Blog Challenge Day 02 Travel/Vacation - Wild Card ~ Rachel Vincent

Wild Card by Rachel Vincent
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I found out today's Blog Challenge theme was Vacation and Travel I knew I needed to get this review ready! Wild Card follows Kaci and Justus as they make an exciting trip to Las Vegas, to out run a murder charge. The road trip almost ends up as a long time Island vacation but of course there are a few detours and a murder trial to attend..

Summary:

Kaci Dillon is a man-eater.

She’s grown up on the fringes of shifter society, hearing the whispers. One desperate act as a starving, terrified child has made her the first tabby in history with no romantic prospects. But whatever. Eighteen is too young to get married anyway. Still, when she stumbles upon an opportunity to get away for a few days, who could blame her for seizing it?

Justus Alexander is screwed.

Confined to the South-Central territory, awaiting trial for crimes he committed as a traumatized, newly infected stray, Justus has discovered that the tribunal already intends to vote for the death penalty. He has no choice but to run. Too young to touch the trust fund that could finance his escape, he’s betting on a big win at the poker tables—until Kaci, his secret crush, catches him sneaking out and demands that he take her with him to Las Vegas

My Take:

This is the third novel in Rachel Vincent's spin off series. For those of us who are fans of the original series this novel gives us a chance to check in with some old favorites and see how they are doing. I also enjoyed how these three novels are linked allowing us to have contact with some of the newer characters as well. You could read this book as a stand alone but I did reread the original series before starting this new one. Just to refresh my memory. The shifter society Vincent has created is expertly done. I've always enjoyed the way she pushes the society to equality but in a believable way. It would make sense that a society of shifters would have strict codes of secrecy or they wouldn't have survived this long. It also begs to reason the whole group would be a little sexist, sense female equality has been a battle for a long time.
To balance that we have some strong willed modern female leads. Each book in this series follows one tabby in her search for love, respect and independence. This novel follows Kaci who has spent the last few years being raise by Faythe and Marc since being found alone and in cat form in the Montana
Wilderness.
Kaci is all grown up but unable to escape the stigma that comes with being a Man Eater. Feeling alone and pretty down on herself she decides to hitch a ride with Justus who is headed to Las Vegas for a little pre-trial Vacation. Little does Kaci know this is going to be the trip of a lifetime!
I really enjoyed this novel. It was fun and exciting with a dash of romance. A perfect read to keep you up late into the night.

#BookReviewBlogChallenge

Check out Great New Reads for info on the blog challenge and to check out some other great books.

Circle of Desire ~ Keri Arthur

Circle of Desire by Keri Arthur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has been sitting in my digital TBR pile for far to long! Lucky for me I got a great deal on a used Kindle Oasis and now I can clear my digital TBR shelf. I received the digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Summary:

In ten years of working for the Damask Circle, shapeshifter Katherine Tanner has never come across anything that goes after kids the way this monster does, and she has never met anything that does to them what this thing does. And it’s not something she wants to confront. But with the Circle’s resources stretched to the limits, she’s given very little choice. The last thing she needs is interference from a cop who has no idea what he’s up against.

Ethan Morgan’s niece is one of the missing children and he has every intention of not only defying the odds and bringing her back alive, but of catching the monster behind these kidnappings and bringing her to justice. Even if he has to break every law in the country to do it. And he's willing to use anyone and everyone to achieve those aims--even a crazy woman who claims to be a witch.

Forced to join forces, Ethan and Kat are drawn to each other, but fight their feelings as they struggle to uncover clues that will lead them to the monster’s lair and battle a seemingly endless supply of zombies and other dead things determined to stop them. But time is ticking away and both know the monster behind these kidnappings rarely keeps her victims alive for more than seven days. And four of those have already gone.

But the greatest threat to Kat might not come from the forces of darkness gathering around them, but from the man she is beginning to love.

My Take;

Being the 3rd book in the series it took a few chapters for me to catch up with what was going on. After that the storyline moved in a well paced way. Mixing action scenes with steamy romance. The first few encounters with Kat and Ethan are a little rough. There isn't the romance and longing you would usually expect in this kind of fantasy. The casual nature of their relationship does begin to change for the better and you end up with a good read.
There is also a new and interesting supernatural predator. I wish we had been able to spend a little more time with the Mara. Learning about the creature. Maybe I've been just reading too many crime serials. This really wasn't that kind of novel. Worth the read but I do think you'd be better off starting at book 1.

Night of the Billionaire Wolf ~ Terry Spear

Night of the Billionaire Wolf by Terry Spear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another win for Terry Spear! If you look back into some of my old reviews you'll learn I am a big Terry Spear fan. So I was very excited when I got the chance to read the ARC from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review. If you are looking for romance and an upbeat story line she never lets you down. I also have always enjoyed the world she has set up for her wolves. The Lupus Garou shift seamlessly between wolf and human, mate for life, and have strong family bonds. They also tend to be pretty honorable (at least the main characters) so overall they are almost always likable. I've always though if shifters could exist in our world it would have to be more like that. If there was some moon obsessed magical killers running around human would have hunted them into extinction years ago.

Summary:
It's not easy being a billionaire, a wolf shifter, and a woman...

Lexi Summerfield built her business from the ground up. But with great wealth comes great responsibility, and some drawbacks Lexi could not have anticipated. Lexi never knows who she can trust... Even on vacation, Lexi has a hard time trying to relax. And for good reason―the paparazzi are dogging her, and so is someone else with evil intent.

Then Lexi meets bodyguard and gray wolf shifter Ryder Gallagher, who's also vacationing at Redwood National Park. When the two run into each other on the hiking trails, and then serendipitously rescue two bear cubs, Lexi feels safe for the first time in she can't remember when. But secrets have a way of surfacing... With the danger around Lexi escalating, Ryder will do whatever it takes to stay by her side...

My Take:

This book centers on Lexi a smart and wealthy female wolf who has had her world turned upside down after the death of her mom and loss of her dad. Not just dealing with the running of her business but also trying to weed through a sea of suitors who are only after her money. Lucky for Lexi she manages to cross paths with a wolf who is more interested in protecting her and things heat up.
I don't want to give any spoilers but I was excited to meet up with some characters from previous books. Having been a long time reader its nice to have a touch base with some old friends.
If you enjoy paranormal romance this is a great read.

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven ~ Bella Forrest (book 1)

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven by Bella Forrest
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Coming straight from reading the Harry Potter series with my son honestly anything else seems sub standard. That being said I kept getting facebook ads for this series so I figured I'd give it a try.



Summary:
When a rogue 19-year-old witch is recruited to help guard an ancient magical Bestiary, a breath-stealing journey begins...
Being an empath has its advantages. 

Harley Merlin can sense people’s emotions, among other things. It’s how she snagged her first job pinpointing cheaters at a casino.

But she has no clue where she got these freakish powers because she spent her childhood jumping from home to home in the foster system, and her father left her with nothing more than a cryptic note.

Then she crosses paths with a terrifyingly real monster. Which is when a mysterious and annoyingly arrogant young warlock named Wade Crowley steps in, introducing her to a hidden world of beasts, magicals, and covens riddled with secrets—as well as clues about her murky past.

My Take:

Overall I really enjoyed the world and the story line. There were a few unpredictable twists and turns that made it really stand out. My only big hold out going to 5 stars was the fact that the author seems to revisit the fact the main character is a foster kid over an over again. It is a plot point that is important to Harley's overall character but I think the author over emphasized it.  Also there are some other little moments where you get that feeling like its the first book in a series. A little over explaining here and there. If you can get past those little road bumps this is a good first installment.
The magic is interesting and there is definitely enough mystery to make you want to pick up the next book. I get that the Harry Potter similarities are there. Everyone living together and competing against other covens. The big bad who is of course fixated on the main character. Anyone who reads urban fantasy will tell you that this is not an uncommon theme across the board. Its really what the author does with it that makes the difference. In this case I felt there was enough originality to make this a good series.

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