Review: The Trouble with Spells by Lacey Weatherford

The Trouble with Spells: Book 1 of the Witches and Warlocks series by Lacey Weatherford

Amazon Product Description:
Portia Mullins had always lived the life of a normal teenager, up until her sixteenth birthday. She is then informed by her grandma that she is actually a witch who is a descendant from a long line of witches and warlocks. After overcoming her disbelief she finds that being a member of the coven comes with one great perk in the form of the schools handsome bad boy, Vance Mangum. Vance and Portia have an immediate connection as a budding romance begins, only to be threatened by turbulent skies on the horizon as Vance's checkered past rears its ugly head to haunt them. Portia is forced to use her untried powers in defense of everything she loves in a desperate attempt to hold on to the one thing that really matters in her life.


Wow!  I am so impressed!  I was IN from the very start.  The characters are beautifully written and the story is fantastic.  I was on the edge of my chair, turning pages as fast as I could read them!  Couldn't get enough of this book!  It has all the elements of a must read.  It has non-stop action, daring deeds, good vs. evil, danger and suspense, as well as being an all out love story.  

All of the characters have been carefully created and as a reader I found myself drawn to each of them for different reasons:
Portia - she is a genuinely nice young girl, adjusts remarkably well to finding out that she is a witch, and falls HARD and FAST for the school "bad boy" Vance.
Vance - the school "bad boy" but truly a powerful warlock who has been secretly in love with Portia for 2 years before they finally get to meet and find out she loves him too, he is running from his father and his father's evil plan for him.
Grandma Mullins - an amazing, wise, powerful, loving, supportive woman, she leads the coven.
Stacey - Portia's mother who is not magical in a witch sense, but is in her own way and who is completely comfortable in her role as the only non-magical member of the family.
Sean - Portia's dad who seems to always find the right balance, he is the second most powerful person in the coven.
Brad - Shelly's boyfriend who you expect to be the dumb jock with no ability to befriend the "bad boy" Vance, but who completely surprises you by being so very much more.
Shelly - Portia's best friend, she falls under the spell of an evil witch, spends a bit of time being jealous of the relationship that appears to be taking her best friend but comes around.
There are more characters, but obviously these are my favorites.  They are so well created that I found myself completely invested in their lives in no time.  It was refreshing to read a YA love story with no love triangle and even the willingness of Portia to die to save Vance doesn't rub the reader wrong.

Loved the book - can't wait to read the next one!

Let's Hop! and Of Witches and Warlocks Blog Tour!

It's Friday!  Let's Hop!  

The question of the week is: "Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?"

My answer is: "Heavens no!  I seem to always have at least 2 or 3 going at the same time!"

For my hop today I am helping promote the upcoming 

Of Witches and Warlocks Blog Tour!  I have finished book one - The Trouble with Spells (review to post this weekend) and I loved it!!!  I have already bought books 2 and 3 so I plan to spend my weekend reading those as well!  Happy hopping - Happy reading - Have a great weekend!

The blog tour is being presented by The Bookish Snob!

The tour kicks off March 17 and ends April 24 with a Grand Finale Kindle Giveaway!

You can get to the blog tour schedule by clicking here!

My scheduled stop is April 14 and will be an interview with the author Lacey Weatherford!

Be sure to stop back and check it out!

If you want to (and I strongly suggest you do!) go to Smashwords and download the books!  You can use the coupon code to get the first one for free and books 2 and 3 are $2.99 each.

Review: Scourge by David H. Burton

Scourge by David H. Burton
(I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review)

Amazon product description:
Two dads, five siblings, and goggles!

Grim Doyle has always known his life was not exactly "normal", and things get even more curious when he discovers a set of stones that sweep him and his family to the fantasy, steampunk world of Verne - a place they had escaped from years ago. Now that they've returned, Grim and his siblings hide from the evil Lord Victor and his minions. And while learning about Jinns, Mystics, and the power of absinth they try to discover who is trying to kill them with the deadly Scourge.


My thoughts:
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book.  I had not heard much about it before I read it, and I am new to the steampunk genre.  I was pleasantly surprised  - this was an entertaining and enjoyable read.


I think that David H. Burton does a nice job developing his characters.  They all had distinct personality traits that complimented each other.  There are a wide variety of characters from different worlds in the story and I was impressed with his attention to detail in that regard. 


The world building is well done.  David gives fantastical descriptions of Verne and the people and machines.  He is descriptive in his language and the reader is easily able to paint a picture of what is going on in the story at any given time.  


I was impressed with the story line, he is very imaginative and creative.  I found myself on the edge of my seat at times and hoping for the story to turn the way I wanted.  


To sum it up - - - I think this is well written, entertaining, and just the right blend of thrill and mystery.  I would readily recommend it to my readers and will be looking for more stories in the Grim Doyle series.

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop!!!

Kathy at I Am a Reader Not a Writer 

and 

Cindy at Books Complete Me 

are hosting the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop!

I am giving away a book of your choice (up to $15.00 US) anywhere the Book Depository ships free.

Giveaway ends at midnight on March 20, 2011

Rules:

1. You MUST be a follower - after all it is for my followers! 

2. You must be 13 or older.

3. You must fill out this form!  

Comments are great, but not necessary to enter.

There will be one winner who will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway is international as long as the book depository does ship free to your country. Please note that if you are the winner and you live in the US, I reserve the right to order the books from a store of my choosing. 

Review: The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld Series Prequel - -
The Darkest Fire

Amazon Product Description:
He is the guardian of hell, more monster than man. She is the goddess of oppression, more angel than woman. Together they will enter the flames to battle a dangerous horde of demon lords -- and discover a passion unlike any other.... Don’t miss this sizzling prequel to Gena Showalter's breathtaking new paranormal series, The Lords of the Underworld! Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive -- and unimaginably powerful.... “Showalter at her finest.” --New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning on The Darkest Night.


My thoughts:
Since I signed up for the Lords of the Underworld Challenge I decided I might as well start with the prequel and go from there.  This was my first Gena Showalter (even though one of my friends lives and breathes Lords of the Underworld - I had yet to try one).  I was not disappointed.  I don't know if anything could have lived up to what this series had been built to by my friend, but I enjoyed the story but would liked for it to have been longer.  
I think that this story would easily stand alone, but I believe that it was a great place to start and to get some of the background for the series.  


I liked the characters, Kadence and Geryon, he is the guardian to the gates of hell and she is the goddess of Oppression.  They have loved each other from afar and finally one day she speaks to him.  From their first conversation their journey begins and as they travel and spend time together finally admit their love for one another.  It's a bit like beauty and the beast in a way.  I won't spoil it for you by telling more - - 


There isn't much world building in this one - as they reside in hell, but she does a nice job on the descriptions of the other inhabitants and the surroundings.


At the very end of the story the gods realize that the wall between Earth and Hell has been breached and the Demon Lords has been loosed on Earth.  They built a box that drew, captured, and held the Demon Lords.  They gave said box to a woman named Pandora to ensure its safety.....so onto the rest of the series!

Review: The Serengeti Shifters Series by Vivi Andrews

Serengeti Heat: Serengeti Shifters Book 1 by Vivi Andrews

Amazon Product Description:

The fur's about to fly... A Sexy Shifter story.

Ava Minor is done being the good girl. As the smallest and weakest in a pride of shape-shifting lions where size and strength rule, she's never had any choice but to toe the line. Now, with sexy, nomadic alpha Landon King winning control of the pride, she grabs her one chance to let her inner feline out to play.

Landon would rather focus on reforming the antiquated traditions of his new pride than taking a mate...until the rebellious Ava crosses his path. All his noble intentions go up in flames, incinerated by the heat she exudes—especially when he realizes she's in heat.
Ava, knowing she isn't mate material, is determined to revel in one wild night before she's sent back to her place in the pride pecking order.
Except Landon has no intention of letting his daring, seductive lioness go...


Serengeti Storm: Serengeti Shifters Book 2 by Vivi Andrews

Amazon Product Description:

The bitch is back, and nothing gets in her way. Except her own heart…Serengeti Shifters, Book 2
Shana Delray is hissing mad. The pride’s Alpha has chosen a mate—and it’s not her. Bred to be his consort, she’s not going to let some runt of the litter take her destined place—no matter how much ass she has to kick in the process.
Her way back into the pride is Caleb Minor—her former lover, the Alpha’s loyal enforcer…and the runt’s brother. And if she has to go through Caleb to get what she wants, so be it. She’ll do whatever it takes to pry the little usurper out of her way.
Caleb’s familiarity with Shana’s manipulative ways serves him well when he’s assigned to keep the seething she-cat in line. A nearly impossible task, as he’s forced to use his body—in more ways than one—to save her from herself. Now if only he can save his battered heart from the explosive desire that isn’t as dormant as he’d thought.
Caleb’s stronger now. Tougher and harder. And, to Shana’s fury, he won’t be used. The harder she pushes, the more she finds her heart yielding…and suddenly she wonders if she can somehow win back the man she spent a decade trying to destroy…


Serengeti Lightning: Serengeti Shifters Book 3 by Vivi Andrews

Amazon Product Description:

Love can be a force of nature...Serengeti Shifters, Book 3
Mara Leonard is through hitting the snooze button on her biological clock. The Three Rocks Pride schoolteacher is ready to get serious about starting a family, and she needs a serious man to make that happen.
Regrettably, that means crossing less-than-serious Michael Minor off her list of potential mates. Michael is impulsive and passionate, but his spontaneity leaks into shapeshifting whenever his emotions run high—a tendency he should have outgrown long ago. As a sex buddy, he’s delicious. Daddy material? Disqualified.
Michael is blindsided by Mara’s rejection. Nine years separate them, and his genetic malady means no one in the pride treats him as an adult. But if she thinks he’ll simply slink away to lick his wounds while she steps into the arms of another man, she has seriously underestimated him.
The tricky part will be convincing his over-analytical lover that he’s more than a disposable sex toy. That real bravery means tearing up her damn checklist and following her heart. And doing it without letting their explosive sexual chemistry expose the Pride’s secrets to the outside world.

My thoughts:

Wow - these were fast paced, energetic reads!  I found myself unwilling to put each one down until the end!  The characters are well created with all the "right" stuff: personality, charm, great bodies, dedicated, driven, loyal... you know what I mean - - - - the guys are all the guy we dream about (probably because they don't exist anywhere but in these kinds of stories) and the girls are all daring, sexy, and win in the end!  

I read this series in three days - one per day, but each of the stories in one sitting - literally read them cover to cover without putting them down. 

Vivi Andrews has created a world full of lion shifters who live together on a huge ranch in a compound setting.  They have everything they need to survive without having to deal with humans, their own stores, schools, and so on.  The world she creates for her shifters is realistic and easy to believe in.  The characters she creates are amazing and I found myself instantly invested in their lives and hoping that they would get what they were searching for. I enjoyed each story very much - each has a different set of main characters with a host of supporting people who are around throughout the series.  These are definitely adult and pretty riskay!  If you like hot PNR this series was a fun one!