Tag Archives: shifters

Clean Sweep

Book Review of Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1), by Ilona Andrews

Clean SweepI bought a copy of Clean Sweep, by Ilona Andrews.

Description from Goodreads:
On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is…different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, “normal” is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night….Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

Review:
I have a really odd relationship with Ilona Andrews books. I enjoy them, but I almost never rate one higher than 3 stars. I like them but just don’t think they’re all that great…but taken together, I always want another. They’re like hard candies, not anything special but once you’ve had that first one you just want to keep popping them in your mouth until your tastebuds burn. That’s me and Andrews. I don’t think the books are great, but I always want another one. What am I supposed to do with that?

This is no exception. I thought it was a lot of fun, though bordering on utterly ridiculous and there were several too-coincidental-to-be-believed moments. But I liked all the characters; as always I appreciated the strong female and alpha male willing to let her lead, there are a ton of little easter eggs hidden in it and I’m already ready for the next one.

Hungry Like the Wolf

Book Review of Hungry Like the Wolf (SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team #1), by Paige Tyler

Hungry Like the WolfI picked up Hungry Like the Wolf, by Paige Tyler, as an Amazon freebie. It was still free at the time of posting.

Description from Goodreads:
The Dallas SWAT team is hiding one helluva secret . . . they’re a pack of wolf shifters.

The team of elite sharpshooters is ultra-secretive—and also the darlings of Dallas. This doesn’t sit well with investigative journalist Mackenzie Stone. They must be hiding something . . . and she’s determined to find out what.

Keeping Mac at a distance proves impossible for SWAT team commander Gage Dixon. She’s smart, sexy, and makes him feel alive for the first time in years. But she’s getting dangerously close to the truth—and perilously close to his heart…

Review:
Pretty standard alpha shifter finds his destined mate PNR. But pleasantly, Gage wasn’t an A-hole about it and, though spunky reporter gets her man is one of my least favorite characterization, Mac was far more self-sufficient that a lot of such PNRs let female characters be, so I rather enjoyed it. I wouldn’t call this outstanding in any fashion, but it really wasn’t bad either. Worth picking up, at the very least.

I did think it was overly long. In fact, three separate times I thought I’d reached the end, only to have the plot pick back up again. I also thought there was too much sex…or not so much sex, as not all of it is on page, but the characters have too much sex. The amount of time dedicated to setting up the scenes contributes to the too long book, I think.

But again, it’s worth a read. I didn’t consider my time wasted.

Justice calling

Book Review of Justice Calling (The Twenty-Sided Sorceress #1), by Annie Bellet

Justice CallingI picked Justice Calling (by Annie Bellet) up as a freebie at Amazon. It was still free at the time of posting.

Description from Goodreads:
Gamer. Nerd. Sorceress. 

Jade Crow lives a quiet life running her comic book and game store in Wylde, Idaho. After twenty-five years fleeing from a powerful sorcerer who wants to eat her heart and take her powers, quiet suits her just fine. Surrounded by friends who are even less human than she is, Jade figures she’s finally safe. 

As long as she doesn’t use her magic. 

When dark powers threaten her friends’ lives, a sexy shape-shifter enforcer shows up. He’s the shifter world’s judge, jury, and executioner rolled into one, and he thinks Jade is to blame. To clear her name, save her friends, and stop the villain, she’ll have to use her wits… and her sorceress powers. 

Except Jade knows that as soon as she does, a far deadlier nemesis awaits.

Review:
While there is nothing new here, it’s entertaining enough. I think I’d have preferred to see it bulked into a full novel, instead a novella, in order to allow for more plot and character development. But it was at least a full story arc, with a beginning, middle and end. Yay and thank bloody god for that. I liked what I knew of the characters and, though the plot wasn’t really given the time to deepen, it’s not so rushed as to be unenjoyable. I’d read more of the series.