Creepy Hollow: Violet's Story by Rachel Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

wow... I may need a day or two before I can emotionally invest in a new storyline...

**I received a copy of this e-trilogy from Free E-books for Honest Reviews in exchange for an honest review.**
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Kick-butt faerie Violet Fairdale is about to graduate as the top guardian trainee of her class, but when an assignment goes wrong and the human guy she’s meant to be protecting follows her back into the fae realm, a dangerous plot is set in motion.
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Detailed, imaginative, fast-paced paranormal fantasy set in a parallel world full of magic and mayhem. These are the first stories I've ever read by Rachel as far as I remember, and they will definitely have me coming back for more!

Violet, Oryn, Tora, Zinnia, Estelle, and so many more all star characters to tug at your heart strings and fill your imagination. I love books that suck me in, and transport me to another place!

Hoping to read book 4 soon!

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Breakwater by Shannon Mayer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My name is Larkspur, and I am an Elemental.

As an Ender, one of my father’s Elite guards, it’s my job to do as I’m told. When my older sister is sent as an ambassador to the realm of the water elementals--the Deep--I have no choice but to accompany her as her bodyguard.

But the secrets within the Deep are far darker than any of us realized.

Welcome . . . welcome to the Deep.
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Wow! What a ride! Lark and her friends - new and old - will take you on another high-action adventure in the imaginative world of the Elementals. I had a hard time putting this down for work or sleep, and think Olive may be my favorite new character.

Cannot wait for book 3!

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Delano in Hollyhook by Cameron Glenn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**I received an ARC of this book from LibraryThing Member Giveaways in exchange for an honest review.**
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Delano Farnsworth is one of the few ‘lucky unfortunates’ chosen to receive an invitation to the magical Camp Hollyhook. After he arrives, however, he quickly discovers that not is all as it seems. With his new camp friends the ‘quirky’ Jackie, the ‘dour’ Lenore and the ‘lonely’ Wheeze, Delano seeks to uncover the sinister true purpose of the camp, as well as learn about his missing parents who abandoned him when he was three, his kidnapped uncle as well as his own self and destiny.
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A lot of imagination went into this story. The book is fairly detail-rich with well-developed characters and plenty of action. I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to my kids (10 & 12 years) without hesitation.

Overall it seemed a little rushed - as if this one book could have easily been broken into 4 smaller stories which would be more "digestable". Each sub-story would then have been able to delve more fully into the different regions of this fantastical world, and give the reader more details and enjoyment. I give it 3 stars because I enjoyed the storyline and characters, but felt it needed a little more development to be truly polished.

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When Darkness Ends by Alexandra Ivy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**I received an ARC of this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
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Cyn, the vampire clan chief of Ireland, is an unabashed hedonist whose beauty is surpassed only by his insatiable appetite for pleasure.

Most women may be all but powerless against Cyn, but Fallon, a sharp-witted fairy princess, is less than beguiled by the silver-tongued vampire.
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Another terrific installment in the Guardians of Eternity series! Beauty and the Beast meets vampires & fae... Cyn is only trying to help a friend be with his mate, unfortunately the Oracles have other plans. Siljar "kidnaps" Cyn & Fallon by transporting them without their knowledge, an swears them to secrecy regarding the task she sets upon their shoulders - a task which forces them to work together no matter their personal feelings for each other.

I love the depth of character Ivy produces, and the strong (normally sarcastic) female protagonists that populate her stories. If you've read any of this series this book will not disappoint. And, if you haven't read any of this series - what are you waiting for?!

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Recurve by Shannon Mayer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“My name is Larkspur, and I am an Elemental.”

My people use the power of the earth to sustain life and defy our enemies. I should be at my father's side as a royal princess. But as a half-breed, bastard child, that isn't going to happen.
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A great paranormal story with nature theme.

Knowing that I love Shannon's Rylee Adamson series, I took a chance and pre-ordered this book - which I seldom do. I am oh-so-glad I did! The plot and characters kept me involved throughout the story, and when Lark's true traitor is revealed I was surprised!

If you enjoy Faith Hunter, Patricia Briggs, or Jennifer Estep you won't want to skip this series!

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Date with a Demon Slayer by Angie Fox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.**
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It's Lizzie & Dimitri's first anniversary, and they have a quiet dinner for two planned... the universe has other plans for them!

My only complaint? It's too short! lol Love Lizzie and crew, and more is always better!

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Unforgiven by Stephanie Erickson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.**
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Mackenzie Day is reeling from the death of her best friend, Maddie. She's lost her rock, her partner in crime, and her only family in one feel swoop. With that loss, Mac has lost track of herself, and the things she cares about, including her mind-reading abilities.
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"Aunt" Amanda is back and looking for revenge. Mac has to learn to put aside her anger and grief if she is to help the Unseen save thousands of lives. And, her actions have some unforeseen consequences.

Stephanie has managed to deliver another very readable story that could easily further a mini-series for television. Mac is very easy to sympathize/empathize with, and the writing continues to be detailed enough for visual imaginations. Can't wait to read the next installation!

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Hunters of Chaos by Crystal Velasquez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**I received an ARC of this book via Goodreads Giveaways.**
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Four girls at a southwestern boarding school discover they have amazing feline powers and must unite to stop an ancient evil in this riveting adventure.
Ana soon learns that she and three other girls - with Chinese, Navajo, and Egyptian heritages - harbor connections to priceless objects in the school's museum, and the museum's curator, Ms.Benitez, is adamant that the girls understand their ancestry.
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I entered this giveaway in the hopes that I would get a copy of this book for my daughter. It is precisely the type of book she loves - paranormal, girl heroine(s), action, and... CATS! As predicted she loved the book, and had it read in a matter of hours - in fact she started reading maybe 5 minutes after I handed it to her!

Unfortunately, being a 12-yr-old who has never been given a book report as an assignment in school, my daughter keeps insisting she doesn't know HOW to write one. She does tell me that she loved the book, and primarily for the reasons stated above. I am hoping to find time in my reading schedule to get to it in the next month or so.

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Unseen by Stephanie Erickson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*
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Mackenzie Day constantly struggles to silence the voices in her head. The inner thoughts of those around her intrude upon every aspect of her life, threatening to turn it into chaos.

All her life, she thought she was alone as a mind reader—a freak. And, then...
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This was my first read by Stephanie, and I can't wait to get started on Unforgiven tonight! The story grabs the reader and pulls them in. The characters are well-developed and easy to sympathize with. The struggles Mac is facing are ones we all face - albeit with a supernatural twist. Decisions regarding our lives and what to do with them; decisions about whether or not to toss everything we've trained and studied for to the wind and take a radically different path; loss of loved (or not so loved) ones; and dating.

The writing is detailed enough that it would be easy to see this made into a mini-series or movie. And, I loved the fact that the story is relevant enough to keep me interested AND clean enough that I can allow both of my kids to read it. BOTH read the synopsis on the back of the book, and wanted to know if they could borrow it! :)

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ARIVACA: Guardians of the Light by John Poulsen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

** I was provided a NetGalley copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
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Jesse Ballard’s life is filled with misfortune. His parents are dead, he’s been convicted of a crime, and a dark secret torments his soul. But when he’s incarcerated on a ranch for troubled teens he discovers his troubles have just begun. A Supreme Power has literally hijacked his life, bringing him to the ranch to make him the guardian of a powerful relic that was hidden away 2600 years ago when Solomon’s Temple was destroyed.
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This book was a good read, and definitely something I could suggest to either of my kids or their friends. It was a little more founded in reality than my typical read - so a little more work for me to get through, but a cool PG story along the lines of Indiana Jones - religion blended with reality and paranormal overtones. The love/hate struggle between Jesse and Cedar makes for an interesting secondary theme in an otherwise fairly straightforward story of religious-artifact-needs-protecting.

I really liked Jesse. He's a very likeable character who seems to keep getting bad breaks, but as the story unfolds it becomes obvious that those breaks have all been for a very good reason. I also thought the way this book ended was very well done as a lead-in to the next in the series.

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