Review: Deadly Silence - Rebecca Zanetti

Deadly Silence is the first book in New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti's breathtaking romantic suspense series, Blood Brothers, that will be loved by fans of Karen Rose, Kylie Brant, Elaine Levine, Maya Banks's KGI series and Lisa Jackson.

Run for your life... And don't look back.

Paralegal Zara Remington is in over her head. Helping out a friend has put not only her job but her life in jeopardy. Zara needs help from someone she can trust - she just doesn't expect it to be the mysterious PI who recently appeared in her life.

Ryker Jones has problems of his own, including recovering from his investigative agency's recent brutal loss of a client. He wants to keep Zara at arm's length - and protect her from the reality of what he's running from.

But when danger arrives on Zara's doorstep, Ryker can't walk away. He might be the only one who can save her - if his deadly past doesn't catch up with them first...

For more addictive romantic suspense look out for the rest of the titles in the Blood Brothers and Sin Brothers series. And for thrilling passion played out against a dangerous race for survival, look for the titles in The Scorpius Syndrome series: Mercury Striking, Shadow Falling, Justice Ascending.

Sin Brothers Series:
Forgotten Sins
Sweet Revenge
Blind Faith
Total Surrender

Blood Brothers Series:
(Spin off from the Sin Brothers)
Deadly Silence
Lethal Lies
Twisted Truths

Visit Rebecca Zanetti's website for more information

Review:
I love Rebecca Zanetti's Sin Brothers books so I was excited to dive into Deadly Silence, the first book in the spin off Blood Brothers series. This story introduces us to three new brothers, Ryker, Heath and Denver, raised together in an orphanage they all have questions about their backgrounds that they are trying to find answers to while running their own detective agency specialising in searching for missing people. When a new client asks them to find a mysterious woman they remember from their own childhood it looks like their past and present are about to collide.

Zara has been casually seeing Ryker for months but knows there will never be anything serious between them. That doesn't stop her turning to him for help when one of her closest friends goes missing though and when it looks like Zara may be in danger too Ryker realises that he would do anything to keep her safe. The timing couldn't be worse considering Ryker's past, and his enemies, are about to catch up with him, but Zara needs his help and he could never walk away from her.

Rebecca Zanetti always manages to write books that are full of action and danger but also great characters, strong family bonds and scorching hot romances. Zara and Ryker's relationship is a little different because they're already seeing each other before the story starts but because they've both been trying to keep things casual we still get to see their relationship blossom throughout the book. Ryker was a very overprotective alpha male but Zara holds her ground and she's willing to fight for what she needs and not let him walk all over her which was good. He's actually more willing to pursue a relationship than she is because she has a fear of him walking away and breaking her heart and he could actually be a really sweet guy even though he was also quite demanding and knew exactly what he wanted.

As I've come to expect from this author one of my favourite things about this book was the bond between Ryker, Heath and Denver. The boys aren't related by blood but instead they chose each other and they are very close. They all had awful childhoods that were made even worse in the orphanage where they met and surviving that kind of hell together left them with an unbreakable bond. They've always known that someone from their past is hunting them so they've had to work hard to stay under the radar but when they take on a new client they start to realise that perhaps it's time to confront their past so they can finally move on with their lives. There was a lot to love about their story and I really enjoyed seeing characters from the Sin Brothers books put in an appearance too, I hope we see more cameos from them throughout the series.

I loved all three brothers so much that I've already started reading Heath's book, Lethal Lies, and I expect to be devouring Heath's story, Twisted Truths, immediately afterwards. Sometimes there are huge advantages of not starting a new series until all the books have been published and I intend to make the most of them!

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Spectacle - Rachel Vincent

In this riveting sequel Delilah Marlow will discover that there is no crueler cage than the confines of the human mind…

When their coup of Metzger's Menagerie is discovered, Delilah and her fellow cryptids find their newly won freedom brutally stripped away as they are sold into The Savage Spectacle, a private collection of "exotic wildlife." Specializing in ruthless cryptid cage matches, safari-style creature hunts and living party favors, the Spectacle's owner, Willem Vandekamp, caters to the forbidden fetishes of the wealthy and powerful. At the Spectacle, any wish can be granted—for the right price.

But Vandekamp's closely guarded client list isn't the only secret being kept at the Spectacle. Beneath the beauty and brutality of life in the collection lie much darker truths, and no one is more determined than Delilah to strip the masks from the human monsters and drag all dark things into the light.

Menagerie Series:
Menagerie
Spectacle
Fury

Visit Rachel Vincent's website for more information

Review:
After Delilah and her cryptid friends finally managed to take back their freedom at the end of Menagerie I honestly expected Spectacle to be about them travelling the country and rescuing other cryptids along the way so the direction this story took really surprised me. They do manage to run Metzger's Menagerie for a couple of months but then they're captured by Willem Vandekamp, owner of The Savage Spectacle. No matter how brutal and humiliating the Menagerie was the Savage Spectacle somehow manages to be so much worse. On the surface they are kept in better conditions, they have mats to sleep on, they're fed proper meals and they're even allowed to shower but that is only because Vandekamp needs them looking their best. You see the Savage Spectacle caters to the fetishes of the rich and powerful, no matter how depraved your desires may be if you have enough money Vandekamp will provide your deepest, darkest wishes.

I really enjoyed Menagerie but I think Spectacle was even better and I just couldn't put it down. If you've read the first book then you'll already know that this series is dark but I should probably clarify that it doesn't get any easier in this one, the things that Delilah, Zyanya, Lenore and the others go through were horrific but I'm glad to say most of it wasn't shown in full detail. Even Gallagher and Eryx are forced to kill in an arena to survive so this is not a happy book full of sunshine and roses. What it is is a book that will make you think about what it means to be human. Does it really matter that you're physically human if you're a monster on the inside, how does that make you any better than someone who is different on the outside but who just wants to be free to live their life in peace? It was far, far easier to relate to the cryptids in this book than it was to their human handlers and I spent most of the book just waiting for Delilah to find a way to release her inner furae on them all.

I don't want to spoil the book by telling you if that happens or not but I will say that some characters definitely get what they deserve even if it isn't all of them. It's not often that I read a whole trilogy without taking a break between books but with the way this ended I'm incredibly relieved that Fury is already available because I'm diving straight in. I really want to see Delilah, Gallagher and the others find some happiness and a safe place to be and more than anything I want to see them punish anyone who has ever attempted to abuse them. Humanity had better watch out because the cryptids are coming for revenge!

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Renaissance Man - Tessa Bailey

A standalone novella from New York Times Bestselling Author Tessa Bailey...

The last place ex-Special forces soldier, Kyle Musgrave, expected to find himself was in a joust at a renaissance fair. There's a prize for winning, however--her name is Cameron and she's just as horrified by her medieval circumstances as Kyle. She needs his help badly to escape her would-be suitors. For Kyle, that means donning uncomfortable armor, galloping to victory on a stubborn steed and claiming a reward he never expected. If she'll have him.

THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN AUDIO ON THE READ ME ROMANCE PODCAST. Listen for FREE here:

iTunes - http://geni.us/A888vRA
Google Play - http://geni.us/7lB4UBK
Website - www.readmeromance.com

Visit Tessa Bailey's website for more information.

Review:
You can listen to this audiobook for free via the Read Me Romance Podcast or purchase the ebook from Amazon which I believe comes with an extended epilogue not available via the podcast.

When Cameron agreed to spend time at the renaissance fair to get to know her stepfather she didn't realise she was agreeing to be the prize offered up for the winner of the jousting contest. That wasn't what she had in mind at all but she can't figure out a way to back out without upsetting her mother. Kyle is dragged along to the fair by his friends and isn't at all sure why he agreed to be there but when he meets Cameron and realises she's in need of rescuing he finds himself signing up to take part in the jousting contest.

The first meeting between Cameron and Kyle was great, and the start of a quite sweet romance. It's obvious that they're both attracted to each other but with this being a novella everything happens in the course of an afternoon so we're not looking at the next great love story here but they made a cute couple and I was totally on board with that.

My main issue with this story was the whole jousting contest though. If I'm reading fantasy you can throw anything at me and if your world makes sense I'll happily go along with it but when I'm reading a contemporary romance it has to feel believable. Could I get on board with Cameron and Kyle's instant attraction? Yes, easily. It's not like they were spouting words of love straight after meeting, they were attracted to each other and agreed to go on a date, something people do all the time.

What I had and issue with was the fact that Kyle, who has never been to a renaissance fair before, walked in, signed up for a jousting contest and was just instantly allowed to take part. They didn't even ask if he'd ridden a horse before, let alone whether he had experience jousting (which he didn't!). Are you seriously telling me that anyone can walk into one of these fairs and they'll let you jump on one of their horses with a big pointy stick and tell you to get on with it? Have you any idea how dangerous jousting can be? A quick internet search will tell you about broken bones, punctured lungs, even death! Can you imagine the cost of the insurance for these events if they just let anyone walk in and take part completely untrained?

I know I'm making a big deal out of something that won't bother most people but I just hate it when a contemporary story doesn't feel realistic. If he'd been an amateur jouster who was already taking part in the contest before they met then I could have sat back and enjoyed the ride but that ruined the whole experience for me because I kept waiting for him to lose an eyeball to a wooden splinter! It just felt like sloppy writing in my opinion but your mileage may vary.

Source: I listened to this audiobook for free via the Read Me Romance podcast.

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Review: Lake Silence - Anne Bishop

In this thrilling and suspenseful fantasy set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Others series, an inn owner and her shape-shifting lodger find themselves enmeshed in danger and dark secrets.

Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others--vampires, shape-shifters, and even deadlier paranormal beings. And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget....

After her divorce, Vicki DeVine took over a rustic resort near Lake Silence, in a human town that is not human controlled. Towns such as Vicki's don't have any distance from the Others, the dominant predators who rule most of the land and all of the water throughout the world. And when a place has no boundaries, you never really know what is out there watching you.

Vicki was hoping to find a new career and a new life. But when her lodger, Aggie Crowe--one of the shape-shifting Others--discovers a murdered man, Vicki finds trouble instead. The detectives want to pin the death on her, despite the evidence that nothing human could have killed the victim. As Vicki and her friends search for answers, ancient forces are roused by the disturbance in their domain. They have rules that must not be broken--and all the destructive powers of nature at their command.

The Others Series:
Written in Red
Murder of Crows
Vision in Silver
Marked in Flesh
Etched in Bone
Lake Silence (World of the Others book 1)
Wild Country (World of the Others book 2)

Visit Anne Bishop's website for more information

Review:
I have to admit when I found out this book wasn't set at the Lakeside Courtyard I assumed it would be at one of the settlements we've already seen in previous books. There are lots of groups I'd be interested in seeing more of so I was really surprised that this was about a completely new set of characters that haven't been mentioned before. I love this world though so it didn't take me long to fall into this story and it was actually really refreshing to have so many new faces to get to know.

Vicki is a human who has recently got out of an abusive relationship, her ex-husband gave her a run down resort near Lake Silence as part of the divorce settlement and she's slowly settling into her new home and carrying out much needed renovations to turn The Jumble into a going concern. Vicki knows the town is run by the terra indigene rather than humans but she didn't realise that the Others paid so much attention to her home until she walks into the kitchen one day to find her only lodger about to eat an eyeball. Thats the first time Vicki realises that Aggie is one of the Crowgard but Vicki's biggest problem is that the eyeball Aggie thinks would make a tasty lunch comes from a man who has been murdered on her property. When corrupt detectives try to pin the murder on Vicki some of the Others start paying a lot more attention to what is happening at The Jumble, and they're really not happy about the people who are trying to force Vicki out of her home.

I really liked this little town and most of it's inhabitants. You have a mix of humans, intuits and various terra indigene from the sanguinati and elementals to crows, bears and cats who are all trying to learn how to live amongst each other. The Jumble is a perfect place for the different groups to get together in a safe environment and mingle, that's what the Others had always planned the place to be used for and they're happy that Vicki seems to be taking her responsibilities as custodian of the land seriously. Someone wants her out though and that is a threat that concerns everyone, especially when the Elders are currently paying so much attention to the remaining human settlements and the threat of war isn't that far away. As much as I'm still hoping to see characters like Meg and Simon again I'm enjoying this new group and looking forward to spending more time with them in the next book.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Etched in Bone - Anne Bishop

Anne Bishop returns to her world of the Others, as humans struggle to survive in the shadow of shapeshifters and vampires far more powerful than themselves...

After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders—a primitive and lethal form of the Others—the few cities left under human control are far-flung. And the people within them now know to fear the no-man’s-land beyond their borders—and the darkness...

As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relatively unscathed, though Simon Wolfgard, its wolf shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace. But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery’s shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings.

With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can have on a pack. But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will all end—with her standing beside a grave...

The Others Series:
Written in Red
Murder of Crows
Vision in Silver
Marked in Flesh
Etched in Bone
Lake Silence (World of the Others book 1)
Wild Country (World of the Others book 2)

Visit Anne Bishop's website for more information

Review:
As humans are struggling to comprehend the new world order since the Elders unleashed their fury on members of the HFL movement Simon and the rest of the members of the Lakeside Courtyard know this could just be the beginning. The Elders have seen first hand how much trouble humans can cause as a group, many cities and towns didn't survive the punishment they doled out after the attacks on the Wolfgard and the places that remain are under intense scrutiny. In the past the Elders kept to the wild country and left the rest of the terra indigene to monitor the humans but now they're paying attention and it wouldn't take much for them to decide extinction is the best course of action after all.

The community around Lakeside is trying to pick up the pieces and Simon is having to deal with finding extra supplies for the ever increasing members of the human pack at the Courtyard. Things are going quite well until Lieutenant Montgomery's estranged brother turns up expecting a free ride. When Jimmy realises that his mother and brother aren't just going to keep giving him the handouts he thinks he's entitled to he puts plans in motion that could end up destroying what's left of humanity.

I've loved every minute of this series so I was really sad to find out that this is the last book focusing on Meg, Simon and the Lakeside Courtyard. I still don't feel ready to say goodbye to this group so I'm glad there are more books in the world and I really hope we'll see more than minor cameo appearances from the people we already know and love. I've been rooting for a Meg and Simon romance from the beginning, it's been blindingly obvious to everyone but the two of them that they've been falling in love since they first met and I've been waiting for them to realise it for such a long time. I hate to say it but I was a bit disappointed that we didn't see more of their romance in this final book, yes they finally start to admit their feelings and the way things ended left me very hopeful about their future, but I wanted more. I wanted to see them take the next step in their relationship, wanted to see them try to figure out how to make things work, was looking forward to seeing how everyone around them would react to them as a couple and to seeing how many funny misunderstandings they would have because they both see the world so differently. There was just so much potential there that it seems like a wasted opportunity to end things where they did.

Having said that there was still a lot I enjoyed about this book, including what we did see of Meg and Simon starting to admit their feelings, in fact if there was going to be another book staring the two of them then I'd have been over the moon with what we did get to see of them in Etched in Silence. I also really enjoyed seeing how the Others coped with having more humans around the Courtyard, there were some funny misunderstandings because they all see things in different ways, I'm particularly thinking of Kowalski on his bicycle here! Every single one of these books have had moments that made me laugh out loud so even though the series is quite dark in places there has been plenty of fun along the way too. The storyline with Monty's brother was extremely frustrating (mainly because I wanted Simon to just eat Jimmy and be done with it!) but it was interesting to see how much attention the Elders were paying to the courtyard and to Meg in particular.

I'm sad our time in the courtyard is over but I'm glad we're not completely done with this world yet. I'm assuming the next book will be set in one of the smaller communities we've already seen glimpses of and there are lots of characters I'd like to know more about so it's going to be fun to see who we're spending time with next. I really hope we'll get to see Meg and Simon making cameo appearances though.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Marked in Flesh - Anne Bishop

In the fourth novel in Anne Bishop's New York Times bestselling series, the Others will need to decide how much humanity they're willing to tolerate - both within themselves and their community...

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the dynamic between humans and Others has changed. Some, such as Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn see the closer companionship as beneficial.

But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don't realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land - and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to safeguard what is theirs...

The Others Series:
Written in Red
Murder of Crows
Vision in Silver
Marked in Flesh
Etched in Bone
Lake Silence (World of the Others book 1)
Wild Country (World of the Others book 2)

Visit Anne Bishop's website for more information

Review:
As a species humans really are pretty stupid. The Others may call us "clever meat" but really a large majority of us are so stupid you could almost call us suicidal. Rather than learn from the lessons the terra indigene tried to teach them in the previous book the members of HFL decide they're going to continue the attacks, this time with devastating consequences for both the Others and for humanity. Now the humans have the attention of the terra indigene Elders and they're throwing around words like "total extinction". All that remains to be seen is how many, or how few, people will survive when the Elders come calling.

I've been so hooked on this series that I devoured the first four books (about 2000 pages!) in five days, I made every excuse I could come up with to spend as much time as possible reading and I think I've actually given myself eye strain because today I'm having too much trouble focusing to dive into book five. Anyway, that's my really long winded way of telling you that I absolutely LOVE this series. Everything about this world is fascinating to me, I love that humans are at the bottom of the food chain, I've really enjoyed getting to know all the different characters who live in the Lakeside Courtyard and I was desperate to know what would happen when the Elders came calling.

Unfortunately we have to witness some pretty terrible attacks on the Others first though. Is it weird I was more upset when the werewolves were attacked than I was when humans were facing possible extinction? I honestly don't care if that's weird because very few humans in this world actually deserve to survive so I'd be quite happy to see most of them wiped off the face of the planet. Obviously I'm not talking about Meg, her human pack or even the Others friendly police officers but anyone who had a membership card for the HFL would make a very tasty Elder snack in my opinion!

Anyway, we finally get some pay off in terms of the Others fighting back, the Elders have watched, they've listened and they've learned and now they're ready to treat humans the way they deserve to be treated. My one slight complaint was that I wanted to see certain people suffer a bit more, I'm not normally one for graphic violence but I would actually have enjoyed more here! I also really wanted more Meg and Simon, of course we do see a lot of them but what I'm desperately waiting for is some payoff in the romance department. Can someone just smash their heads together and MAKE THEM KISS! Please, for the love of God lets bring this romance to the boil because the slow build that I was enjoying so much in the beginning is starting to kill me!

Yes, I am possibly a little too invested in this but I've spent more time in the book world than I have in the real one this week so the lines between fantasy and reality are starting to blur. Surely that's a sign on Anne Bishop's fantastic writing though? I can't recommend this series highly enough!

Source: Purchased

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Review: Vision in Silver - Anne Bishop

New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop transports readers to a "stunningly original" world of magic and political unrest - where the only chance at peace requires a deadly price....

The Others freed the blood prophets to protect them from exploitation, but their actions had dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn's help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.

Meg knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions might be Simon's only hope of ending the conflict.

For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the battle is threatening to break out right on Meg and Simon's doorstep....

The Others Series:
Written in Red
Murder of Crows
Vision in Silver
Marked in Flesh
Etched in Bone
Lake Silence (World of the Others book 1)
Wild Country (World of the Others book 2)

Visit Anne Bishop's website for more information

Review:
The terra indigene may have saved the blood prophets and destroyed the compounds where they had been held captive and exploited but it turns out that was the easy part. The hard part is going to be finding a way to help the girls survive life on the outside, away from their strictly regimented routines and experienced handlers. The Others and the intuits are doing their best to make them comfortable in their new homes but they're finding so many changes hard to cope with and the only person who has a chance of helping them survive is Meg.

Meanwhile the animosity between humans and the Others is increasing thanks to the HFL (Humans First and Last) movement. Nicholas Scratch is the perfect spokesperson for the group, full of charm and playing on people's fears and prejudices to stir up hatred and bigotry. Not all humans agree with the HFL but unless Simon can figure out a way to reduce tensions between the two groups all humans will pay the price. They have no idea what kind of trouble they are stirring but they're about to get a few reminders.

I'm still totally hooked on this series and haven't really come up for air since I started Written in Red a few days ago. I'm fascinated by this world that Anne Bishop has created and I love so many of these characters. It's been really interesting to see the changes that have come over the Lakeside Courtyard since Meg walked into their lives, the small human pack they've accepted for her is gradually growing and the Others who live there are starting to see how interesting life can be with cooperative humans around. Of course the more trouble that HFL stir up around the whole of Thaisia the greater the danger is but Simon is still trying to find a way forward that allows both groups to live side by side.

I've loved seeing Meg start to make friends and build a life for herself but now she's facing her biggest challenge yet and struggling to find answers that could help the rest of the blood prophets. She has friends around her now though and I really like the camaraderie between the human pack but also the Others who have taken her under their wings. One of my favourite things is the friendship between Meg and Simon though, it's so easy for everyone else to see that they're falling in love but Meg has no experience and doesn't understand while Simon isn't willing to admit his feelings because Others mating with humans just isn't the done thing. I really want to see some payoff between these two soon but so far I'm enjoying the slowburn. We're starting to see more of police officers like Monty and Burke and how the way they act is having a huge impact on relationships between humans and the Others too. Monty has a lot going on in this book and honestly it was something I was really hoping would happen so I did cheer a little when a certain new character showed up.

I finished this book at 6am this morning so that should give you an idea of how much I was enjoying it, especially if I add that I managed to grab three hours of sleep before I was awake again and making a start on Marked in Flesh. I honestly can't remember the last time a series grabbed me this hard but right now I'm loving every minute of it.

Source: Purchased

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