Monday, October 19, 2015

Recombinant

Recombinant
Book 1 of the Blood Borne Series
Shannon Mayer & Denise Grover Swank
Bookgasums
Don’t be a nincompoop and pass up this book.
This is the first book in the new collaborated series Blood Borne.  I was unsure how the book would be; even though I love both of the authors other works.  I just didn’t know how two people could each write parts and then have all the parts work together seamlessly.  I am glad to say the authors did a fabulous job of creating a full and rich story.
The book started out as more of a regular crime novel with a man looking into the front window of a Victoria’s Secret within a mall.  Yes, the first chapter was about vampires but it still seemed so ordinary and common, not what I would expect from a paranormal story. This is not a bad thing; it was just not what I had expected.
Each chapter is from one of the two main characters point of view.  I am not a fan of this style as it makes the reading choppy which in turn makes it harder for me to get drawn into the story and the characters world.  There were a few spelling and/or word usage errors in the first two chapters that also made my reading flow stumble.
It was great finding and reading a book with not one but two strong female leads.  The characters were well fleshed out making me want to find out more about them.  What happened in Iraq?  How were the hunters trained and by whom?  There is a lot more to learn about each of the ladies and I cannot wait to find out more.
I did receive an ARC for a honest review. 

http://www.amazon.com/Recombinant-Blood-Borne-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01419N72S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1445258320&sr=1-1&keywords=recombinant

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

The Veil

The Veil
Book 1 of the Devil’s Isle Series
Chloe Neill
4 Stars
A thin line is the only thing that protects us
When I first got the book I was hesitant to read it.  I thought for sure I wouldn’t like it, whether that was due to the title or the cover I don’t know.  What finally got me to read it was the author, Chloe Neill.  Now I don’t mean we talk about my worries, I mean that I am a fan of hers.  She has another series, the Chicagoland Vampires.  I love this series with the great detail to the descriptions,  the wonderfully developed characters, and a little humor and romance interweaved with the action and suspense.
I will admit I wasn’t hooked by this book.  I have read other books that take place in New Orleans and I always have a problem seeing the scene.  I am sure this is one of the reasons I had difficulty getting into the story.  For me the Devil’s Isle reminded me of a prison of war camp from WWII and this was my biggest issue.
However, I did like the characters and I want to learn more about Clair and her tinkering skills and hear more about all the treasures in her shop.  I will be ordering the second book in the Devil’s Isle series.
I did not notice any grammar or spelling issues, which is a big pet peeve for me.  If I have to stop reading to give a word or sentence a second look, it pulls me out of the world created in the book.  Overall, it was a well written story and you should take a chance on it.  I give the book 4 stars.