Review: Tangled Schemes by Jennifer Estep

Title: Tangled Schemes

Author:  Jennifer Estep

Series: Elemental Assassin

Format: freebie from the author

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release date: Published 2011

Number of pages: 15

This short story spans a period of time start­ing from the last chap­ter of Spider’s Bite and end­ing right before the begin­ning of Tan­gled Threads. It’s told from Detec­tive Bria Coolidge’s point of view and shows her search for her long-lost sis­ter Genevieve Snow. What Bria doesn’t know is what she’s going to do about the fact that Genevieve also hap­pens to be the assas­sin the Spi­der.

It was fun seeing that Fletcher was looking at Gin all along and he’s responsible for Bria Coolidge coming to town. But the best part is what Gin doesn’t know but Bria is actually looking for her long lost sister now that she’s discovered she’s alive.

 

I liked this little novella because we can Bria through all the events in the later book. Fun to know she’s not a bitch and it’s actually just like Gin thinking on the good and trying to save the world off Mab.

 

 

SERIES IN ORDER

#0.5 – Poison
#0.6 – Web of Deceit
#0.7 – Spider’s Bargain
#1 – Spider’s Bite
#1.5 – Web of Death
#2 – Web of Lies
#2.5 – Wasted
#3 – Venom
#3.5 – Tangled Dreams
#3.6 – Tangled Schemes
#4 – Tangled Threads
#4.5 – Spider’s Nemesis
#5 – Spider’s Revenge
#5.5 – Thread of Death
#6 – By a Thread
#7 – Widow’s Web
#8 – Deadly Sting (Expected publication: March 26th 2013)

Review: Tangled Dreams by Jennifer Estep

Title: Tangled Dreams

Author:  Jennifer Estep

Series: Elemental Assassin

Publisher:  freebie from the author

Format: online

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release date: Published 2011

Number of pages: 10

This short story takes place in between the events of Venom and Tan­gled Threads. It’s told from the points of view of Jo-Jo Dev­er­aux and her sis­ter, Sophia Dev­er­aux. When a car­jacker fol­lows an injured Gin back to Jo-Jo’s beauty salon, Jo-Jo and Sophia join forced to elim­i­nate the threat.

It was different to see Jo-Jo POV, but what I enjoy the most on these novellas is the fact we get to see what other very important characters think and this time we have an insight in the Deveraux sisters.

I’ve been thinking for awhile that Jo-Jo has a fairly good idea of what will happen in a fight between Mab and Gin, this novella only proved that is possible she does know the answer, but she’s much more than just that.

I also liked the fact how protective they are of Gin and it showed they really are a family.

SERIES IN ORDER

#0.5 – Poison
#0.6 – Web of Deceit
#0.7 – Spider’s Bargain
#1 – Spider’s Bite
#1.5 – Web of Death
#2 – Web of Lies
#2.5 – Wasted
#3 – Venom
#3.5 – Tangled Dreams
#3.6 – Tangled Schemes
#4 – Tangled Threads
#4.5 – Spider’s Nemesis
#5 – Spider’s Revenge
#5.5 – Thread of Death
#6 – By a Thread
#7 – Widow’s Web
#8 – Deadly Sting (Expected publication: March 26th 2013)

Let’s Talk #5

Welcome to the Let’s Talk weekly discussion meme!

Originally hosted by Melissa from i swim for oceans, Smash & Kt took her original inspiration, and made it their own, expanding it to more than just books. Let’s get personal (but respectfully so) and learn more about one another!  Each week, a different question will be posted along with a place to link up your posts and visit other people’s responses. This meme is definitely meant to bring out conversation and meet new people. So, Let’s Talk!

End of the first month and the questions are getting trickier…

How much time do you think you spend on blogging each week, including commenting on other blogs, participating in events, Twitter/Facebook blog talk, etc? Do you have a time management system that works well for you? We’d love to know!

I have no idea how much time I spent on blogging, but at least 2 hours a day, I don’t have a time management or anything, but I try to visit other blogs and comment on memes and reviews.

I’ve been improving on twitter and Facebook, but it’s still difficult for me to spent huge amount of time on both of those. I need more time on twitter to know better other bloggers, but I’m getting there. It’s so much fun to make new friends.

December Dreaming on It!

There’s some great books releasing this month that deserve some attention. And of course I have several of them on pre-order, but until these beauties get home, I’ll show some of my dreams. So what’s your dreams for December?

4th

  

11th

  

18th

 

26th

   

31th

Top 10 of 2012!

This year I’ve read way to many books and decided to participate in this end of the year retrospective. It sounds really good and definitely gives a chance to show off some of those amazing books we fell in love with.

WOW! Has the year flown by or what? I can’t believe we’re ready for another fun filled week where we look back at some of the best of all things books of 2012 and what books we’re looking forward to in 2013. Last year I participated in this event and had so much fun I’m co-hosting this year with my favorite fellow bloggers – Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic, Rachel fromFiktshun, and Jaime from Two Chicks on Books.

The event runs for five consecutive days, the last week of the year. Five days of some of our favorite lists and we invite ALL of YOU to join in on the fun and share your lists with everyone too!

Each day of the event we hope you’ll visit one of the hosting blogs and share your list with the Linky that will be provided. Just be sure you follow which lists goes on which day. Speaking of… here’s what we’re doing for this years event –

Monday, December 24th – Best Books I’ve Read in 2012 (Doesn’t have to be released in 2012, just a book you’ve read in 2012)

Tuesday, December 25th – Best Book Covers of 2012 (MUST be a book released in 2012. Would be best if it’s a book you’ve READ in 2012, but it’s not required)

Wednesday, December 26th – Best ________ Of 2012 (Readers/Bloggers choice. Please fill in the blank with ONE of these topics – Villains, Contemporaries, Dual POV’s, Novellas, Adult titles, New Adult titles, Love Triangles, Couples, Bad Boys or Debuts. REMEMBER – this list MUST be from books you’ve READ in 2012)

Thursday, December 27th – Best Book Boyfriends of 2012 (MUST be from a book released in 2012 and from a book you’ve READ in 2012)

Friday, December 28th – Top 10 Books I’m looking forward to in 2013. (This list should be comprised of books released ONLY in 2013)
How you do these posts/lists is totally up to you. What books, covers and characters you pick are all your own.

The only rules to follow are posting the topics on the dates we’ve provided.

Until them!!!

Review: Venom by Jennifer Estep

Title: Venom

Author:  Jennifer Estep

Series: Elemental Assassin

Publisher:  Pocket Books

Format: ebook

ISBN: 1439148015

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release date: 1439148015

Number of pages: 389

What kind of assassin works pro bono?

It’s hard to be a badass assassin when a giant is beating the crap out of you. Luckily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My current mission is personal: annihilate Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who murdered my family. Which means protecting my identity, even if I have to conceal my powerful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most.

To the public, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best barbecue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spider, retired assassin. I still do favors on the side. Like ridding a vampire friend of her oversized stalker—Mab’s right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his massive fists.

At least irresistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I’ll take my chances. Then there’s Detective Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland’s finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sister was dead. She probably thinks the same about me. Little does she know, I’m a cold-blooded killer . . . who is about to save her life.

Third book and this series continues to get better specially now that Gwen has some serious problems to handle with Mab Monroe. But not everything is bad and now Gin has an admirer on the fabulous and very dangerous Owen Grayson.

I loved this book and it’s amazing to see how Gwen is handling her retirement and some off her plans to destroy Mab empire. And now we also have Bria Coolidge in town. And she’s a fighter always trying to save the world and avenge the wrongs.

But this book is not all about revenge, Gwen is also helping her friend, because she feels guilty, but since all the bad people on Ashland is more darker than anything in this book she has to kill an abusive giant. He’s also Mab right hand, maybe this a two points with one hit.

SERIES IN ORDER

#0.5 – Poison
#0.6 – Web of Deceit
#0.7 – Spider’s Bargain
#1 – Spider’s Bite
#1.5 – Web of Death
#2 – Web of Lies
#2.5 – Wasted
#3 – Venom
#3.5 – Tangled Dreams
#3.6 – Tangled Schemes
#4 – Tangled Threads
#4.5 – Spider’s Nemesis
#5 – Spider’s Revenge
#5.5 – Thread of Death
#6 – By a Thread
#7 – Widow’s Web
#8 – Deadly Sting (Expected publication: March 26th 2013)

Waiting on Wednesday #28

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that features future books I’m highly anticipating for this year.

This week’s pre-publication "can’t-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Blood Vow 
Author:  Karin Tabke
Series: Blood Moon Rising Trilogy 
Publisher:  Berkley Heat
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release date: December 4th 2012
Number of pages: 320

The coming of the Blood Moon will lead two Lycan packs into war, spur two rival brothers into conflict, and spark an act of vengeance so evil that its effects will be felt for generations.

One woman stands at the center of it all…

A volatile mix of both Lycan and Slayer, half-breed Falon is Alpha female of her pack, marked by both Lucien and Rafael—rival Alpha brothers that share equal hold on her heart. But when Falon’s mysterious past completely unravels, it is revealed she is the daughter of the Master Slayer who murdered Lucien and Rafael’s parents. The revelation throws her relationship with both brothers into chaos.

Falon begs them not to condemn her for her father’s deeds. She realizes before her Alpha mates that they are destined to be one and pleads with them to accept the unusual triangle. If the brothers accept her as their mate then the Blood Law of an eye for an eye would be null and void. But if Lucien and Rafael cannot overcome their pride and accept their fate, the annihilation of the Lycan race waits within the shadow of the Blood Moon…

Top Off Tuesday #39

What better way than to top off a good book than with a GREAT Cover!

Amanda from On a Book Bender, Christi from Smitten with Reading, and Felicia from Geeky Blogger’s Book Blog want to see the covers that made you swoon! Feel free to play along and show us your favorite covers. Button made by Missie.

I love a good Harlequin romance and decided to post some hot covers off these little books. Until the end of the year I’ll post some good books that definitely deserve more exposure. Like those big abs…

There’s nothing like a man in uniform…or out of it!

Especially when he’s as hot as former Ranger Jamie Flanagan. After their last assignment went horribly wrong, he and his buddies needed to get out of the military for good. There was only one catch-that he and his pals promise their commanding officer one favor.

Any favor.

Now tall, dark and sexy Jamie is a top security specialist…and the ultimate ladies’ man. So he’s more than a little surprised when he learns the colonel has set him up to protect his granddaughter. Who would trust a player like Jamie with a gorgeous woman like Audrey? Then he learns his ‘mission’ is to seduce her away from another man…

Review: Playing the Royal Game by Carol Marinelli

Title: Playing the Royal Game

Author: Carol Marinelli

Series: The Santina Crown

Publisher:  Harlequin

Format: ebook from Netgalley

ISBN: 037323872X

Genre: Romance
Release date: November 13th 2012

Number of pages: 256

STOP THE PRESS: THE SANTINA-JACKSON ROYAL FAIRY TALE—FACT OR FICTION?
It seemed like every girl’s dream: fall in love with a prince and be whisked off for your very own glamorous happy-ever-after—a royal fairy tale for Allegra Jackson and Prince Alessandro Santina.

Allegra’s headline-grabbing family hardly prepared her for a life of public duty, and sinfully delicious Prince Alessandro has always seemed virtually allergic to the idea of settling down in Santa Maria.

Out of all the flamboyant, beautiful women his name’s been linked with, the heir to the throne picked ordinary Allegra with the family from hell….

Is everything really as it seems regarding the tabloid’s engagement of the year?

This is an ongoing series and I haven’t read the other books, but it was quite easy to fall in this Cinderella story and at the end I was cheering for their happy ending. After everything Allegra suffered from her family she deserved some good in her life.

Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t abused or anything like this, but they treated her like a slave, only working to give them money and for once she was doing something for herself, but apparently it was not enough because she was still unhappy.

Alessandro needed a dose of reality for him to realize that it wasn’t necessary for him to completely distance himself from the people just to rule them. So Allegra being her friendly was actually what he needed.

I wasn’t familiar with the rest of the family, but it was really nice seeing them changing with some truths bared. The relationship changed a lot in the book and it was great to see Alessandro bare his soul for once.

SERIES IN ORDER

#0.5 – The Life She Left Behind
#1 – The Price of Royal Duty
#2 – The Sheikh’s Heir
#3 – Santina’s Scandalous Princess
#4 – The Man Behind the Scars
#5 – Defying The Prince
#6 – Princess From The Shadows
#7 – The Girl Nobody Wanted
#8 – Playing the Royal Game

Cover/Blurb Reveal & Giveaway: SOMETHING DARKER by S.A. Price!

 

Expected publication: December 18th 2012

 

SOMETHING DARKER (book one of the Inferii Dii)

The one thing Syrus Alcot, the God of Death Osiris in the Egyptian Pantheon, wants in all the worlds is the woman he loved and lost returned to him. When he gave up his powers, and freedom for a life of service he was promised her return. That was over one thousand years ago. A member of a team of dark gods charged with keeping humanity safe, he leads a loveless existence in New York City, searching for the one thing that could bring his wife back to him, a lapis scarab that was lost to him ages before.

Gwen Stapleton, a mild mannered librarian, is unaware that she holds the key to not only Syrus’ happiness, but her own. Seemingly stuck in a hopeless relationship with a man she doesn’t love, she has no idea that a chance meeting in Alphabet City will start a landslide to her heart’s content. Because Gwen is the keeper of the scarab, and is everything Syrus has ever wanted… and hes not the only one.

An Ancient evil is waking, and its servants will stop at nothing to see it seize its rightful place as the new pantheon of earth. And in order for Syrus and his team to save the world, Gwen is going to have to accept him, and show that love does make all the difference.

To learn more about authors Stella and Audra Price, visit their Website:

www.stellaandaudra.com

 

***VIRTUAL RELEASE PARTY NEWS***

On December 18th, SOMETHING DARKER will be available for purchase and to celebrate the release authors S.A. Price are giving away some AMAZING, out of this world prizes! TRUST ME, you DO NOT want to miss out!

What are they giving away?

Are you ready for this?

A registration to Authors After Dark (2013 or 2014 if you are already registered for 2013), a VIP package including VIP early seating and entry badge, and welcome goodies from the hotel, a gift basket full goodies, backlist books, and Breakfast with Stella and Audra on Tuesday morning.  Awesome right? We thought so.

To learn more about Authors After Dark visit www.authorsafterdark.org

And wait, it gets better!!!

There will be a second and third place winner!

SECOND PRIZE winner will win a Nook Touch.
THIRD PRIZE winner will win tons of signed swag.

There’s a little extra, too, but you will have to wait until December 18th to find out! 🙂

Mark your calendars… DECEMBER 18th!!!

Right now we’re kicking off an early celebration with a $20 Amazon/BN Gift Card – Winners choice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Cover Reveal hosted by…