Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Description:

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Yet she spares Cas's life.

Review:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

5 out of 5

OMGoodness!  This is one of the best books that I've read in a while.  There is a beautiful sense of mystical romance and mysterious adventure.  But don't read it in the dark!

Thunder Bay sounds like a beautiful Canadian town.  Of course, it is also filled with haunted places and paranormally gifted people.  Might be a lovely place to visit, but not to live.  

Thomas is such a cute character.  You can't help but want him to succeed in getting Carmel.  

I love all the references to Ghostbusters!  I couldn't help but laugh at how everyone but Cas wanted to be like the Ghostbusters... Poor Cas needs to grow a sense of humor!

Carmel is a wonderful girl, who definitely is the "normal" glue to this paranormal team.  

Poor Anna. Her life was bad, her death and undead life were worse.  I wanted to hurt her mother for her evilness.  To do that to her own daughter was horrible.  

I find Will to be an ass.  I know he is hurting, but he still is an ass.  Yet, I do feel sorry for what happened to him.  No one deserves that.  

Cas is a good guy who carries an unnecessary burden of killing ghosts.  I like how he tried to figure out his first time having friends.  It was kinda sad and humorous at the same time. 

I really loved that Anna wasn't the whole story.  Yes, she is a major player, but not the plot twist.  And how Anna is both the villain and the hero, lover and friend, a mystery wrapped up in a poor haunted girl, I loved it!

The ending was so sad.  I wanted to cry with the sacrifices made.  Anna and Cas deserved so much more.  

Overall, this is a great book!  I highly recommend it!  

Happy Reading!

Cana

Lothaire by Kresley Cole

Description:

In this thrilling tale of the Immortals After Dark, #1 New York Timesbestselling author Kresley Cole reveals secrets of the Lore, fierce realm of the immortals. 

All Fear The Enemy Of Old

Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience.

A Deadly Force Dwells Within Her

Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

Centuries Of Cold Indifference Shattered

Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past . . . or risk everything for a future with her?

Review:

Lothaire by Kresley Cole

4.5 out of 5

Lothaire is a cocky, crazy son of a bitch... But it was nice to finally figure him out (sort of), and to see what makes him tick. 

Ellie was really the best part of this book.  First off, she was sane, which made reading her POV so much easier than reading Lothaire's.  Secondly, she was a mortal breath of fresh air.  As she learned more about the Lore, so did we.  I liked that.  

Finally!  We got to know more about Hag/Balery.  I hope that we get to learn more about her and the demon she loves.  I think it will be a great story.  

Saroya was an utter bitch.  I'm so glad she got what she deserved.  

It was interesting to learn about La Dorada... And I learned that she has a huge role in the assension. That and she really is a piece of work with a spark of Evil creativity.  

Poor Nix!  All the trouble she is going through, all her visions and her loosing her mind.  You hope & wish that for she will get some sanity and salvation from the crazies.  

I found the last part with Lothaire in a wife beater and a threatened skoals hat... It kinda had me rolling on the floor in giggles.  

Minus the crazy moments that we share with Lothaire, this is a good book.  It introduces you to a lot of great characters, as well as lets you catch up with the ones you already know.  I like that.  

Overall, even if you don't want to see into the mind of a crazy killer like Lothaire, give it a chance for a good read.  I definitely recommend it, and the rest of this series.  

Happy Reading!

Cana

Written in the Stars by Lissa Bryan

Description:

**"Written in the Stars" is a fanfiction story, the one which brought me to the attention of my publisher.**

Edward is king of a dying race, his planet torn by civil war. Bella is abducted to become his bride. From college student to Queen... Can she learn to love this strange man and help save his people? AU/OOC. Rated M for lemons, violence and mature themes.

Review:

Written in the Stars by Lissa Bryan

4.5 out of 5

So, I generally avoid fan fiction... but a friend (one who will remain anonymous by her request... but she is a fellow book reviewer) told me that I had to read this one.  And she was right.  This fan fiction was based off of Twilight (which I'm not a fan of), but I think I might be a fan of this.  

This Bella is strong, though she doesn't know it.  She needs Edward, but that doesn't make her needy.  I liked that about her.  

This Edward is a cuddler, a romantic, and appears to be an almost perfect man.  But he still has his faults.  And he still makes mistakes.  Plus, he doesn't sparkle in the sunlight!

I liked that there was not only the romance between Bella and Edward, but there was the adventure and drama of war, the new experience of new cultures, new religions, and the idea of the mating/pregnancy/delivery/incubation for Bella and Edward will keep you on the edge of your seat to find out what will happen next.

I hate what happened to Tanya, as she was one of my favorite characters.  She was so wise and serene... Like a clear running brook on a warm sunny day.  

Now it is a bit drawn out.  I think you could actually make it 2 or 3 stories.  but don't let that stop you from reading this story!

Overall, this is a great story.  If you haven't read any fanfic, maybe give this one a try.

Happy Reading!

Cana

An Exchange of Gifts by Anne McCaffrey

So this is a re-review of a book that I love reading.  I thought I re-share some of my favorites that I re-read every year. 

Description

When Meanne, a princess of the realm, runs away from her father's castle and an unwanted suitor, little does she realize the hardships and difficulties that lie ahead of her. Loneliness is the worst part - until she finds a fellow refugee, a boy named Wisp. Together they must make new lives for themselves. Yet they both have secrets - hidden pasts and magical powers that can tear them apart!

My Review

An Exchange of Gifts by Anne McCaffrey
5 out of 5

Princess Meanne has run away, going to the only place she feels is safe: the old charcoal maker’s cabin in the middle of the woods. It isn’t long before Wisp comes wandering into her life. She can’t help but feel that there is more to him that meets the eyes, but she has no idea what. Both have secrets, but can they look past the secrets and find the support and love they both desire?
I love this short novella. It shows the strength a person can have when they have to make a decision that is hard. It also shows how trusting someone can lead to absolutely wonderful things. The play of the relationship between Meanne and Wisp is more than friendship, but doesn’t automatically point at romance.
The magic of this little book is like a breath of fresh air. Meanne has an unusual gift of the green thumb (she can make anything grow), which is also extremely unfortunate that she is a princess, because they don’t let princesses garden. Wisp’s power isn’t revealed until almost the end of the story, but when you finally find out it makes so much sense.
I personally love this story and have re-read it many a time. I highly recommend this book and wish that there was another book to let us know what happens after the end of the book.

Happy Reading!

Cana

What A Weekend And What A Nice Surprise!

So after a wonderful weekend working at SCARAB in Cola, SC, which is a whole blog post in itself... Needless to say it equaled a fun time with my friend (and fellow reader) Becca searching for book stores, working the Iron Arena and getting to eat at my favorite restaurant in town.  

So after all that this weekend, I came home to a package! I was so excited, that I didn't even unpack (okay, so I started 1 load of wash)... I opened it and see what I found:

The lovely and wonderful Linda Wichman sent me an autographed copy to replace my other 3 worn out copies... Yes, I read this book at least once a year, which does mean that the copies do get a bit of loving in the process.  

If you haven't read this book, you really need to!  I highly recommend it.  You can check out my review here!

Happy Reading!

Cana

Caressed by a Crimson Moon by Amanda J. Greene

Description:

Consumed by madness and tormented by dark memories of blood and death, Hadrian Lucretius, King of the Validus Clan, has returned after living in self-imposed exile for nearly three hundred and fifty years.

To maintain peace with the vampires, Eva Maldonado is offered as a sacrifice to the crazed vampire king by her father, the alpha of the Silveria Shifter Pack. Hadrian’s reputation is both legendary and lethal; he is ruthless, bloodthirsty, lusty, and soulless. When Eva arrives at the ancient fortress high in the Carpathian Mountains, she is shocked to find a ravaged man with dark burning eyes filled with loneliness and dangerous desire.

Would she be his lover…or his prey? His savior…or his victim? Would Hadrian lure her into madness or would their perilous passion be their redemption?

Review:

Caressed By A Crimson Moon by Amanda J. Green

5 out of 5

Let me first tell y'all, I LOVE this series!  It is yummy hotness!

Hadrian is such a conflicted character.  He deals with his dark side and his dark memories as best he can, but he struggles to stay sane.  But is he strong at the times that he needs to be.  

Eva is a mysterious half-breed that is more powerful than she knows.  I love that about her!  After being abused for a decade, she is till very strong and is willing to fight for what she wants.  

I think Falcon was really enjoying watching the sexual tension between Hadrian and Eva.  I think he already knows that they are mates, but he is just waiting for them to figure it out.  

I liked the mystery about Eva's heritage.  It was a very nice twist to add to the story line.  It also added the reason for Hadrian to have her, for her to help save him.  

I love that this is kind of a grown-up Beauty and the Beast story (which is my FAVORITE!).  And I like the hints and nods to Disney's Beauty and the Beast.  Very creative, without it being very in-your-face about it.  

There is a lot of yummy hotness that spans chapters... I was so happy to be devouring this book!  

What a transition Eva experienced!  Dying, living, and being bonded to Hadrian... What a day!  But then she gives him what for within 24 hours of her change... Loved that!

I loved the end of this book.  Everything answered except one question:  Will Falcon be able to save Sonya and get his own happy ending with her?  

Overall, this is a GREAT BOOK!  I highly recommend this series!

Happy Reading!

Cana

Yay! It is 2014!

Hi Everyone!

So it has been a while since I've been here.  I know, it was several months.  But now I'm back!  I've got tons of reviews to post and they will be coming soon.... I'm trying to get the reviews typed up, so be patient with me.  Expect some sometime the end of this week or next week.  

Happy Reading!

Cana