Review - - Burn for Me

Burn For Me

By Ilona Andrews

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: October 28, 2014

As a longtime fan of Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels urban fantasy series, I was excited to see that the husband-and-wife writing team were venturing into paranormal romance.  The Kate Daniels books have strong romantic elements and great sexual tension, so I was expecting the same, only more, here.

While I enjoyed Burn for Me thoroughly, it didn’t live up to that expectation.  First let’s look at the pluses.  It’s set in a world where science has triggered magical abilities, which have become the key to social and political power.  The writing is crisp and clean, and the plot moves right along.

The cast of characters is great.  The heroine is private investigator Nevada Baylor, who has a magical ability she has good reason not to disclose.  The hero, Connor “Mad” Rogan, is a telekinetic of astounding ability, a military veteran who has more or less withdrawn from the world until a family member in need pulls him into the same case Nevada is pursuing.

Nevada doesn’t want the case.  She knows she doesn’t have the magical mojo to stand up to a top-level magical arsonist, let alone capture him alive.  The corporation who forced her to take the case knows it, too, but they don’t want to offend the arsonist’s powerful, magical family by refusing.  Assigning the job to someone with Nevada’s excellent success rate will, even when she fails, get the corporation off the hook.  The fact that they own the mortgage and the business name of Nevada’s agency, which supports her entire family, gives them the leverage they need to force her onto the case.  The fact that she’s unlikely to survive is, as they see it, an unfortunate cost of doing business.

The family includes a number of interesting characters, and they are as prone to clash one minute and close ranks the next as any other family.  They’re none to keen on seeing Rogan join the mix because of his unfortunate first encounter with Nevada.

Rogan is also pursuing the arsonist in an effort to save the man’s accomplice, Rogan’s young cousin.  He initially sees Nevada as both a threat to his goal and a possible source of information.  The attraction between them is immediate and intense and, on Nevada’s side, unwelcome.  The sooner she sees the last of him, she believes, the better.  But Rogan may be her key to surviving this case, so she reluctantly joins forces with him.

The mystery, the chase to capture the arsonist alive, and the push/pull between Nevada and Rogan are all well done.  So what didn’t satisfy me about it?  For starters, Nevada and Rogan don’t meet until page 89 (out of 382).  In an urban fantasy, that’s not a big problem, but I don’t think readers expect the heroine and heroine to spend the first 20-plus percent or so of a romance novel not only apart but not concerned with each other or really aware of each other.

The ending was satisfying, though readers who want one couple per book may not like it as much.  It’s clear that this is the start of a series featuring Nevada and Rogan. 

In rating the book, I tried to take all of this into account.  Burn for Me skates the line between urban fantasy and paranormal romance with very strong romantic elements but is, because of the way the story is constructed, really a shade more urban fantasy than romance. If the label on the spine said urban fantasy, I would give this book a 5.  As a romance, because the balance of the plot elements, I’d give it a 3.  So I’ve compromised with a 4.

~Nancy Northcott

A former attorney who never outgrew her love of comic books, science fiction and fantasy, Nancy left the legal profession to pursue her dreams of creating her own action adventure stories.  Check out her terrific contemporary romances set within a fantasy world in present-day Georgia. 

Today's Special - - Karina Cooper

One of the best parts of attending the RWA National Conference is the opportunity to meet new people.  At the 2011 conference in New York City, one of the nicest people I had the pleasure of meeting was a new Avon author by the name of Karina Cooper.  Quirky, smart, funny and friendly, she's the kind of person for whom you want good things to happen.  She also rocks a sexy dress and heels like nobody's business.  

Writing paranormal romance and steampunk urban fantasy, Karina's books have captured the interest of readers and brought her awards such as the RT Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Steampunk Novel of 2012.  Her most recent book, ONE FOR THE WICKED (April 30, 2013) is the much anticipated conclusion of her Dark Mission series and is garnering excellent reviews.  

Please give Karina a warm welcome as she blogs about working through the end.

Working Through the End

When you write a series long enough—when you write enough books, meet enough characters, spend enough time working them through all the trials and tribulations a good story brings out—you begin to feel like you know these people. They become ghostly friends, cropping up in your thoughts as you live your daily life.

I find myself eating something new and thinking, “I like it, but I bet Silas Smith would totally hate this.” I’ll watch a movie, and think, “That’s something Naomi West would do.” I find a problem and wonder how Juliet might handle it, or Simon might plow through it.

With the wrap-up of my Dark Mission series, I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to let go of characters I’d turned into friends over the past couple years.

For a while before I started One for the Wicked, I didn’t know how I was going to pull it all together. The

balance comes in introducing the new main characters of the book, while still brining the stories of all the other characters to a final close. I really sweated it for a long time.

Now that it’s done, I think I might have been a little more worried than I should have.

Turns out, most of what the characters are doing—how they’re doing after their own books, what they’re feeling, how they are—is already laid out for me. The hard part wasn’t in writing what they’re up to, it was in simply following the guidelines they already set in previous books. I knew, right there on the page, how Jessie and Silas were, how Naomi and Phin had learned to cope with each other’s predicaments, and what kind of hell Simon was going through—and tried to hide from Parker.

One for the Wicked ended up being so much more than just Shawn and Kayleigh’s book. As twisted and complicated as their own story is, it’s also all about the resolution of the characters we came to know and, love or hate, felt strongly about in previous books. Balancing it all turned out to be easier than I expected.

Maybe because it was time to say goodbye? Maybe because I think of them like real people, with real choices—good and bad—and real consequences.

What are the series ends that you really remember? Did you love them, or hate them? And why?

PJ here.  One randomly chosen person leaving a comment on today's blog will win a copy of "Before the Witches," the novella that kicks off Karina's Dark Mission series.  This giveaway is open to all countries serviced by bookdepository.com.

Review -- Spider's Revenge

Spider's Revenge
Elemental Assassin Book 5
By Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: September 27, 2011







Old habits die hard for assassins.

And I plan on murdering someone before the night is through.

Killing used to be my regular gig, after all. Gin Blanco, aka the Spider, assassin-for-hire. And I was very, very good at it. Now, I’m ready to make the one hit that truly matters: Mab Monroe, the dangerous Fire elemental who murdered my family when I was thirteen. Oh, I don’t think the mission will be easy, but turns out it’s a bit more problematic than expected. The bitch knows I’m coming for her. So now I’m up against the army of lethal bounty hunters Mab hired to track me down. She also put a price on my baby sister’s head. Keeping Bria safe is my first priority. Taking Mab out is a close second. Good thing I’ve got my powerful Ice and Stone magic—and my irresistible lover, Owen Grayson—to watch my back. This battle has been years in the making, and there’s a good chance I won’t survive. But if I’m going down, then Mab’s coming with me . . . no matter what I have to do to make that happen.

Gin's showdown with the evil Fire elemental Mab Monroe has been building since the first page of book one (Spider's Bite), and I have been waiting with bated breath for Gin to kill Mab, slowly and with a great deal of pain. Whew! I sound almost as bloodthirsty as Gin, but if you've read any of the books in this fantastic series you most likely feel the same way. Mab puts the 'E' in evil, and it's high time she gets what she deserves.

Gin is the Spider, and her reputation as an assassin is unparalleled. She has been patiently planning her nemesis, Mab's demise ever since Mab killed Gin's mother and sister when Gin was thirteen years old. Just like the spider she's named after, Gin knows that her patience will pay off when it comes to getting her prey. So when she blows a prime opportunity to assassinate Mab, Gin knows that she is going to have to work harder the next time...if the score of professional bounty hunters--- that Mab has brought to Ashland to hunt down Gin and her sister Bria--- don't get her before she gets Mab.

The last thing Gin wants to do is put those that she loves in danger, but they refuse to let her take on Mab alone. She is as about as tough as they come---hello, she's an assassin---but when it comes to her friends, her foster brother, her baby sister Bria, and her lover Owen Grayson, her heart is marshmallow soft. But Gin has to push those feeling deep down and become the cold-hearted, nerves-of-steel Spider if she is to defeat Mab and save those she loves from certain torture and death.

Jennifer Estep continues to serve up nonstop action and thrills in the fifth installment of her popular Elemental Assassin series---she made the New York Times bestseller list recently! I was almost certain that Spider's Revenge would be the last in this series, once Mab met her end at the hand of the Spider. That made me happy (Mab would finally be gone) and sad, because I am endlessly fascinated by Gin and the rest of the citizens of Ashland. It's a bit like opening the last present on Christmas morning---you're so happy with all that you received, but a little let down because it's all over. Well, Ms. Estep has pulled a surprise gift from the bag, like a benevolent Santa Claus; this series is not over! The last line just says it all. *g*

"My name is Gin, and I kill people."

The next book, By A Thread, will be released in March 2012 and the seventh book, Widow's Web is set to be released in September 2012. In order to get maximum enjoyment from this series, I recommend reading them in order: Spider's Bite, Web of Lies, Venom, Tangled Threads, and Spider's Revenge. I know I've said it before, but it bears repeating, this really is the best urban fantasy series out there. It is entertainment at it's best.

~ Gannon

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Review -- Everdark

Everdark
The Dark Ink Chronicles, Book 2
By Elle Jasper
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Release Date: June 7, 2011






Tattoo artist Riley Poe thought she knew Savannah's shady side---until her brother was taken by a cult of vampires. Allying herself with hot-blooded vampire Eli Dupre, she got her brother back. But her courage---and her one-of-a-kind blood type---made her an irresistible temptation for some very bad bloodsuckers.

After barely surviving an ambush by enemy undead, she has inherited certain traits of her attackers: heightened senses, lightning reflexes, unreal strength. Eli trains Riley to use her new vampiric tendencies, teaching her control and skills she's never imagined needing. But when a new trait---a telepathic link with a rampaging vampire---manifests itself, Riley knows she has to put her new skills to the test to stop the killer before he strikes again.

Long used to taking care of herself, Riley has trouble asking for help, even from the powerful vampire she loves...


I was captivated by the vampire world that Elle Jasper created when I first read book one in The Dark Ink Chronicles, Afterlight. My fascination for the characters and setting have not lessened, if anything it has grown while reading Everdark. Riley Poe is in deep: deep in action, danger, and ever deeper in love with her vampire lover, Eli Dupre, although she has yet to tell him. Riley now has "tendencies" thanks to the DNA she now shares with the strigoi vampires who attacked her. Added to her new powers, she also shares a telepathic link with one of those vampires, Victorian Arcos, who "visits" with her when she's dreaming and often when she's awake. Although no one else trusts him---and Riley initially agrees---Victorian is slowly convincing Riley that he's not the monster his brother Valerian was. Said brother, Valerian was killed by Eli, but it seems that he may have found a way to continue the carnage he wreaked in the past. And Riley has the unfortunate luck to be linked telepathically with him as well, and witness, through his eyes, the violence he brings to his victims. She knows that she must find a way to stop him, and she is going to need help from Eli, his family and hers.

Everdark picks up right where Afterlight left off, so it really is essential to read this series in order (I'm anal about that anyway). One of the things I love so much about this series---besides the smoking hot scenes with Riley and Eli---is that Elle Jasper writes so descriptively that I feel like I'm in the story. It's like watching a movie, each scene so vivid and real that my heart pounds with excitement and fear. I can feel the heavy humid air of Savannah and Charleston, smell the salty air, and feel the hair on the back of my neck stand on end as if someone was right behind me. And I must confess that I wouldn't mind a very sexy vampire like Eli sweeping me off my feet. Of course, Riley is kick ass in the most literal sense of the word, but when it comes to Eli, her heart just melts. And that, my friends, is why I love romance, no matter what form it takes.

There is quite a cliffhanger at the end of Everdark, one that had me yelling, "What the...????" Thank goodness there was an excerpt from Eventide (book 3 in the series) to calm me down....and of course, have me clamoring for more of Riley, Eli and the rest of the gang. When it comes to waiting for new books in a series, patience is not my strong suit, but I know, without a doubt, that Elle Jasper will make it worth the wait.

~ Gannon


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Review -- Tangled Threads

Tangled Threads
Elemental Assassin, Book 4
By Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: April 26, 2011

I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings.

But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead. Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too. The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling . . . or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead. . . .

Gin Blanco, aka the Spider, just can't get away from the assassination business. She spends her days running The Pork Pit the restaurant left to her by her foster father---and mentor---Fletcher Lane upon his death. While cooking up barbeque for the citizens of Ashland keeps Gin busy, she is still called upon to become her alter-ego, the Spider. After all, there's always some evil doer who needs to permanently disappear. But right now, Gin is the primary target. Mab Monroe, the fire elemental who practically runs and controls Ashland---and the one who murdered Gin's mother and sister---has been trying to have Gin killed for quite awhile, but all of the other assassins she sent to do the job have died. This time she brings Elektra LaFleur---one of the best in the business---to town to rid the world of the Spider once and for all. Elektra is the most powerful elemental Gin has ever seen, and if she's going to prevail Gin will need not only her own elemental powers, but the strength of those she loves.

Gin's current love interest, Owen Grayson accepts her fully for who she is, warts and all. But Gin still thinks that one day he'll wake up and realize he doesn't want a relationship with an assassin and he will leave her. She's been burned before by her previous lover, cop Donovan Caine, who couldn't handle the fact that Gin was an assassin. Owen is nothing like Donovan, however, and Gin eventually sees that he cares for her as deeply as she does for him.

"You used up all your magic to find me last night."

Owen shrugged as though it was nothing. But it wasn't nothing to me. Besides Finn and the Deveraux sisters, I couldn't even remember the last time someone had cared enough to come looking for me when I was in trouble. I was so used to being on my own for so long, always being the tough, strong, capable one, that I'd forgotten how nice it felt to have someone else look out for me.

To have someone else care about me.

And just like that, the fragile strings of my feelings for Owen joined together, all the tangled threads wrapping around and weaving their way through my heart. Scary and painful in some ways, but necessary in others too.

I have been caught up in this series from the very beginning, as thoroughly as the proverbial fly in the spider's web. Gin Blanco is a complex and utterly fascinating heroine. She give "kick butt" a whole new meaning, and her strength is most definitely part of what defines her. But deep down there is a vulnerability that touches your heart. Afraid to love Owen for fear that he will eventually reject her. And she feels the same way about her sister, Bria. Knowing that she will eventually have to tell her the truth about her identity, Gin's biggest fear is that Bria will never be able to accept her past and present identity. Only time will tell.

Jennifer Estep is a brilliant storyteller, and I revel in each book of her Elemental Assassin series. Lucky for me and the rest of her fans, there's another book coming: Spider's Revenge will be released September 27th. To get the most out of this action packed, never-a-dull-moment series, it really should be read in order: Spider's Bite, Web of Lies, Venom, and Tangled Threads. Start reading and let the addiction begin.

~ Gannon

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Review -- Afterlight

Afterlight
The Dark Ink Chronicle, Book 1
By Elle Jasper
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Release Date: November 2, 2010

"You know, looking back now I can nail the exact moment everything around me changed. What's funny is, I noticed it right away, but it never really registered. I just didn't get it. Not until later, after I realized vampires existed. Know what it was? Cicadas. The moment it happened, the cicadas silenced. I've not heard even one, much less the thousands that filled every single summer night since I was a kid. They were my white noise, and they've gone. Fled. And it's annoyingly quiet around here. How effed up is that?"

---Riley Poe

Riley Poe is a sought after tattoo artist in Savannah, and being the boss of her own business, Inksomnia, suits her just fine. After a wild and crazy phase during her teen years, Riley has settled down and become a respectable adult, taking care of her fifteen-year-old brother Seth, paying her bills on time, and staying out of trouble. Sometimes you don't have to go looking for trouble, though. Trouble finds you. Seth and a group of his adolescent friends break into a crypt known as da hell stone (according to Riley's surrogate Gullah grandparents) in the Bonaventure Cemetery one night. Their juvenile prank unleashes a pair of evil strigoi---vampire brothers Valerian and Victorian Arcos. Riley never imagined that vampires actually exist, or that her ally in the fight to save her brother will be one of the walking dead.

Eli Dupre and his family have been charged with protecting the city of Savannah against rogue vampires. Now Eli must become Riley's personal bodyguard, protecting her from her brother, who has been corrupted and is becoming a vampire, and from Victorian and Valerian. Riley possesses a one-of-a-kind blood type that tempts all vampires, but Eli craves more than that. As they join forces to fight the Arcos brothers, Riley and Eli must decide whether to fight their attraction to one another or give into passion they crave.


Without taking his eyes off me, Eli drew closer, grasped my hand and placed it over his heart. "Again, I ask. What do you feel when you touch me?"

My eyes closed as his hand covered mine and pressed it against his chest. "I feel...a sensual energy that I can't get enough of, that lingers on my skin, inside of me, and drives me crazy," I said quietly, my chest rising and falling faster with my ragged breathing. I looked at him. "An obsession. I feel you."

Eli slid even closer and pressed his palm over mine. "But no heartbeat."

I rose, slipped my hands over Eli's hips, and guided him onto the cushion I'd just vacated. Grasping his neck, I climbed onto his lap, my leather dress riding up as I slid my legs on either side of him and locked them behind his back. He sat silent, completely still, and I knew that if he did have a heart that beat, it'd be pounding like crazy right now. His hands slid to my hips as his eyes searched mine.

I palmed his chest and brought my lips closer to his. "My heart beats enough for the both of us," I whispered against his mouth.


I know a lot of people think, "Another vampire book?", but I have to tell you that Afterlight is so much more. Elle Jasper puts her own unique spin on the vampire myth and sucks the reader into the story---no pun intended. Savannah is the perfect setting for this series---steamy, mysterious, elegant and full of history, but with a dark, gritty side. I could practically feel the sticky, humid air on my skin and smell the sugary, buttery scent of pralines. And I had to occasionally fight the urge to look over my shoulder to see if something (or someone) was following me.

Riley is a tough-talking, tattooed former wild child with a soft heart. She is willing to do anything, including sacrifice herself, if it will save her brother, Seth. Eli is your quintessential vampire: tall, dark, mysterious, and possessing super human abilities. But he also has a sense of humor that really appeals to Riley. And his feelings for her fill his un-beating heart with love and longing. *Sigh* The love scenes with these two are positively combustible, as far from cold blooded as you can get! Intriguing secondary characters added to all of the above elements make this a page turner that will keep readers awake long into the night. The next book in the series, Everdark, will be coming in June 2011. The third book, Eventide, will follow later next year. Bravo to Ms. Jasper for giving readers a vampire/urban fantasy series they can sink their teeth into.

Elle Jasper also writes charming, heartwarming paranormals under the name of Cindy Miles. You are in for a treat no matter which nom de plume you choose!

~ Gannon

Review - Venom

Venom
Elemental Assassin, Book 3
By Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: September 28, 2010








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.



Gin Blanco is just a couple of months into her retirement from the assassin business, when she is called upon to do a favor for a friend, vampire Roslyn Phillips. Roslyn has a little problem that needs to be cleared up. Make that a big problem: Elliot Slater, giant and head henchman for Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who controls the city of Ashland. Gin is only too glad to help, especially since Slater and his giant minions beat the crap out of her only recently. If she can rid Ashland of scum like Slater it will make her day and put her one step closer to her goal: killing Mab Monroe, the bitch who murdered Gin's mother and older sister. Yes, indeed, retirement is just a little too dull for the Spider!

Bria Coolidge is a new detective in the Ashland police department, and she's also Gin's long lost baby sister, the one she thought had died seventeen years ago along with their mother and older sister. While Gin is shocked (and secretly thrilled) to see her sister, Bria has no idea that Gin is her sister, Genevieve. Will the by-the-book-cop approve and accept her assassin sister? Gin will cross that bridge when she comes to it, but for now they both have a common goal: Elliot Slater. Then again, Gin doubts that Bria plans on carving up Slater like she does. Oh well, to each his own.

Gin is by all appearances tough and cold-hearted, but when it comes to those she loves ---her foster brother Finnegan "Finn" Lane, the Deveraux sisters, Jo-Jo and Sophia, and her sister Bria---her heart is as deep and wide as the mighty Mississippi. That hard edged exterior hides a gentle, caring soul. And new love interest, Owen Grayson knows that better than anyone else. They have a past connection that Gin does not remember, but Owen has never forgotten. When Owen tells her about it (I won't mention it here, reader, because it's too poignant to spoil), Gin is uncomfortable with his gratitude. Ever since detective Donovan Caine (Gin's love interest in books 1 and 2) turned his back on her because her could not accept her as the Spider, Gin is hesitant to open up to another man.


"I don't judge you for what you've done, Gin. Why are you judging me for another man's mistakes? Because Donovan Caine did make a mistake," Owen said in a soft voice. "Letting someone like you go."

"Someone like me?"

Owen got to his feet and moved until he was standing in front of me. "Someone strong and tough and smart and sassy and sexy as hell. That's why I'm interested, Gin. Because you're all of those things and more. Not because of a small kindness that you showed to me in the part of my past I'd like to forget."

Owen's words made my heart ache. Because these---these were the words that I'd longed to hear from Donovan Caine. I'd wanted the detective to understand me, to accept my actions and be able to look past them toward the future we could have together. But Donovan was gone, and he wasn't ever coming back. Instead, Owen Grayson stood before me, a silent but clear offering burning in his violet eyes.


As sexy as I found Donovan Caine in the first two books of this series, I have to say I am really loving Owen. Who doesn't want a man who accepts every part of them, the good and the bad? Lucky Gin! Jennifer Estep continues to raise the stakes in this gritty, fascinating urban fantasy series. Gin is completely kickass, but she has a heart of gold. The secondary characters are equally fascinating, and with each book readers are given a little bit more of their backgrounds. For the full experience, I recommend reading this series in order: Spider's Bite, Web of Lies, and Venom. Book 4, Tangled Threads will be released in May 2011 and book 5 (yet untitled) will follow in October 2011. I am thrilled that Ms. Estep is continuing this compelling series and giving her readers more of the Spider and her show down with the evil Mab Monroe.


~ Gannon

Review -- Web of Lies

Web of Lies
By Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: May 25, 2010







Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon.
I'm Gin Blanco.


When it comes to heroines who put the "kick" in "kick ass", Gin Blanco is at the top of the heap! She's put her life as an assassin behind her for now. After her handler/mentor Fletcher Lane is murdered, Gin inherits the Pork Pit barbeque restaurant from him, so she starts a new life as a business owner. Although Gin enjoys her customers, the day to day routine gets a little boring for her. But where Gin is concerned, trouble usually finds her sooner or later.

Trouble arrives in the form of Jake McAllister, a punk who just happens to be a fire elemental. When he comes into the Pork Pit with his friend and threatens to kill her customers, Gin decides to teach him a lesson. By the time the Ashland police arrive, Gin and her dwarven cook, Sophia Deveraux have the situation under control and Jake and his friend down on the ground. Of course, Gin's troubles are about to get much bigger---Jake's father is an incredibly powerful attorney, and he's also on the payroll of Mab Monroe, the ruthless fire elemental who practically runs Ashland. So much for a quiet life of retirement!

Gin thinks that having to deal with the fallout from her encounter with Jake McAllister is a pain in the butt, but things go from bad to worse when someone decides to blast the front window of her restaurant with gunfire---Gin's glad she paid extra for bullet proof glass!--but it turns out they're not after Gin. The target is Violet Fox, a young college student, who showed up asking questions about "Tin Man" (Fletcher's name when he'd been an assassin). Violet's grandfather was friends with Fletcher when they were young, so Violet has heard stories about him. She comes to the Pork Pit looking for help, and since Fletcher is gone, Gin steps in. They are trying to fight off Tobias Dawson, the powerful owner of a coal mine---who just happens to also be an equally powerful stone elemental--who wants their land and will stop at nothing to get it. Gin will have to use both her stone and ice elements to have a chance of beating Tobias.

Gin not only has to fight Dawson and his band of miscreants, but she's also up against detective Donovan Caine, the man who ignites a passion in her hotter than anything a fire elemental can cook up. Donovan's attraction to Gin is equally powerful, but he can't accept who she truly is and what she has done in the past. (Note: Donovan and Gin first meet and heat things up in Spider's Bite). He's a by-the-book cop and Gin is an assassin, and in spite of their chemistry, Donovan can't fully commit to her. In her heart, Gin realizes this, but it takes an outsider--Violet's grandfather--to open her eyes to what's in front of her.

"So that's how you know Donovan. You knew his father."

Warren nodded. "Daniel Caine, a fine man. Donovan is too. But he's not the one for you."

He was more observant that I'd given him credit for. I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Warren glanced over his shoulder, but Donovan Caine was still talking on his cell phone, so he turned back to me. "I mean you and Donovan are on opposite sides. Always have been, always be. He's not going to change, and he'll never accept what you are, what you've done. It's just not in his nature, no matter how much he might want to."

"And you're telling me this because..."

"Because Donovan is a good man, and you're good too, in your own way. At least you should be if Fletcher raised you right," Warren said. "At the very least, you're good at what you do."

Jennifer Estep has written one of the best urban fantasy series I've ever read. The action is off the charts, the passion is hot, and her cast of secondary characters is stellar. Donovan and Gin continue to heat up the pages, but Ms. Estep has introduced another sexy man, Owen Grayson, who definitely makes things interesting for Gin. I can't wait for Venom, the third book in the Elemental Assassins series, to see what will happen next! If you haven't read this series, you are missing out on one heck of good time!


~Gannon

Review - Spider's Bite

Spider's Book
Elemental Assassin Book #1
By Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: January 26, 2010

" My name is Gin, and I kill people."

After reading that opening line, I was hooked! Gin Blanco is an assassin who goes by the codename, "The Spider". Gin is able to control the elements of Stone and Ice, but when it comes to her "work", she prefers to rely on her silverstone knives. When she's not busy offing people for money, Gin works at The Pork Pit, the best barbecue joint in Ashland--maybe even the entire South, in Gin's opinion. The Pit is owned and run by Fletcher Lane, Gin's handler and father figure, who rescued her from the streets seventeen years ago. He is one of the few people she actually trusts and respects. Fletcher's latest job for Gin is for her to assassinate Gordon Giles, a suspected embezzler at Halo Industries. For Gin, it should be quick and easy--kill Giles while he's attending a night at the orchestra and collect her payment of five million dollars. And then what?


"Do this job, and you can retire.”

Retirement. Something that had been on Fletcher’s mind ever since I’d come back with a broken arm and a bruised spleen from a botched job six months ago in St. Augustine. The old man kept talking about me retiring in a dreamy tone, as if there were a world of options that would magically open up to me the second I put down my knives. Instead of the dull boredom of reality.

“I’m thirty, Fletcher. A highly effective, well-paid, sought-after professional in my area of expertise. I’m good at my job, the blood doesn’t bother me, and the people I kill have it coming. Why would I want to retire?”

More importantly, what would I do with myself? I had a very particular skill set, one that didn’t lend itself to a lot of options.

“Because there’s more to life than killing people and counting money, no matter how much one might enjoy them.” His green eyes locked with mine. “Because you shouldn’t have to look over your shoulder for the rest of your life. Don’t you want to live in the daylight a little, kid?”


Easier said than done. When Gin is setting up her kill shot for Giles, she spies Donovan Caine entering Giles' orchestra box. Donovan is a police detective, honest and by-the-book, unlike most of the Ashland police force. He has investigated many of Gin's "jobs", but her last is the one that has him hot on her trail and out for her blood: she assassinated his partner, Cliff Ingles. Of course, Donovan didn't know about Ingles' predilection for raping and beating up hookers, and even young girls. Gin did, and in her eyes, it justified his death. Normally, a cop would never be her "type", but Gin is more than a little intrigued by Donovan Caine.


I tracked Caine through the scope as he approached Giles. Thirty-two. Six foot one. Cropped black hair. Hazel eyes. Strong chin. Square jaw. Bumpy, crooked nose. Lean body. Bronze skin that showed his Hispanic heritage.

... Caine moved with the loose, easy confidence of a man who knows what he’s doing—and knows he can handle any- thing that comes his way.

Was there anything sexier than confidence and the skill to back it up? I didn’t think so. A hot awareness coursed through my body. My breasts tightened, and a small, pleasant ache settled between my thighs. I wondered if Donovan Caine would be that smooth and sure in bed. Bet he would.

While Gin is musing on Donovan and his sexiness, she hears the click of a gun and feels the coldness of the steel on the back of her skull. The assassin has become the target now; Gin discovers that she has been double crossed by her client. They have ordered her to be eliminated, in addition to Giles, leaving no loose ends dangling. But she's The Spider, and her double crossing client is about to feel the sting of her bite. Gin manages to escape, but Giles is killed and now Gin's face is all over the news as his murderer. As if that isn't bad enough, she arrives at The Pit to discover Fletcher has been tortured and murdered by a powerful Air elemental, and his son Finn has been beaten severely. In order to find who is behind everything, Gin must join forces with Donovan. Can an assassin and a cop work together? Or will Donovan Caine become entangled in The Spider's web?

Jennifer Estep has penned a dark, gritty and action packed urban fantasy. Gin is one tough cookie, but she has a soft heart when it comes to those she loves. And she is incredibly attracted to the tall, dark and equally tough Donovan Caine. I love how they continue to fight their attraction to each other, the tension and passion so palpable you can practically feel the pages heat up. And when they finally give in to their desires--oh, boy!-- it goes from smoke to a raging inferno! Being an urban fantasy, there is no HEA for Gin, but rest assured, she'll get one before the series ends. With a breath stealing cliff hanger, Estep leaves her readers anxious for the next book, Web of Lies, which will be released in June 2010. The third book, Venom, will follow in October 2010.

I enjoyed the roller coaster ride that this book took me on and can't wait to find out what's in store for Gin and Donovan. So if you're in the mood for something dark and dangerous, Spider's Bite will NOT disappoint!


~ Gannon

Review -- Dark Side of Dawn

Dark Side of Dawn by Kathryn Smith

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: November 24, 2009

Anyone who knows me knows how much I absolutely loved Kathryn Smith’s Before I Wake. It quite literally blew me away. I have always enjoyed Ms. Smith’s historicals, but her first person contemporary voice is top notch. Dawn Riley is one of those characters that just sticks with you. A character you’d love to be friends with. Heck, I found myself wanting to be her. I was actually a bit worried about whether the second installment would come close to the brilliance of the first. Have no fear, Ms. Smith does not disappoint. I could not put it down!

Dark Side of Dawn picks up right where the first one left off and continues the story of Dawn Riley (half-breed daughter of Morpheus, the King of Dreams, and a mortal) and her hero, Noah Clarke. Dawn is a Nightmare, a guardian of the Dream Realm. In Before I Wake, Dawn accepts that she is different -- she can exist in both worlds -- and starts to adjust to living life that way. In this one, she completely embraces what she is. She faces the Nightmare Council for her actions in bringing a human, Noah, into the Dream Realm, even though it was to save his life. The Council is basically freaking out because no one, not even Morpheus, has ever been able to do that. So, they are threatening to have her “unmade”. As if that wasn’t enough, she is trying to help Noah’s ex-wife overcome a life-changing event (and boy does that lead to some interesting scenes) and she’s also dealing with the fact that a specialist might be able to wake her mother up from a self-induced coma (so she could be with her lover Morpheus in the Dreaming). And through it all, her relationship with Noah is moving forward and becoming serious. Needless to say, there is never a dull moment in this book!

I don’t think I’ve ever read a more down-to-earth and real character than Dawn Riley. The fact that this book is in first person makes it so easy for the reader to slip into her shoes. She’s sarcastic, smart and an everyday woman. Her character continues to develop and evolve while embracing and honing her powers. I love her faults just as much as her strengths and when an author can do that, they have scored in my book. Dawn is insecure at times, especially when it comes to Noah because, after all, she’s already been rejected by her father’s people. I was so glad to see that she and her mother started mending fences, too.

Noah comes out of his shell a bit more in this story. He always knows the right things to say to Dawn and who doesn’t love that? We also learn that there’s more to him than meets the eye. And Verek (the hot Nightmare who trains Dawn) figures more prominently in this book . . . which is good. *g* The reader gets to know several returning secondary characters better and a few new characters are introduced – including one that will creep you out. Sure kept me on the edge of my seat! Plus, we learn more about the Dream Realm and its secrets. Ms. Smith has created such an incredible world that sometimes I would ask myself, How in the world is she going to do that? And then she does. She ends the book with a line that has me waiting with baited breath for the next book! Dark Side of Dawn can be read by itself, but I would suggest reading Before I Wake first as it will only enhance your reading experience. So pick up both because I cannot recommend them enough!

~Andrea