I've liked this cozy mystery series since the first one, Secondhand Spirits, in which witch Lily Ivory -- whose special talent is a spiritual connection with textiles -- set up her vintage clothing store in modern day San Francisco. Through the series, Lily has solved mysteries while also traveling her own story arc, such as learning to trust friends, brewing up potions with the help of her familiar (oft seen as a pot-belly pig, since she's allergic to cats), creating a fashion-inspired business, and slowly finding out several "what really happened" bits of her own background.

Tarnished and Torn puts Lily in a situation wherein her own skills are stretched. After a chance meeting at a Gem Show, another witch is killed. Lily feels at least somewhat responsible ("Was she trying to tell me something? Could I have prevented the murder?") and decides to learn what happened. Too bad that her textile sensitivities do absolutely no good with gems and minerals. The whole matter is complicated by awkward interpersonal relationships with several people, including the enigmatic Aidan Rhodes (sort of the San Francisco witchy godfather) and Lily's own father stepping onto the scene. (I'm deliberately being coy as it'd be easy to spoil things.)

As with the previous novels, this isn't an "OMG YOU MUST READ" story, but it is absolutely entertaining for an evening when you want to put your feet up and escape into another world for a while. I like it a lot. But you do need to start with the earlier books in the series.

Agatha Christie. Dorothy Sayers. Wilkie Collins. G. K. Chesterton. These are the authors which come to mind when reading Inside Evil. It is the sort of tale to curl up with in front of a warm fire, or read in bed on a cold frosty night. In truth it is a fantasy disguised as a mystery, the sort of quintessential English mystery which is both as cozy as a pair of warm slippers, and as frightening as a knife in the dark. The reader should be aware beforehand, however, that they are reading a very satisfying tale, but it is only Book One of a larger fantasy series. In this first incarnation, one is reminded of the Moors in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Ridgewood is brought to life as a somewhat isolated town not far from the Scottish border. Dark, moody, full of wet weather and haunting landscapes, it is the perfect setting for a murder, and in this case multiple murders.

The main characters - Roberta, Sam, Susan, Martha, and Karl (not to mention Mrs. Peacock) are all caught up in investigating a series of murders around the town, which have happened before and are happening again. As they discover more clues, and as they uncover more details regarding the murders and a strange basement room Susan has discovered, it is apparent they have stumbled upon something far more bizarre and unexplainable than they would have imagined. Something is lurking on the Other Side of Ridgewood, the Dark Side, and before they know it they are pulled into a series of supernatural happenings which become ever more threatening. With each new clue they stumble upon, each answer they deduce, the danger grows ever closer, until they realize that one of them is going to be the next target. But all is not darkness and evil. Help sometimes comes unlooked for . . ....

One last note - Along with the dialogue and interactions, Mr. Wakeling's chief gift seems to be in the characters he brings to life. All of them, from police detective Karl to the ever inquisitive Sam to the saucy (in more ways than one) Susan, are quirky and unique in their own ways, and play an essential part in the human play that is Inside Evil. Highly recommended.

I've liked this cozy mystery series since the first one, Secondhand Spirits, in which witch Lily Ivory -- whose special talent is a spiritual connection with textiles -- set up her vintage clothing store in modern day San Francisco. Through the series, Lily has solved mysteries while also traveling her own story arc, such as learning to trust friends, brewing up potions with the help of her familiar (oft seen as a pot-belly pig, since she's allergic to cats), creating a fashion-inspired business, and slowly finding out several "what really happened" bits of her own background.

Tarnished and Torn puts Lily in a situation wherein her own skills are stretched. After a chance meeting at a Gem Show, another witch is killed. Lily feels at least somewhat responsible ("Was she trying to tell me something? Could I have prevented the murder?") and decides to learn what happened. Too bad that her textile sensitivities do absolutely no good with gems and minerals. The whole matter is complicated by awkward interpersonal relationships with several people, including the enigmatic Aidan Rhodes (sort of the San Francisco witchy godfather) and Lily's own father stepping onto the scene. (I'm deliberately being coy as it'd be easy to spoil things.)

As with the previous novels, this isn't an "OMG YOU MUST READ" story, but it is absolutely entertaining for an evening when you want to put your feet up and escape into another world for a while. I like it a lot. But you do need to start with the earlier books in the series.

I've liked this cozy mystery series since the first one, Secondhand Spirits, in which witch Lily Ivory -- whose special talent is a spiritual connection with textiles -- set up her vintage clothing store in modern day San Francisco. Through the series, Lily has solved mysteries while also traveling her own story arc, such as learning to trust friends, brewing up potions with the help of her familiar (oft seen as a pot-belly pig, since she's allergic to cats), creating a fashion-inspired business, and slowly finding out several "what really happened" bits of her own background.

Tarnished and Torn puts Lily in a situation wherein her own skills are stretched. After a chance meeting at a Gem Show, another witch is killed. Lily feels at least somewhat responsible ("Was she trying to tell me something? Could I have prevented the murder?") and decides to learn what happened. Too bad that her textile sensitivities do absolutely no good with gems and minerals. The whole matter is complicated by awkward interpersonal relationships with several people, including the enigmatic Aidan Rhodes (sort of the San Francisco witchy godfather) and Lily's own father stepping onto the scene. (I'm deliberately being coy as it'd be easy to spoil things.)

As with the previous novels, this isn't an "OMG YOU MUST READ" story, but it is absolutely entertaining for an evening when you want to put your feet up and escape into another world for a while. I like it a lot. But you do need to start with the earlier books in the series.

If this book isn't the end of the Harper Connelly series, it certainly feels like it.

"Grave Secret" is a pretty solid conclusion to Charlaine Harris' short but sweet series about a woman able to sense the dearly departed. Mysteries are solved, plot threads are wrapped up, relatives are dealt with, and dirty little secrets are unveiled -- and while one pivotal secret is rather far-fetched, it handles all the loose threads deftly while keeping the door open for more possible stories about Harper and Tolliver.

After doing a job for the wealthy Joyce family, Harper and Tolliver face their toughest challenge yet: telling super-rigid Aunt Iona, Uncle Hank and their younger half-sisters that they're a couple. It doesn't help that this town is also where they lived as the abused blended family of neglectful junkies, and where Harper's beloved sister Cameron mysteriously vanished. As if their family relations weren't strained enough, Tolliver's creepy dad Matthew appears in town, claiming he wants to mend fences.

At the same time, Harper has been hired by the Joyces to find a missing baby that may be their grandfather's secret love child -- but someone is determined to keep her from finding it. People around her are getting injured, kidnapped and murdered -- even Tolliver has been shot. And as Harper tries to unravel the mysteries from years ago, she realizes that the Joyce family has a long-ago link to her own...

It's fairly obvious in "Grave Secret" that Charlaine Harris is ending the Harper Connelly series, although she leaves the door open for future adventures (if and when she ever wants to continue).... She wraps up overhanging mysteries (Cameron's murder), deals with the rifts within the Lang/Connelly family, and puts the finishing polish on Harper and Tolliver's romantic subplot. It's a satisfying finale, if a somewhat bittersweet one.

And as in the previous books, Harris' down-to-earth prose remains warm and slightly humorous, but there's a darker, gruesome edge -- long-ago deaths, gory killings (some of them Harper's friends), and the overhanging, spooky presence of the dead. The biggest flaw is that a few of the plot twists is a bit on the far-fetched side (seriously, NOBODY noticed that except one lone person?), but otherwise it's a clever tangle of interconnected clues and lies.

Harper and Tolliver are already lovers, but Harris goes out of her way to smooth out whatever wrinkles are still left between them -- including the grossed-out reaction that almost everybody has when they hear that the stepsiblings are dating. Well, it is a little weird. They also get some nice emotional closure relating to their scummy parents and more "normal" siblings (both living and dead), and Harris reveals a lot more about their hellish childhood.

And Harris does a good job sketching out seemingly cliched characters like Aunt Iona and Uncle Hank, who initially act like sour hyper-religious party-poopers, but who eventually are shown to have good hearts. The flipside is the creepy Matthew, who spouts a lot of "rehab therapy" jargon but still obviously has a lot of hatred.

"Grave Secret" is a solid ending to Charlaine Harris's supernatural mystery series, and it ties together the various plot threads pretty neatly. Enjoyable if a bit far-fetched at times.

Agatha Christie. Dorothy Sayers. Wilkie Collins. G. K. Chesterton. These are the authors which come to mind when reading Inside Evil. It is the sort of tale to curl up with in front of a warm fire, or read in bed on a cold frosty night. In truth it is a fantasy disguised as a mystery, the sort of quintessential English mystery which is both as cozy as a pair of warm slippers, and as frightening as a knife in the dark. The reader should be aware beforehand, however, that they are reading a very satisfying tale, but it is only Book One of a larger fantasy series. In this first incarnation, one is reminded of the Moors in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Ridgewood is brought to life as a somewhat isolated town not far from the Scottish border. Dark, moody, full of wet weather and haunting landscapes, it is the perfect setting for a murder, and in this case multiple murders.

The main characters - Roberta, Sam, Susan, Martha, and Karl (not to mention Mrs. Peacock) are all caught up in investigating a series of murders around the town, which have happened before and are happening again. As they discover more clues, and as they uncover more details regarding the murders and a strange basement room Susan has discovered, it is apparent they have stumbled upon something far more bizarre and unexplainable than they would have imagined. Something is lurking on the Other Side of Ridgewood, the Dark Side, and before they know it they are pulled into a series of supernatural happenings which become ever more threatening. With each new clue they stumble upon, each answer they deduce, the danger grows ever closer, until they realize that one of them is going to be the next target. But all is not darkness and evil. Help sometimes comes unlooked for . . ....

One last note - Along with the dialogue and interactions, Mr. Wakeling's chief gift seems to be in the characters he brings to life. All of them, from police detective Karl to the ever inquisitive Sam to the saucy (in more ways than one) Susan, are quirky and unique in their own ways, and play an essential part in the human play that is Inside Evil. Highly recommended.

If you are like me, what you really want to know: IS LEWIS ALIVE AND IN THIS BOOK MORE THAN HE WAS IN BOOK TWO??? And the answer is YES!!! Yeah!! Not only is he in the book, but he and Cameron are together for a lot of it and have several romantic interludes (ahem) that were worth the wait. At first he is not the confident, in charge guy from book one, mostly because he still doesn't have his memories back, but the old Lewis starts to surface and fights along side of Cameron.

The story starts right where book 2 left off. Cameron wakes up alone in a strange stone room and immediately is concerned where Lewis is and if he is still alive. She finds out that her mother is alive after all these years and that her sister Nora had spent two years in their father's prison being tortured to learn the extent of her powers. Now, her father has the wounded Lewis and Cameron is determined to rescue him. Her anger and hurt towards all her family members makes Cameron's words sarcastic and bitter towards them. She really just wants to find Lewis and run away with him.

I admit that the very beginning is somewhat tedious and repetitive. Cameron keeps threatening to leave so she can rescue Lewis, but she has no money and doesn't know where the compound is. Really, she is stuck there, so she might as well train. Things start to really picck up as she goes through a "Karate Kid" type training with the old woman, Sierra who speaks mysteriously and trains her mind using quasi Yoga techniques. Cameron finds out more about her own powers and that she is unique. All Cameron wants to do is get Lewis away from her father before he gets killed. When she sneaks out to find and rescue her love - WATCH OUT!...

This was another great, suspenseful adventure that was full of twist and even a death. I am sad to see it end, but appreciate that it was truly a trilogy and didn't go on and on like some others I have read recently. I have really enjoyed this series and would read more from Lori Brighton.

Some profanity, kissing

Would I/Did I buy it? Yes (2.99)
Would I read it again? Yes
Would I recommend it to friends? Yes!

This Mary O'Reilly Mystery is both scarey and funny, with wonderful characters and lots of action. I was not certain 'who done it' until the very end, and I couldn't put it down until it was all over! AND it ended with a twist, the perfect set up for the next book.

Mary and Bradley are just plain fun together - can't help but laugh out loud - but I found the characters of Rosie and Stanley to be a terrific foil to Mary's dry quips. They are the kind of pals we all wish we had: delightfully honest and totally on your side. Lucky Mary!

Gimme more, Ms. Reid - don't keep us wondering about where 'you-know-who' has been for so long! Alive or...???

Loose Ends is a hit!

A dash of science fiction, a dash of fantasy...Guardians Inc.: The Cypher was a story that was oh so familiar and oh so original at the same time. It's like Julian Rosado-Machain took everything that I love about middle grade children's fiction and slammed it into one awesome, well-paced fantasy. It had a mysterious society, good guys, bad guys, in between guys, gargoyles, elves, principals that are skilled at every form of martial arts (and then some), and a mysterious book of prophecies that could determine the fate of the world, among other things.

The story focuses on fifteen year old Thomas and his grandfather, Morgan. After responding to an ad in the paper, he and his grandfather are hired to work for Guardians Incorporated, a business that Thomas quickly discovers is much more than it seems. Guardians Inc. not only has their hand in economics, marketing, medical research, historical restoration and international relations, but they're also responsible for maintaining the balance between technology and magic. When it's discovered that Thomas and Morgan are Cyphers, people with the power to translate any written language, Thomas' grandfather is kidnapped by an opposing society. An interesting and practical power to have, all things considered, and we get to see Thomas put his skills to good use as he explores the underground magical culture and discovers that with his newfound gift, the fate of the world rests in his hands.

While Thomas was most definitely the main character, the relationship with his grandfather was one that felt genuine and loving. Morgan was very much a conscious presence throughout the book, even when he wasn't even there. Julian Rosado-Machain definitely has a talent for writing characters, and even alone, Thomas was very likable.... For a fifteen-year-old, he was surprisingly flexible, and eager to do what needed to be done in order to save the world. He had a good heart and a passion for learning and reading classics such as 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. The supporting characters were just as strong, and colorful. There's Henri, a gigantic stone gargoyle and the muscle of the group, Bolswaithe the robotic butler, Tony, a former leader of Guardian Watchman team, Vice Princepal "Killjoy", who is far from what she appears to be, and Tasha, a beautiful elf who may or may not have a thing for Thomas. Together, they provided an even balance of skills and dialogue needed to move the story along at a fun and interesting pace.

So when it comes down to it...Do you like Percy Jackson? Fablehaven? Harry Potter? Guardians Inc.: The Cypher shares a little from each of these middle-grade favorites, but spins them into a brand new and exciting adventure. Check it out, if you like what you see! You won't be disappointed. Oh, and I also recommend that you check out the website. It's just as entertaining to browse through as reading the book!

Good YA books about witches are the white whales of the genre. It seems like when you pick up a YA title about witches you can expect huge bounds of silliness like The Sweep Series by Cate Tiernan, and the writing usually doesn't get any better than the writing found in The House of Night series. So when I find a good one in that sea of muck, I'm beyond happy. Especially, when I get done reading it and think, "Holy cow!! That was awesome!"

Entangled starts off with teen angst right at the beginning when Graylee's sister, Charlene, is going to jump of the roof of the school because her boyfriend dumped her for another girl. When Charlene jumps instead of a gruesome death she simply floats to the ground below. The magic takes off right there and I love that it's not all funky poems and weird chants. It's more of a mind power, you know believe and you shall achieve. The teen drama in this book is tons of fun with twins Graylee--or just Gray--and Charlene. Just as Gray finds out her sister has been blocking her powers to undermine her confidence Gray wakes up the next morning to find out she died and woke up in her sister's body.

While I thought the mystery behind how Gray died was glaringly obvious, that's not the good stuff. The good stuff is watching Gray come into her magic and find out who her true friends are. Sure that sounds cheesy, but sometimes that is the hardest lesson in life. This book is about character growth and strength, a true treat for any reader.

Besides being an amazing new take on teen witches the romance is just refreshing. Awkward girl meets boy from the wrong side of the tracks, has always been a favorite ploy for romances. What's better is when the reader can watch the two see each other and develop feelings.... I hate it when the two just gaze into each others eyes and it's instant magic. Speaking of bad boys, Raj is one dangerous leading man. What I loved even more was that the story is told not just buy Gray, buy Raj gets some running time. Let's just say by the end of the book I had a huge fictional crush on Raj. Almost big enough to rival my crush for Jace from The Mortal Instrument series.

Entangled is that rare book that is going to make you tape your eyes open to read into the ungodly hours of the night--that's just what Entangled is though. Sure, I will admit there were a couple rough spots, but this book comes close to flawless. The magic will prick your interest and then the characters will pull you in. Evil sisters, good boys that are bad, bad boys that are good, dark pasts, dark magic, wild . . . OK I'll stop. You get the point. This is one fantastic read and I highly recommend it.

Sexual Content: Charlene is quite the promiscuous little lady *cough-slut-cough* and Graylee has a pretty hot make out scene. There's sexual talk and humor, but nothing that will put readers on edge.

5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!

Originally posted on Book Whispers.

*do not read unless you've read through book #6: spoilers for past books*
Blood Challenge, book seven in the World of Lupi series, picks up shortly after Blood Magic (A Novel of the Lupi, Book 6) left off. FBI agent and magic sensitive Lily Yu and her Lupi (werewolf) mate Rule Turner are recently engaged. Lily has become the target of anti-Lupi bigots, and receives hate mail and death threats. Meanwhile, she is investigating murders allegedly done by a Leidolf Lupi--hard to believe since he lived in peace with humans for years. Then a series of events makes them believe an old enemy may be at play, leading up to a roller coaster ride of edge-of-your-seat suspense and action.

This book was a great mix of mystery, suspense, romance, adventure and drama. I couldn't put it down! The character development and world building are top notch. I enjoyed seeing a lot of my favorite characters from earlier books as well as meeting new characters like Arjenie. While I missed the presence of Lily's grandmother and Sam, I liked the greater focus on the Lupi, especially Benedict and Isen. The behind-the-scenes look at Lupi life, including their politics, culture and day-to-day life, was interesting. I especially enjoyed the surprising plotline involving Benedict, which took up a large part of the story. I can't say more because it's too big of a spoiler, but it was one of my favorite parts of the book. Great job, Eileen Wilks!...

World of Lupi reading order:
1: TEMPTING DANGER
2: MORTAL DANGER
3: BLOOD LINES
4: NIGHT SEASON
5: MORTAL SINS
6: BLOOD MAGIC
7: BLOOD CHALLENGE
8: DEATH MAGIC - coming November 2011

If you haven't tried this series, I think it would appeal to urban fantasy and paranormal romance fans. Since the lead character Lily is a cop turned FBI agent who becomes mated to a werewolf, the books tend to be a mix of mystery/suspense and paranormal romance. Other books similiar in style to this series that I enjoyed:
Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
Guild Hunters series by Nalini Singh
Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost
Fever books by Karen Moning
Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill
Cassandra Palmer series and Dorina Basarab Dhampir series by Karen Chance

Good YA books about witches are the white whales of the genre. It seems like when you pick up a YA title about witches you can expect huge bounds of silliness like The Sweep Series by Cate Tiernan, and the writing usually doesn't get any better than the writing found in The House of Night series. So when I find a good one in that sea of muck, I'm beyond happy. Especially, when I get done reading it and think, "Holy cow!! That was awesome!"

Entangled starts off with teen angst right at the beginning when Graylee's sister, Charlene, is going to jump of the roof of the school because her boyfriend dumped her for another girl. When Charlene jumps instead of a gruesome death she simply floats to the ground below. The magic takes off right there and I love that it's not all funky poems and weird chants. It's more of a mind power, you know believe and you shall achieve. The teen drama in this book is tons of fun with twins Graylee--or just Gray--and Charlene. Just as Gray finds out her sister has been blocking her powers to undermine her confidence Gray wakes up the next morning to find out she died and woke up in her sister's body.

While I thought the mystery behind how Gray died was glaringly obvious, that's not the good stuff. The good stuff is watching Gray come into her magic and find out who her true friends are. Sure that sounds cheesy, but sometimes that is the hardest lesson in life. This book is about character growth and strength, a true treat for any reader.

Besides being an amazing new take on teen witches the romance is just refreshing. Awkward girl meets boy from the wrong side of the tracks, has always been a favorite ploy for romances. What's better is when the reader can watch the two see each other and develop feelings.... I hate it when the two just gaze into each others eyes and it's instant magic. Speaking of bad boys, Raj is one dangerous leading man. What I loved even more was that the story is told not just buy Gray, buy Raj gets some running time. Let's just say by the end of the book I had a huge fictional crush on Raj. Almost big enough to rival my crush for Jace from The Mortal Instrument series.

Entangled is that rare book that is going to make you tape your eyes open to read into the ungodly hours of the night--that's just what Entangled is though. Sure, I will admit there were a couple rough spots, but this book comes close to flawless. The magic will prick your interest and then the characters will pull you in. Evil sisters, good boys that are bad, bad boys that are good, dark pasts, dark magic, wild . . . OK I'll stop. You get the point. This is one fantastic read and I highly recommend it.

Sexual Content: Charlene is quite the promiscuous little lady *cough-slut-cough* and Graylee has a pretty hot make out scene. There's sexual talk and humor, but nothing that will put readers on edge.

5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!

Originally posted on Book Whispers.

*do not read unless you've read through book #6: spoilers for past books*
Blood Challenge, book seven in the World of Lupi series, picks up shortly after Blood Magic (A Novel of the Lupi, Book 6) left off. FBI agent and magic sensitive Lily Yu and her Lupi (werewolf) mate Rule Turner are recently engaged. Lily has become the target of anti-Lupi bigots, and receives hate mail and death threats. Meanwhile, she is investigating murders allegedly done by a Leidolf Lupi--hard to believe since he lived in peace with humans for years. Then a series of events makes them believe an old enemy may be at play, leading up to a roller coaster ride of edge-of-your-seat suspense and action.

This book was a great mix of mystery, suspense, romance, adventure and drama. I couldn't put it down! The character development and world building are top notch. I enjoyed seeing a lot of my favorite characters from earlier books as well as meeting new characters like Arjenie. While I missed the presence of Lily's grandmother and Sam, I liked the greater focus on the Lupi, especially Benedict and Isen. The behind-the-scenes look at Lupi life, including their politics, culture and day-to-day life, was interesting. I especially enjoyed the surprising plotline involving Benedict, which took up a large part of the story. I can't say more because it's too big of a spoiler, but it was one of my favorite parts of the book. Great job, Eileen Wilks!...

World of Lupi reading order:
1: TEMPTING DANGER
2: MORTAL DANGER
3: BLOOD LINES
4: NIGHT SEASON
5: MORTAL SINS
6: BLOOD MAGIC
7: BLOOD CHALLENGE
8: DEATH MAGIC - coming November 2011

If you haven't tried this series, I think it would appeal to urban fantasy and paranormal romance fans. Since the lead character Lily is a cop turned FBI agent who becomes mated to a werewolf, the books tend to be a mix of mystery/suspense and paranormal romance. Other books similiar in style to this series that I enjoyed:
Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
Guild Hunters series by Nalini Singh
Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost
Fever books by Karen Moning
Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill
Cassandra Palmer series and Dorina Basarab Dhampir series by Karen Chance

Good YA books about witches are the white whales of the genre. It seems like when you pick up a YA title about witches you can expect huge bounds of silliness like The Sweep Series by Cate Tiernan, and the writing usually doesn't get any better than the writing found in The House of Night series. So when I find a good one in that sea of muck, I'm beyond happy. Especially, when I get done reading it and think, "Holy cow!! That was awesome!"

Entangled starts off with teen angst right at the beginning when Graylee's sister, Charlene, is going to jump of the roof of the school because her boyfriend dumped her for another girl. When Charlene jumps instead of a gruesome death she simply floats to the ground below. The magic takes off right there and I love that it's not all funky poems and weird chants. It's more of a mind power, you know believe and you shall achieve. The teen drama in this book is tons of fun with twins Graylee--or just Gray--and Charlene. Just as Gray finds out her sister has been blocking her powers to undermine her confidence Gray wakes up the next morning to find out she died and woke up in her sister's body.

While I thought the mystery behind how Gray died was glaringly obvious, that's not the good stuff. The good stuff is watching Gray come into her magic and find out who her true friends are. Sure that sounds cheesy, but sometimes that is the hardest lesson in life. This book is about character growth and strength, a true treat for any reader.

Besides being an amazing new take on teen witches the romance is just refreshing. Awkward girl meets boy from the wrong side of the tracks, has always been a favorite ploy for romances. What's better is when the reader can watch the two see each other and develop feelings.... I hate it when the two just gaze into each others eyes and it's instant magic. Speaking of bad boys, Raj is one dangerous leading man. What I loved even more was that the story is told not just buy Gray, buy Raj gets some running time. Let's just say by the end of the book I had a huge fictional crush on Raj. Almost big enough to rival my crush for Jace from The Mortal Instrument series.

Entangled is that rare book that is going to make you tape your eyes open to read into the ungodly hours of the night--that's just what Entangled is though. Sure, I will admit there were a couple rough spots, but this book comes close to flawless. The magic will prick your interest and then the characters will pull you in. Evil sisters, good boys that are bad, bad boys that are good, dark pasts, dark magic, wild . . . OK I'll stop. You get the point. This is one fantastic read and I highly recommend it.

Sexual Content: Charlene is quite the promiscuous little lady *cough-slut-cough* and Graylee has a pretty hot make out scene. There's sexual talk and humor, but nothing that will put readers on edge.

5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!

Originally posted on Book Whispers.

Bloodstone, the second book in the Stacy Justice Mystery Series, begins right where the first book left off. I highly recommend reading the first book in the series in order to understand the previous sequence of events and understand the family dynamics. However, it does start off with the last scene from the first book, which is a great refresher, not that I needed it. Even though it has been a while since I read the first book, the surprise ending really stuck with me! The pace is fast, mysteries and secrets abound, and it is both suspenseful and hilarious at the same time! The situations Stacy manages to get herself into are so funny and she is quite resourceful and quick thinking. I loved the excerpts from Ivy's journal! I am very glad about who Stacy eventually chose to be with and I can't wait for the third book! Love this series!

Kathleen S. Boyd Marsh's review convinced me to read this new series because I am also a fan of Kim Harrison's series "The Hollows". The great thing about this series is even though it has some of the same concepts it is new and refreshing and not a duplicate of The Hollows series. I am looking forward to reading the next book! I also read the short story of Andreas through the link [...] at the end of the Kindle version then click on link to [...] then [...]. Vampire in the Shadows: An In-Between Guardian Witch Short Story.

I really like Andreas vampire character and hope he doesn't fall for the new gal Glorious but continues to fall for Arianna but that's just my HEA.