Book Review: Spellfinder (Cassidy Edwards Book 2) by Carmen Caine

Title: Spellfinder
Author: Carmen Caine
Series: Cassidy Edwards #1
Pages: 261
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Revenge. Until now, my revenge was more of an idea. A fantasy. A mere whisper of what revenge should be. But it was a seed—and it was time for it to sprout.

My name is Cassidy. Cassidy Edwards. And I'm the first of my kind.

The Job
Hunting a mysterious force attacking the House of Rowle with spells of the most malevolent, arachnid kind.

The Players
A wickedly handsome warlock-of-a-boss, a hostile Nether Reach Keeper hell-bent on my arrest, and a vampire who just might believe that he’s my father.

My Problem
As my new Spellfinding gig plunges me deeper into the world of the Charmed Mafia, destiny presents the king of all conflicts … forcing me to walk a tightrope of lust and betrayal as the monster inside me awakens.

As with the first installment, Caine had me enthralled in her world filled with magic and the supernatural. She has a great way of leaving you wanting to know more. As I was going through the book, I did not want to put it down, but I guess I have to sleep too right?

In this story, Cassidy finds herself further down her path to revenge, and learns what revenge truly feels like. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes, but the real question is, is she ready to do just that. Is she willing to lose the people that she has come to care about? I’ll zip my lips on what comes next so as to not spoil anything! (There is nothing worse than spoilers!)

Anyways, I also really enjoyed how the story progressed, and quite relished the LOL moments! That Ricky just has a knack for causing problems!

Book Review: Monster (Cassidy Edwards Book 1) by Carmen Caine

Title: Monster
Author: Carmen Caine
Series: Cassidy Edwards #1
Pages: 282
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Revenge. It’s all I've lived for. Revenge against those who stacked the cards against me from the start. But I’m changing the deck now. I’m getting even. Born to a vampire, I wasn’t supposed to survive—but I did.

My name is Cassidy. Cassidy Edwards. And I’m the first of my kind.

The Job
Trapping a sixteenth-century Scottish Highlander of a vampire who just might be seduction itself.

The Team
A firedrake with an attitude, a werewolf with a problem, and an imp in dire need of rehab.

The Boss
A dangerously powerful warlock as handsome as sin.

My Problem:
Bluffing my way into a job, my first mission into the Charmed world opens a Pandora’s box of betrayal and secrets... along with attractions of the most lethal kind.

Monster turned out to be a really interesting and funny read! From the moment I opened the book, I was sucked in and just had to keep reading it. The overall world and story created by Caine was very intriguing! I especially loved the inclusion of Ricky, the rehab-Imp. He was super funny! I really enjoyed the part where he took over 1000 selfies!! He truly was some great comic relief! Additionally I enjoyed Cassidy’s story. She had no choice in a situation that forever changed her. I would be wanting a little revenge myself! She is a super snarky character that knows what she wants and goes after it. I can’t wait to see what trouble she can get into next, especially under the employ of the mysterious Lord Rowle...

Book Review: Half Wolf by Aimee Easterling

Title: Half Wolf
Author: Aimee Easterling
Series: Alpha Underground #1
Pages: 226
My Rating: ❤❤❤

Every werewolf knows the meek don't inherit the earth. Fen Young is a half-shifter whose inner beast is more mouse than wolf. Home is her castle, the only place she's ever felt safe. Enter Hunter Green, an uber-alpha strong enough to stop traffic with a single look. He's handsome and enticing and seems like just the ticket to broaden Fen's horizons...until the uber-alpha brushes off his admirer and summarily rejects her from her home pack. Now treading water in the no-man's land of outpack territory, Fen must confront a missing pack mate, a tantalizing stranger, and a serial killer targeting half-werewolves. Will she be able to shore up her waning power in time to save her friend...and half-breeds everywhere...before it's too late?

I found the first installment in the Alpha Underground series to be entertaining, however, I found myself wanting something more. Although the characters were interesting, I wanted more depth to them and to their interactions. I believe they all had the potential to be complex characters, but instead fell flat to me. I wanted to know more about Fen's pack mates and why they would want to leave the safety of an established pack to follow Fen into outpack territory.

Additionally, I was seriously rooting for Fen. I believed that she would come into her own and find her strength as a leader. Instead I was disappointed in her development. I know that she is young and cannot possibly know everything about leading a pack, but I at least expected more from her. I did not really feel like she ever took the time to get to know her pack members and form connections with them. She had zero idea that Ginger even had a crush on her. Not only did she not form connections with her pack mates, but she never formed a connection with her actual legitimate mate, Hunter.

The interactions between Fen and Hunter were few and far between, yet she would drool over him and throw herself at him as soon as he would decide to come into the picture. I needed a lot more to that little relationship. It just seemed extremely rushed and a bit lacking to me. Overall, Fenn's decisions always seemed somewhat rushed to me, and I greatly questioned her decision making skills. She trusted the first person that seemed to help her, and allowed him into the pack despite Lia having apprehensions about him. This was just shady to me. I know you need help, but you don't want to compromise any of your pack mates feelings of safety. Even knowing how Lia felt about him, she wouldn't limit their interactions together. This was very odd to me.

Although I did have quite a few hangups with certain parts of the story and the characters, I did find the book to be entertaining. I believe that the book did have a lot of potential, and I only hope that as the series continues, more growth and depth is instilled in the characters.

Book Review: Cliffhanger (The Belinda & Bennett Mysteries Book 1) by Amy Saunders

Title: Cliffhanger
Author: Amy Saunders
Series: Belinda & Bennett Mysteries #1
Pages: 237
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Making her grand re-entry into Portside, Rhode Island, Belinda Kittridge expected fun, sun, and sugar cookies.

Instead, she gets one jilted lover braced for round two, an old rival on the hunt, and the murder of a former classmate and friend. Even worse, Belinda must return to the events surrounding a tragic sailing accident to set things right.

But new possibilities emerge in the form of security expert Bennett Tate. Between her connections and his know-how, they're bound to catch the killer - and kick the skeletons out of the closet for good.

I was enthralled in Belinda and Bennett's story instantly! The scenery sounds beautiful, the characters are super realistic, and the mystery is enthralling!

Cliffhanger is one of those books that is so engrossing and loaded with detail that you feel like its a movie playing in your head. You can perfectly picture the locations and even the expressions on the characters faces. It was truly that great! It definitely felt like a Hallmark movie to me! 😊

Growing up, one of my favorite series to read was Nancy Drew, since that time it has been I don't know how long since I've actually sat down and read a good mystery book. Cliffhanger brought all those good memories back to me! I absolutely love how Saunders weaves in the perfect amount of humor and romance with such a great mystery! I also really enjoyed how as a reader, I didn't know every little thing the characters were thinking, Instead, they were able to surprise me!

I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in this series and see more of Belinda, Bennett, Jonas, Kyle, and Victoria! I really enjoyed getting to know all of them in this book!

Book Review: Guide My Heart (The Stirring Book 1) by Caroline Swart

Title: Guide My Heart
Author: Caroline Swart
Series: The Stirring #1
Pages: 76
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤

A two-week safari in Africa is the perfect holiday for Britney and her friend Meghan. But Chris, the swoon-worthy tour-guide, is fascinated with the paw-print birthmarks on her arm. Mysterious lions and visions of chains haunt Brit after they share a mind-blowing kiss, but is there something deeper than pure animal attraction between the two?

Book 1 of The Stirring.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

When I read the description of Guide My Heart, I thought what's not to like?

- African Safari Vacation (I have always wanted to go on one😍).........check
- Hot Thor Look-a-Like Tour Guide........check
- Descriptions of Cute Baby Rhinos........check
- Neat Paranormal Twist........check

As you can tell, I really loved how the book was set against the backdrop of an African Safari! Our main character even went on a jeep tour!! While on the tour, Chris (Mr. Thor look-a-like) explains the black stripes found on antelopes, and his blurb made my little biology major heart happy!

"They form the letter M, like the M in McDonald's." We gave him blank stares, waiting for him to explain. "These antelope are the preferred choice of food for predators. They're like McDonald burgers for lions and cheetahs. if you see the M running in the distance, you can bet that a leopard or another predator is following behind."

Besides loving the little biology lesson, I also enjoyed the overall premise of the book. The entire storyline was interesting. Despite reading a ton of paranormal romances, I haven't actually read one with lions! Additionally, the chemistry between Chris and Britney was off the charts! However, my only wish is that I could have gotten to know the characters better! Due to the book's length, the story had to progress pretty quickly, so I wasn't able to see their relationship unfold like I wanted to. It would have really helped since the end went from zero to a hundred. Don't get me wrong, I did like the ending, it just caught me a bit off guard!

Despite progressing super quick, I did really enjoy the story! Guide My Heart was a fun read, that definitely has the potential to lead into a FANTASTIC series!