Review: Changeless - Gail Carriger

Lady Alexia is rudely awoken in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find rather peculiar events transpiring.

Her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, is yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts and an angry Queen Victoria.

But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared - upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.

She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

Parasol Protectorate Series:
The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn't, the Mummy That Was, and the Cat in the Jar (Novella)
Soulless
Changeless
Blameless
Heartless
Timeless

Finishing School Series:
(This is a YA series set in the Parasol Protectorate world but set 25 years before the first book)
Etiquette & Espionage
Curtsies & Conspiracies
Waistcoats & Weaponry
Manners & Mutiny

Delightfully Deadly:
(A series of standalone adult novellas set in the Parasol Protectorate world featuring characters you may recognise from the other series, they fit into the timeline between the Finishing School and Parasol Protectorate books)
Poison or Protect
Future titles and release dates to be confirmed

Custard Protocol Series:
(This is another adult series set in the Parasol Protectorate world but set several decades after the last book)
Prudence
Imprudence

Supernatural Society Series:
(A series of standalone adult novellas set in the Parasol Protectorate world featuring popular LGBT characters you may recognise from the other series)
Romancing the Inventor
Romancing the Werewolf (2017)

Visit Gail Carriger's website for more information

Review:
Changeless picks up Alexia's story several months after the ending of Soulless, she is settling into both her new role as a member of Queen Victoria's Shadow Council and her life as a married woman. She is madly in love with her husband and things between her and Conall couldn't be better, all in all life should be much more straightforward now. Unfortunately, things never stay on an even keel for too long and when a strange blight starts to effect the entire supernatural community in London it is up to Alexia to find answers. When Conall is called back to Scotland on urgent family business Alexia isn't too worried but it doesn't take long for her suspicions to be raised and for her to realise that her husband might need her assistance. Never one to be left behind Alexia packs up her entourage and boards a dirigible to follow him.

After loving Soulless I was really looking forward to spending more time in this world and getting to know the characters better. I just love Alexia, she is a very witty and observant narrator and she doesn't let anyone pull the wool over her eyes. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that Conall was absent from so much of this story, they are separated for a large portion of the book which is a shame because they work so well together. Conall actually irritated me a bit here because he spent the first part of the book avoiding her and refusing to answer her questions then his actions at the end of the story made me want to punch him. I still have hope that they'll work things out but he is really going to have to do some grovelling to make me love him as much as I did in the first book.

We get to see some familiar faces from the previous book, Alexia's friend Ivy plays quite a large part and she is always amusing to read about and you also have one of Alexia's irritating younger sisters tagging along for the ride. I actually read the first three books in Gail Carriger's Finishing School series before starting Changeless so it was great to see Sidheag make an appearance but I have to admit a certain part of her story line broke my heart a little and I was surprised at how laid back she was over everything. It was fun to see her all grown up though and she has definitely come into her own spending the last 20 or so years with her pack in Scotland. There are a few other familiar faces from the previous book but I loved the addition of the French inventor Madame Lefoux, she is a fab character and I hope we get to see more of her.

I'm going to warn you now that Changeless ends on quite a cliffhanger and will have you desperate to get started on the sequel, Blameless. I was disappointed with the way things ended and I hope it doesn't take too long for Conall to come to his senses in the next book. Overall I'm really enjoying this series though and I can't wait to see where the journey takes me.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Hex Appeal - Anthology

Fall under the intoxicating spell of their hex appeal . . .

In the magical world that lies hidden beneath our own, witches and conjurers play deadly games. They know just the right spell to kill a man with one kiss—or raise him back again. And they’re not afraid to exact sweet revenge on those who dare to cross them. But what if you’re the unlucky soul who falls victim to a conjurer’s curse? And if you had the power to cast a magic spell of your own, would you use it?

In this bewitching collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors tell all-new, otherworldly tales. Spellbinding stories featuring bigfoot, albino vampires, professional wizards, resurrected boyfriends and even a sex droid from the twenty-third century named Silicon Lily. But as our conjurers are about to discover, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hexed. And sometimes, even the best spun spells can lead to complete and utter mayhem.

Includes:
(Click on the author's name to visit their website)
Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews
Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher
Holly’s Balm by Rachel Caine
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas
Outside The Box by P. N. Elrod
How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green
There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn

Review:

Retribution Clause - Ilona Andrews

The Kate Daniels Series:
A Questionable Client (Short Story included in the Magic Graves anthology)
Magic Bites
Magic Burns
Magic Strikes
Magic Mourns (Novella included in the Must Love Hellhounds anthology or available separately as an ebook)
Magic Bleeds
Magic Dreams (Novella included in the Hexed anthology or available separately as an ebook)
Magic Slays
Magic Tests (Short Story included in the An Apple for the Creature anthology)
Magic Gifts (Novella available for a limited time as a free ebook from the authors and included in the print version of Gunmetal Magic)
Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniel's World book 1)
Retribution Clause (Short Story included in the Hex Appeal anthology)
Small Magics (Anthology containing previously published stories including A Questionable Client, Magic Tests and Retribution Clause as well as 2 other stories not set in the Kate Daniels world)
Magic Rises
Magic Steals (Novella included in the Night Shift anthology)
Magic Breaks
Magic Shifts
Magic Stars (Novella, Grey Wolf book 1)
Magic Binds
Iron and Magic (The Iron Covenant book 1)
Magic Triumphs

This is set in the same world as the Kate Daniels series but we don't get to see any of the characters we already know and love, we do get to meet Saiman's cousin though so there is a link there. I really loved Adam, as much as I find Saiman's constant body swapping amusing it is kind of creepy so it was interesting to see how different Adam is and how comfortable he is in his own skin. Adam and his partner, Siroun, work as insurance adjusters which sounds boring on the surface but in reality means they are charged with investigating any suspicious deaths among their clients. In the case of murder victims it is up to them to dispense justice to their killers. Although this is a farily short story there is a mystery to solve and I enjoyed getting to meet these characters and explore this world further. There is definitely some great potential for these two and I'd love to read more stories about them in the future.

Bigfoot on Campus - Jim Butcher

The Dresden Files:
Storm Front
Fool Moon
Grave Peril
Summer Knight
Death Masks
Blood Rites
Dead Beat
Proven Guilty
White Night
Small Favor
Turn Coat
Bigfoot on Campus (Novella in the Hex Appeal anthology)
Changes
Ghost Story
Cold Days
Skin Game

Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series has been on my radar for a long time now but for some reason I've never got around to starting it. Even though this story fits into the timeline after book 11 I still found it fairly easy to dive into and I enjoyed meeting the main character. Harry has been hired by his friend, who happens to be bigfoot, to protect his teenage son. The son is at university and his father is convinced he is in danger. Harry gets much more than he bargains for when he arrives on the scene and the story starts with him getting arrested at an orgy! This was a really fun story to read and it's definitely made me even more keen to start the rest of the series.

Holly's Balm - Rachel Caine

Holly & Andrew Series:
Death Warmed Over (Short Story in the Strange Brew anthology)
Holly's Balm (Short Story in the Hex Appeal anthology)
Forked Tongues (Short Story in the Kicking It anthology)

While I liked this story it didn't quite manage to capture my attention as much as the first two did. I believe that the two main characters, Holly and Andy, have appeared in a previous short story but I don't think this is linked to any of the author's other series. Holly is a resurrection witch and Andy is someone that she brought back to life which I thought was a really unusual concept. In this story Holly is asked to help the police investigate a murder scene, one that is very similar to a previous case she worked on - right down to having the exact same victim! Yes, that's right, someone is resurrecting the victims so that they can murder them all over again, horrifying thought isn't it? The couple were likeable and the story was interesting but I found it a little too easy to guess who the bad guy was, I guess that's the hazard of short stories though - there isn't much time to introduce a lot of red herrings.

Snow Job - Carole Nelson Douglas

Delilah Street, PI Series:
Dancing with Werewolves
Brimstone Kiss
Vampire Sunrise
Silver Zombie
Virtual Virgin
Snow Job (Short Story in the Hex Appeal anthology)
Neon Noir

Delilah is a paranormal investigator hired by the owner of a local casino to get to the bottom of some mysterious occurrences at his hotel. These is obviously a lot of history between them & I think I missed a lot of the subtleties because I'm unfamiliar with the series. I had a similar problem with the world building - I liked the idea of old movie stars being bought back to life although I'm still confused about how that happens. It's intrigued me enough that I want to try the first full length novel though & I have a feeling I would enjoy this story more (& rate it higher!) if I read it at the correct point in the series.

Outside the Box - P.N. Elrod

Marsha is a witch whose job, along with her vampire partner Ellinghaus, is to make sure all newly born vampires are properly registered. What should have been a fairly straightforward case gets a lot more complicated when they discover that the newly made vampire is a young girl whose disappearance a week ago has been highly publicised. This was a fun story, I'm not sure if it's part of a series but I wouldn't mind reading more about these characters.

How do you Feel - Simon R. Green

I think this was just a bit too dark & gory for me & I really struggled to connect with the main character. It's about a zombie known as Dead Boy who was killed in a mugging 30 years ago. Ever since his death he has had very little feeling either physically or emotionally & is constantly chasing anything that will give him something, even pain is better than nothing. When someone hints that the mugging may not have been completely random Dead Boy goes looking for revenge.

There Will Be Demons - Lori Handeland

Phoenix Chronicles:
There Will Be Demons (Short Story in the Hex Appeal anthology)
Any Given Doomsday
Doomsday Can Wait
Apocalypse Happens
Chaos Bites

This story is part of the Phoenix Chronicles which is a series I hadn't heard of before but am definitely going to have to check out now. Summer is a fairy who works as a demon hunter & her latest case brings her a new partner, dhampir Jimmy. Jimmy is someone that Summer has dreamed about for centuries and she's not quite sure how to react to meeting him for the first time.

Cherry Kisses - Erica Hayes

Shadowfae Chronicles:
Hellcursed (Novella)
Shadowfae
Shadowglass
Poison Kiss
Blood Cursed
Cherry Kisses (Novella in the Hex Appeal anthology, also available as a stand alone ebook)
Demon Chained

Really liked this one - that's another series added to my wish list! Lena is a con artist, she's not quite a witch but she does have some magical abilities. When she's offered a job to track down a demon amulet it means a trip to hell, but the promised payment makes the risk worthwhile. Unfortunately she has competition in the form of Ethan, someone she has history with and a lot of unresolved feelings for. When they get to hell they realise they have fallen into a trap & it looks like they'll have to learn to work together if they want to survive.

The Arcane Art of Misdirection - Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Norville Series:
Kitty and the Midnight Hour
Kitty Goes to Washington
Kitty Takes a Holiday
Kitty and the Silver Bullet
The Arcane Art of Misdirection (Novella in the Hex Appeal anthology)
Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand
Kitty Raises Hell
Kitty's House of Horrors
Kitty Goes to War
Kitty's Big Trouble
Kitty Steals the Show
Kitty Rocks the House
Kitty in the Underworld
Low Midnight
Kitty Saves the World

How does a magician cheat at cards? That's something black jack dealer Julie is about to find out when someone at her table beats all the odds to win every hand. With the help of Odysseus Grant Julie is determined to find out exactly what is going on in her casino. I enjoyed this one, apparently Odysseus is a character who appears in the Kitty Norville series but I didn't have a problem following the story even though I'm unfamiliar with his character. I would be happy to read more about these characters in the future though and I already have this series on my to read pile.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback:

Review: Waistcoats & Weaponry - Gail Carriger

It's one thing to waltz properly.
It's quite another to waltz properly with a bladed fan stitched into one's corset.

Sophronia continues finishing school in style - with a range of deadly defences secreted in the folds of her ball gown, of course. Her fashionable choice of weapons comes in handy when Sophronia, her best friend Dimity, sweet sootie Soap and the charming Lord Felix Mersey hijack a suspiciously empty train to return their chum Sidheag to her werewolf pack in Scotland.

But when Sophronia discovers they are being trailed by a dirigible of Picklemen and flywaymen, she unearths a plot that threatens to throw all of London into chaos. With her friends in mortal danger, Sophronia must sacrifice what she holds most dear - her freedom.

Finishing School Series:
(This is a YA series set in the Parasol Protectorate world but set 25 years before the first book)
Etiquette & Espionage
Curtsies & Conspiracies
Waistcoats & Weaponry
Manners & Mutiny

Delightfully Deadly:
(A series of standalone adult novellas set in the Parasol Protectorate world featuring characters you may recognise from the other series, they fit into the timeline between the Finishing School and Parasol Protectorate books)
Poison or Protect
Future titles and release dates to be confirmed

Parasol Protectorate Series:
The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn't, the Mummy That Was, and the Cat in the Jar (Novella)
Soulless
Changeless
Blameless
Heartless
Timeless

Custard Protocol Series:
(This is another adult series set in the Parasol Protectorate world but set several decades after the last book)
Prudence
Imprudence

Supernatural Society Series:
(A series of standalone adult novellas set in the Parasol Protectorate world featuring popular LGBT characters you may recognise from the other series)
Romancing the Inventor
Romancing the Werewolf (2017)

Visit Gail Carriger's website for more information

Review:
Whenever I'm in the mood for something light hearted and fun to read I know I can't go wrong with one of the books in Gail Carriger's Finishing School series. These stories are all delightfully whimsical, the characters are great and I can never wait to see what kind of trouble Sophronia finds herself in next. She's definitely not your typical young lady but I mean that in the best possible way and I love how independent she is and the way she's always so determined to find out the truth of what's going on around her.

This story sees Sophronia and her friends go on quite an adventure as they try to help Sidheag return to Scotland to visit her pack. Along with Dimity, Soap and Lord Felix they decide to steal an empty train to get them there quickly but the train wasn't quite a normal train and now they have the Picklemen on their tails. It was great to see the friends working together and I did enjoy seeing them solve the mystery of what was happening on the train but unfortunately this story fell a little flat for me compared to the first two. I think my main issue was how much page time was given to the building love triangle between Sophronia, Soap and Felix. I don't know how many times I've said it but I'm so sick of romantic triangles, seriously, not every single character in the world has to have two men vying for their attention! In this case I was just irritated by Sophronia's inner monologue as she mooned over how gorgeous Felix is and waxed lyrical about how much she had in common with Soap but how she could never be with a sootie.

I have a feeling that we might actually see Sophronia make her decision soon though so I'm really hoping that the romance is resolved early in the next book so we can get straight back into the adventures I read this series for. In case anyone is wondering I'm firmly on team Soap, he is just such a fantastic character and I love the way he's always there for Sophronia. Felix gets on my nerves a bit and I don't like his attitude most of the time. While Waistcoats & Weaponry didn't quite live up to the first two books in my opinion I still think it's a really fun read and I do recommend this series to anyone who wants a light, funny steampunk story.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Special Announcement from Laura Kaye about the Hard Ink Series (+ Giveaway!) #VoteEasyandJenna

From the author of the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Hard Ink Series, comes a special announcement sure to excite readers everywhere! Don't miss what Laura Kaye has to say...

A Hard Ink Special Announcement from Laura Kaye!

As I celebrate the release last week of Hard to Let Go, the finale in my Hard Ink romantic suspense series, I’m super excited to share some more news about Hard Ink! I’m going to do another book in this series. And not just any book. I’m going to write a wedding novella for one of the couples in the series!! And I’m so flippin’ excited!!!

This is how this idea came about: I happened to see another author celebrating the release of a follow-up wedding book, and I’ve never written any follow-up stories about any of my characters—once they’ve gotten their happily ever afters in their original story, I just moved right on to the next couple. But that author’s book got me thinking about who I would even do a follow-up story on. Who is it that would get married? My initial thoughts went right to the Hard Ink series, of course, because I’ve been immersed in this world for the past two years and absolutely adore these characters. Seriously – I know many of us have joked about the title of the last book being apropos, and trust me when I say I’m feeling that, too. I want more Hard Ink myself.

And then I had to ask – which couple? My gut instinct was to say Nick and Becca. They started the series, have been together the longest, and the personal issues they each have and struggles they each face are less than some of the other characters. BUT…

But then my brain started to think about all the other couples. And as I thought through all of them, I could make a case why any of the Hard Ink couples might be the first to get married.

And that’s where YOU come in.

I can’t decide which couple to write.

I could make the argument for Nick and Becca for all the reasons above. I could make the argument that Shane would be eager to take care of Sara in every way he can. I could make the argument that Easy and Jenna’s bond would be so tight because of the hell Easy’s come through and him having saved Jenna’s life. Marz has never wanted anything more than a family, so I could see him being eager to make Emilie his forever. Jeremy and Charlie had the bond of best friends before becoming lovers, and I could see the two of them wanting to prove the depth of their love by committing to forever. And Kat so knocked Beckett on his ass that I could see him wanting to hold her tight and, well, never let go – and finally have a family that valued him.
So, yeah, I can’t decide!

Which means you guys get to.

For real.

I’m letting you pick.

Have you read and met all the Hard Ink couples yet? If not, now’s the time!

Because between now and July 31, you get to vote on which couple gets the bonus wedding novella.

Eeep! Can you believe it? I’m nervous! And excited! And eeep!

Whoever wins, the book will be called Hard Ever After and will release January 19, 2016. How freaking awesome is that title, by the way? I’ve been giggling over it for months! *winks*

Down below, I’ve got some wedding invitations for you to share around to encourage other readers to vote for the couple you want. So grab your favorite couple’s invitations and help spread the word! You can also grab one of the smaller avatar images for your Facebook and Twitter avatars. Have fun with it and vote, vote, vote!

And I figure we should have ways for you to win prizes, too, right? After all, weddings do have gifts! So see below for two big ways to win!

Now, please spread the word and vote! I cannot wait to see who I’m going to be writing about!

Thanks for reading,

Laura Kaye

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE HARD INK COUPLE HERE!

Vote by clicking on the link above and then grab the Avatar below for the couple you chose. Change your profile pictures on social media to show who you voted for!

The Hard Ink Series

HARD AS IT GETS (on sale for $1.99!): Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

HARD AS YOU CAN (on sale for $1.99!): Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

HARD TO HOLD ON TO: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

HARD TO COME BY: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

HARD TO BE GOOD: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

HARD TO LET GO: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Pre-order HARD AS STEEL (Raven Riders Crossover): Amazon only to start

Pre-order HARD EVER AFTER: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Add Hard Ever After to your Goodreads

GIVEAWAYS:

TWITTER HASHTAG CONTEST, 7/9 – 7/12

Tweet about the novella, the voting, and your favorite couple for a chance to win your choice of any one signed paperback from the Hard Ink series and lots of Hard Ink swag including stuffed animals! Open to international. One winner will be picked from tweets that use each of the following six hashtags:

#VoteNickandBecca

#VoteShaneandSara

#VoteEasyandJenna

#VoteMarzandEmilie

#VoteJeremyandCharlie

#VoteBeckettandKat

Check your spelling when you tweet because I will be picking winners only from those that use one of the six above hashtags! I will announce winners from the Twitter Hashtag Contest on Monday, July 13. Feel free to keep using the hashtag after the contest closes to connect with other readers who want your favorite couple to win, too!

And don't miss this second fantastic giveaway from Laura Kaye!

GRAND PRIZE: $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
2ND PRIZE: The entire signed 6-book Hard Ink series
3rd PRIZE: A set of the four Hard Ink stuffed animals

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

Review: Into the Still Blue - Veronica Rossi

Worlds kept them apart. Destiny brought them together.

Outside the dome of Reverie, Aria and Perry are struggling to keep their people from tearing each other apart. Their situation is desperate and, with the Aether storms worsening, time is running out for them to rescue Cinder from Hess and Sable.

Cinder is both the key to unlock the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, so Aria and Perry assemble an unlikely team to attempt a daring rescue mission. They know that in a dying world, the bond of friendship is what matters most.

In this final book in the Under the Never Sky trilogy, the stakes are raised to the absolute limit and Aria's love story is brought to an unforgettable close.

Under the Never Sky series:
Roar and Liv (Novella)
Under the Never Sky
Through the Ever Night
Brooke (Novella)
Into the Still Blue

Visit Veronica Rossi's website for more information.

Review:
I'm always nervous when it comes to reading the final book in a trilogy, it's very hard not to have high expectations with series you love and so many times I feel like the ending is a let down so I was wary going into this one. Thankfully my worried were unfounded as Veronica Rossi finished Perry and Aria's story on a high note.

I don't want to say too much about what happens in this book but it is much faster paced and more action packed than the previous two. Again we see Perry and Aria separated for large chunks of the story but the time they do spend together more than makes up for it. They are one of my favourite YA couples and I think they make a brilliant team. I also loved spending time with Aria and Roar, they have such a fantastic friendship and I love that bond between them. I think the most special thing about it is that the author never tries to turn it into a love connection, they care for each other but there isn't even a hint of romance. How many boy/girl friendships can you think of in YA stories that are like that? I actually can't name a single one apart from theirs off the top of my head which shows how unique it really is.

The characters are what made me love this series, there are people I love and ones that I hate but so many of them bring out strong emotions in me. I'll warn you now that not everyone survives the story and there are moments when you'll definitely want to have tissues on hand but no matter how dire the circumstances seem I always felt like there was hope. I enjoyed seeing Perry and Aria working together to unite their people against a common enemy and I loved seeing certain people get what they deserved. Sometimes the enemy of your enemy is your friend - until they're back to being your enemy again - and there are some very surprising alliances in this book.

Into the Still Blue is a strong ending to a fantastic series and I'm sure it's one I'll be rereading again in the future. In the meantime anything new written by Veronica Rossi will be jumping straight to the top of my wish list.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
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Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Grendel Affair - Lisa Shearin

We’re Supernatural Protection & Investigations, known as SPI. Things that go bump in the night, the monsters you thought didn't exist? We battle them and keep you safe. But some supernatural baddies are just too big to contain, even for us…

When I moved to New York to become a world famous journalist, I never imagined that snagging a job at a seedy tabloid would change my career path from trashy reporter to undercover agent. I'm Makenna Fraser, a Seer for SPI. I can see through any disguise, shield, or spell that a paranormal pest can come up with. I track down creatures and my partner, Ian Byrne, takes them out.

Our cases are generally pretty routine, but a sickle-wielding serial killer has been prowling the city’s subway tunnels. And the murderer’s not human. The fiend in question, a descendant of Grendel—yes, that Grendel—shares his ancestor’s hatred of parties, revelry, and drunkards. And with New Year’s Eve in Times Square only two days away, we need to bag him quickly. Because if we don’t find him—and the organization behind him—by midnight, our secret’s out and everyone’s time is up.

SPI Files:
Lucky Charms (Novella included in the Night Shift anthology)
The Grendel Affair
The Dragon Conspiracy
The Brimstone Deception
The Ghoul Vendetta

Visit Lisa Shearin's website for more information

Review:
I really enjoyed Lucky Charms, the prequel novella to the SPI Files, when I read it in the Night Shift anthology last year. It was one of those stories that completely took me by surprise and it had me laughing out loud all the way through so of course I was looking forward to continuing the series. I picked up The Grendel Affair expecting a quirky and fun read and to a certain extent that's what I got but unfortunately it didn't quite reach the heights of the novella. In fact, because I reread Lucky Charms just before starting this book it was really noticeable that a lot of the jokes and funny one liners had been used in both stories. Had I not read them so close together I probably wouldn't have spotted it but it did take some of the enjoyment out of reading this book.

The writing feels a little stiff at times and I didn't feel the same level of chemistry between the characters as I did in the prequel novella. The Grendel Affair was actually published before Lucky Charms though so that gives me high hopes that the author's writing style is already evolving and I'm hoping the rest of the series will live up to the prequel. The story gets off to a bit of a slow start which is understandable because the author is introducing us to a new world and a whole cast of characters, I'm always prepared to give the first book in a series a bit of extra leeway because of that. The pace definitely picks up in the second half and once it got going I did find myself really enjoying it.

I like both of the main characters and enjoyed the banter between them but think the chemistry between them was better in the novella than it was in this book. Hopefully that is something that will continue to build throughout the series. There are some fun elements to the story and I'm enjoying the fact that there is such a huge variety of supernatural creatures to discover. Overall I think this series has a lot of potential and if Lisa Shearin manages to raise the bar a little higher then it could turn into another favourite.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
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Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Brooke - Veronica Rossi

Set just before the events of Into the Still Blue, the conclusion to Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky trilogy, this breathtaking novella is a satisfying stand-alone for new readers as well as an exciting glimpse at favorite characters from the trilogy. Pulsing with romance and danger, Brooke will leave readers desperate for the conclusion to this epic and unforgettable saga.

The only fight she can't win is the one for Perry's heart. Following the stunning climax in Through the Ever Night, the Tides have been forced to seek shelter from the Aether storms in a dismal, secluded cave. But Brooke's memories of the cave go back much further, to when she and Perry used to come here together. That was before Perry fell in love with Aria and before Vale's dealings with the Dwellers altered the course of the Tides forever.

Now, with her sister back from a haunting year in captivity and Aria lying unconscious in the sick bay, Brooke struggles to put the pieces of her life back together. Without Perry, who is she? And what is her role in this frightening new world? As these questions swirl about her, an old threat to the Tides resurfaces, and Brooke is forced to put the lives of her people before her own. But in taking this step outside of herself, Brooke may finally discover what she truly wants.

Under the Never Sky series:
Roar and Liv (Novella)
Under the Never Sky
Through the Ever Night
Brooke (Novella)
Into the Still Blue

Visit Veronica Rossi's website for more information.

Review:
The events in this novella occur between Through the Ever Night and Into the Still Blue but I don't think it's essential to read this story if you don't want to. It does give a little insight into what's happening with Perry and Aria and it does resolve a plot thread with a certain group but it was mainly Brooke moaning and feeling sorry for herself.

I've never particularly been a fan of Brooke's but I didn't dislike her either, she was Perry's ex girlfriend but I never felt there was a chance of her coming between Perry and Aria even though she obviously wanted to. I have to admit I did feel a little sorry for her but it's not like Perry ever lead her on or made promises that he didn't keep. She knew all along that he didn't love her and she pushed him into a relationship that she knew he didn't want but I guess that doesn't make her heartache any less and I expect most of us have been in a similar position to Brooke at some point.

Although I could relate to Brooke's feelings I just didn't find myself enjoying spending time in her head, she is so obsessed with Perry and if I'm honest I found it boring listening to her constant complaining about pretty much everything. Add in the fact that when finally she decides to move on she jumps back and forth between two brothers and I just found myself rolling my eyes at her behaviour. Do all girls in YA have to have a boyfriend to feel good about themselves? Okay Brooke finally makes a good decision at the end but unfortunately it was too little too late for me.

Unlike the previous novella, Roar and Liv, I didn't really think this had much to add to the series and I ended up being disappointed with Brooke's story. It's definitely one I'll be skipping on any future rereads of the series.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
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