A Void of Magic (Kennedy Rain, #1) by Sandy Williams – Review

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, cliffhanger, paranormal, Sandy Williams, urban fantasy, vampires, werewolves

About A Void of Magic by Sandy Williams

They trusted her to keep the peace between the paranorms. They made a mistake.

Kennedy escaped the family business when she turned eighteen. Now, an ill-timed vacation pulls her back to The Rain Hotel, the only known null zone on the planet. It’s a place where vampires can see the sun rise and werewolves can avoid the lure of the full moon. And it would be the perfect place for a paranormal wedding…if the bride wasn’t the local alpha’s daughter and the groom the scion of a vicious master vampire.

With a sexy werewolf determined to sabotage the wedding and dark forces threatening The Rain, Kennedy’s life is thrown out of balance when she’s forced to confront a past she swore to avoid. Ultimately she must choose: will she maintain the stability of the supernatural world…or will she destroy it.

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Review of A Void of Magic

Kennedy was born into the Rain family.  Rains have run the Rain Hotel for generations.  The hotel is a refuge for paranormals.  There are rules that govern the hotel, the people that run it and the people that visit it.  The rules created a rift between Kennedy and the hotel when she was younger.  Now, her attempt to stay away from that life has been thwarted by her parents.  And so the stage is set.

Not being much of a YA/NA reader, I was a little worried when I started reading this book since the main character is college aged.  However, Kennedy is a mature character that does not exhibit the angst of youth.  Not that she doesn’t have any problems – she has a million problems.  Between a job, school and covering for her parents while they are on vacation, Kennedy has way more than she can adequately handle at the moment.  Setup for disaster.  Maybe disasters.

Sandy Williams’ heroines tend to be of very strong mind.  Kennedy is no exception.  She has developed the mental ability to stand up against the werewolves and vampires around her – despite her youth and being human.  I love this about her since typical paranormal fiction tends to depict humans as soooo inferior to the paranormals. 

Two of the main paranormal characters are Nora and Blake.  Both are thorns in Kennedy’s side, but both have their moments and could possibly become friends.  Or more, in the case of Blake.  It will probably take more than one book to determine their true natures.  

I loved everything about this book – except for the ending.  Yep, it’s a cliffhanger.  Very few of the plotlines are wrapped up.  The only thing resolved is my need to read the next book as soon as possible.

Thanks to the publisher who provided a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram, #2) by Darynda Jones – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, Darynda Jones, humor, mystery, New Mexico, romance, series

About A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones

Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff—and even fuller-time coffee guzzler—Sunshine Vicram, didn’t get that memo.

All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that’s about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)

Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny’s got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he’s not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She’s seen it. Once. Accidentally.

Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn’t know when to quit, Sunny’s life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.

Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.

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Review of A Good Day for Chardonnay

Small town police chief Sunshine Vicram has her hands full with a teenage daughter, mischievous parents, a town full of quirky residents, a capable, yet ornery law-enforcing staff and a dark, stormy, hunky man who just can’t seem to leave her alone.

First there is a bar fight involving hunky man Levi that results in injuries and worse.  Then Sunshine’s daughter, Auri and Auri’s friends try to solve a decades old serial murder case.  There is a missing boy.  If that’s not enough, Sunshine gets a possible lead from a convict – can he be trusted?

In typical Darynda Jones style, the story weaves in and out of storylines, creating a perfect mesh of a plot.  Irreverence abounds along with coffee.  Lots of coffee.  And there will be a major reveal of something in Sunshine’s past.

A particularly heartbreaking moment is followed by a heartwarming scene that brought tears to my eyes.

A Good Day for Chardonnay is one of the author’s best.  The mix of complex, interconnected story lines, family relationships, tumultuous romance, and so many laugh-out-loud moments is an impossible combination to resist. 

Thanks to the publisher who provided a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Fury of Conviction (“Villains of the Dragonfury, #2) by Coreene Callahan – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, Coreene Callahan, dragons, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, series, short story

About Fury of Conviction by Coreene Callahan

Chance brought them together in a world destined to tear them apart.

Caught between duty and honor, dragon-warrior Hamersveld is neck-deep in a dilemma. His commitment to the Razorback pack should take precedence, but when a new captive is brought into the lair, he’s forced to decide—risk everything to rescue a woman in desperate need of his help. Or stay loyal to the Razorback cause and keep his new home, along with his life.

Kidnapped by a rogue faction of Dragonkind, Natalie Bainbridge spends her days looking for ways to escape. Breaking out seems impossible until one of her captors offers her a trade—spend time with him in return for greater freedom inside his lair. With time ticking down, she enters the fray, playing a dangerous game with a man who makes no mistakes.

Will she buckle under the pressure? Or hold the line and break free for good?

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Review of Fury of Conviction

Natalie is the typical Dagonfury heroine.  Very strong and independent, and not about to put up with this kidnapping crap. 

As a “Villian” of the Dragonfury, Hamersveld is a pretty decent person.  I mean, he is mean and tough, but as far as going along with the whole evil kidnapping plot….well, that is more of a survival thing.  The dragon shifter is in a precarious situation which adds to the drama.

It’s a short story (89 pages), so the plot is pretty simple.  It is also perfectly paced with romance being a larger theme than conflict or action.  The story stands alone with just enough references to the first book in the series.  However, the ending might make you wish it were a bit longer. Fury of Conviction is a perfect 2-hour diversion for anyone that enjoys a great dragon romance. 

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book through Booksprout in exchange for my honest review.

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