Fate Fixed by Bonnie Erina Wheeler
My Rating: E, P, B
Published: 2011
Publisher: Compelling Read

Reviewed by: Naomi M.

Fate Fixed: An Erris Coven Novel is young adult paranormal romance. When Lexie Anderson’s mother suddenly announces she is marrying a Romanian immigrant, Lexie willingly leaves behind her busy life in Connecticut for her penance in “The Moose Capital of the World.” Small town living is strange enough, now Lexie must cope with her overbearing stepfamily monitoring her every move. They disappear into the woods at night and keep a strange secret locked in their shed. Her once calm mother is now having violent outbursts and Lexie’s little sister is hearing sinister sounds coming from the forest behind their new home. Lexie’s biggest surprise comes when she discovers the boy she has been dreaming about since her accident is living in Maine. Despite Torin’s questionable reputation, Lexie cannot resist the physical and emotional attraction pulsating between them. Animals and people in town are turning up dead and Lexie learns the strange new world she lives in has real life monsters. Just when she decides she wants to be with Torin forever, she must fight to protect her mother and sister from being harmed by a formidable evil.

‘Fate Fixed’ is the first book in ‘The Erris Coven’ series by Bonnie Wheeler.

My love for this book and its characters was instantaneous.  Lexie and Torin’s backgrounds are so very different yet very similar: they are a match made in heaven. Cian, Theo, Liz, Braden and Teagan all played their part in this book and I loved how it all came together. Theo and Teagan made me laugh quite a bit with their quick thinking wit.

I loved how Torin’s family history was explained in such depths. It made me realise that the other characters subtle comments earlier in the book were just teasing me and building me up for the full explanation into Torin’s history.

I felt so sorry for Lexie. Her history isn’t as gruesome as Torin’s but still as tragic. She has had to carry some major guilt with her and I’m surprised that she hasn’t sunk into a major depression but it just shows that she is made of strong stuff. I did feel really bad for her when her mother was taking her step-family’s side in everything.

Overall, thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I hope there is more to come. If there is, then you will probably find me huddled up in a corner getting my fix.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book for review as part of a blog tour via The Bookish Snob Promotions. I have not been paid to write this review and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

Whirl by Emma Raveling
My Rating: E, E, E
Published: September 2011
Publisher: Mandorla Publishing

Reviewed by: Naomi M.

Seventeen-year-old Kendra Irisavie is an ondine, a water elemental caught in the middle of an ancient war. The Aquidae are immortal dark demons who will stop at nothing to destroy the fragile balance of the Elemental world. Fierce and independent, Kendra has always played by her own rules. Gifted with the powerful magic of Virtue and trained to be a deadly fighter, she has spent her life breaking hearts and getting into trouble. When her life explodes one violent night in a northern California city, a dark stranger appears, promising answers to her mysterious past. Alone and with no one to trust, she must now navigate through a dangerous new world, face the temptations of a forbidden romance, and remain true to her duty and destiny. All while the Aquidae continue to hunt her down, in the hopes of eliminating her forever… An edgy urban fantasy/paranormal romance, Whirl is recommended for older teens and mature readers due to strong language and mild sexual situations.

Whirl is the first book, and debut, in the Ondine Quartet series by Emma Raveling and what a debut it is.

At the beginning I was a bit confused by all the customized terms that Raveling had used but once I read more into the story I totally became ensnared by the thrill of Julian, the taboo of Tristan, the boyish charms of Ryder and the unconditional love that comes from friendship with Chloe and Aubrey, that I soon got lost in their world. The main heroine herself, Kendra is everything that you don’t want in an enemy: tough, defiant,  persistent and an unlimited supply of fighting spirit.

Now that I have gushed over the characters, let’s get on with the other good stuff, the plot. My favourite thing about this book is that it’s a very different, unlike anything I have come across before. The plot centers around Kendra and her role in freeing her race (water elementals) from an ancient war with the Aquidae (fire elementals) as well as irritating the hell out of her grandmother on her journey. The moments between Kendra and her grandmother, I find quite funny because if I Kendra’s age and in her situation then I would be the same taking into consideration her upbringing. I think a lot of other readers would agree. With the help of her friends and some gorgeous men, Kendra starts to make a real difference in the hidden town of Haverleau and comes to realize her full potential.

The other thing that I love about this book is the way it gets me questioning things. I am fascinated by this different, but same, world where ondines, dissondines, selkies and demillirs were a race started by a water deity. It’s a bit god like in the creation but it gets me thinking about evolution. The unique virtues, hierarchy, French undertone and hidden villages have me intrigued and excited about this series and I honestly can’t wait to read the next installment, ‘Billow’.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book as part of a blog tour hosted by The Bookish Snob Promotions. I have not been paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

Home for the Holidays by Jeaniene Frost
Part of the Bite Before Christmas Anthology
Published: October 2011
Published by: William Morrow

Reviewed by: Maria G.

It’s “Home for the Holidays” in Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. Cat and Bones may long to wrap presents and set up a tree, but this Christmas, an evil vampire and long-buried family secrets will threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer.

So, it’s Bones’ birthday and Cat has invited all his pals to celebrate, she even invited Annette. But, when Annette does not show Ian decides to pay a visit to check up on her and when he does… Bones’ birthday celebration goes down the tubes. Soon almost all those that are at Cat’s house are placed under a demonic curse and the person who places the dark spell on all those that troll the house is the one person you would least expect to cross paths with… Bone’s brother.

You heard me right!

Now, when I last saw Jeaniene, she had mentioned that writing this short story was like writing a full-length book and you can see it. It has the humour, danger and pace of a full length Cat and Bones book and do you know what the best bit is? We see a ton of Ian in it.

Many of us have been craving for something more than just a handful of hilarious lines with slutty undertones from Ian and I think this is as close as we get to a dedicated novel to Ian. He and Cat work together in this holiday tale and they are like Maddie and David from Moonlighting minus the sexual tension. They are great together! Now, there was a bit of info that I think will make many fans of the Night Huntress World utterly gleeful and I will not divulge it, but maybe just maybe… we’ll get to see more of Ian. That’s all I am going to say.

So, all in all, this is one of my favorite Cat and Bones tales and it has catapulted Ian from low man on the totem pole to just below Spade. Let me digress from all the Ian love because this is a Cat and Bones tale and this couple comes up against one of their most frightening adversaries and the only person they can rely on is a demon. Which screams volumes, doesn’t it?

Lives are at stake, the sex is dizzying and the fun moments of the tale will have you laughing out loud… especially the scene that involves a well hidden warding off tattoo.

I give this tale 5 out of 5 stars and you should give it as a stocking stuffer this holiday season.

Disclaimer: I purchased this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011 at 9:55 pm and is filed under Books, Cat and Bones, S.B.L.C.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.