Cat’s character is a little refreshing – and scary. Refreshing because she’s a little different than some heroines. Yes, she’s snarky and loud with a chip on her shoulder, but her past and current semi-living situation make it seem a lot more reasonable. I also like that she refuses to back down when she meets Bones – even though he isn’t what she expected at all.

Bones is everything I would want in a British bad-boy vampire. His humor, his outlook, his loyalty – it’s the real deal. His initial meeting with Cat is fantastic, and while they clash in every way possible, there’s no denying that’s an underlying chemistry between the two.

This is definitely a buildup novel. Halfway to the Grave is setting the stage for the future of the Night Huntress world, and it does a pretty good job. The world has lots of potential to grow and the side characters are intriguing and could become main characters in their own right down the line.

There is a bit of a cliffhanger (which is why I have a hard time saying this is a true paranormal romance) – but it was done fantastically. It feels like a natural bridge to the next book instead of just a hook to pull you along.

The second Night Huntress book picks up a few years after the first. Cat’s life is drastically different. Working for the government with a team of commandos behind her is a far cry from preying on lone vamps in dive bars. Her fighting tactics have changed, and she’s taking out vampires that are more dangerous than she has in the past. And then one of them puts a price on her head.

Cat’s team is mostly fun. I feel like Frost fell back on some pretty standard stereotypes with them, but they still meshed together and seemed to really care for Cat. They feel more like a family at times – although I think they all want to sleep with Cat which is a little weird.

Bones was a little jaded after the end of book one – for good reason. I feel like he and Cat jumped back into a serious relationship way too fast. Even with instant-fated-chosen-ones that often go with vampire romances, I feel like he should have been a lot more upset with her wanted to take time to hash out the past.

Frost added a good layer to the world in One Foot in the Grave. I feel things moving along, but I’m still caught up in the moment of each page. I hope Cat’s team can turn away from the stereotypes a little as the story moves along, and I really love the way the vampire society is being built.

A Lock of Death is one of the darkest romances I’ve read. While many mafia-based romances tend to lean that way, this one dives straight into the deep end without looking back. There are also very few side characters to distract from the leads. They are put under a microscope for the reader to see, and all of their darkest sides are exposed.

Nine – known only by her number and never really by her name – was deeply traumatized by life. There were many things I never really understood about her at the beginning. Her past remains a mystery until the very end of the book, and when it’s finally revealed, I wish I had known it sooner. It would have made her a more sympathetic character. I would have fallen into her mindset and believed a little more readily.

Dimitri seemed to be your typical mafia sociopath through most of the book. He was a lot more extreme than most, but I pictured him as his family’s enforcer and all-around bad guy for the bad guys. He takes everything to the extremes and then takes it even further.

Don’t go into this book expecting any particular thing, because it will surprise you all along the way. Their journey together – both physical and emotional – was quite the rollercoaster and I found it fascinating.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

You will not like Jordan at the beginning of the book – he is an opinionated and rather biased man that thinks only an old lady should be a nanny to his daughter. He comes off as a little full of himself, convinced that every young marriageable woman is out to rope in for themselves.

I loved when Poppy called him on his crap! She has a spine and I think more romance heroines need to stand up for themselves without being snarky or mean. When she finally arrives at Jordan’s ranch, her love for children is quite clear, and Katrina and her bond very quickly. For much of the story, their relationship overshadowed the potential relationship between Poppy and Jordan. But as Jordan’s daughter, I think it was just as important for Katrina to fall in love with Poppy.

I feel like I never really got to know Jordan very well. He obviously loves his daughter more than anything, and he really wants what’s best for her. But that’s really got from him for most of the story. I really wanted to see more beneath the surface and in his heart.

This is book two of The Great Smoky Mountain Getaways series, but can definitely be read as a stand-alone book.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

I am a big fan of new twists on old fairy tales or fairy tale characters. Red Hot Wolfie did a fantastic job taking Little Red Riding Hood and making her a contemporary character. She still has her red cape and lives near the forest, but she’s a fierce woman and witch you don’t want to mess with.

Her story starts with finding a wolf passed out on her doorstep – but this wolf isn’t an ordinary wolf. He turns into a very naked man, and the romance (very clean) takes off from there. I loved the interactions between Ruby and Ren. There was just enough tension, a little bit of doubt, and a whole lot of trying to figure things out.

But people are dying in the woods, and it looks like it might have been the work of a wolf. Pair that up with some unwelcome paranormal investigators looking for the perfect shot for the TV show, and things start getting tricky pretty fast. I wish these investigators had something a little more redeeming about them – some good trait that would make me anxious for their safety. But they fell a little flat in the personality department.

Ruby and her sisters (other fairy tale characters) investigate and sort of stumble upon the reason and culprit behind the murders in the woods. It took a bit of a winding trail to get there, but that let me get to know them and their little town a bit better. I wish that Ren’s history had a little more of the spotlight. I found his tale quite intriguing and thought it could have made a great main storyline instead of a secondary one.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

I have been wanting to learn more about the past of the brothers Trez and iAm. While parts have been hinted at in previous books, The Shadows really goes into their past and their very unusual society. I found it fascinating and really want to go back to their homeland and see a lot more of it.

Trez’s story was just about everything I had hoped for him. It was freeing and bittersweet, but so meaningful. Of course when he finds love, it can’t be simple. It’s going to be messy, complex, and potentially dangerous for everyone around him. But it was so worth it. It changes him. And I like the new Trez (even if he makes me cry) a lot better than the old one.

While Trez is having his life-changing moment, iAm isn’t immune to fate. It turns out they ahve a lot of things to take of back home, and that a lot of things they thought were true might not quite be what they thought they were. The journey both brothers take are oddly parallel until the very end. i dont always like romances with mutliple people getting their moment in the sun, but it seemed fitting that Trez and iAm, so inseparable, would have their story together as well.

There are a lot of lingering storylines for other member sof the Brotherhood that weave their way through the book, and a few new loose ends are left at the end to draw me into the next book. Once again, the story Ward presents is engaging. I’m just afraid taht we won’t see as much of the Shadow’s society in the future – similar to the way the Smpathes faded from view after their one story.

The Beast primarily focuses on the quickly devolving relationship between Rhage and Mary. It also seems to be a book that really pull is a lot of the side characters to make the story work – which I absolutely loved. Rhage and Mary are one of the first couples w meet in the BDB series, and it was so nice to have a chance to really look into their lives again – even if they aren’t in a very good place right now.

This book also reminds us that The Black Dagger Brotherhood isn’t all about romance. There is a war raging in the background, and something big is about to go down. You can feel it building up on the pages. Something is going to break with either the Scribe Virgin or the Omega, and it’s going to be life-changing for everyone.

There are a few storylines that involve the kids and babies of the household, and they added a little bit of a softer touch that the story needed. In a few years, the Brotherhood is going to have its hands full with all the new youngsters.

A wonderful addition to the series with romance, adventure, suspense, and plenty to make you laugh and cry (sometimes both at once).

What starts as a story of a small-town girl who moves to the city and then comes home again, quickly became a much larger story about the island of Mure, its people, and the changes that are about to come. Mure is an island – very remote – and very set in its ways. Life has slowed down and fallen behind what most of us would consider modern, but Mure doesn’t really care. The people, for the most part, like it that way.

But change is on its way in the form of a rich American. And the small-town girl that’s just returned home – her job is to convince the island that this change is the best thing for everyone. To add a layer of romance, Flora is in love with her boss and is hoping this job will somehow bring them closer together. Her boss is a little different, and I enjoyed some of his unique outlooks on how things worked.

As Flora begins to settle in to life on the island, she discovers a new joy – the joy of sharing good food with friends and family. Her perspective begins to shift and her priorities realign. It was wonderful going on this journey with her and discovering what life on a remote island might really be like. Following the lives and the residents and watching as they go about their lives and adjust to times may not sound like the most exciting story – but it is far more than I expected and I loved every page.

Inspiring the Mountain Man is short – like really short. So if you aren’t a fan of 30 minutes or less, instant-love romances, then you may want to stay away. But if you’re looking for a quick sweet story with all the good feels, then you may want to take a look.

Whitney is in the area to scope out campsites for a youth trip when she meets Drew and his daughter – with the help of a little matchmaking at the inn. Their relationship and getting to know you period is fast – but it doesn’t gloss over Drew’s loss of his affection for his daughter. Drew would do anything for her – even leave love behind.

The biggest thing I didn’t like about the story was how quickly the little bit of danger was wrapped up. I feel the story would have been better without it, as the story was too short to really fit it in well.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Blood Kiss by J.R. Ward is a new look into the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, a younger look as Ward takes us into the training academy with a class of new recruits. And included in these recruits, for the first time, are females, some from important families. I liked this twist and modernization of the brotherhood, especially after many of them fought alongside powerful females in their own books.

The new trainees are introduced as they complete an incredibly difficult obstacle-style course to see who can make the cut – and who can’t. They form some bonds along the way, and they find some rivals. The initiation is brutal, and knowing what the brotherhood has to face, I can understand why.

The romance between the trainees is a little sweeter and more innocent than what was typical in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, but it was still very intense and surrounded by a very major life and death situation. I really enjoyed most things about the story, but it isn’t really a new entry point for readers that haven’t read the original series. There is a lot of background that you will need to know to fully understand what is going on.