Book Review : Miami Snow by Darcia Helle

Miami Snow by Darcia Helle

Product Details

• Paperback: 274 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (January 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 144991165X
• ISBN-13: 978-1449911652
• Available at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
  

One day, Nick Donovan had it all; a beautiful, pregnant wife, a nice house, a great job. The next day he is on his own, starting from scratch with nothing but a few suitcases and his old truck. Nick flees to the opposite coast of Florida, trying to leave his ex-wife and the memories behind. But that couldn't happen. Soon Nick finds that he is tied to Shelley in a way that he hadn't expected. And, in her bitterness, she does everything she can to ensure his misery. Brandy is Shelley's opposite; wild, sensual, free-spirited. With Brandy, Nick is able to rebel against all that Shelley stands for. Brandy quickly leads Nick into a world of sex, drugs, and cash. And now Nick finds himself caught between the two worlds, desperate to stay afloat.

Nick was a good man, but his wife, Shelley betrayed him by having a clandestine affair with his best friend, Jimmy. He was planning for a romantic getaway with his wife when he returned from work one day, but found out his wife was having sex with his best friend. He was crushed entirely. As a result, he ran to Tampa in hopes of starting new, and leaving the sad memories behind. But he soon finds out that there is still someone who connects him to Shelley. He also has to get himself and her new girlfriend Brandy out of the world of drugs, before it consumes them entirely.

This book actually gave me a surprise. I felt Nick's emotions as if they were my own; I hated Shelley for many reasons: She is bitter, mean, selfish and unfaithful. And I disliked Jimmy because he was so fake that I wanted to yell at him. He still acted as if he was Nick's best friend when Nick dropped by to sort out certain matters.

Nick's girlfriend, Brandy is a party girl who deals drugs and never think about her life seriously. She is always in debt and lack of money. Her best friend, Jenna is the opposite of her. Jenna has a good job and is a good person, but her boyfriend is a drug junkie who is seriously addicted to weed and cocaine. I kept wondering why did she fall in love with such a man? What did she see in him? He even hit her once.

Each character in this book has his/her own story, and their lives intersect one another to make up Miami Snow, which is what makes it so interesting. I would recommend this book to readers who prefer to read about things that happen in real life, and how people make choices to become who they are.

There are adult contents, illegal drug trade, obscenity and profanity in this book. Suitable for readers aged 18+ only.

Thanks to Charlie Courtland @ Bitsy Bling Books blog for sending this book all the way to Malaysia to me! Charlie is the author of Dandelions in the Garden and The Hidden Will of the Dragon. You can follow her on Twitter @bitsyblingbooks and join her fan site on Facebook!

Darcia Helle is a fiction author, with 6 books currently published. She writes because the characters trespassing through her mind leaves her no alternative. Words are her addiction. She loves to read; fiction, nonfiction, cereal boxes, ingredient labels. If it has words, She'll read it. She is originally from Massachusetts and now live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. She's married, with 2 sons, a beautiful new granddaughter, and 4 very spoiled animals.

Find Darcia Helle On:

Giveaway: Signed Copy of Afterlight by Elle Jasper

Afterlight (The Dark Ink Chronicles, #1) by Elle Jasper

Savannah's most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe, lives on the edge. Now she's put over the edge when her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by vampires. Her only ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, attracted to Riley's beauty and rare blood type. To save her brother from certain un-death, Riley faces dangers she's never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil of endless hunger that wants to devour it all...

Elle is offering a SIGNED copy of Afterlight to a lucky winner.

Mandatory - Leave a comment with your e-mail address. No e-mail address, no entry.

*Extra entries are only to be done after the mandatory entry is completed.
*Leave a SEPARATE comment for EACH entry.

+1 Follower of The Bookaholics via GFC
+1 Follow Elle Jasper on Twitter @ElleJasper1
+1 Tweet about this giveaway (You can use the tweetmeme button)
+1 Sign up for Elle's newsletter
+1 Follow Elle Jasper's blog
+1 Add Elle Jasper as a friend on Facebook
+1 Leave a comment on my review of Afterlight
+2 Grab my button and put it on your sidebar (Just copy and paste the HTML code)
+3 Blog about this giveaway

*Please include related link(s) and/or username(s) for verification.

This giveaway is for entrants aged 18+ only. If you are underage and wish to enter, please get permission from your parents or guardian. The author is responsible for the mailing of prize. This giveaway is open worldwide and ends on 30th November, 2010 at 6 p.m. Malaysian time. The winner is selected randomly by random.org, and he/she must respond with his/her name and complete mailing address within 48 hours of being notified. Prize(s) not claimed will be forfeited and a new winner will be selected.

Book Review : Afterlight by Elle Jasper

Afterlight (The Dark Ink Chronicles, #1) by Elle Jasper

Product Details:

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Signet; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451231678
• ISBN-13: 978-0451231673
• Purchase the book on Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

Savannah's most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe, lives on the edge. Now she's put over the edge when her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by vampires. Her only ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, attracted to Riley's beauty and rare blood type. To save her brother from certain un-death, Riley faces dangers she's never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil of endless hunger that wants to devour it all...

What do you get when you combine a kick-ass female with a wild past and a two-centuries-old sexy male vampire originated from France? You get Afterlight, of course! Elle Jasper's debut is wicked cool! In this book, Elle shows readers the darker, creepier side of Savannah, Georgia, besides adding her own touch of Gothic elements in it. You can observe it in Riley's dressing code and fashion sense.

Riley Poe is an amazing heroine. She's spunky, badass, witty and loves her brother a great deal. I'd really like to see the dragon tattoo on her back and arms if she were a real person. She has a soft spot for her younger brother Seth, whom she cares for since her mother died. She always calls him "my baby brother" and I think that is cute, since I did the same with mine.

When Seth and his friends disrupts an ancient stone in Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery, they accidentally release two evil, powerful vampires --- Victorian and Valerian, descendants of the Strigoi. Then, all hell breaks loose. The two evil vampires, Victorian and Valerian, are out for blood, and they are using Seth and his friends to do lure victims.

To save her brother from eternal damnation, Riley seeks help from her surrogate grandfather, the Preacher, who is a Gullah conjurer. His grandfather introduces her to the Dupre family, who agrees to aid her in saving Seth. But there's something strange about the Dupres. They possess amazing speed, and they can change into terrifying monsters in a blink of the eye. They are actually vampires. And Eli Dupre, one of them, has been ordered to act as her personal bodyguard. As time passes, the mutual attraction between them heightened.

Eli Dupre is like the perfect guy, he's hot, handsome and protective. But he can be pretty scary too, when he gets angry or hungry. He grows fond of Riley, and eventually falls in love with her despite the fact that they are two different persons from two different worlds.

Elle Jasper is a talented writer. She weaves the tale perfectly, and ends each chapter with a surprise. I was eager to continue reading and stopped only when my eyes cannot resist the urge to rest. The setting is written in detail, giving me a clear mental image of the charms of the historical sites in Savannah. There is a quote that reminds me of Twilight, but that's a small thing. I loved the book nevertheless. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the second book in The Dark Ink Chronicles, Everdark!

Rating:

Note: This book is intended for adults / readers above 18 years of age only.

Many thanks to Elle Jasper for sending me a signed copy of the book for this review! Thank you for including the extra goodies! I love them!

Elle Jasper spent her youth buried in the pages of Mary Shelly, Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker, and Stephen King. Growing up on the salt marshes of Savannah, Georgia, she was always fascinated by the city’s ancient cobblestones, eerie church spires and Gothic Revival architect—as well as the dark, not-so-publicized side of Savannah, both steeped in tumultuous history. After an education at Armstrong Atlantic University, she forged her love of Gothic literature with an active imagination to pen her own stories. She is now a full time writer and lives amidst the moss and shadows of Savannah. Follow Elle Jasper on Twitter

Book Review : First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, #1) by Jeaniene Frost

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon; Original edition (February 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061583227
• ISBN-13: 978-0061583223

The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows—her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield—and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness—and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who lusts for a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human—even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the nightmare together . . .

Because once the first crimson drop falls, they will both be lost.

First Drop of Crimson is my first book by Jeaniene Frost. In my opinion, it is well-written and full of surprises, and it certainly has the elements that paranormal fans will enjoy tremendously. The story is mainly about a woman's quest to seek her ancestor who traded his soul with a demon long ago to save the lives of her few living kins whose safety are threatened by the demon. She realizes that she cannot do it alone, so she asks for a Master vampire's help, who turns out to be a friend of her best friend's husband.

The main characters in this novel are Denise (human) and Spade (vampire). I did not have any problems with this book, as it was entertaining and interesting. I'll start off with Denise. She is a kind, brave and caring woman. But sometimes, she gives me an impression of a headstrong, petulant child (yes, I know she's an adult, but still...) She felt as if she owed Spade a lot because he helped her out in finding her ancestor Nathaniel, who is, strangely, still alive because he was branded by a demon and therefore couldn't die. She denied her feelings towards Spade at the beginning because she felt guilty of falling in love with someone else shortly after the death of her husband.

As for Spade, he reminds me of the usual type of vampire which is always found in paranormal books - dark and brooding. He didn't realize it at first, but soon, he found out that he was falling for Denise in the process of helping her, as she is the one who made him feel the power of love again. He was willing to go at great lengths to assist Denise and made her feel comfortable on their journey.

Overall, this novel is quite good, and I'd recommend it to paranormal romance lovers. Don't say I didn't warn you: You'd probably get bitten!

Note: This book is intended for adults / readers above 18 years of age only.

Rating:

Jeaniene Frost is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Night Huntress series and the Night Huntress World novels. To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to fourteen different countries. Jeaniene lives in Florida with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she swears like a sailor, rarely cooks, and always sleeps in on the weekends. Aside from writing, Jeaniene enjoys reading, poetry, watching movies with her husband, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking and traveling – by car. Airplanes, children, and cookbooks frighten her.

Jeaniene Frost Official Website

Book Review : His Last Duchess by Gabrielle Kimm

His Last Duchess by Gabrielle Kimm

Product details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Sphere (5 Aug 2010)
• ISBN-10: 0751544507
• ISBN-13: 978-0751544503
• Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14 x 3.3 cm
• Buy His Last Duchess at Amazon

When sixteen-year-old Lucrezia de' Medici marries the fifth Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso d'Este, she imagines life with her handsome husband will be idyllic. But little does she know that he is a very complicated man. The marriage is fraught with difficulties from the start, and, as time passes, Lucrezia becomes increasingly alienated. For Alfonso, the pressure mounts as the Vatican threatens to reclaim his title should the couple remain unable to produce an heir. Only his lover Francesca seems able to tame his increasing fury. But Alfonso's growing resentment towards his duchess soon becomes unbearable, and he begins to plot an unthinkable way to escape his problems.

If you want to read a good historical fiction, this book is what you need. Before marrying the Alfonso, Lucrezia lives a happy, free life with her parents. She expects her wedded life to be blissful and felicitous, but she does not understand the man under the admirable facade. He is actually a cold and distant man who cares little for his wife and only views her as a rare treasure.

Gabrielle has written this book in a way that readers will immediately connect with Lucrezia's pitiful condition and vote for her happiness. She is an aristocrat, but she is actually a poor girl, because she can never pick her own partner. When she seeks happiness beyond the castle in which she is trapped, you will feel excited but scared for her. Her only friend is the kitchen maid she brought from her parents' residence, Catelina.

Alfonso's character is dark and depressing. I can't figure out his motives most of the times. He doesn't seem to have a heart. Well, metaphorically. He gives me an impression of a man without a soul. When he tries to do something terrible towards Lucrezia, I'm really shocked.

His Last Duchess starts out well, and the plot keeps building until the climax, which is totally awesome. I love the ending of this story because it gives us an exact idea of the aftermath of the terrifying event. Never lacking of suspense and thrilling events, His Last Duchess is a book that you will not be able to put down.

Parental guidance is suggested for teenagers under 18 years of age as there are adult contents in this book.

Rating:

Many thanks to Gabrielle Kimm for sending me a paperback copy of this book, which I won from Historical Belles and Beaus.

Gabrielle has a BA in English Language and Literature, from the University of Reading, a PGCE in English from the University of Oxford, and an MA in Creative Writing (Distinction) from the University of Chichester. She is married with two daughters (currently twelve and sixteen) and a grown-up stepson, and they share their lives with an elderly and charming Lakeland Terrier.

Gabrielle Kimm's Online Connections:
Blog :: Website

Buy His Last Duchess at Amazon