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!

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!

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.