Shadow Marked by Anna J. Evans: Review by JesykaJames

Review for Shadow Marked by Anna J. Evans

Title: Shadow Marked
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 308
Format: Paperback
Source: The Book Depository
Release Date: May 4th 2010
Publisher: NAL Trade/Signet Eclipse
Series: Yes
No. in Series: 1



Synopsis: Samantha Quinn has been in the dark since age six, when her parents sacrificed her sight in a Satanic ritual. She is trying to get over her demonic past, but horrific lifelike visions haunt her. Her intuition gets stronger and clearer after a wild, adrenaline-fueled sexual encounter with Jace, her brother's childhood friend. And now Samantha is more tormented than ever by what she can "see"-and by what she felt in that forbidden encounter...

Samantha must now prevent the deaths she sees in her premonitions and protect her body from the same demon from her twisted childhood. Her dark curse reveals that Jace will be the next victim, and it is crystal clear that she must destroy the demon to protect her love.



My Review: I didn't like this book, so this is going to be a pretty short review.

The book seemed to jump in way to fast. One minute the main character was a timid (blind) mouse about to be eaten and the next she was a sex kitten trying to fuck her brothers best friend up against a wall in a demon infested ally... WFT?

Usually, with a book like this there is a redeeming quality. Like, the plot is trash, the characters suck, but the sex scenes rock... well, this is not one of those books. The characters are uninteresting. The plot is nonsensical. And the sex scenes leave a lot to be desired.

To be honest, towards the end of the book, I started reading one in every three lines, sometimes just the dialog, because honestly, it was that bad. I can't even think of one thing to say in defense of this book... I guess, it was written okay, if you take into consideration that the main female character was blind... but really, I think that just made it harder to read. It just seemed like a ramble of words.

I didn't like any of the characters. They were all very one dimensional. I particularly hate Stephen, Sam's brother. He seemed like a pointless character until about the last quarter of the book. Jace was annoying. Sam was wish-washy and flakey. One minute she's the demure blind little sister, the next line she's braving the demon infested streets of NY.

The plot... well, I mean, it might have been a good concept it there was a little more effort put into it. But as it was, it was just all over the place.

I will not be picking up the second book in the series. Even if it's on sale at my local Reject store for .99c.

If you disagree with my review, leave me a comment, or email me and let me know why :)


My Review: One Tiny Bat

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Tempted by Elisabeth Naughton; Review by JesykaJames

Review for Tempted by Elisabeth Naughton

Title: Tempted

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 411
Format: Paperback
Source: The Book Depository
Release Date: September 6th 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Series: Yes
No. in Series: 3



Synopsis: DEMETRIUS—He’s the hulking, brooding warrior his fellow Guardians avoid. Too dark. Too damaged. And given his heritage, he knows it’s best to keep everyone at arm’s length.

Isadora is missing. The words pounded through his head like a frantic drumbeat. For her own protection, Demetrius had done all he could to avoid the fragile princess, his soul mate. And now she was gone—kidnapped. To get her back, he’ll have to go to the black place in his soul he’s always shunned. As daemons ravage the human realm and his loyalty to the Guardians is put to the ultimate test, Demetrius realizes that Isadora is stronger than anyone thought. And finally letting her into his heart may be the only way to save them both.



My Review: Okay, so as this series goes on I find I am liking it more and more. The characters are developed much better, and the plot is really coming together. The Greek mythology (though not technically accurate) is put together nicely. I am a big fan of Greek mythology, and I like the twist that Ms Naughton has put on it.

There have been a few scenes where I've been like 'Wait a minute, I swear that was an episode of Hercules,' (the old school TV Show staring Kevin Sorbo) but it was still pretty damn good. I am really starting to get a connection with the characters.

Demetrius was my favorite from the beginning, (I have a 'thing' for dark, mysterious, brooding types ;) ) His character really came out in this book, and I loved it. Admittedly, there were some scenes where he might have been a little more of an ass than I would have liked, but it did ring true to the character. And at the end of the day, it was made clear that he would never harm his soul-mate Isadora.

Now, Isadora. In the first book I found that her character was the only one with any depth. In the second book, her character really started to come out of her shell and I found myself quite interested in how her story would play out. In the third book, I was not disappointed. She really came into her own, stopped being the meek princess and started demanding a life for herself. A life she was determined to spend with Demetrius. I would have to say, she is my favorite character so far, with the exception of only one character...

Orpheus. I love him. I am really excited to read his book. He fascinated me from the first book, and I have to admit, there was a small part of me that was hoping he would fight for Iasdora. They were so cute together. I'm hoping by the end of his book (which is number four) that I won't still be wishing he fought for Isadora. Only time will tell I guess.

Anyways, more about the book. It was much longer that the previous two in the series, which made me pretty excited when I got it. The first two were quiet short, and left me feeling a little unsatisfied. But this book was much longer, admittedly some scenes dragged a little, but it was still really good.

**Spoiler Alert

Okay, I'll admit there were two things about this book that annoyed me a little. I don't want to go into it to much, cause there will be spoilers, and also because I did genuinely like this book. I don't want to point out the bad too much.

Okay, so in book one Isadora bargains her soul to Hades, to save her sisters life. My assumption, was that her book would basically revolve around her and Demetrius fighting to get it back, to prevent her from spending her afterlife being tortured and tormented by Hades and Persephone. I was wrong. It was mentioned about four or five times through the course of the book, but was not the main plot. At the end of the book, Isadora's soul was still set for Tartarus. I didn't like that... I mean, will they get a short story, in an anthology or something, at some point in the future? Or will it just be one of those unexplained things?

Second thing I didn't like, also happened within the last twenty or so pages. Nick. A character who has been there since book one, returned, and though we already knew he was Demetrius' brother, we found out a few more thing. Some I won't give away, but one thing was that they were twins. It was also explained that the soul-mate curse applies to them both, and they both share a soul-mate; Isadora. It was glossed over in about three pages. But basically, he lost his chance at having a soul-mate, because Demetrius got her first. Okay, so... huh? I mean, it makes sense, but... I mean, I felt like: One, it was glossed over ridiculously quickly. And two, I feel like it closed the book on a potential story for Nick, and if he does get his own book, I myself, will feel it's a little tainted and false, seeing as though the whole series is based on this 'soul-mate curse'.

But hey, that is just my opinion. If you have read this series and think differently, let me know in the comments, or drop me and email. :)

My Rating: I really did enjoy this book, so I gave it four Tiny Bats out of five.






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Entwined by Elisabeth Naughton; Review by JesykaJames

Review for Entwined by Elisabeth Naughton

Title: Entwined

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 322
Format: Paperback

Source: Fishpond (I went through Hades to get this book!!! I swear, the world was against me!!! But eventually, I got it 2nd hand from someone on Fishpond.)

Release Date: July 27th 2010
Publisher: Love Spell
Series: Yes
No. in Series: Book 2


Synopsis: Zander can't afford to think about what might have been with the bewitching physician he once regarded as his soul mate. But with eternity stretching before him, he also can't fathom spending his life without the one woman who makes him feel most alive. Perhaps he's found his weakness, after all . . .


My Review: I liked this book. It was... emotional. I really felt for Callia, and for Zander (who, I loved :D) There were a few plot holes, but all in all, I really liked the book.

Some minor things that irritated me; one scene in particular (I won't give too much away) there was a scene between Callia and Zander, and I feel like Zander's character was a bit... forceful, and I think it went against his character. I didn't like it. I mean, it was only one little tiny bit of a scene, where he kinda went a little too he-man. I just ignored it a little, and pretended it didn't happen.

There was a lot of character jumping, and sometimes that annoys me, but it was actually quite good in this book. I felt like they were fluid, and done well.

Some things about this book, that were better than the first; there was a much better emotional connection between the characters, and it didn't make me feel like they were only together because of the soul-mate bond. There was a particular line that I really appreciate being thrown in,

"If I could go back, I'd tell you that I loved you. And it's not because you're my soul-mate. If the Fates had pushed me towards someone else, I'd still have loved you." Zander said.

Some things that didn't change from the last book; well, the ending, for one thing. It, again, seemed really rushed. Quite anti-climactic also. The 'happily-ever-after' was there, but it was just so rushed at the last two or three pages. I felt like they were good characters, and maybe they deserved more than a rushed ending.

It was a really good book though, I really enjoyed it. I quite like Isadora and Orpheus, they seem to be quite interesting characters too. I also have a bit of a fascination with Demetrius. I've ordered the next book, and know that him and Isadora are in it, I'm really interested how that book will play out. I have hope that it will be the best book in the series.

Rating: I almost gave it four Tiny Bats, because I really did like the characters... but I just couldn't do it. Not with the ending being so rushed. So I gave it three Tiny Bats. Hopefully I will be able to give book three a better rating :D

Posted By: JesykaJames

Email: pages2crave@hotmail.com

Marked by Elisabeth Naughton Review by JesykaJames

Review for Marked by Elisabeth Naughton

Title: Marked
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 321
Format: Paperback

Source: Big W

Release Date: April 23rd 2010
Publisher: Love Spell
Series: Yes
No. in Series: Book 1


Synopsis: THERON—Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He’s the leader of the Argonauts, an elite group of guardians that defends the immortal realm from threats of the Underworld.

From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn't exist in real life—silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was looking for something. Her.

She was the one. She had the mark. Casey had to die so his kind could live, and it was Theron’s duty to bring her in. But even as a 200-year-old descendent of Hercules, he wasn’t strong enough to resist the pull in her fathomless eyes, to tear himself away from the heat of her body.

As war with the Underworld nears, someone will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

My Review: I liked this book, but I didn't love it. It was a fairly short book, I read it two days, which would normally be good... but at the end of this book I must say I felt... unsatisfied. The whole book seemed rushed to me, and the closer it got to the end the more rushed it felt. It had half a page at the end of 'happily ever after' which, well honestly, you have to kind of expect to a certain extent in a Paranormal Romance novel, but it was so rushed that I was barely interested in them working out there problems and getting together anyway. And though this is a continuation series, I don't think Casey and Theron are going to get anymore floor time.

I have to say, I feel like there wasn't a lot of effort on Elizabeth Naughton's part, there was some pretty good world building, but in the end what was lacking, for me, was the characters. I like to be drawn into a book by it's world, and it's characters. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters in this novel. I feel like there wasn't enough... personality I suppose.

There were some very cute moments between Acacia and Theron, and I did genuinely like the banter that went on between them. I will say there was a spark between the characters, but not to the level of spark between; for example Larissa Ione's characters Ares and Cara.

"And what do you call this... this attraction between us?"

She cocked her head "Your problem?"

"I call it opportunity. A chance to see if fate is really pushing us toward a combined destiny. And there's one way to know for sure."

Her eyes narrowed. "How?"

He moved closer, barely brushing his body against hers, and felt her shudder. And oh, yeah, as far as gambles went, this was the big one. "All it takes is one night."

She blinked twice. "Are you for real?"

Then she laughed. Her laughter went on and on, to the point a frown worked it's way between his eyebrows. When she finally paused to breathe, tears were streaming down her cheek. "Oh, my God. That was the best line I've ever heard. 'Here sleep with me and I'll tell you if you're my destiny.' Nice one, Theron"

The entire relationship seemed rushed, and based only on the premise that they were soul-mates. Fated to be together.

I will say, that once again I am going to give this author another chance. I have ordered the second book in this series, and will hopefully have a better review for that. I hate to give bad reviews, but honestly, this was not a great books for me. It needed more. I do have hope though, that the second book will be better.

Rating: Two Tiny Bats out of Five

(I have decided to go back to the normal rating system, as it was getting to complicated between here and GoorReads.)

Posted By: JesykaJames

Email: pages2crave@hotmail.com

A Sliver of Shadow by Allison Pang Review by JesykaJames

Review for A Sliver of Shadow by Allison Pang

Title: A Sliver of Shadow

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback
Source: The Book Depository
Release Date: 28th Feb 2012
Publisher: Pocket
Series: Yes
No. in Series: Book 2


Synopsis: Just when her new life as a TouchStone — a mortal bound to help OtherFolk cross between Faery and human worlds — seems to be settling down, Abby Sinclair is left in charge when the Protectorate, Moira, leaves for the Faery Court. And when the Protectorate’s away…let’s just say things spiral out of control when a spell on Abby backfires and the Faery Queen declares the Doors between their worlds officially closed.

The results are disastrous for both sides: OtherFolk trapped in the mortal world are beginning to fade, while Faerie is on the brink of war with the daemons of Hell. Along with her brooding elven prince Talivar and sexy incubus Brystion, Abby ventures to the CrossRoads in an attempt to override the Queen’s magic. But nothing in this beautiful, dangerous realm will compare to the discoveries she’s making about her past, her destiny, and what she will sacrifice for those she loves.


My Review: Okay, so at the end of this book I was... wow. I was shocked. I, well I don't wanna give anything away, but this ending was a big shocker!!! I will say one thing, pg. 352 nearly killed me!!! Anyways, let's go back to the beginning of the book.

So although I loved the book as a whole, in the beginning I was pining. Brystion, (the male lead in book one) was nowhere to be found. I mean, there was a bit of a 'thing' for lack of a better word, at the end of book one that made you think that we wouldn't be seeing Brystion again, but I never believed that he really wasn't going to be around... I mean... he's dark and he's broody, and I lurrrrve him!!! But, alas, he was missing, and I pined. Of course Phin was still around, so that made it a little less painful. :P

So, while I was pining away for Ion, Abby had Talivar, the Crippled Prince to keep her company, and though he is also smexy as hell, I didn't really warm up to him in the first half of the book, in fact, I didn't really like him, until about three pages before Ion decided to re-join the party. And now, I can't pick!!! I love them both!!! Hehe, there were some very cute scenes between Abby and Talivar, Abby and Ion, and *grins* there was even a few Talivar-Abby-Ion moments.

This book took us away from the mortal realm and drew us into the Fae word. Allison Pang did a brilliant job of setting the worlds, I think. This second book really drew me into Abby's world, and blended a lot from the first book, making it a much more descriptive story-world. I loved all the different parts of the OtherWorld. The Seelie and Unseelie courts. The way she described the kingdom inside the tree was very easy for me to imagine, and also, I think very unique.

The side characters have to be my favorite part about this series, (even though I do love me some smexy daemons!!!) I absolutely loooove Phin, the miniature-Unicorn that refused to go anywhere unless he had a pair of panties, which he described as his safety blanket, with him.

My favorite side character, however, is Melanie. I looooooove her!!! Since the first book I have believed that she needs a Spin-Off, and I am praying more than ever now that she gets one. There were parts in this book where I was actually praying that Melanie would shut-up and not say anything else about her past, present or future, not because I don't want to know, because I damned-well do want to know, but I desperately want her to get her own series, so I don't want too much about her to be spilled in this series. She seems like such an interesting character, and seems to have such a mysterious background. I truly hope she gets her own book, I know that I would be first in line to buy it.

I found this awesome pic on a blog the other day, and it reminds me so much of how I picture Melanie

So, all in all, I loved this book, and I will most definitely be buying the next in the series. Not sure I can wait until October for it though. I neeeeed it now!!!

Rating: Okay, so with the new Review Rating System, I give this book 1 bookmark out of 5

(Remember, with the new system, the lower the rating the better :) I pretty much only put this book down to sleep and eat. It had me on the edge of my seat, especially towards the end!!!)

Posted By: JesykaJames

Email: pages2crave@hotmail.com

A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang Review by JesykaJames

Review for A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang

Title: A Brush of Darkness
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 343
Format: Paperback
Source: The Book Depository
Release Date: January 25th 2011
Publisher: Pocket
Series: Yes
No. in Series: 1

Synopsis: The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares. Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.


My Review: Okay, so I really enjoyed this book, and would like to say right off the bat, that I have already ordered number two in the series. It will be released in 11 days, so yay!!! (You can all look forward to that review very soon :) )

I really liked the main female character, Abby. She was a little bit of a scatterbrain, but I really liked that she wasn't all hey-I'll-sacrifice-myself-for-you, what I mean by that, is that though she was willing to die for her friends if she had to, she still fought to the very end. Didn't just give up halfway like a lot of heroins do, only to be saved by the hero. Yes, she was saved by the hero, but she fought, and I really liked that. There were a lot of side characters, and sometimes I felt like the book might have been originally written in third person, because it felt like all of the side characters had stories too, but they can't really be told in the first person POV. Perhaps there will be a spin off?

I also really loved Phineas, the chihuahua-like miniature-Unicorn who is obsessed with humping legs, biting asses, playing World of Warcraft (how does he do that with hoofs???) and sleeping in underwear drawers. He got some pretty good one-liners, and I would love to see more of him in the second book, perhaps he could fall in love with a cat or something, that would really amuse me. :P

One thing that I must say did frustrate me a little was the similarity in names for a few of the characters. There was Brystion, the male lead. Brandon, the werewolf. And Brigadun, a WOW playing daemon cross-dresser. I loved how broody and bad tempered Brystion was, he won me over with his self-loathing charm.

Also, I REALLY want an enchanted iPod!!! That is genius, now if only there were some way that we could take that from the mind of Allison Pang and sell it to Microsoft to market. I would buy one, for sure :P

I think my fav part of the book was the end of it, I don't want to give too much away, but it was a little different to the usual. Didn't give me that happily-ever-after that most books (especially of the PR genre) have been going for lately.

The world-building needs a little more work, but I think things will really come together in the next book. There are still a lot of mysteries going on that I think will make a really interesting second installment. Glad I don't have long to wait for the next one.

So, anyway, I have to say I am a fan of the series so far. Book one was a good begining, I think, and I look forward to reading more about Abby Sinclair, her enchanted iPod and her ass biting, chihuahua sized Unicorn.

Rating: Okay, so with the new Review Rating System, I give this book 2 bookmarks out of 5

(Remember, with the new system, the lower the rating the better :) )

Posted By: JesykaJames

Email: pages2crave@hotmail.com

Afterlight by Elle Jasper Review by JesykaJames

Review for Afterlight by Elle Jasper



Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 363
Source: The Book Depository
Release Date: November 2nd 2010
Publisher: Signet
Series Y/N: Yes
No. in Series: Book 1

Found: I bought this book online, off of The Book Depository. It had a wicked cool cover, and is dedicated to Ben Burnley and Breaking Benjamin... any books dedicated to a band that awesome has to be read by me!!!


Synopsis: 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...



My Review: I'm torn... on the one hand, I did really love this book, and have already ordered the next in the series. The characters are all brilliantly developed and are so real!!! The writing has such a unique style, and I love the way that Savannah is described. Every smell and every cobble stone is described brilliantly. Sometimes I could swear I smelled the salt water myself. Even all of Riley's clothes are described so well, down to the material of the collar she wears. But, and I know a lot of people are gunna wanna smack me around the head for this, it had a lot of points where I was like 'Wait a minute... Twilight'

Review: Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione

Review for Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione



Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 414
Source: The Book Depository
Release Date: December 1st 2011
Publisher: Piatkus Books
Series Y/N: Yes
No. in Series: Book 2

Found: I bought this book online, off of The Book Depository. I pre-ordered it a few months ago :P


Synopsis: Sexy, powerful, and immortal, Limos is on a crash course with destiny. She’s been marked as Satan’s bride and her jealous fiancé wants her all to himself. The only way this Horseman can keep herself—and everyone else—safe is to keep her distance. But not even Limos can save herself from the secrets she’s kept... or resist the seductive allure of one very brave human.

Arik Wagner knows the saying “love hurts” better than most, yet he never thought stealing a kiss from Limos would land him in Hell. Literally. It takes all his military training to survive the demon torture, but once he’s topside, Arik realizes that the agony has just begun. With the Apocalypse looming and Satan demanding his bride, will Arik and Limos surrender to the desire smoldering between them? Or will giving in to their passion unleash hell on earth?



My Review: Now, I do not give 5 star (or Tiny Bat) reviews lightly. I mean, for me to give a book a 5 star review, it really has to earn it!!! Now, after saying that... I give this book a 5 Tiny Bat review!!!

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison: Review by JesykaJames

Review for Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 312
Source: The Book Depository
Release Date: May 3rd 2011
Publisher: Berkley
Series Y/N: Yes.
No. in Series: Book 1.

Found: I bought this book online, off of The Book Depository. I kinda searched for every book on Dragons that I could find... I love me some dragon :P


Synopsis: Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful-and passionate-of the Elder races.