Review: Gravedigger's Brawl

Reviewed by Jen
 

Well, this book was... different than I expected.  I am a huge, huge Abigail Roux fan. Her Cut & Run series is one of my favorites in any genre. I guess that my expectations were for something like that, and this most definitely is not like Cut & Run.

The story centers on an unlikely couple.  Wyatt is a museum curator whose job is in jeopardy. Ash is a fringe gaslight bartender, with a pierced tongue and a penchant for bottle tossing floor shows a la Tom Cruise in Cocktail.  The two meet when Wyatt's friend sets them up and they end up in bed the same night. Wyatt kind of freaks, though, and sneaks out before Ash wakes up.  The connection between them remains, despite his boneheaded move, and the two strike up a tentative relationship.

Strange things have been happening in the bar where Ash works. Could it be haunted, or is it a string of coincidences and hallucinations?  That's the big question in the book. And I'll be honest with you, despite the frequency in which I read paranormal romance and urban fantasy, I had a very hard time accepting that real ghosts were a possible culprit.  Maybe that goes back to my expectations.

Anyway, I was more interested in the budding romance between Wyatt and Ash than the haunting storyline.  It was a little up and down for me.  I found they complimented each other at times: Ash with his quirky tongue rings and Wyatt with his stuffy historical facts.  They were also hot in the bedroom (though not as hot as in some of Abi's other work... she sets her own bar pretty high.)  But the relationship was uneven in some points... and way too fast in others.  I believed in the sexual attraction, but the deeper feelings didn't entirely resonate.

It was definitely creepy.  If you like your paranormal with a disturbing vibe, this delivers that in spades.  It's full of ghastly, violent history and shudder inducing imagery.  It was cool, but not my favorite from this author.

Rating: B-

*ARC Provided by Riptide via NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

Gravedigger's Brawl

by Abigail Roux

Release Date: October 15, 2012

Publisher: Riptide

Review: A Reason to Believe

Reviewed by Jen

It's been more than a year since Matt lost his partner and lover, Brad, in a senseless shooting. Since then, he's been going through the motions of life.  He was outed to his boss in the aftermath of the tragedy and ever since, has been relegated to a desk job instead of working the streets as a police detective --that is, until now.  His first real case centers on the disappearance of a little girl... one who decides to appear to him as a ghost at her murder scene.

The thing is, Matt doesn't believe in ghosts, but he can't deny that little Abby's spirit is what lead him to her body.  It only makes matters worse when he admits the truth to his boss --and he is forced to take time off and see a shrink.

After he confides the truth to his sister in law, Sheila, she drags him to see a touring psychic.  Matt is skeptical, but Kiernan zeros in on him right away.  The handsome tv star offers his services to help Matt solve the case, and as they work together, a romance is born.

I liked this book.  I thought both Matt and Kiernan were extremely likeable. Matt, especially, is very sympathetic as he tries to deal with Brad's death.  The sexual tension between the two men is strong, and the love scenes were just right: sexy, detailed, and believable.

As for the mystery end of the story, I thought that was well done too. I had a sneaking suspicion on the identity of the killer, but the why of it was a good surprise. The ghost part was cool and vital to the story, but I don't think the paranormal element overshadowed the story.  There is real danger to Matt and Kiernan as the murderer tries to stop their investigation... as well as great us-against-the-world vibe, which helps draw these two closer and closer together. 

The characters were fleshed out and supported well by a few secondary players, like Sheila and  Kiernan's sister. My only small beef: the L-word in four days.  I Would have still believed in their future without it, and I could have skipped an eye-roll. But otherwise, I liked the book a lot. Worth checking out.

Rating: B

*ARC Provided by Carina Press via NetGalley

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A Reason to Believe

by Diana Copland

Release Date: October 23, 2012

Publisher: Carina Press

Review: Sight Unseen

Reviewed by Jen
 

Ever since a car accident killed his lover and stole his vision two years ago, Daniel has been able to see ghosts.  It hasn't been an easy gift to bear.  Each spirit wants his help with something, but he can't hear them --he can only see them.  Recently, he has been working with the local police, leading them to bodies and helping them solve crimes involving his ghosts.  His work has drawn the attention of the media and a publishing house that wants to do a biography.

Logan is the ghostwriter assigned to convince Daniel to do the book.  He thinks Daniel is a con man and he makes it his mission to expose the truth.  He's in for a rude awakening when he discovers that not only are the ghosts real, but he is being haunted by the ghost of Sophie, his own late wife.

Sophie's spirit quickly goes from benign to malevolent, when an attraction sparks between Logan and Daniel.  And she makes no secret of her displeasure.  The story follows Daniel and Logan as their feelings evolve and as Sophie finds a way to exert her will in the physical world.

I liked the concept of the book and both male leads interested me.  Unfortunately, things progress far, far too quickly between them.  I believe in a quick sexual attraction, but Logan is inviting himself to live with Daniel after knowing each other less than a day. Even worse, Daniel considers it.  They are proclaiming their love for each other inside of a week.  And while I did like the cool scene in which Logan makes his declaration, it was just too soon.  My other peeve in the book is how easily and frequently people discuss Daniel and Logan's sex life.  I understand it was supposed to be relevant to the haunting, but Who does that? 

I enjoyed exploring the perspective of a blind main character.  It was different and, I thought, handled well.  I also liked the sexual tension between Daniel and Logan --and their final love scene was really hot.  I thought the epilogue was good too. I just wish their relationship had not been so rushed. It really stunted the believability of their emotional connection.

Rating: C

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

Sight Unseen

by Hunter Raines

Release Date: July 23, 2012

Publisher: Carina Press

Review: Chasing Magic

Reviewed by Jen
 

It's no secret that I am a big fan of this series. I love the world-building. I love the originality. I LOVE the hero. And this was a good book. It wasn't my favorite in the series, though, and I'll get to why in just a minute.

The story begins as Sacrificial Magic did: with Chess and Terrible happy and in love. As someone who has seen what they've gone through to get to this point, it's so satisfying. Chess knows the treasure that she has in him; she acknowledges that he's her everything. And while she struggles with her lack of self-worth, it seems she has learned some lessons about trying to trust in his love for her.

There are two main problems she has to deal with here. One is fact that Lex is the new head of his family's drug turf, putting him more at odds with Terrible than ever before. The other, is that some really dark magic has started infecting the people of Downside, turning them into zombie-like entities, nearly impossible to kill. Of course, with her magic abilities, Chess is really the only one who can stop them.

The first half of the book is pretty low key. It moves along quickly and comfortably. Then Chess shows her true colors again, leaving me feeling punched in the gut. I won't get into the specifics, but at this point, I feel like the books have developed a pattern: 1) There is a problem only Chess can solve. 2) Terrible is her rock and she doesn't know what he sees in her. 3) She screws up royally in her personal life. 4) She saves the day.

Don't get me wrong, there are really, really good things in this book and no way would I tell a Downside fan to skip it. What I am saying though, is that I need to see more growth from Chessie soon. Every time she betrays Terrible, she hurts me. She creates this horrible knot in my stomach that makes me want to shut the book. I don't WANT to want to shut the book, Stacia Kane. I want to glory in lines like "Love you right, Chessiebomb." That doesn't mean I can't handle some angst. The side arc with Elder Griffin was heartbreaking, but still masterfully done. I just don't want to see Chess sabotage herself the same way yet again.

Terrible continues to be one of my favorite book-heroes of all time --taking his awesomeness to even greater heights with his latest promises and assertions of love.  Even in his darkest and most intense moments (and boy does he have one here,) it's like he has this gravity that pulls me deeper and deeper into his orbit.  But as we learn more about the repercussions of Chessie's actions, I'm scared for where the future will take him.

I suppose that all my really strong feelings are a true testament to how insanely talented Stacia Kane really is. I am anxious and excited and nervous and jumble of all kinds of other emotions as I think about what may be coming next.   Chess, please don't let me down.

Rating: B


*ARC Provided by NetGalley

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Chasing Magic

by Stacia Kane

Release Date: June 26, 2012

Publisher: Del Rey

Review: Hawaiian Gothic

Reviewed by Jen
 

This was an unusual story.  One tough to categorize.  It's a love story and a ghost story. It's about loyalty and sacrifice, yearning and hope.  It's got mystery, mythology, emotion and sensuality.  I'm not sure I've read anything quite like it.

As the story begins, Ori is on his way back home to Hawaii after spending the past three years in the army and in military prison.  He's been dishonorably discharged and has no idea what he is going to do with his future. The only thing he knows for sure is that he needs to get back to Kalani.  He wasn't there when his best friend needed him most --when he was jumped and beaten into a coma.  Now the doctors are ready to give up. But Ori is holding on to hope for a miracle.

Ori has been in love with Kalani almost his entire life, but never believed his feelings could be returned.  It seems even more hopeless once he sees his friend's lifeless eyes and wasted body.  Everything changes, though, when he is visited by Kalini's spirit.  He finds out that Kalini returns his feelings and for the first time, they can express their love.  Unfortunately, Kalini doesn't think he'll ever be able to return to his body. That sends Ori on a quest to find a spiritual way to help his lover return to the land of the living.

The beginning of the book is emotionally heavy.  Then it grows sexy. But then it gets really wrapped up in Hawaiian mythology.  It's a really important element of the book, but one of the things I liked about it the least.  Maybe it's my lack familiarity with the culture, but I just didn't connect with what was happening in the spiritual plane... at least not to the great degree it was explored in the second half.  There was also a lot of time jumping which I found hard to follow at some points.  The flashbacks were frequent and didn't follow a strict chronology. I didn't exactly get lost, but there were times they felt disjointed, even as the past helped unravel the mysteries of the present.

What I did really like was the relationship between Ori and Kalani.  The love between them was palpable.  Their sex scenes were steamy, but they clearly sprang from deep and true emotions.  It was worth it for me to hang on through their metaphysical journey to see how their love story would end.

Rating: C+

*ARC provided by authors for review

Hawaiian Gothic

by Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane

Release Date: June 12, 2012

Publisher: Loose ID

Review: Finding Magic

Reviewed by Jen
 

I wasn't sure what to expect from this prequel novella in the Downside series.  I knew it would feature a young Chess, just getting started in the Church. I knew she would be untried and I knew she would already be damaged by her horrible childhood.  What I didn't expect was how much she would be colored by hope; or how sad it would be to know what her future would hold.

Basically, the story follows Chess on her first real training mission. She's been studying with the Church for two years, but this her first foray out into the field.  She must work with members of the Black Squad to solve a string of seemingly unrelated ghost-murders.  The plot is interesting enough, but where I was really affected was in how Chess was portrayed.

Yes, she was damaged by her childhood.  She is plagued by those feelings of inadequacy that follow her into later books. But she is not on drugs.  She's been clean since the Church took her in.  The worst way she indulges is with a gulp of vodka now and then to dull the pain, but she castigates herself for it.  She sees the Church as an infallible savior. The one step between safety and a life on street corners, whoring for food.  She's determined to be worthy of them. It's just so hard.

I've never had an overabundance of patience with Chess or her self-destructive behavior.  But here, she is somehow both naive and jaded.  She carries both hope and despair.  And we see these defining moments in her life as they unfold. We see the groundwork for the ill-fated tryst with Agnew Doyle referenced in Unholy Ghosts.  The first tendrils of a relationship with Elder Griffen.  The feelings of communion with Downside.  That first Cept. Her first glimpse of Terrible.  It's a lot to take in.  It makes me hurt for her. It makes me more sympathetic to where she ends up. And for all of this, Stacia Kane is brilliant.

All that being said, I don't think this is a story for new readers.  It's for fans who already think they know Chess, to show us just how much we didn't know.  It's an important part of the Downside world, but it doesn't have the single most compelling element of the novels, and that's Terrible. He is the heart of the series for me, and his absence was felt.

One day, maybe, he'll get a novella of his own. A girl can hope, right?

Rating: B+

Click to purchase: Amazon

Finding Magic

by Stacia Kane

Release Date: June 4, 2012

Publisher: Del Rey

Review: The Prophet

Reviewed by Jen
 

Amanda Stevens really put me through the wringer with this third installment of her Graveyard Queen series. When we last saw Amelia, she was on her way back to Charleston to answer a summons for help from John Devlin. It's almost like The Kingdom was a "time-out" from the action of The Restorer in many ways.

But now Amelia is back in the thick of things. Back at the old cemetery where she was working before. Surrounded by the same ghosts. In love with the same man. With the same roadblocks. Only maybe it's worse this time around.

My heart ached right along with Amelia's when Devlin came back on the canvas. They've been apart for months and to call things tentative between them would be an understatement. There are even questions now about whether he has moved on with someone else. This, as the presence of his dead wife Mariama continues to hold onto him with both hands.

The ghost of former cop Robert Fremont is haunting Amelia, pushing her to solve his murder. It's a tangled mystery, wrapped up in Devlin's past, Mariama's treachery, blackmail, betrayal, adultery, and the occult. It's very, very creepy. Not just the ghosts, which are indeed scary, but the bugs and the zombie drugs really put it over the top.

The distance and deception between Devlin and Amelia kept me tense and unhappy for the first half of the book. I found myself cringing every time Amelia began another Q&A about Mariama. Everybody has something to say about her. Everyone either loved her or they hated her. And she's been dead for years, but everyone still wants to talk about her. If I didn't know Amelia was dealing with her ghost, I'd think she was the most lovesick, pathetic person on the planet to bring her up every five seconds.

But when things started to pick up, the book was off and running. I loved the way Stevens kept me guessing until the very end. About who the killer was. About the motive. About the real circumstances surrounding Mariama & Shani's deaths. I loved the tie in to the African root magic. And the ending. Oh. My. God. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

There will be a fourth book, thank goodness.  And I am anxious to find out what repercussions will come from the big climax here.  4 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley 

Click to purchase: Amazon

The Prophet

by Amanda Stevens

Release Date: April 24, 2012

Publisher: Mira

Review: Demonically Tempted

This second installment in Stacey Kennedy's Frostbite series picks up a few weeks after the point which Supernaturally Kissed left off. I had a hard time connecting with it right off the bat and I'm not 100% sure why.  Maybe it's because everyone has settled in so much to the idea that Tess and Kipp are a couple now.  For new readers, Tess is a woman who can see ghosts and Kipp is, well, a ghost.  The problems with such a relationship are obvious.  But Tess considers Kipp her man --and even calls him her lover-- despite the fact he's just a disembodied spirit.

Tess is part of the police force now, helping the department investigate cold cases.  And again, I felt that disconnect.  Yes, she proved herself in the last book, but there is no lingering doubts or skepticism or even discomfort from anybody about what she can do.  It bothers me to see the ease in which everyone has come to accept her supernatural gifts --to say nothing of the boyfriend that no one else can see or hear.

Tess is working a cold case surrounding an apparent suicide, where the victim's sister is convinced there was more to it.  Working with her is Dane, an FBI medium who is there to help her better understand her gift. It's obvious there is something dubious about him right off the bat. Kipp can't stand him... but with Dane's help, Tess learns there is much more to the supernatural world than she ever knew existed.

The author expands the paranormal scope of the world-building to include witches, demons, and perhaps even angels.  But as much as that ups the ante, the real heart of the series is the relationship between Tess and Kipp.  The two of them get put through the wringer here and it's when their angst kicks up that the story hits its stride.

I really enjoyed the second half of the book.  Dane is a great love-to-hate character and I feel like there is much more to him beneath the surface.  He's a total prick at times, but he gives voice to the concerns about Tess and Kipp's relationship that I thought were so noticeably absent from everyone else at the beginning.  I don't like what he did, but I'm not willing to write him off, either.  I found the new character Gretchen to be very interesting.  And I liked the journey of personal growth that Tess goes on here.  She has always considered her gift to be a curse and now she is learning that with it, she can make a real difference.

The climax of the romance arc is very good.  Kennedy opens the door for a real possibility of an HEA at the same time she puts it in terrible jeopardy.  And she leaves us with a great/ horrible/ wonderful/ terrible cliffhanger.  I am anxiously looking forward to see what she does in the third book --and I pray we get some sex in the flesh. Fantasies can only sustain a girl for so long...  3 1/2 stars.

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Demonically Tempted

by Stacey Kennedy

Release Date: April 13, 2012

Review: The Unseen

Reviewed by Jen
 

Heather Graham is kicking off a spin-off series to her Krewe of Hunters books, with this romantic-suspense, peppered with paranormal elements. As someone who has never read the original series, I can tell you that this is a great place for new readers to jump in, since a crew of all-new characters are introduced. And I never felt lost at any time.

Jackson Crow is the leader of a paranormal law enforcement group and he is putting together the second team of its kind to help investigate crimes. To lead the Krewe, he chooses Logan Raintree, a Texas Ranger whose wife was killed by a perp three years ago. For an investigative partner, he chooses Kelsey O'Brien, a US Marshal from Florida. Both Logan and Kelsey can see ghosts and communicate with the dead in their own ways, and Jackson hopes they will use their gifts to solve a string of murders that seem to have very little in common.

Over the course of the story, we find that the murders are tied to the history of the Alamo and the mysterious disappearance of an ancient diamond. Somehow, a haunted hotel plays into it all, as well. Logan and Kelsey work together with other members of the new team to figure out what their victims have in common and who killed them.

It doesn't take long before our hero and heroine are inexplicably drawn to one another. And they fall in love while working the case. The romance was just OK. I never really felt gripping emotions from these two and the love scenes felt kind of uninspiring. Let me give you an example:

There was something about her. It began with her eyes, the emerald green that seemed so pure and untainted, even with the world around them so ugly and cruel and torn. She was lithe and beautifully golden with a fading tan; against that, her hair was like fire, a fire of temptation and seduction. She was vital in her passion, eyes flashing, whispers ever more erotic, and she moved with the fluidity of water. She could tease and excite and arouse with a sweep of that lustrous burning hair. Making love with her was like a sea of sensation. All encompassing.

Shower and then bed. Making love in a stream of water, then making love in the softness of a mattress and pillows. Afterward, he lay spent in a way he barely remembered, his mind telling him that sex was just physical heat and desire shared by a man and a woman, and yet somewhere in his soul another voice was telling him there was a difference and he should know it well. The difference between sex and making love.

It just... didn't do it for me. And it wasn't my only problem with the book.  There were way too many history lessons wrapped up in the story. I'm not looking to learn the history of the Alamo when I read a romance novel.  And yet, I learned as much about it here as I did in my 7th grade American history class.  Plus, I figured out who the main killer was about 100 pages before it was revealed.  Not cool.

I guess my biggest complaint is that the book didn't inspire much passion in me, either with the mystery or the romance.  Overall, the whole thing was just kind of so-so.  3 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

The Unseen

by Heather Graham

Release Date: March 27, 2012

Publisher: Mira

Review: The Kingdom

Reviewed by Jen
 

This book was nothing like I expected it to be and yet it manages to advance the Graveyard Queen series in a way that maintains the tone and answers some of the questions set up in The Restorer. It has elements of horror. It has danger. It, of course, has ghosts. But what it doesn't have... is John Devlin. But I'll get back to that in a minute.

It's been a few months since the events of the last book and Amelia has accepted a new job in a new town called Asher Falls. She has been trying to keep her distance from Devlin and she feels like this new project will help her do that. But even aboard the ferry --on her way to the secluded town-- there are signs of trouble. An underwater graveyard is one --a mysterious and compelling man is another.

In Asher Falls, she finds a place that's cut off from the rest of the world.  A powerful family is responsible for its ruin and, perhaps, things which are much worse.  There is an undeniable evil in the town. It recognizes Amelia and she becomes a target, in more ways than one.

I'm not going to get into the details of the plot, because I don't want to ruin the surprises and revelations. I will say that I wish I would have re-read The Restorer before beginning this installment. I found myself struggling to remember some of the particulars that were only mildly referenced here. Perhaps because of that, I had a little bit of trouble getting back in the groove at the beginning of the book. Or maybe because --with a new town and a new supporting cast-- I almost felt like we were starting over.

I was intrigued by the new love interest... but I was very put out that the Devlin storyline was put on the back-burner. I liked learning more about Amelia's past and what makes her who she is. I'll admit that I figured out the "big reveal" early, but I certainly wouldn't call it predictable --and other elements of the story still managed to surprise me and keep me guessing until the very end.

And while we are on the subject of the end --the last line of the book was completely awesome and now has me panting to get my hands on The Prophet. (Thank goodness it will be here in April!) 4 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

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The Kingdom

by Amanda Stevens

Release Date: March 27, 2012

Publisher: Mira

Review: Sacrificial Magic

This book is amazing. This series is phenomenal. The characters are so very deeply flawed: filled with insecurities, addiction, rage, lust and sorrow. But through that, they so are so very real. I read most of this book with a knot in my stomach. In turns, I felt hopeless and crushed, joyous and elated. Because that is what Chess felt. And Stacia Kane masterfully put me inside of her head.

The story picks up shortly after the ending of City of Ghosts. Chess and Terrible are in love, but there are no guarantees for their future. And no one knows that better than Chess. Kane never takes the easy way out. It would be so satisfying to see Chess just begin to rebuild herself with the love of this amazing man. But the truth is, she is still Chess. Even though she sees Terrible for the gift that he is, what is just as important is how she sees herself: as unworthy of him. And with dread and inevitability, we watch her obsessive fears become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Of course, there is much more happening in the book. Primarily, Chess is on a case from the Church which coincides with an investigation she has going on for Bump. Lex is back, bringing more complications. Chess faces danger from humans and ghosts alike. It's exciting and unpredictable. But the truth is, the internal conflict is far more interesting than the external one.

It's like watching a star explode: It's beautiful and destructive and you can't take your eyes off of it. And before I convince you that it's all heartwrenching sadness, remember that joy and elation I talked about earlier. It's not all one way or another. This book took my emotions on a roller coaster. When it was over, my heart was in my throat; I felt satisfied and exhausted; and I'm already dying to get back on the ride. If you have never read this series or if you gave up on it early, you are truly missing out.  5 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

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Sacrificial Magic

by Stacia Kane

Release Date: March 27, 2012

Publisher: Del Rey

Downside Ghosts: Short Stories & Novellas

In addition to the full length novels, Stacia Kane has written four short stories/ novellas in the Downside Ghosts series.

The Brave Tale of Maddie Carver is a prequel to the first book and gives us a small peek at the events of Haunting Week as it began to unfold. It does not feature any of the main characters from the novels. Instead, we see the terror and destruction through the eyes of an old witch, who is near death, herself. It's only 10 pages, but it's free and a treat for fans of the series. (Note: I had to read the ending twice before I understood what happened. But it made sense after I gave it some thought.)

Rick the Brave was published as part of the anthology Home Improvement: Undead Edition. It comes chronologically after the events of City of Ghosts. It's told from the perspective of Rick, an electrician who has been hired to work on an old house that Bump is having renovated in Downside.  Terrible is there to oversee his work.  But the job gets more complicated when ghosts start showing up.  And Terrible has to call in Chess to help take care of the problem.

It was interesting to see Chess and Terrible from an outsider's perspective... especially from the point of view of a "normal" guy.  Of course, the story can't have the same emotional resonance as a full length novel.  Chessie's perspective is sort of the touchstone of the series.  But the writing and the dialogue are consistent.  And even if all that weren't true, Chessie's small confession to Rick about Terrible makes the whole thing worth reading. 

"He's my family," she said finally.  "He's everything."

Sigh. Swoon. At least Chess finally sees the good thing she's got.  Please don't let her screw it up again.

Click to purchase Home Improvement:UE at Amazon

Home is, without a doubt, everything a Downside fan could want.  It gave me all of the warm and fuzzies I experienced at the end of City of Ghosts, but bigger and better.  The plot essentially follows Chess as she works a debunking case where the so-called victims deny the ghosts exist.

But what makes the story so damn good is the fact that Chess is finally happy.  She is in love. And she doesn't screw anything up.  We watch her revel in her relationship and her joy, and we celebrate along with her.  Terrible is there and he is so solid and wonderful.  One of my favorite heroes of all time.  It was perfect.  I would not change one single thing.

Click to purchase Home at Amazon  

Finding Magic is reviewed here.

Review: City of Ghosts

The heroine is a lying drug addict with divided loyalties. The hero is ugly. And most of the dialogue is in a bastardized version of the English language. He calls her Chessiebomb for God's sake. It should be a disaster. But somehow, some way, the Downside Ghosts series has wormed its way into my heart... and this installment is the most powerful one yet.

Things blew up between Chess and Terrible at the end of the last book --and things are still a mess between them. Chess wants to make things right, but Terrible is avoiding her like the plague. She's keeping busy, though, with her latest assignment from the church. The elders pair her with another investigator to solve a series of grisly murders in Downside. The Lamaru are tied in somehow --and the situation is so serious, Chess must take a blood oath of secrecy.

The investigation is complicated; the discoveries are gruesome. And once again, Chess finds herself a target. Since all the madness is happening in his backyard, Bump takes an interest. And because her binding oath won't allow Chess to keep him informed, he pairs her with Terrible again. Only now, instead of a friendly partnership, things are strained and miserable between them.

It's so devastating to see what has become of Chess and Terrible. His heart is clearly broken and he obviously still loves her even though he doesn't want to. There are moments between them that are so poignant and gut-wrenching, they left my chest feeling hollow. Chess and Terrible are both so destroyed by what has passed between them... I just wanted it to be fixed so badly. But at the same time, I had all this left over anger and angst toward Chess for creating the situation in the first place. Then I swing back around and remember the kind of life Chess has lived; what she has had to endure just to survive... the void in her life where most people have known love. It's such a mess. It's masterfully done. Truly.

The investigation wields some disturbing results. There are great twists and turns and I never saw the ending coming. Plus -- I have to say that the resolution between Chess and Terrible was so very, very satisfying.

This series won't be for everyone. But it most assuredly is for me. 5 stars.

Click to purchase: Amazon

City of Ghosts

by Stacia Kane

Release Date: July 27, 2010

Publisher: Del Rey

Review: Unholy Magic

I guess it says alot about this book that it has inspired such a tangled mess of emotions in me. I'm angry at Chess. I feel sorry for her. I feel like she deserves her misery, but I want it to all work out. Her self-destructive behavior doesn't just affect her, but the fallout is landing on those around her. --And I'm getting ahead of myself.

Three months have passed since the events of Unholy Ghosts. Chess is still a raging drug addict. She is still sleeping with Lex. And she is still forging a friendship with Terrible. Only she can't see that it's really something more.

Her latest job for the church is to try and debunk the supposed haunting of a famous actor's home. Meanwhile, her latest mission on the street is to figure out who is using a ghost to help them kill off Downside's prostitutes and gouge their eyes out. Once again, I am amazed to find Chess surviving it all, considering her incredibly bad choices and divided loyalties.

But obviously, I am not feeling too charitable towards her right now. I guess that's because Terrible has stolen a piece of my heart. The man is far, far too good for her. She proves it over and over. And yet, I want them to work things out so badly, it's like an anvil on my chest. ((**sigh**))

I guess you can say I have grown invested in the series. It's still kind of strange. But I'm getting used to it. Stacia Kane has created a world like no other I've read about. And her characters, while flawed, are very compelling. A powerful and unexpected ending that has me itching to find out what happens next. 4 1/2 stars.

Click to purchase: Amazon

Unholy Magic

by Stacia Kane

Release Date: July 6, 2010

Publisher: Del Rey

Review: Unholy Ghosts

As I try to put my thoughts together about this book, I find myself at a little bit of a loss. It's... strange and disturbing at times. But it's also kind of compelling.

The story takes place in an alternate universe where the existence of magic and ghosts are known fact. Society is run by the church. Not any church of God, but one that rejects faith altogether. Its members keep a tight leash on the ghost world. Chess works for the Church as a "debunker." Essentially, she investigates claims of hauntings and gets rid of the ghosts if they are the real deal. She is also a drug addict with no family and no friends.

The world Chess lives in is a dark one. Her drug problem is substantial and ever-present. In fact, she owes her dealer some money. But he agrees to cancel her debt if she performs an exorcism for him. And he assigns his enforcer, Terrible, to help her on the job. The story gets more complicated as a scary entity begins stalking Chess, and she must figure out what it is, who sent it, and how to get rid of it.

There is alot going on in the story. Too much try to get into here. But it was hard to connect with Chess at first. After all, she is an addict. And she has no real loyalty to speak of --except maybe to the church. She's good at her job, but largely cut off from her own humanity. Terrible, on the other hand, is very easy to sympathize with. He is introduced as he is seen through Chess' eyes, but his true self shines through. He is the strong arm of a drug dealer, but he reads history books; he watches out for the kids on the streets; and he is clearly, completely crazy about Chess.

The language in the book takes some getting used to. Most of the characters speak in a street slang that is hard to characterize. And the world is gritty and dark and violent. But there is something intangible that draws me to in, nonetheless. I could say it's because it's unique and fresh. Or that it's because it's unpredictable. Or maybe it's just Terrible. I don't know. I do know that I plan to read the next book, like, right now. --And that Lex has got to go.

Very hard to rate. 4 stars?

Click to purchase: Amazon

Unholy Ghosts

by Stacia Kane

Release Date: May 25, 2010

Publisher: Del Rey

Review: Supernaturally Kissed

Ever since a car accident that nearly killed her as a teen, Tess has been able to see ghosts. She pretends like they're not there, for the most part. But the sexy ghost of Officer Kip McGowan won't be ignored. He flirts with her shamelessly... talks dirty... and turns on the charm until she just can't take it anymore.

Kip was killed investigating a cold case murder. And he has a lead he wants to share with his old partner. So he convinces Tess to go visit the police station and share the information. That drags her into the case and pulls Kip even more firmly into her life.

The longer Kip and Tess are around each other, the harder it becomes to pretend that there is nothing between them. It starts as just attraction, but quickly moves into a more emotional attachment. I kept trying to figure out ways that the author could make things work between them. Like he's not really dead... or he can possess someone else's body... or she can take ghost form... or something. (Shut up! When you read it, you'll be grasping at straws too.) I won't tell you how it ends between them, because it will spoil the whole thing. But suffice it to say, the author does plan to write more in this series with these characters.

The mystery surrounding the cold case and Kip's murder was pretty good. But I'd be lying if I said that romance wasn't the main event. By necessity, it's a book heavy on sexual tension and quite a bit of angst. The couple fell in Love a little bit too fast for my taste and I wasn't totally satisfied with the ending. But I still liked it quite a bit and I'm holding onto hope for the ending I want as the series progresses. 4 stars.

*Book provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Supernaturally Kissed

by Stacey Kennedy

Release Date: December 29, 2011

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

Review: The Abandoned

Reviewed by Jen
 

I have some mixed feelings about this story. First, let me say that I loved The Restorer and I was very excited when I found out that this prequel was available. The events take place shortly before Amelia is hired to restore the old cemetery. But she isn't the main character here. This story centers on Ree, a graduate student who is interning at a psychiatric hospital. When an old patient named Violet dies, Ree is unexpectedly drawn in to the bizarre and haunting circumstances of her life and the life of her mother, Ilsa.

One of the doctors at the hospital knows Violet's secrets. In fact, his family had a hand in her tortured past. Ree overhears a conversation that tips her off to all this, placing her in danger. She makes an ally in a paranormal investigator named Hayden and the two of them become involved, while trying to figure out what happened to Violet's mother and its connection to the mysterious Order of the Coffin and the Claw.

All of this is great. Mysterious and foreboding. But I got lost (*spoilers*) in the love scene where Hayden seemed to be possessed. It makes sense that Ilsa may have used him to get her revenge at the end. But why would she take him over while he was having sex with Ree? And if it wasn't Ilsa, who the hell was it? There was a definitely sinister vibe to Hayden from that point on, turning him into essentially an entirely different character than we knew for the first part of the story. And even though he saves Ree when she needs him, I still don't feel like she can trust him. It bothers me that all of this is left hanging.

As for the tie-in with The Restorer... we meet a few of the main characters, but we only really see them from Ree's perspective. It sets up the series less from a character or ghostly perspective, and focuses more on laying the foundation for the Order of the Coffin and the Claw and its nefarious activities. It was a good story, but I hate feeling confusion when I finish a book. 3 stars.

The Abandoned

by Amanda Stevens

Release Date: April 1, 2011

Publisher: Mira Books

Review: The Restorer

Reviewed by Jen
 

It's always a treat when you end up liking a book more than you expect to. And this was definitely the case here for me...

Amelia can see ghosts. But she has known from a young age that she should never acknowledge them. She must live on holy ground and avoid people who are haunted. Her father's rules have served her well. But now, she finds herself in circumstances where the rules have gone out the window.

Amelia restores old cemeteries for a living. She is working on one in Charleston, when the body of a murder victim is found there. She gets drawn into the investigation, at first because of the detailed pictures she had of the site, but later, her knowledge of cemeteries and their symbolism becomes relevant as well.

The cop in charge of the investigation, John Devlin, strikes a major chord with Amelia. He's charismatic, dark and sexy. She fights her attraction to him because he is haunted by the ghosts of his wife and child. But her feelings for him grow faster than she can push them down. Devlin is a man broken by the loss of his family, but that is changing with Amelia in his life. I loved watching their relationship develop. There is great sexual tension between these two! Devlin's past and present are all tied in with the murder mystery... which grows more complicated as more bodies are found.

I became completely immersed in the murder case. I am a romance fan at heart, so usually I find myself wading through most stories just to get to the big relationship developments. But not here. I was just as wrapped up in the murders and the ghosts plaguing Amelia as I was in her pseudo-relationship with Devlin. There was intrigue, mystery, horror, and strong characters.

We do get a resolution to the murder arc, but many threads are left hanging as the book draws to a close... plenty of material to kick off the sequel. I can't wait to learn more about her family history and her future with Devlin. I just wish I didn't have to wait to find out what happens next! 5 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley