 Author- Elizabeth Hunter
My Rating- 4 STARS
Synopsis- Beatrice De Novo thought she had left the supernatural world behind…for the most part. But when the past becomes the present, will she leave her quiet life in Los Angeles to follow a mystery she thought had abandoned her? Where has Giovanni Vecchio been, and why has he returned? Giovanni has his own questions, and he’s looking to her for
answers.
The sequel to A Hidden Fire will reunite Beatrice and Giovanni
to continue their search through the past while both wrestle with the future. When the world as you knew it has changed forever, is there any way you can turn back?
My Review- I gave the first book 5 stars. A Hidden Fire was fantastic, unique with a beautiful romance story entwined around the mystery of lost history books and revealing old letters. The background to the story was amazing, but This Same Earth didn't quite hold me as fully as the first book.
The plotline was very 'samey, following a similar path as A Hidden Fire. The beginning was great with Beatrice writing in a journal about her up and down emotions over a 5 year period, which Gio read to remain close to her while giving her the space to grow as a normal human...A little twilightesque but Elizabeth Hunter's world building, descriptions and character development far outshines Steph Meyer....which is hard for me to say as I am a fan of Twilight!
I very much enjoyed watching the story unfold as Gio tries his hardest to win Beatrice back after abandoning her for 5 years, believing he was doing the right thing, and Beatrice gives him a hard time and doesn't make the fight easy...yay to her! and wooohooo a female protagonist with her own mind in
a vampire novel! woop! Gio does stoop to a little manipulation to win her back but that's fine, we all do it right? and Beatrice is intelligent enough to hold her own. But...the plotline was very similar to the first book in the fact that they were on the trail of a book (Gio's way of spending time with Beatrice) and Lorenzo is still trying to take Beatrice. She is captured...again...held against her will...again. Though thankfully this time she is no victim. Our Beatrice has been studying martial arts after the last time she was captured by the insane vamp and is taking care of herself.
The book never really hits that climatic moment...Beatrice's rescue is a little easy and the action is over far too soon. I was more interested in Carwyn's loss than Beatrice being the target. And after building up that amazing passion between Beatrice and Gio the sex scene didn't quite hold the same heat! it didn't give me the shivers that the kisses between them did.
Elizabeth Hunter has still become a favourite author of mine and I will continue reading the series as I love Gio and Beatrice as characters, Carwyn is by far my favourite vamp and the new characters the
writer brings in to the story are all full of secrets and mysteries which I cant wait to delve in to.
I hope the third book is a 5 STAR read. This Same Earth is still a great book, a wonderful love story and a fun mystery woven around our myths and histories. I would recommend all Vamp lovers to read
this.
 Author- Elizabeth Hunter
My Rating- 5 STARS
Synopsis- A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he'd abandoned years before. He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.
My Review- I absolutely loved this book!
The characters were developed slowly and beautifully, the plot unfolded at a great pace and the romance!! the romance was steamy, intense and full of moments when I wanted to shout COME ON!! KISS HER! I loved the tug of war between the two main characters Beatrice (B) and Gio, their arguments and witty comebacks were fun to read and the descriptions of the intense atmosphere whenever they were together were perfectly detailed.
There was never a moment in this book when the descriptions became boring or long winded, the supporting 'cast' were just as finely developed, Beatrice's Grandma was adorable, strong and sweet.
Caspar, Gio's butler, was kind and funny and the other Immortals were interesting, especially Carwyn who quickly became one of my favourite characters.
Strangely, what I didn't expect was a vampire novel, a very interesting, unique take on a vampire novel. The title hinted at a totally different type of book. I loved the fresh take on vampires, their elemental gifts were great to read about. Gio is your typical hot, steamy, brooding male who harbours a painful past that he feels he must carry the burden of alone, but there is nothing typical about him. He is a vampire with the very rare gift of Fire. Most vampires who wield fire die or are killed or used as weapons by stronger vampires. Fire is one of the most powerful elements, hard to control and requires years and years of learning how to use it. Gio has trained himself to have this iron control and it has shaped his life, leaving him largely lonely and giving him a 'cold' exterior.
Beatrice breaks down his coldness with her quick wit, intelligence and love. Though there is definitely some insta-LUST in this book, the love story is cultivated over nearly a year and grows in strength until is reaches an ended that left me seriously wanted more to see what happens between them. Gio originally plans to use her only to find some of his lost books that her elusive, thought dead, father may know the location of. But Gio knows his feelings are far deeper than he can admit to himself. He has lived for over 400 years and has never felt such passion for a woman since becoming a vampire.
I read this book in to the very early hours of the morning to finish it. The tight muscle in my neck and the ache in my shoulders were totally worth it! On to book 2 which I hope will be just as good as this
one!
 Author- Alana Siegel
My Rating- 3 STARS
Synopsis- Imagine what high school would be like if your ex-boyfriend fired lightning when he was angry, the sporty girl in your class had enough strength to lift a flatbed truck, and you could charm your way out of trouble.
When shy, sixteen year old, Olivia Hart, witnesses the actual rainstorm her ex-boyfriend, Max Smarr, creates in Pandora high school's cafeteria, she’s convinced she’s lost her mind. Nothing will prepare her, however, for the discovery of her own special Gift.
Olivia Hart has always been satisfied living in the shadows of her peers, and so high school doesn’t get any easier when her charismatic brother goes off to college and her relationship with her edgy boyfriend comes to an end. When she comes across an antique charm, she finds out that she can compel people with her mind and hiding is no longer an option. With the help of her friends in the Gifted Program and each of their special Gifts, what happens next in this young love and coming of age story will force Olivia into the spotlight, test her friendships, and cause her to question her role in a society.
My Review- I liked this little book. I found some parts slow, others fun and well paced but sometimes the mass amounts of description and confusing internal voice had me skipping over paragraphs. Olivia Hart is very sweet, maybe a bit self involved but what young girl isn't in their early teens and her thoughts leave me not sure which way to face. One moment she likes Justin, the next she is hung up on her Ex, Max, and it leaves me in a daze. I liked the flash backs to her very short relationship with Max but didn't quite understand the need for them. I would have loved this small book to focus more
on the magical elements, watch them learn more about their Gifts and how it brings those in the Gifted Program together.
What I really liked about this book was the friendships between Helen, Olivia and Jaime and the struggles and changes between them that we go through in school life...except with less magical issues. The characters were relatable. There was Olivia's Ex boyfriend's jealous new girl who bullied her, there was the typical awkwardness between different social groups (jocks and populars)and the hardships of having popular older siblings who move on with their lives. I liked the authors imagination and creativity and I am very interested to see what happens in the next book.
Despite the 3 star rating, this book offers a lovely, fun short read that is enjoyable and fulfilling. Its definitely worth checking out. I will be reading Book 2 in hopes of learning more about the Gifted and their enemies which were only very slightly touched upon in this book. I hope to be able to give the next book a much higher rating
The second book in the Twin Soul Novels series is soon to be released! I am so excited. I hope its as good as the first book and I hope my readers enjoy it just as much as Lilith!
If you are interested in checking Lilith out visit the link on the side bar of my Blog page!
Here is an excerpt of Fateless while you are waiting for its release!
Why did it have to be Michael? Of all the detectives and police officers in the city he was the one who turned up. Fate? Maybe. More likely the evil powers below were making my life difficult for shits and giggles. Or maybe God found some pleasure in throwing test after test at me. Somehow that didn’t seem right. To test me, He would have to care, and I knew he didn’t. Still, it was a twisted kind of
hope.
Turning to face the light footsteps of a familiar walk, I peered through the gloom and found blue eyes searching for mine. Once they met, it was hard to tear them apart. I could see his features only by the weak light of the street lamps.
Slightly curled locks of hair tickled the tops of his ears. It was longer, as if he had not cut it since we last saw each other. It softened the angles of his face and took away that obvious ‘cop’ image, leaving him looking years younger. I struggled to fight back the swell of need I felt, the need to have him buried very deeply inside my body.
“Unholy Lucifer, Annie! The backwash of your lust is giving me a hard-“
“Rat!” I glared at the irritating demon.“If I have to shut you up one more time…”
“You will stick the barrel of your gun down my throat and silence me forever. Yeah, I get it, boss.” Though the often repeated threat didn’t stop Rat from grinning mischievously. He zipped up his jacket to cover up the fact that he carried a gun, maybe several knives and a multitude of other illegal weapons he liked to keep close. He was more paranoid than I was. “Detective Daltry,” he greeted Michael as he joined our small group.
Michael glanced at Rat and then his eyes rested on Dacio. He did not look happy to see the club owner. Jealousy flashed across his features. Dacio smiled at him in what he hoped was an innocent, friendly welcome.
Turning to face me, Michael spoke softly, as if we were alone. “Quite a crowd out there, Professor.”
 Author- Camilla Chafer
My Rating- 5 STARS
Synopsis- Only a few weeks into her new job as a private investigator and Lexi Graves thinks she may have bitten off more than she can chew with her first solo cases.
In between going undercover as a plush pony and following her cheating brother-in-law, she’s got a saboteur turned killer to catch and a missing woman to find. Two of her cases may be connected, but how? There’s no short list of suspects to investigate but as Lexi
closes in on the killer, her life is put in jeopardy. Narrowly escaping being framed for a murder she didn’t commit, Lexi knows her luck is running out.
To make matters worse her boyfriend, sexy Detective Adam Maddox, thinks she’s out of the PI game faster than she got into it and her boss, the mysterious Solomon, wants nothing more than to get her between the sheets by night as well as solving cases by day, and Lexi’s "just say no" resolve might
not be as strong as she thinks.
All she wants is for them to take her seriously and there’s only one way she can do that—solve the case, whatever it takes
My Review- Another great book with all the favorite characters. I am very glad I stumbled on this series and cant wait to get stuck in to book three.
Lexi is now working for Solomon (who is yummy) in his Private Investigator Agency because she sees the world a little differently to those hardened, more experienced ex detectives and fits well in under cover situations. Adam Maddox, her boyfriend (also yummy) is not keen on the idea and the amount she has to lie to him while undercover.
The plot in this book is, in my opinion, better than the first. I did kind of guess the ending in the first book but only had an inkling in this one. There is the main plotline, Lexi working undercover in a hotel to find a saboteur hell bent on getting the hotel closed down. Then there are two subplots, one is a missing persons case, the other is an investigation for her sister, catching her cheating husband in the
act. Two of these cases, unknown to Lexi, are intricately entwined. I loved the pacing of these plots and enjoyed the revealing towards the end.
Lily, Lexi's best bud, grows on me through every book. She is the kind of friend everyone needs. Non-judgmental, understanding no matter the situation and would possibly help you commit a crime...which she does, many times....Solomon is still a sexy hunk of mystery and Maddox has become the overprotective cop boyfriend who remains delicious in every way. Lexi herself is growing on me too. She cares about people...and clothes...and shoes... and her hair, but she is also very smart and brave. She hates to break a heel on a shoe but will twist her ankle jumping out of a window after being bashed over the head! She is a great, all round heroine you cant help loving. And along the way, you cant help but cheer when she comes out of it all with all her nails intact!
Awesome....where is the third book?
 Author- Camilla Chafer
My Rating- 5 STARS
Synopsis- All Lexi wants to do is get through the day at her boring temp job with Green Hand Insurance. That’s until she discovers the vice president, Martin Dean, in a pool of blood and herself at the center of an investigation into insurance fraud. Millions of dollars are missing, the chief suspect is dead and her mysterious, sexy, new boss is not what he seems.
Recruited by the joint task force working on the case, all Lexi has to do is work out who killed Dean and where the missing millions are. That’s easier said than done when her sister insists upon the baby shower to end all baby showers, her wise-ass cop family just wants to keep her safe, someone keeps leaving her creepy gifts, and all the clues point to a seedy sex club on the wrong side of town. As the bodies start to pile up, Lexi is on a race against time to find the killer and the money, before she’s the next one in the murderer’s sights.
My Review- Simply the easiest FIVE stars I have given in a while. Everyone should read this. The standard of writing/editing surpasses many of my recent reads and I was fully thrown in to Lexi's character, the plot and the two hunky men she can barely choose between.
Lexi is sassy, smart and unique. She chooses a boring temping job over a career she could easily have with her brains, wits, looks and ambitions. Still, her life is plunged in to darkness and danger and crime when she discovers her boss's dead body and ends up helping the FBI and local PD uncover a deep fraud and murder case.
This book reminded me of Legally Blonde in many ways, only much, much better with deeper plotlines. She is, on the surface, the stereotypical blonde (not my personal view, of course), she acts dumb when it suits her and definitely has a lot of FUN! Only, things begin to get very real when her life
is on the line and two men, Adam Maddox and the dark, mysterious Solomon, are working to keep her alive. Lexi is by no means incapable of taking care of herself, however. Its nice to read this kind of book.
I love both Maddox and Solomon equally and would hate to be the one to choose between them. They are both sexy, both strong. Maddox is by far the 'gentleman' and more caring while Solomon is like a deep chocolaty secret you have to unravel! Man, this book still has my head in a whirl!
This is a fantastic book. one I will read many, many times. I read this book in less than 6 hours and I think the rest in the series will be exactly the same! Can't wait.
 Author- Raven and Lain Bower
My Rating- 3 STARS
Synopsis- Pursued by a ruthless crime lord after witnessing the murder of an FBI agent, Wrey must rebuild the life they stole
from her. When she meets mysterious Arvon Night, her precious new life unravels as she’s thrust into a web of betrayal, lust and violence.
Arvon knows he must slay Wrey to keep his secret safe from those who hunt him. Each hour his enemies stalk closer, ready to kill.
Can Wrey’s powers of nature and spirit help her survive the yearning and dangerous Arvon and the tide of peril he brings with him? Or will an opportunistic hitman take advantage of them both?
My Review- I sat down for a long time thinking about how to write this review. There were many good things I liked about Primal, but also quite a few bad issues as well. Hence the 3 Stars.
One star I gave purely because the front cover is stunning, sexy, everything you want when delving in to a werewolf story. From the front cover I knew the scenes inside would be erotic, tantalizing and steamy and I was perfectly right. The erotic scenes in this book are fantastic, and that explains my second star. The descriptions were...well they brought a blush to my cheeks that my partner couldn't help grinning at! The third star I gave to Arvon and Wrey's scenes which were great. Their romance story had me flicking past the other endless pages of sub story and long winded descriptions. I wanted to know more about them, wanted the book to stay focused on their tug of war relationship.
I loved Arvon as a character. He was most definitely more animal than man. He was a true werewolf in his spirit and mind, being primal and animalistic gave him focus on only a few things. Sex, hunger and power. Human emotions meant little to him, until he meets Wrey who is an extraordinary human with a few gifts of her own. She is of the Old Blood, meaning she can contact the spirit of animals and nature and ask for their strength and guidance. Not only is she one of them, she was also meant to be in training to be the Leader of her kind. We learn the reason she has not finished her training is because she is in Witness Protection for witnessing a murder, and the killer happens to be a part of a gangster family who serious cant afford for her to give evidence against them. This is a great plotline and one that had me finishing Primal in 2 days.
Which brings me to the reasons I couldn't give Primal any more than 3 stars. The other side of this plot, the gangster, mob family, was very hard to follow for me. New names were put in very quickly, I found the descriptions very long winded and...well...a little boring. I flicked past quite a lot of these scenes. There were too many names, too many people to keep track of and to be honest I didn't
care about them. My focus remained on Wrey and Arvon who were by far the most interesting element. I did like where the plot joins up between the werewolves and mob/gangster family. The bloodshed and battle was nicely graphic. Unfortunately the ending was abrupt and I am not sure if it left me wanting to read the next book. I think the only reason I would continue is to follow Wrey and Arvon's story as it didn't end too well between them.
I guess we will see.
If you like something different give it a try and see what you think.
 Author- Kim Richardson
My Rating- 4 STARS
Synopsis- Sixteen year-old Kara Nightingale’s ordinary life is suddenly turned upside down when she dies and wakes up in a strange new world with a new career—as a rookie for the Guardian Angel Legion. Kara is pulled into the supernatural, where monkeys drive the elevators, oracles scurry above giant crystal balls, and where demons feed on the souls of mortals.
With the help of her Petty Officer and friend, David, Kara hurtles towards an adventure that will change her life forever…
My Review- I couldn't put this book down and from page one I knew this would be a book I would finish within a day. I hated putting my kindle down for more than a few minutes to make a drink.
The action starts immediately. Kara, our protagonist, is racing towards her dream of becoming an artist...but she is late for the presentation. Running across a road she is splattered by a bus...and when she wakes in Horizon (Heaven-like place) we learn she was chosen to become a Guardian Angel. Her petty officer David soon becomes her friend and the not-quite-there romance between them is fun to read. At one point I did think the whole insta-love was going to happen and was
pleasantly surprised when it didn't. Their relationship gradually builds....and then is thrown in to complications by a Demon Mark that appears on Kara's ankle, labeling her a traitor to angels, she must fight to prove her innocence and regain David's trust.
I enjoyed the pace of the story, how it all unravels piece at a time, and the extra surprises thrown in for fun. I wont say it was the most complicated plotline and some of it was predicable but with the fantastic standard of writing, the character voices clinging to your brain and begging to be read and the amazing descriptions and imagination you can easily forgive the straight forward plot.
I enjoyed Kara as a character. She was brave and not as whiny as the average teenage 'voice' in YA books and had a sense of independence that I really respected. Recently there have been a spate
of books and writers that have created very weak female protagonists who cling to the male love interests and lose themselves. I am glad Kara is capable of looking after herself in times of battle. David was fun, flirty, with the typical young lad ego and it was fun listening to his jokes and care free
attitude.
I enjoyed Marked and will soon be buying and reading the rest of the series. I hope they are all as good as this one.
 Author- Susannah Sandlin
My Rating- 4 STARS
Synopsis- For vampire Aidan Murphy, life has never been so desperate. The vaccine used to treat a global pandemic has rendered human blood deadly to his kind, leaving them on the brink of starvation and civil war.
In tiny Penton, Alabama, Aidan establishes a peaceful community of vampires and unvaccinated human donors. He dares to hope they can survive—until his estranged brother descends upon Penton and begins killing the humans. Determined to save his town, Aidan kidnaps an unsuspecting human doctor—and finds himself falling in love for the first time in nearly four centuries.
Dr. Krystal Harris thought she was coming to Penton for a job interview, but Aidan Murphy has other plans. Infuriated by his high-handed scheme to imprison her in the small town, Krys can't ignore the attraction between them. But is it love? Or does her dangerous, charismatic captor want only to bend her to his will?
My Review- I read this book on one sitting. I seriously could not put it down! The characters came to life off the pages and I watched this story play out behind my eyes. This definately takes the place of Twilight in my affections and Sandlin has quickly become one of my favourite authors, ranking high with those I idolise such as Laurell.K.Hamilton.
I recieved Redemption through a giveaway contest I entered and I am so glad I did! I have the second to delve in to and believe it will be just as good as this one. Aidan is hot, sexy, melt in your mouth chocolatey goodness. He is fair, ruthless, a brilliant leader and takes the wieght of the world on his shoulders, as well as alot of guilt if anything goes wrong.
This book centres around Aidan's brother and the revenge between them. Owen is kinda insane, loves being a vampire and is a litte sadistic. Aidan on the other hand is working hard to create a peaceful life for himself in a remote town called Penton where humans and vampires co-exist happily and even help each other. Vampires feed from them and the humans are protected in return. Aidan will do anything to protect this way of life and Owen will do anything to destroy it mainly out of spite, but also to save his own life.
Yet we learn that there is another deeper plotline beneath Owen's and Aidan's feud. A powerful Vampire Tribunal member is in search of his estranged son, who doesnt want to be found, and he happens to be in Penton. I cant wait to learn more about this in the next book
I love being a writer and everything that comes with it. The vacant expression on your face while a scene plays out behind your eyes, staring at that poor bugger opposite you on the bus because he has interesting features you would love to describe and use for a character in a book, constantly missing the last few words of every sentence when someone is talking to you because you are too busy thinking about your next plotline but....there is one thing that leaves a definate love/hate feeling deep inside my stomach...
The INSISTANT calling of another book while you are fighting to finish your most recent creation! I love that my mind is swimming with ideas, plots, characters, worlds, magical powers, terrifying monsters and many, many more things, but I WISH I had a little compartment I could store them in while I finish the project I am working on. A soundproof compartment preferably.
Normally I would follow my heart and listen to the screaming voice telling me to work on that new idea, that new character, that new romance scene, but I am planning the release of my second Twin Souls Novel for the end of March! 4 weeks! anyone who writes knows the pressure of an upcoming deadline. There is Beta reading, edits, contacting bloggers and a range of readers to review the book and thats not even close to what is left to do on the list!
I am known for having many projects on the go, sift through my website and you will find The God of the Darklands, a trilogy I have been working on over the years (feel free to check out the excerps) I give it my spare time between work, Twin Souls, my family and my friends. I am good at multi-tasking and taking on stress, I love that feeling of nerves and excitement and fear as the deadline draws near to the release of a new book.
But...there is a book I recently started working on because the idea would not shake loose. Harmlessly, I breathed life to a plot that I was sure I could put aside and work on later when I had finished Fateless, the second book in the Twin Soul Series. I was foolish! How could I have not known what I was getting in to?! And so I have been working on a story that has consumed far more of my time then I ever intended and I want to share with you a short excerpt to find out what you think. The few people I have shown snippets to are very excited.
So meet Jade...
"I was born Jade Heartbearer, daughter of Enya and Anick, but that was before my life was torn to shreds"
I stared at my reflection in the mirror and wondered if light would ever shine in my eyes the way it once did. As my mother's did before she was murdered and taken from this world. The chestnut brown of my irises had glittered with flecks of green. Now they were dull and dark, emotionless. The smile at my full lips appeared genuine; it hid the sorrow that punished me night and day.
Dark hair was piled on my head in irksome curls, cascading down my shoulders to flow over the silk that wrapped around my body. The little flowers woven in to my hair insisted on grazing my ears irritatingly. I resisted the urge to scratch them, or rip them from my head.
This evening I had a part to play. It wasn’t the usual type of Assassin work I was accustomed to but it was a means to an end.
The end of a life.
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