by creating a love spell that she hopes will get him to listen to her side of the story.

She is still dating Sebastian but her jealousy issues are causing problems just like they did with her ex Parrish - she doesn't want him to feed from her but hates the fact that he has to feed from others to survive.  It doesn't help that she is keeping secrets from him - he has no idea that Lilith killed the 6 Vatican witch hunters or that Parrish is currently hiding out in her basement.  Throw in the fact that Garnet is coming across zombies at every turn and things are bound to get interesting.

I really loved the first book in this series but while I still enjoyed Dead Sexy I don't think it quite lived up to my expectations.  This story wasn't as fast paced as the previous one and I don't feel that there was as much comedy this time.  If you liked the first book then you'll probably still enjoy this one - it was still a cut above some other books I've read but I'm hoping that the third book will be even better.

Source: Library

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Review: Tall, Dark & Dead - Tate Hallaway

"The line between magic and sanity is very thin.  That's part of why I, Garnet Lacey, quit cold turkey.  Never touch the stuff.  No exceptions."

Trouble is magic is so addictive, especially when you've got inner goddesses like Lilith to contend with.  And it doesn't stop there for Garnet: if you are going to run an occult bookstore then you've got to expect customers like Sebastian Von Traum, with his piercing brown eyes, sexy accent, killer body and total lack of an aura: which means he's dead...

Trouble can be so hard to resist, and what with Vatican witch hunters, long-lost vampire exes and a boyfriend with an ex-wife who is literally stirring in her grave, Garnet Lacey has trouble enough for anyone.

The Garnet Lacey Series:
Tall, Dark & Dead
Dead Sexy
Romancing the Dead
Dead if I do
Honeymoon of the Dead

Visit Tate Hallaway's website for more information

Review:
This is a very promising start to a series of books about Garnet Lacey - a witch who is trying really hard to no longer use her magic.  She used to be a practising Wiccan until she turned up late one day to a coven meeting & discovered Vatican assassins had slaughtered all of the other coven members.  In her desperation to save her own life she called for assistance from the darkest Goddess she could think of - Lilith.  Now Garnet is on the run and Lilith has taken up residence inside her.  She is afraid to use her magic as this seems to bring Lilith to the surface.  She is also desperate to stay under the radar of the Vatican in case they come after her again.

Deciding that the best way to hide from the Vatican is to hide in plain sight she has changed her appearance and is now working as the manager of an occult bookstore.  She is intrigued when Sebastian comes into the store wanting to purchase rare herbs.  He is tall & handsome and she finds him very appealing, only one thing bothers her about him - he is obviously dead.  What she can't work out is what that makes him - he doens't seem like a zombie but he's out in the daylight so surely that rules out the possibility of him being a vampire?

It soon becomes clear that whatever Sebastian is he has attracted the attention of the Vatican - and that has brought Garnet back into their radar again.  Add in the appearance of Garnet's vampire ex-boyfriend who she hasn't seen in months & Lilith who seems more and more determined to have more control of Garnet's body and things are sure to get interesting.

I really enjoyed this book.  The characters are very well written & there is a good supporting cast of minor characters including Garnet's friends & co-workers.  The story line is fast paced with plenty of action and a lot of humor that had me laughing out loud in places.   I can't wait to read the next book & find out what happens to Garnet next.

Source: Library

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