Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1) by J.K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Author: J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #1
Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult

Rating: 4/5

Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He’s never worn a Cloak of Invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry’s room is a tiny cupboard under the stairs, and he hasn’t had a birthday party in ten years.
But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that’s been waiting for him… if Harry can survive the encounter.

Review:

I feel like one of the last people in the world who hasn’t read the Harry Potter series. When it first came out I just didn’t think it would fit my reading personality. Then when I ventured into the Book Blogging world EVERYONE seemed to have read this series and LOVED it. So I held off because I didn’t want to read it and have it NOT live up to the high expectations I had for it. I’m glad that I finally came to my senses and I’m FINALLY taking the time to read this series.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone starts off when Harry is a baby, shortly after You-Know-Who has murdered Harry’s parents. Then the next time we see Harry he’s a young adult living a miserable existence with the Dursley’s his emotionally abusive Muggle aunt, uncle and cousin. The older Harry is getting the more weird things are happening and he doesn’t know why. See he’s been led to believe that his parent’s were killed in a car accident which is NOT true at all. See young Harry is a wizard, he just doesn’t know it yet.

Then the letter from Hogwarts arrives and things start to get a little clearer for Harry.

This is also the point in the book where I really started to get into it. At the beginning of the book I was really lukewarm on what I was reading. I thought that the characters up to that point were pretty alright and well-developed, I was just not enjoying the slow pace of the beginning of the book. But when the letters from Hogwarts start arriving and Uncle Vernon goes a little whack-a-doo that is when I became really invested in the book. This is also the point where a whole host of new characters are introduced to us. My personal favorite is Hagrid. He’s this big loveable “giant” that is sent to make sure that Harry makes it to Hogwarts on time.

Once Harry is at Hogwarts there’s a whole bunch of new characters that keep the pace of the story chugging along and kept me interested. George and Fred Weasley are AWESOME and are good for a giggle here and there. Ron and Hermione become Harry’s constant companions and then there is Draco Malfoy….I just want to punch that kid in the face! I have a love/hate relationship with him. In that I LOVE to HATE him. The teachers at Hogwarts are pretty great too. Even evil Professor Snape.
The most interesting part of the second half of the book was the introduction of Quidditch. Which is the favorite game of the magic world. I thought that the Quidditch was well described and the training and games were well written in the book.

Then there is the twist at the end. I NEVER saw that coming at all. Just when I thought I knew who the bad guy was this twist is thrown in just to say “nope you’re wrong.”

Overall, I’m pleasantly surprised by this first book in the series. I wish the beginning of the book had moved a long a little faster than it did but it didn’t prevent me from liking the book any less. I thought that characters in this book were well-developed and well written too. There wasn’t a TON of action in this book but it’s also the first book in the series and the author is building up EVERYTHING that is Harry Potter for later books so I’m letting it slide this time.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) by J.K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Author: J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #2
Genre: Fantasy/Middle Grade

Rating: 4/5

Ever since Harry Potter had come home for the summer, the Dursleys had been so mean and hideous that all Harry wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature who says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girl's bathroom. But then the real trouble begins - something is attacking Hogwarts students, turning them into stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past reveals dark secrets? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects ... Harry Potter himself!
 

Review:

I was worried that The Chamber of Secrets was going to suffer from "second book syndrome."  I was pleasantly surprised that I was entirely wrong.  I think that even though this book started off a little bit slow, just like book one, that it progressed at a pretty decent speed as well.  There was a TON more action in this book than there was in book one!

Harry has just spent a MISERABLE summer with the Dursley's and is ITCHING to go back to Hogwarts.  Counting down the days! He's worried about his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, he hasn't heard from them all summer.  While on his summer vacation we are introduced to Dobby the house elf.  Dobby delivers some disturbing news to Harry but that doesn't deter Harry from going back to school.

There are several new characters that are introduced in this book, one of which is Ron's little sister Ginny.  Then there is Gilderoy Lockhart, who I have a love/hate relationship with...in that I LOVE to Hate him.  He's such a miserable character and once the truth is known about him I disliked him even more!

What I really enjoyed about this book was that NOTHING was set in stone.  Just when you thought you had it figured out there was a twist delivered that totally derailed your thought process.  When "stuff" hits the fan and things get so interesting that I literally could not put this book down it was an AWESOME feeling. Even HARRY is accused of all the bad things that are happening at the school!  Once the final twist is dealt and we've figured out where the Chamber of Secrets is at I could not wait to see what happened next.  I was quite surprised to see who the actual bad guy was in this book and how he was dealt with.  Great stuff ladies and gents!

Overall, I can honestly say that though not my favorite Harry Potter book so far, it was definately good.  I can only see this series getting better as Harry ages and becomes a more experienced wizard!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3) by J.K. Rowling

Title:  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Author: J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #3
Genre: Fantasy/Middle Grade

Rating: 4.75/5

Harry Potter is lucky to reach the age of thirteen, since he has already survived the murderous attacks of the feared Dark Lord on more than one occasion. But his hopes for a quiet term concentrating on Quidditch are dashed when a maniacal mass-murderer escapes from Azkaban, pursued by the soul-sucking Dementors who guard the prison. It's assumed that Hogwarts is the safest place for Harry to be. But is it a coincidence that he can feel eyes watching him in the dark, and should he be taking Professor Trelawney's ghoulish predictions seriously?

Review:

NOTE TO SELF: Write reviews right away NOT 3 days later after you've managed to lose your notes! So this review will be a complete and total "wing it" review.

 This series is really starting to grow on me a lot.  I have no idea why it has taken  me so long to get to reading it!  To bad he's British or I would be all "Harry for President!"

This book starts off with a bang, when Sirius Black a bat crap crazy mass murderer, has escaped from the Azkaban prison.  After that this book only picks up speed.  The relationship between Harry and the Dursley's becomes even more tested in this book.

Once Harry gets to Hogwart's life gets really interesting.  With the escape of Black the Ministry of Magic has stationed these soul-sucking creatures called Dementors at Hogwarts to protect the staff and students.  Harry and crew try to keep things normal but with Black on the loose and after Harry it becomes difficult. After overhearing some disturbing information about Black Harry decides he wants revenge.  See Harry thinks that Black is responsible for Voldemort killing Harry's parents.

There is a wicked twist at the end of this book that I really didn't see coming. There is a host of new characters, including a new Dark Magic teacher, who is not what he appears either.  Harry and the gang keep Hagrid, Snape and the whole staff of Hogwarts on there toes pretty much through out the whole book.  Just like with the Chamber of Secrets there is a TON of action and I was really sad to see this book end.  Of the three books in this series that I've read, this one is my favorite so far.

Prophecy (The Dragon King Chronicles #1) by Ellen Oh

Title: Prophecy
Author: Ellen Oh
Series: The Dragon King Chronicles #1
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Paranormal

Rating: 2/5

The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

Review:

A friend of mine who was book blogging about the time this book was announced it was being said I needed to read this book because there was a lot of positive feedback behind it.  So when it was released I downloaded it onto my Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet.  Then I went about my merry way for a couple of days.  I started reading this book yesterday when I got home from work and while I really wanted to like it, it was only 'meh' for me.

Kira is the only female in her king's army and the prince's bodyguard.  She also has another thing going for her, she can sense demons. Which in the long run was quite helpful but it wasn't really a focus when "stuff" hit the fan.  I would have liked to see the author spend a little more time on this but it just didn't happen.

When "stuff" hit the fan and things should have been memorable, I've got nothing.  If you read the blurb the last sentence says "Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy."  Well to be honest, I feel that there was a TON of ancient lore, a TON of action but the rest Prophecy came up short on.

I just didn't connect with really any of the characters either. Kira for me was too wishy washy for me.  Once second she's on the highest high the next she's on the lowest low and it started to drive me banana's.  I did like the prince though.  He gets a pretty big burden placed on his tiny 12 year old shoulders.  He could have run away with his tail between his legs but he stepped up to the plate big time.  There were several characters that I felt were just "filler material," I didn't really understand why they were there at all.

I will give the author some major props for writing Prophecy in a "real" way.  There is war in this book and people die.  Many families are destroyed.  There is a bunch of political stuff too that I'm not even going to try to process right now.  It's not all "unicorns that poop sunshine" in Prophecy.  Since this is a debut for this author I'm not going to quit this series yet.  For all the negatives I found with this book it was a page turner and I finished it in about a grand total of 3.5 hours.  To quote Brokeback Mountain..."I can't quit you!"

Tempting the Player (The Gamble Brothers #2) by J.Lynn

Title: Tempting the Player
Author: J. Lynn
Series: The Gamble Brothers #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: 3/5

Chad Gamble, all-star pitcher for the Nationals, is one of the best players on—and off—the field. And right now, the notorious bad boy wants Bridget Rodgers. But with her lush curves and snappy comebacks, the feisty redhead is the kind of woman a man wants to settle down with…and that’s the last thing Chad needs.

When the paparazzi catch them in a compromising position, Chad’s manager issues an ultimatum: clean up his act or kiss his multi-million dollar contract goodbye. To save his career, his meddling publicist says he'll have to convince everyone Bridget isn’t just his flavor of the week, but his girlfriend.

Being blackmailed into a fake relationship with Chad Gamble isn’t easy, especially when the sizzling physical attraction between them is undeniable. With a month to go on their arranged pretense, it's going to take every ounce of willpower they have not to fall into bed together...or in love.
 

Review:

I downloaded this book onto my Nook ages ago and forgot about it until yesterday.  I needed something a little different than what I had been reading up to that point - mostly paranormal and fantasy - so clicked on this one.  It's a bad-boy meets good-girl story that I enjoyed.

Chad Gamble is a star pitcher for the Nationals and he's also a wicked bad boy.  Then he meets Bridget Rodgers the ultimate good girl in a bar that caters to Dom's, Sub's and Swingers called Leather and Lace. And things happen, very delicious things.

Because of Chad's reputation an image consultant is brought in to clean up Chad's act or he will be cut by the Nationals.  This is also the time that Bridget comes back into Chad's life and they are caught in a compromising position.  Enter fake relationship stage left.

What I liked about this book was that the characters are real and genuine.  You feel like you could be friends with these people if they weren't fictional characters.  Chad's got a bad reputation but he loves his brothers and his extended family very much.  Bridget is much the same way, minus the bad reputation.  I really enjoyed the secondary characters as well.  They added a lot of humor and dimension to this story.  I can hardly wait to read there stories!  The love scene's in this book were incredible too.

What I didn't really care for was the way the love scene's were written.  It comes out early in the book that Chad is a Dom when it comes to the sexual stuff.  Yet when you get to the love scene's he's written as a pretty girly-man Dom. That bothered me a little bit.  What also bothered me, which is entirely my fault, was that I started with the second book in the series.  Not the smartest thing I've done recently, especially sense references are made to the first book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book very much.  I wish I had started with the first book instead of the second but hey, what's done is done.  I have the first book on my Nook as well and I can hardly wait for June to get here so I can read Chandler's story!

Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin #1) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Spider's Bite
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assassin #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Rating: 5/5

My name is Gin and I kill people.

They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South — when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.
Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way — good or bad. I may look hot, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this cold hearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction...especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.

Review:

I had been hearing a lot of really great things about this series all over the book blogging community.  It seems that so many bloggers love this series.  I had downloaded this first book onto my Nook on a whim one day because it sounded really interesting.  The first sentence in the synopsis pretty much had me hooked.

What I really liked about this book?  Well I really liked pretty much everything about this book.  I was sucked into Gin's world from the first line of the book.  "My name is Gin and I kill people."  Come on that's catchy right there and it gets the reader excited to see what's going to happen next.  Gin is a very like able character with a VERY despicable job.  She has a wicked sense of humor too. Gin doesn't have a real family anymore but the host of secondary character's make up a pretty functional dysfunctional family for Gin.  Fletcher, Finn, Sophia, Jo Jo and the rest all bring a little something extra to the story.

The relationship between Donovan Caine and Gin is very "opposites attract."  Caine is a straight lace cop in a police force that is on Mab Monroe's payroll, who makes a great villain for this book.  Gin did something that has Caine unknowingly gunning for her.  When he finds out the truth it makes the relationship between him and Gin very confusing at times.

The action in this book is pretty freaking AMAZING!  It starts in the first couple of pages and keeps up through out the whole book.  I'm not a fan of roller coasters but this one roller coaster that I enjoyed immensely.  I really loved that fact that the actual bad guy in this book wasn't completely obvious.  I really dislike when the bad guy is so obvious.

The only thing that I didn't really care for was that at times when Gin is doing her "thing" there was a little bit to much information.  That was really the only fault that I could find with Spider's Bite.  It wasn't very often but it did happen so I thought I should bring it up.  Overall, I'm really happy with Spider's Bite.  My only regret is that I waited so long to start reading this series!

Kissin' Tell (Rough Riders #13) by Lorelei James

Title: Kissin' Tell
Author: Lorelei James
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Erotica
Series: Rough Riders #13
Source: Personal E-Book Purchase

Rating: 3.75/5


She once led him around by a string. Now he’s the one holding the reins.

Georgia Hotchkiss swore wild horses couldn’t drag her back to Sundance, Wyoming. So it’s ironic she’s forced to take a rodeo PR job in her former hometown—right before her ten-year class reunion. The only thing worse than facing her cheating ex-husband and his pregnant wife? Showing up to the reunion without a date. Fate smiles on her when she runs into her former classmate and current cowboy hottie Tell McKay. With his infectious smile and fun-loving ways—not to mention his banging body—he’s the perfect solution to her problem.

Tell McKay had it so bad for Hot Lips Hotchkiss during high school that he let her run roughshod over him. But he is no longer that easily manipulated boy—these days he’s earned a reputation with the ladies that lives up to the McKay last name. He agrees to escort her to the reunion with one stipulation; that Georgia proves she has left behind the goody-goody cheerleader of the past—by sharing his bed.

Their sexual chemistry flashes so bright, they barely notice that the reunion has come and gone, and now they’re tangled up in another dreaded “R” word—relationship. But if Tell wants to get the girl this go-around, he’ll have to come up with a whole new set of knots to tie up her heartstrings.

Warning: Contains a sweet talkin’ wild cowboy with a wagon load of crazy-hot sex fantasies and the mad bedroom skills to back up his claims.

Review:

This is one of my favorite series that I've come across recently. My mom turned me onto the McKay's and I haven't stopped reading since. Those McKay men sure are something. Though I will be honest...This is not my most favorite book in the series. I'm not saying it's a bad book because it's not at all...It just didn't live up to some of the expectations that I had going into this book.

I really liked our main character's Tell McKay and Georgia Hotchkiss as individuals. As a couple I was pretty lukewarm on them. As you can read from the synopsis, Tell and Georgia have history...history that they aren't afraid to use against each other. There were times when I felt that some of their issues were dealt with in a pretty juvenile manner as well. Though I will admit that once Tell figured out he was playing for keeps their were a fair amount of really sweet moments between the two.

There are plenty of cameo appearances by the majority of the McKay men, which always makes me a happy girl. Even when they are doing dumb things, which they are pretty good at. Then there is the addition of family drama on both sides, which makes things interesting for sure. Then there are the misconceptions...Not everyone is the same person they were in High School and sometimes people forget that.

Overall, this was, in my opinion anyway, a decent installment of this series. I'll definitely be continuing to read the rest of the Rough Riders series that's for sure. It's hard to imagine that there are only 2 McKay's left. If you haven't read this series I highly recommend it. It's unbelievably HOT and I'm not just talking about the guys either.

Into the Dreaming (Highlander #8) by Karen Marie Moning

Title:  Into The Dreaming
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Highlander #8
Genre:  Paranormal Romance/Historical Romance

Rating: 4/5

Aspiring romance novelist Jane Sillee was completely in love with her fantasy man -- the hot and strapping dark-haired Highlander who d been coming to her in her dreams for years and inspired her sensual flights of literary fancy.

But it was more than her imagination that conjured up the brilliantly woven tapestry sporting the spitting image of her magnificently arrogant warrior. It was more than a dream that transported her to medieval Scotland to break an evil spell. And it was more than she could handle when she found herself wrapped in the muscular arms of Aedan MacKinnon, who had his own fantasies to fulfill...

Review:

I read this book in one sitting.  I enjoyed this book so very much.  It's the eighth book in Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series but it can defiantly be read as a stand alone.

What I enjoyed about this book was that it had different elements mixed into it.  There were paranormal romance elements and then there were historical romance elements too.  I haven't read any of the prior books in the Highlander series so I wasn't sure what to expect when I sat down with my Nook and read this one.  Let's just say that I was happy with the outcome.

Each of the characters has a set of their own demons.  Aedan has been bound to the Unseelie King for roughly 500 years and Jane is an aspiring author who is having issues getting her book noticed by publishers.  Then the Seelie Queen gets involved and things get really interesting for our main characters.

I really enjoyed reading about the involvement of the Seelie Queen and the Unseelie King.  Not only do they have involvement with our main characters it does seem that these two have a history together.

Aedan at the beginning of the book is a bit of a tyrant and it makes it very easy to not like him.  Then Jane comes along and turns his world upside down, whether he liked it or not.  As Into The Dreaming progressed I really enjoyed seeing Aedan grow out of being a tyrant and grow into a loving, caring individual.  I really liked Jane a lot.  She's thrust back in time and gets stuck with this lunatic tyrant and she's bound and determined to make him love her because they have met before.....In the Dreaming.

There wasn't all that much that I didn't like about this book.  I'm actually having a hard time coming up with something that I didn't really care for.  I guess the one thing that really stands out to me at this point is the length.  I thought that this was a full length novel and it's more of a novella.  Which is fine but I did think it was a little short.  Overall, I'm beyond happy that I picked up the book.  I you haven't read this book or anything by Karen Marie Moning please do.  This is a really great book and author!

A Brush of Darkness (Abby Sinclair #1) by Allison Pang

Title:  A Brush of Darkness
Author:  Allison Pang
Series:  Abby Sinclair #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 3.75/5

The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.
Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

Review:

I downloaded this book onto my Nook a long time ago and never got around to reading it until a couple of days ago.  This was definitely an interesting read that's for sure!

Our main character Abby Sinclair is just chock full of AWESOME onto of the piss and vinegar!  Our Abby is the TouchStone to the Protectorate and is suddenly put in charge of well everything when Moria, the actual Protectorate goes missing.  There is a TON of mystery in A Brush of Darkness too.  As you're reading you learn that there have been more disappearances on top of Moria AND THAT is when life and this book get a little crazy.  A Brush of Darkness is chock full of humor as well.  Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book...

“I had a naked incubus in my bedroom. With a frying pan of half-cooked bacon, and a hard-on. And a unicorn bite on his ass. Christ, this was turning out to be a weird morning.”

There are a host of secondary characters as well.  My personal favorite though was Phineas, the horny little unicorn.  He's a funny little guy.

What I didn't like about A Brush of Darkness was Brystion.  I just didn't connect with him on really any level and this definitely made an impact on my feelings toward the book overall. There was a hint of romance between Brystion and Abby but it just didn't set right with me.  It may be a result of my feelings toward Brystion.  I felt that Moria really dropped the ball and left Abby in a great big lurch.  The overall treatment of Abby during portions of this book were a turn off too.

My overall impression of this book was that even though there were parts that really irked me, I did really enjoy A Brush of Darkness.  From what I can tell this book is being classified as a Paranormal Romance but it read more like an Urban Fantasy to me.  To each there own I guess.

Giving Chase (Chase Brothers #1) by Lauren Dane

Giving Chase by Lauren Dane
"A plate of Chili Cheese Fries + pants = True Love"

Title: Giving Chase
Author: Lauren Dane
Series: Chase Brothers #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotica
Source: Personal E-Book purchase
Rating: 4.75/5

I really enjoyed this book very much. I downloaded this book onto my Nook on a whim and once I finished this book I automatically downloaded the next 3 books in the series. It was just that good and that dang HOT!

Our heroine Maggie has just been dumped by yet another boyfriend, ha ha sucks to be him, and is out with her girlfriends, Liv and Dee, at The Pumphouse when the Chase brothers walk in for their weekly pool night. The Chase brothers are the one group of guys in the town of Petal, GA that EVERY woman wants to get there hands on, LITERALLY, Maggie included. A little run in with Sheriff Shane Chase and a plate of Chili Cheese fries in her lap, a bat crap crazy mother/sister combination and a creepy stalker starts off a whirlwind of excitement in this book.

Shane Chase has been burned by women before. Needless to say his attitude towards Maggie in the beginning is well, he climbed on his menstrual cycle and tried to run her ass over. But after apologizing Shane decides that he wants to take Maggie out on a date, do the casual thing. All goes well for a while. But then the good looking nutcase implodes is own relationship.

In steps little brother Kyle to clean up the mess. Yeah White Knight! Kyle is the exact opposite of Shane. He befriends Maggie first then goes about pursuing a relationship with her. And BOY HOWDY do things get HOT when the smexing starts.

The one thing that I really didn't care for in this book was Maggie's mother and sister. Can you say emotionally abusive much?! I think that all the drama that's thrown in, Kyle's mom Polly or Tsunami Polly as I like to call her, and the budding romance between Kyle and Maggie even out all the emotional abuse.

Overall, I was really happy with the first book in this series and I most definitely continued on with it. If you haven't checked out this series please do!

Skin Deep (I-Team 5.5) by Pamela Clare

Title: Skin Deep
Author: Pamela Clare
Series: I-Team 5.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Source: Personal E-book purchase
________________________________
Sexual Meter: Sex scenes, acts of sensuality
________________________________

Broken on the inside
Megan Hunter has worked hard to get back on her feet, leaving the nightmare of her teenage years behind. The last thing she wants or needs in her life is a man. But when she is attacked by someone from her past, a scarred stranger intervenes, saving her life and that of her little girl. Looks can be deceiving, for despite the man’s rough appearance, she feels safe with him. And for the first time in her life, she knows the stirrings of desire.
Broken on the outside
Nathaniel West paid a high price serving with the Marines in Afghanistan. He returned to his family’s ranch in the Colorado mountains to heal—and be alone. Disfigured as he is, he has put all thoughts of sex and romance aside. But something about Megan brings him back to life, heats his blood, makes him feel like a man again. As danger pursues her, and the truth about her past is revealed, he vows to protect her—and to heal her wounded spirit.
But confronting the past is never easy—especially when it’s carrying a gun. Megan will have to learn to trust Nate to survive and to claim a passion that is much more than … Skin Deep.
Includes a Bonus Story, Marc & Julian Make a Beer Run
Ride along with Marc, Julian, Zach, Gabe, Reece, Nate, and Joaquin as a beer run turns out to be more than they bargained for.

Review:

I saw this book as I checking out the lendable books that were available from my Nook Friends. The premise of the story sounded so good that I just had to have it. I’ve read one other book in the I-Team series and I really enjoyed it very much. If you haven’t checked out this series I highly recommend it.

We actually meet Megan in an earlier book in the series, one that I haven’t read yet and I actually didn’t know this until I was reading reviews for this book on Goodreads. Megan has her own set of demons that she’s dealing with most of them stem from events that happened to her when she was younger. Megan is also a single mother who is trying to do right by her little girl Emily. But Megan does have 1 big problem and his name is Donny.

Nate West is a former Marine who is dealing with the burns that came from an IED. He has always admired Megan from afar but when Megan is attacked in the parking lot on her way to pick up Emily from pre-school he steps in and rescues her. After reading a little bit about Nate you learn that he’s been “burned” by women before and he really wasn’t ready to through his hat in the ring yet when it came to dating but Megan saw past his burns and he eventually gets over himself.

The romance between Nate and Megan starts off pretty slowly and escalates pretty quickly once Megan takes Nate up on his open invitation. I really enjoyed all the secondary characters that are in the book very much. Every character adds a little something extra to the book to make it just that much more appealing. The drama and suspense kept building through out the story as well. The only issue that I had with the book was you know at the beginning of the book who the bad guy is. That slightly detracted from the story for me.

Styx's Storm (Breeds #22) by Lora Leigh

Title: Styx's Storm
Author:  Lora Leigh
Series: Breeds #22
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Rating: 3/5

When Storme Montague's father and brother are killed by the Breeds, her father's research is also destroyed -- except for a crucial data chip that both the Council and the Breeds would kill to possess. Betrayed to the Council, she is rescued by Styx, a Wolf Breed who is different from most other Breeds she has ever known. Storme has something he wants too -- but it's not a data chip.

There's never been a woman who bad boy Styx couldn't seduce. But can the charmer of the Wolf Breeds charm the enemy?

Or has the enemy come up with a plan of her own? A plan that could destroy the tentative balance the Breeds have created in society and among their allies -- and that may ultimately destroy them both...

Review:

I downloaded this book onto my Nook when it was first released...In October of 2010.  Naturally, I've been busy and reading other things so I just hadn't gotten to it until last week.  I've seen some pretty mixed reviews for the Breeds series on Goodreads and I just don't understand them.  This is my first Breeds novel but I really enjoyed it.

What I liked about Styx's Storm was that there is a lot of things going on in the book.  A lot of balls up in the air if you will.  It kept me engaged and into the story.  Because I'll be honest, I was really struggling with Storme.  But more on that later...

Being as this is book 22 in the series I was really happy to see that the author included information on what the Breeds are, how they were created, how they operate, basically I was really happy to see that this book could be read as a stand alone.  There was a lot that I needed to learn in a short period of time so I appreciate the information.

Now let's talk about the characters.  Storme!?  Oh my goodness, I had a real problem with Storme.  She saw some pretty bad stuff happen when she was younger and has been hunted by the "good guys," the Breeds, and the "bad guys," the Council since then.  So yeah, she's got some issues.  I think at points it got taken to the extreme.  Though when you throw Styx into the mix she's thrown quite a cruve ball.

Styx, who is a Wolf Breed, has been on Storme's tail for 2 years.  She doesn't know it yet but she is his mate and he's finally ready to collect.  He's wickedly good looking and has NO trouble with the ladies.  As a matter of fact there are few women he hasn't been able to charm.  When Styx and Storme get together their chemistry is combustible but because of Storme's fear he isn't able to really make her his mate until near the end of the book.

Besides Storme's issues, I really didn't care for the lack of drama.  There was some, yeah, but it was in one big lump sum near the end of the book.  That is part of the reason this book didn't rate higher with me.  I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I tore through this book too.  If you haven't checked out Styx's Storm please do.  At least see if your library system has it.  It was definitely worth the read.