REVIEW: Dark Paradise by Angie Sandro

Dark Paradise by Angie Sandro (Dark Paradise #1)
Publisher: Forever Yours
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3.5-4/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

DARK LEGACY

Mala LaCroix has spent her whole life trying to escape her destiny. As the last in a long line of "witch women," she rejects the notion of spirits and hoodoo and instead does her best to blend in. But when she finds a dead body floating in the bayou behind her house, Mala taps into powers she never knew she had. She's haunted by visions of the dead girl, demanding justice and vengeance.

DEADLY SECRETS

Landry Prince has always had a crush on Mala, but when Mala discovers his sister, murdered and marked in some sort of Satanic ritual, he wonders if all the rumors about the LaCroix family are true. Yet after Mala uses her connection to the spirit world to identify his sister's killer, he starts to form his own bond to her . . . a very physical one. As they move closer to each other and closer to the truth, Mala and Landry must risk everything—their families, their love, and even their lives.

My Review

What I Liked



Dual POVs between Mala and Landry


Although there was more of Mala, Landry doesn’t falter behind her. Mala was really cool and so easy to like. I enjoyed the fact that she was obviously a fighter, but also kindhearted as well. She was witty and smart and really into solving crimes. She just had this spunky attitude that really drew me to her. Landry was kind of dark and brooding, but also sweet too. He really cared about his family, but sometimes judgements from them and others got the best of him. When he was clearly thinking, he was very protective and loving. I cannot deny that I fell for him along the way. 



Witches, hoodoo, ghosts and spirits!


The paranormal elements of this book was definitely a favorite. It was the star of the book and got better and better along the way. The witchy powers in Mala’s family was explained thoroughly and while Mala wasn’t quite a believer, she was given the chance to respect and embrace it. The ghost haunting and visions were the mot creepiest and really gave me the heebie jeebies at how descriptive these parts were. There was blood, dead bodies, enraged spirits, dark magic, and possession. All of this kept me going and had me riveted. 



Suspense and secrets and crime


There was a ton of suspense and moments where you might flinch or anticipate what was to come. I enjoyed Mala and Landry trying to uncover the truth about Lainey’s death even though most of the time they were getting themselves into a whole lot of trouble. When the secrets and cover up started coming out, it was unbelievable to me (and I mean this in a good way). I suspected a lot of characters but always had doubts and was shocked to find out the absolute truth. It was disgusting and appalling and god, I just wanted to break something or someone. It was awesome.



What I didn’t like



The romance


There is no love triangle I am telling you this now so you could all let out a breath or two. It was quite obvious that there will be a little something something between our two MCs and I was not feeling it. I liked their banter, their playful flirtations and sure, because I like kissing, their make out scenes were spicy. It should have stayed like this for now. I was not feeling their budding romance because Landry was just all over the place and the trust between the two was sketchy. So for me to really feel and believe they were in love despite the hatred and mistakes made..I don’t know.



The pacing and length


This is probably my main reason for my rating. The beginning really dragged on for me and when that happens, it becomes an effort to read. It did get better, but by the time I hit the half way point I had felt like I should have been done with the book already. This honestly is just a “feeling” that I could not push away. I was compelled to read the book because of all the things I mentioned above, but this part pulled me down.



Overall, I did like Dark Paradise. It was suspenseful, morbid, and amusing. I will definitely be reading the second book because I’m curious to see what happens with Mala next!



*Thanks to Forever Yours for sending a copy for review purposes in exchange for an honest review.

This does not affect my view of this book.

REVIEW: The Liberator by Victoria Scott

The Liberator by Victoria Scott (Dante Walker #2)
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Rating: 4/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Bad boy, meet bad girl.

Dante has a shiny new cuff wrapped around his ankle, and he doesn't like that mess one bit. His new accessory comes straight from Big Guy himself and marks the former demon as a liberator. Despite his gritty past and bad boy ways, Dante Walker has been granted a second chance.

When Dante is given his first mission as a liberator to save the soul of seventeen-year-old Aspen, he knows he’s got this. But Aspen reminds him of the rebellious life he used to live and is making it difficult to resist sinful temptations. Though Dante is committed to living clean for his girlfriend Charlie, this dude’s been a playboy for far too long…and old demons die hard.

With Charlie becoming the girl she was never able to be pre-makeover and Aspen showing him how delicious it feels to embrace his inner beast, Dante will have to go somewhere he never thought he’d return to in order to accomplish the impossible: save the girl he’s been assigned to, and keep the girl he loves.

My Review

Victoria Scott brings bad boy Dante Walker back in The Liberator along with the rest of the crew we’ve all come to love. There’s a splash of new characters here and there, romance for sure and lots of action to keep you on your toes.

I have to say that while Dante has changed from the person he was in The Collector, he hasn’t completely become a new person. For that I was thankful to Scott because she still made Dante, well..Dante. In The Liberator, Dante was still that sarcastic, super funny, cocky, bacon and red color loving guy. But he was different in the sense that he struggled to come to terms with being a Liberator instead of a Collector. He continued to believe he was a demon, bad to the bone, and that he was never going to be good enough for Charlie. I really liked how Scott kept Dante the way he was, but gradually changed him on his own terms. Charlie makes him a better man, but it was ultimately he himself who discovered that he wasn’t all bad and that his love for her was proof of that.


This book definitely showed a more softer, vulnerable side to Dante. We see him doubt himself when it comes to his relationship with Charlie and with his assignment towards Aspen. We see what really haunted Dante, what his true inner demons were. He really learns to let go and care for not just Charlie, but for Aspen and other characters. 

There was appearance of some old characters that we get to further know and love and Scott even throws in a returning characters I never thought I would see again. And of course, she takes away as well and that in of itself was a heartbreak for sure and probably the most vulnerable I have ever seen Dante to be. It was so well written and touching. Anyway, Aspen was the new addition and she was misunderstood for sure. Don’t let her rebellious, free spirit nature fool you because Aspen can kick ass with her big attitude to match. I liked that she was like the female version of Dante in almost every sense, emotion and inner demon wise. And like Dante, Aspen learns a lot about herself, about Charlie, about her purpose. I do wish that there was just a tad bit more of Aspen and Dante in the story. It was mostly in the beginning and especially in the end, but she sort of faded into the background around the middle. However, the sister-brother relationship that formed between Dante and Aspen was my favorite of the whole novel.

Like I said, there was plenty of action and adventure in The Liberator. So if you’re looking for some Liberator vs. Collector fist fights, you won’t be disappointed. It wasn’t just collectors anymore, but Sirens as well that are after Charlie and Dante. Secrets start coming out, especially the ones pertaining to Charlie and Aspen’s purpose. There was mention of scrolls and training at the Hive that adds great twists to the book. Questions do get answered along with why everything is the way it is and what may come. The witty banter rivals all of this, but it no means does it overtake. It just adds the perfect amount of humor and entertainment to keep the novel going. 

All in all, The Liberator was a fantastic follow up to The Collector. Dante grows up a lot and it really shows and I’m sure readers will be surprised by how much. I can’t wait to wrap this series up in the next book!

REVIEW: Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White (Mind Games #2)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 18, 2014
Source: Edelweiss via publisher*
Rating: 5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.

The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.

But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.

My Review

I’ve been super excited for Perfect Lies the second I finished Mind Games. I thought Mind Games was amazing, but Perfect Lies was just explosive. Kiersten White ups the ante with more suspense, action and edge than ever before. 



Fia has always been my favorite of the sisters. I adored her snarky, crazy, erratic thoughts. Fia was always a loose cannon and this time, she was quickly unraveling and losing control. All the spilled blood and sacrifices she had made and done to protect Annie was catching up to her. I didn’t know if she was going to tip over the edge and meet her downfall due to her unhinged state of mind. I just wanted to protect Fia because she was in deep, so in over her head, so fragile and broken. With her trying to destroy Keane from the inside, it seemed like she was destroying herself because it was harder and harder for her trust people and to figure out what was truly right and wrong. 



Annie really turned around in this book. I always thought she was more quiet, reserved, and a little helpless because she just allowed everyone else to take care of her. That Annie was no where to be found in Perfect Lies. Being away from Fia allowed her to stand on her own, to make her own decisions, and to just push herself to not be helpless little Annie anymore. She worked hard to decipher her visions, did what she could to help Fia, and just made herself be stronger mentally and even physically.



As I said, there was more suspense and edge. It was very fast paced to the point where one chapter was just not enough. I never really knew what was going to happen, what Fia was going to do next or what Annie was going to see. Old characters came back and new characters emerged. Some characters I disliked or didn’t care for became instant favorites and some characters I actually liked and adored slowly became characters I ended up having a heavy heart for. 



Like its predecessor, Perfect Lies was split between Fia and Annie’s perspectives with different timelines. I suggest not to think so much about these alternating timelines the way I did because you can get easily confused and possibly over think the events altogether. Trust me when I say everything comes together in the end. The events of what was happening to Annie get explained when it was Fia’s turn. The more you read, the clearer things get. Kiersten White really weaves and intertwines these timelines together. She really gives both Fia and Anne two distinct and easily identifiable voices. The best part is that though these two sisters are separated nearly the entirety of this book, the love they have for each other was stronger than anything. They were always thinking about protecting each other even when so much was already happening around them.

To make this book even more marvelous, we see unlikely friendships form and a romance that was dark and manipulating while the one was sweet and genuine. There was a lot of intensity, sad and even witty moments happening and I liked that each chapter was always another piece of the puzzle of Annie and Fia’s story falling in to place.



Overall, Perfect Lies was a brilliant follow up and end to the Mind Games duology. It was thrilling, exciting, and even a little disturbing. It was the best paranormal-suspense-mind twisting book I’ve read to date!



*Thanks to HarperTeen for sending a copy for review purposes

I was not compensated for my opinion. 

REVIEW: The Collector by Victoria Scott

Title: The Collector (Dante Walker #1)
Author: Victoria Scott
Publisher: Entangled
Publication Date: March 25, 2013 (April 2)
Format: eARC* 352 pages
Rating: 5/5 SEALS ;)
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

My thoughts, feelings, and reactions

Dante was so bad, he was freaking good.



I have been anticipating The Collector by Victoria Scott for ages. Finally able to dive into it, I can honestly say I have never been so infatuated with a book after just one sentence. Repeating my initial reaction when I finished: It was everything and I’m tucking this book right next to my heart. 


I’m going to come out and say that Dante Walker was infuriatingly sexy. He can talk the talk, walk the walk, and he can bring it to the next level. He was a fine piece of soul collecting, red loving, and big mouth attention grabbing presence of a specimen that I could not help but love to death. It’s not a lie that Dante gets the job done with flare. He’s the best of the best in his job and he’s comfortable in his skin. Dante was extremely clever, arrogant, and daring. Dante was the type of person who gets what he wants, does what he likes, and says what’s on his mind. Honestly, I wanted to punch him in the face and then grab him and kiss him silly. Dante makes me go crazy in the best possible ways. Even when he was being a jerk and even when his thoughts were harsh and cringe-worthy, there was still something about Dante, his attitude, and personality that makes him super attractive. Dante may be bad to the bone, but he has a heart and he can love, just don’t tell him I said that. 

Speaking of love, there is plenty of romance to go around in The Collector. I absolutely adored Dante and Charlie’s interaction so much. Who would have thought that curly haired and crooked teeth of a cute geeky girl like Charlie would slay big, bad, and cool Dante Walker? She did and it was so amazing to see her break down his walls little by little. These two just made my heart sing! Charlie was quirky and shy in the most sweetest and adorable way. I seriously loved that despite Dante’s distaste at Charlie’s appearance, he sees past it to the good hearted person within. Getting to know Charlie allows Dante to open up, change, and just be a better person. Because of Charlie, Dante goes against everything he has ever known and wanted and learns what it really means to love and sacrifice.


Victoria Scott has done a splendid job at creating, writing, and bringing the infamous Dante Walker to life. She made Dante live and breath this book to perfection. The Collector was a unique book that was clever and brilliantly written. I really enjoyed the paranormal aspects of heaven and hell with its corresponding liberators and collectors, the seals, the golden cuffs, and the soul light of humans. There was so much I wanted to know and learn about what Dante does and it was delivered. Scott gave more than enough to keep me enthralled and mesmerized throughout the whole story. Scott made The Collector fun and addictively entertaining. Once you go in, you can’t stop yourself from wanting more. 



Overall, The Collector had an original take on demons, falling in love, and about beauty being skin deep. This book was more than memorable and is easily able to ingrain itself on the hearts of many. 


Whatever Victoria Scott has next, I want need it! 


*Thanks to Entangled for sending a copy for review!

REVIEW: The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Title: The Nightmare Affair (The Arkwell Academy #1)
Author: Mindee Arnett
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: March 5, 2013
Format: ARC; 367 pages
Rating: 5/5
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

My thoughts, feelings, and reactions

The Nightmare Affair was a novel where Nightmares, demons, wizards, fairies and more are real. They’re walking, talking, living, and blending among us. The Nightmare Affair was full of imagination and creativity. Mindee Arnett created a book that was easily entertaining and one that was riveting, gripping and so much fun to read.

Destiny, better known as Dusty, was one spectacular character! Not even one page into the book, I was completely in love with her. Dusty had so much personality, so much spunk that it wasn’t hard to like her immediately. Honestly, I wanted to be Dusty’s friend, for real, forever. I liked that Dusty was a flawed character who had insecurities about herself, who was slightly awkward and clumsy, but still be super cool and down to earth too. In The Nightmare Affair, she started off as a someone to be scared of or someone to ignore, but as she learned more about herself and as her determination grew, the more her confidence did too. Dusty definitely had this paranormal, snarky, snappy Nancy Drew detective attitude going on that I’m sure many will enjoy. With a big mouth and a sharp tongue, Dusty was one fun character you don’t want to miss getting the chance to know!

Romance wise, this book definitely has some high points. There’s no insta-love here! Dusty grows to like two boys. Both are sweet and care very much for her. What I like about the relationship that Dusty had with Paul and Eli, was that they grew and develop to potentially be something more later on. There was room for feelings to deepen further. There was room to strengthen or break bonds. Mindee Arnett created something believable and real. Dusty’s feelings for Paul and Eli felt true and no where near forced. It just felt natural. My favorite had to be Eli because I loved how their partnership turned into a friendship where they were there for each other despite the daunting circumstances they were in at the moment. Dusty had a different kind of relationship with Paul compared to Eli, but Arnett still managed to make it so I loved both to the point of sever attachment problems. 

What truly made this book memorable and down right fantastic, was the world. What I thought was just going to be another paranormal world paralleled to the human world, I got something so much better, more realistic, more believable, and way more captivating. I loved every single aspect about this world from all the different magickinds, to the school grounds of Arkwell Academy, to the Magi Senate, to the role of the Keepers, the purpose of the Will, and even how Animation occurs. There was so much going on within this world, it was complex and involved but I never got overwhelmed or confused. In fact, the more I learned more about Dusty’s world, the more I wished I lived in it with her and the more I wished it were real. I especially loved getting to know about Nightmares and how their feeding and dreamwalking worked. It was very interesting. I really enjoyed learning about the magickind hierarchy between naturekind, witchkind, darkind and of course, the halfkind. Even in this world there was constant discrimination, popularity feuds, and the need for control and more power. This book was so much more than just a simple murder story. There was a tangled web of betrayal, deceit and lies that made you doubt which characters you could really trust. In a world with magic, rules, and order, you’ll find hidden secrets that threaten the peace that makes this world far from perfect than what it seemed. 



Overall, The Nightmare Affair was filled with mystery, suspense and even some adventure. It was not only witty and clever, but very entertaining. Just this first book alone has made me a fan of Arnett’s for life!

REVIEW: Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel

Title: Stolen Nights (Vampire Queen #2)
Author: Rebecca Maizel
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: January 29, 2013
Format: egalley* 303 pages
Rating: 5/5
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Lenah Beaudonte should be dead. But having sacrificed herself to save another, she finds herself awakening with strange powers that are neither vampire nor human—and a new enemy on her trail. In her vampire life, Lenah had thought that being human was all she ever wanted; but the human heart suffers pain, heartbreak and loss.

With her new powers growing and the dark force of the Nex after her soul, Lenah faces a choice: between the mortal love of gorgeous Justin, whose passion fed her human soul, and taking a different path to become the mistress of her own destiny, wherever that may lead...

My Review

After reading Infinite Days and falling in love with what Rebecca Maizel first created, I was super excited to start Stolen Nights and get swept up with all the characters I love so much. Not even one chapter in, Maizel had me hooked faster than an addict. To be straightforward, Stolen Nights was way better than its predecessor and I loved every single moment of it.

Stolen Nights picks up after a few days from the ending to Infinite Days with Lenah surviving the ritual she did on her former coven member, Vicken. She wants to start over with Justin, but instead trouble arises with another vampire threatening Lena’s life and an unexpected return from someone of her past. In this second novel, even more growth happens to Lenah’s character. The evil vampire that she used to be is no longer apparent, but left is a woman full of strength, courage and endless determination. While Lenah did have her times of self-doubt, selfishness and weaknesses, I believe she really overcame all the obstacles put in her way. She really realized, accepted, and faced the consequences of her actions from Infinite Days and chose to fix them and make things right. Though it pained me, Lenah’s decisions and sacrifices made her a better person, a better human being, and one amazing character. 

The lack of connection I felt with Lenah and Justin is now explained from reading Stolen Nights. That connection, chemistry, and emotions I wanted from them came in full force between Lenah and someone else. This character and Lenah made my skin tingle and my heart stop. The sexual tension between them was off the charts! I ached so much because I wanted them to be together more than anything. They were absolutely perfect for each other and because they couldn’t be together due certain circumstances this left me reeling and desperately wishing for a solution. Their love transcends time and place; it was something I felt to the very core of me. 

I loved the secondary characters so much more in this one. They really helped in shaping up Lenah’s character. Tracy, as much as I hated her in Infinite Days, I ended up warming up to her. She was totally different from the snobby girl I first met. I really liked how she stood out, stepped up and became a real friend to Lenah. Vicken was the best of them all. All the despair and danger of this book was really countered by Vicken’s humor. That boy made me smile and grin to no end. He could’ve eased the tension and the dark parts of this book from a mile away. I adored him so much.

Even though I didn’t have to wait between both novels, the writing felt familiar, like coming home to a place I’ve missed so much. I love how there was no gap between book one and book two. Maizel’s writing flows just the same as the previous one, if not better. I love how it just goes straight into the action without hesitation. There’s so much more at stake in Stolen Nights; so much danger and death that really kept me engrossed and made my heart race. Everything I loved in Infinite Days was back, but Maizel gave so much more. More magic and elemental power was explored. There was even new parts in the book that I wanted to know more about like the Aeris and the Hollow Ones that were great additions to the story. I especially loved the mystery, revenge, and need for power in Odette’s character because her evil ways gave more excitement and rocked the unstable foundation of Lenah’s life. My most favorite part was all about the meaning of true love, soul mates and ultimate sacrifices that gave way for an ending that was bittersweet, heart-wrenching and one that left me in tears. 

Overall, Stolen Nights was everything and anything I hoped it would be. This book was more than just about vampires and magic, but of fixing mistakes, owning up to consequences, sacrificing one’s happiness for the greater good to keep the balance and of thinking about other’s before yourself. I loved this book so much, I can’t wait for the next one to come already!

*Thanks to St. Martin's Press for sending a copy for review.

Favorite Quotes:

"Commitment to love is a choice deep within the soul." Location 205.

"Like the whitest shores on a beach as far as the eye can see. You want that ocean. You see that ocean. But you can never go back in. Ever." Location 213.

"Time does not tick on for the dead. After we die, we cannot keep it. It is the master of the living. For the dead, for the vampire, time is a hornet's nest. Dangerous, best to be avoided-- always humming in your ear." Location 316.

"It's true," I said, my voice faint. "I had other distractions, but it was always you who held the power. I loved you, so it didn't matter." Location 819.

"Lenah," he said, drawing my eyes to his. "I stay because there is an extraordinary difference between thinking of you and seeing you in the mortal flesh. I stay for the one moment you smile throughout the day. Or to watch you run your hand through your hair. Because I must, must' " --his breath was short-- "must be near you, in any way I can." Location 847.

-All quotes taken from eARC and are subject to change from the finished copy.

Read my review of Infinite Days (Vampire Queen #1)

REVIEW: Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Title: Infinite Days (Vampire Queen #1)
Author: Rebecca Maizel
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: August 3, 2010 (New Cover 2012)
Format: Paperback 336 pages
Rating: 4.5/5
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

“Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you... no one.”

Those were some of Rhode’s last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love. The last time I would see his face.

It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste.

Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again. So I could stop the blood lust.

I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn’t Rhode.

But Justin was... daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream.

I never expected to be sixteen again... then again, I never expected my past to come back and haunt me...

My thoughts, feelings, and reactions

Just when I thought I was getting tired with vampire novels, I stumble upon Infinite Days and basically rediscover why I enjoy vampire books all over again! Infinite Days showed me a whole new world full of magic, danger, and devoted romance that I found refreshing and riveting. 

Infinite Days starts off strong with a lead in that totally grabbed my attention. Rebecca Maizel did a wonderful job of enrapturing me from the beginning and kept me within the clutches of the novel as I got to know more of Lenah’s story. Maizel created a different kind of vampire, one that was still within the realms of what we know of vampires today, but added in the element of dark magic and the pain and torment of being a vampire. This world she created allowed for vampires to walk among human life as the most powerful beings for centuries. She made these vampires evil, irrational, and without care for human life, but she made them so I was able to feel some semblance of sympathy for the constant pain they felt. I loved how connected vampires were to magic; using it to gain more power. It was very interesting aspect to read about. 

Lenah spends most of her time in this novel adjusting to her new human life, moving on from her vampire life, and trying to be safe from the danger she left behind. I absolutely loved reading all about Lenah’s adjustment from being a powerful vampire queen to becoming a normal 16 year old. She had a lot to reconcile with; a lot to learn about the new modern world she lived in. Throughout Lena’s time as a human, she makes comparisons of her vampire self and reading these flashbacks were my favorite parts. I loved that Maizel allowed me to get to know the vampire Lenah and the human Lenah throughout the whole book because I got to see her character come full circle and watch it develop further on. As a vampire, Lenah was vicious, ruthless and heartless. She was frightening, cunning and dripping with power. As she got used to being human, she retained her confidence, elegance, and bravery, but she also became compassionate, loving, and caring. She was fascinated with the people and things of the modern world and in turn, this made me fascinated by her. Even through all her past faults, Lenah was capable of change. She thought of others before herself. She learned to love and be loved back and to protect those that meant dear to her. Lenah’s growth throughout the book had me awestruck and left me admiring her to no end. 

The romance in this book was quite prominent, but not the center of attention. To be honest, I didn’t feel like Justin and Lenah had much of a strong connection or enough chemistry to really be invested in their relationship. However, I did like the way their relationship developed and I eventually warmed up to them. I could see why Lenah loved Justin’s happiness, his care-free adventurous and, live-life-to-the-fullest personality. It was different from anything she had ever known. His energy was contagious, and swept Lenah up. Justin didn’t judge her, but accepted her and showed her to live again. If you were to ask me, I really loved Lenah’s friendship with Tony. He was adorable and loved Lenah to bits. I could feel how much he truly cared for Lenah. I thought their friendship was a lot stronger and had much more potential to be something more. 

Maizel’s writing in Infinite Days was absolutely magnificent. It was perfect for Lenah’s voice and within the time period she lived then and it blended well for the modern world too. Maizel allowed Lenah’s voice to really consume the book and just make it, so her. I believed that this was Lenah telling her story as if it truly happened. The novel flowed nicely and had me turning page after page. I loved how Maizel was able to tie in magic elements to vampirism. It gave this book a unique twist and an intricate plot line that I adored so much. Her ability to make me love certain characters quickly was breath-taking and the way she had me at the edge of my seat from the looming danger was ultimately exciting. 

Overall, Infinite Days was an original, dark, and involved novel with a different take on vampires that I fell so hard for. I couldn’t get enough of Lenah!

Character Interview: Caleb Evans from Karma Bites by Nyrae Dawn

I'm really excited to have a very special someone on my blog today! He's totally cool. He has a bad boy reputation around school, but when it comes to a certain girl, he's totally sweet and kind and just has a good heart all the way! He can make you swoon and break your heart all at once.
He's my favorite, gorgeous green-eyed, black hair beauty: Caleb Evans from Karma Bites by one of my favoritest authors ever, Nyrae Dawn!

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Hi Caleb! Thanks for stopping by my blog! It's an absolute honor to have you :)

Umm…sure. No problem.

Can you tell my blog readers a little bit about yourself, of course, without spoiling the mysteriousness that is Caleb Evans?

I’m not sure I’m mysterious or really what to say at all. I’m the guy your parents don’t want you to hang out with. If there were tracks, I’d live on the wrong side of them. Parents who don’t care. You know, all that. Which really doesn’t mean anything, but that’s what most people see when they look at me. 

Oh, Caleb. You are so much more than that.

I know you don't like Karma very much for reasons that cannot be named at the moment, but is there anything about Karma that you like? The food, the people? Anything? 
Abby.

Mhm, I think I knew that one ;) 

How do you juggle school and all your other "responsibilities"? It sounds really tough. 

You do what you have to do to survive. There’s not really another option. Plus, school’s always been easy for me.

I admire the fact that you don't care about what other people think and that you're comfortable just doing your own thing. Is that how you've always been or is it because of the situation you were currently in?

*shrugs* I don’t know. I guess I’ve always been like that. I mean, I have people I hung out with, but we were different. My head was always in a different place than theirs, so it’s hard to get too close. I know how life is. There aren’t many people you can depend on other than yourself, so why pretend?

I hear you, Caleb. It's tough.

What's up with those friends you supposedly hang out with? What are they like? Are they any fun?

Eh. They can be a good time, if that’s what you’re looking for.

Stacy and the LP seem to be at the top of the school hierarchy, where do you stand?

I don’t know. I don’t really pay attention to that. 

Now Let’s talk about Abby. 

Yeah, we can't have this interview without talking about Abby *winks*

What was going through your mind when you saw Abby at her tree that day? Have you ever noticed her before then? 

It’s hard not to notice her…she doesn’t see that about herself, or she’ll blame it on the vampire stuff with her mom, but, yeah, I noticed her. When I saw her by the tree… I don’t know if I was really thinking. I just didn’t like to see her cry. I don’t know why. I just wanted to make sure she was okay

What's the best thing about Abby in your eyes? How does she make you feel? 

Umm… I’m not real good at talking about that stuff. I guess…I guess she makes me feel important, if that makes sense. And she’s funny as hell too. 

I completely agree. Abby's one hell of a girl. I adore her.

Ok, lets talk Gabe. 

Do we have to?

Yeahh. We do. Sorry, Caleb. *winces*

How do you feel about him? Before and then After? Do you think he'll be your rival for Abby's affections? He is pretty dreamy, not that I know I wasn't looking or anything. 

I hate him. I always have and always will. I can’t go into why without giving stuff away, but no, I don’t like him and I hate the way things are right now. As for Abby…we have a lot of stuff between us right now, but I don’t see Gabe being a problem in that way. This is real life. Our lives and not just a game. Regardless of how things went down, I trust her and I know her. I’ll always believe in that. 

*phew* That wasn't so bad, right? Promise not to ask anymore Gabe questions, ever. 

All right, a few quick fire questions and I'll let you go.

Last thing you bought? Food, which honestly was weeks ago. Since that, I haven’t needed much. 

Color of your room? White, though I don’t really feel like it’s mine. I’m just being “housed” right now.

Favorite time of day? Night

My favorite too. *grins*

Best subject in school? All of them 

*smiles in adoration*

One thing you can't be without? One thing I don’t want to be without or can’t physically? The answers would be different.

And my million dollar question: Boxers or Briefs? *winks* Boxer-briefs

*sigh* What I would give... *shakes out of day dreams*

Thanks again Caleb for being here, I can't wait to learn more about you in the second book. Maybe you can talk to Nyrae about writing it very soon ;) lol

Thanks for having me. If you see Abby, tell her…tell her I said hi. 

Oh, Caleb. I will. I most certainly will. *hugs*

----

Check out my review for Karma Bites

More books from Nyrae Dawn:

REVIEW: Initiation by Imogen Rose

Title: Initiation (Bonfire Academy #1)
Author: Imogen Rose - Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: November 23, 2011
Format: Kindle ebook, 412 pages
Rating: 3/5 stars
Get it: Amazon || B&N || Smashwords

Welcome to Bonfire Academy. Set in the foothills of the alpine mountains in St.Moritz, this exclusive private school caters to a special kind of student. Enter at your own risk... but if you are human, you may not want to enter at all.

My thoughts, feelings & reactions.

Initiation by Imogen Rose was a good book with interesting concepts and cool characters. It was an nice and enjoyable read that grabbed my attention. I really liked what Imogen created in Initiation.


It starts off with Cordelia returning to Bonfire Academy for her Enrichment Program to develop her tennis skills. Instead, she gets roped into mentoring a human-demon hybrid. What was supposed to be an easy and fun year at BA, immediately turns into a series of attacks where danger seems to lurk at every corner.

What I liked a lot:



Bonfire Academy and the Writing.


• It’s like Hogwarts for paranormals, but a less fancy version. BA preps different kinds of paranormals: demons, faeries, shifters, vampires, trolls, wanderers and many hybrids to develop, control and master their abilities, powers and skills. Paranormals go there to learn about their own kind and about other paranormals. This idea was a good base for the overall story. It allowed me to become familiar with all the characters and everything that Imogen introduces into this first book. Imogen’s writing was also a plus for this book because everything flowed pretty well. There was a light touch to the interactions between the characters and there was something about the whole book that compelled me to finish it.


Cordelia: main character and demon princess protagonist.


• Strong-willed, determined and level-headed was what Cordelia was to me. She speaks her mind, she was nosy, and she didn’t let anyone walk all over her. She has a human form that was part beautiful and part caring. Cordelia was helpful and friendly; protecting an initiate that became her close friend, named Faustine. As a demon, Cordelia can heal herself, run at super fast speed, can sniff out other paranormals, has good hearing abilities and she can possess other people and paranormals other than her own kind. Cordeila was definitely terrifying in demon form with her warts and boils oozing pus. For me, she was pretty damn cool.

What I didn’t like so much:



Repetitive plot line.


• I liked where Imogen was going with the story, but most of the book lacked any kind of suspense or thrill. Throughout the story, Cordelia struggled with several attacks, figuring out motives for these attacks, figuring out the culprit to even smaller attacks, protecting and mentoring Faustine, and dealing with her feelings for Quinn and Jagger. It got repetitive after the first attack where the events go from more attacks, to a rescue, to an investigation, to helping out Faustine, to eating, and then going skiiing to cool down and then it starts all over with different scenarios, but the same layout. It got really tiring and boring after awhile and this had me struggling a bit while reading.



Unnecessary love triangle, insta-love and the like.


• As much as I liked Cordelia’s relationship with Jagger, I just couldn’t grasp their insta-love. Yes, I know that these characters are paranormals who don’t grasp human customs, but a relationship needs a base, a good build up, and time to grow. I have to feel their love and that’s the problem. I just didn’t feel anything. The whole “synching” thing that gets introduced into the story was supposed to be the explanation for Cordelia and Jagger’s love but it only did two things:
  1) it didn't make their relationship believable because synching doesn’t get explained at all, leaving two characters attracted to each other from this so-called “rare phenomenon” and
  2) it makes the love triangle redundant because synching with someone is the deal-breaker, so to speak.

Overall, I did have a good time reading Initiation despite some of the issues I had. I’m still fascinated with where Imogen plans to take Cordelia next and I still have a burning curiosity for what will become of these characters in their following year at Bonfire Academy.