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31 March 2013

Stacked (48): At Last


Hi everyone! I am writing this post ahead of time on Friday night since I have a pretty busy weekend ahead of me. Tomorrow I will be in Anaheim for WonderCon. I really have no idea what panels I am going to this year and am just going to play it by ear. Anyone else going? Say hi if you see me!  

I am hoping to findi some fun things this weekend but, in the meantime, I did get a few books to tide me over this week.


Lord of Secrets by Alyssa Everett - I loved Everett's first novel, A Tryst for Trouble, and hope that this one is just as good. I don't really love the cover model though. Doesn't he look like he's advertising Old Spice or something?


Ten  Reasons to Stay by Sabrina Jeffries - Short story (NetGalley has been putting up a lot of shorts lately) by Sabrina Jeffries. Read one of her books recently and really like it. 


Rules Of Entanglement by Gina Maxwell - Lots of romance this week, haha. I had fun reading Gina's last book, Seducing Cinderella, and just got approved for a review copy of her next book via NG. 


Lover At Last by JR Ward - OMG I have been waiting for Quinn and Blay's book for so long! The last book in the BDB series was a little bit of a disappointment but I have high hopes for this one. This is a pretty accurate AIM conversation I had with a friend on Tues when I reminded her that the book came out.

Me: Dude, Lover at Last came out today.
Friend: WHAT??? OMG!!!
Me: YUP.
Friend: OMG I have been waiting YEARS for those two to get together. DUDE.
Me: DUDE.

Already about 25% into it and so far so good...


That's my haul for this week. Hit me up with links to your haul post if you have one. And Happy Easter! Eat something pastel colored and pet a bunny. :)
 




30 March 2013

Seducing Cinderella - Review


Seducing Cinderella (Fighting for Love #1)
by Gina L. Maxwell
Publication date: 20 July 2012 by Entangled Publishing
ISBN 13: 2940014977678
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Category: Adult Contemporary Romance
Keywords: Romance, Sports, Fairytale, Cinderella
Format: Paperback, Mass Market Paperback, eBook, Audiobook
Source: Purchased

Synopsis from Entangled Publishing:

He’ll teach her the art of seduction…for a price.

Mixed martial arts fighter Reid Andrews’s chance to reclaim his title as light heavyweight champ is shattered when he’s injured only months before the rematch. To make sure he’s healed in time, his trainer sends him to recuperate under a professional’s care—Reid’s best friend’s little sister, all grown up.

Disorganized and bookish Lucie Miller needs some professional help of her own. She’d do anything to catch the eye of a doctor she’s crushed on for years, so when Reid offers seduction lessons in exchange for 24/7 conditioning for the biggest fight of his career, Lucie jumps at the chance.

Soon Reid finds himself in the fight of his life…winning Lucie’s heart before she gives it to someone else.

Review:

Romance novels tend to possess several elements for the reader's enjoyment.  Many readers seem to expect the hero to be hot and sexy and have a balance between being a bad boy while falling madly for a heroine who does not recognize how special or attractive she is.  Of course there needs to be chemistry and some kind of conflict between the hero and heroine to round out the story.  Writers then mix in a bit of humor or drama and angst depending on their own personal preferences.  Each reader then searches for just the right mix that works for them. 

Very seldom do I expect a book that has the perfect balance of everything I like, but I do search for ones that will hold my attention from the beginning.  Better yet, give me a female heroine that doesn't drive me completely insane and a male hero who is hot, sexy, tough but not crude. Throw in some humor, a few touching moments and I am on my way.  If the author can manage a few friends for the main characters that I like, all the better.  Gina Maxwell's debut novel Seducing Cinderella is one of those romance novels that worked for me.  Yes, I have a definite book boyfriend crush on the very hot, sexy, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Reid Andrews.  His relationship with the female heroine, Lucie Miller, is sweet with just the right amount of hot, sexy scenes.

Since I had read the blurb about this book, I already knew there would be "eye-rolling".  Seriously, a MMA fighter as the fairy godmother in this make-over story who is clearly being set-up as Prince Charming? And the offering of seduction lessons? Yes, I could see the where this was going.  However, the question for me, could Maxwell make the chemistry and relationship between Reid and Lucie enough that I would happily ignore the stuff that causes me to say "yeah, right".  Yes, Maxwell managed to have me rooting for Reid and Lucie and their relationship and their Happily Ever After throughout the story.  There are also several scenes that I just love going back to read again.              

Remember how I mentioned that if an author can throw in a few friends that you can like as a reader, then all the better?  Well, Vanessa is Lucie's best friend and one of my favorite side characters in the story.  As a result, I am looking forward to reading the second book in the Fighting for Love SeriesRules of Entanglement which comes out on March 31, 2013 in eBook according to Maxwell's website.  The story follows Lucie's brother Jax and her best friend, Vanessa.
 
Check out the Character Interview with Reid Andrews over on Becca the Bibliophile.
 
Check out the Book Trailer:





Visit the author online at www.ginalmaxwell.com , Like her on Facebook, follow her on Pinterest, follow her on Twitter @GinaLMaxwell

29 March 2013

Uncovered (57): Doll Bones


Happy Friday! Yayayay I love Friday! Thanks for stopping by Uncovered, my weekly cover love post. This week I have Doll Bones, the upcoming book from Holly Black. I love this cover because it looks like what I imagined a book with the name Doll Bones would look like. It's a little creepy and strange. The doll is looking right at me... :) But I also really like that the book title is illustrated as well and the ship/sea in the background is interesting. It makes me what to know what this boat full of kids has to do with this creepy doll. I am a big fan of Black's Curse Workers series and am really looking forward to this one. 

Thanks again for coming by. Have a great weekend!
 





Please note that this post contains affiliate links. For more details, please see our full disclosure policy here

28 March 2013

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop (US ends 4/5)


Welcome to the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop, hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and our very own sister blog, Read Now Sleep Later. We are giving away a paperback copy of Working Stiff by Rachel Caine. I haven't read this one yet but it looks great and I have a copy for myself already. This is a US only giveaway this time. We'll have another international giveaway soon. Alright, rules and Rafflecopter below.


Giveaway Rules:
  1. Open to US residents only.
  2. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items. 
  3. One set of entries per household please. 
  4. If you are under 13, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter, as you will be sharing personal info such as an email address. 
  5. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter widget a day or two after the contest ends. 
  6. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to to the email, otherwise we will pick a new winner. 
  7. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. You can review our full contest policy here
  8. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY PERSONAL INFO IN THE COMMENTS. Sorry for the caps but we always get people leaving their email in the comments. Rafflecopter will collect all that without having personal info in the comments for all the world (and spambots) to find. Thanks!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 





27 March 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness - International Trailer


Looks like they released another trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness. I like this one. A lot more Benedict Cumberpatch and it's really action packed. I was kind of ho hum on this sequel but am not getting more excited about it. Hurry up, May!




26 March 2013

Once Upon A Wicked Night - Short Story Review


Publication date: 01 Feb 2013 by Forever
ISIN: B006IIWO9S
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N 

Category: Adult Historical Romance
Keywords: Historical, romance, sisters, novella, short story
Format: eBook
Source: e-ARC received from Netgalley


Synopsis:

Seven years ago it was a young Serena Donovan and Jonathan Dane who shocked the ton when they were discovered in a most compromising position. Tonight they return for the first time as the Earl and Countess of Stratford. And while Serena hopes for a quiet evening to introduce her younger sister Olivia to society, Jonathan’s only desire is to pick up where he and Serena left off…

Though innocent Olivia secretly longs for the kind of passion her sister shares with her husband, none of the men she’s met spark a fire inside her heart—least of all the notorious Marquis of Fenwicke. When his request for a waltz turns into something sinister, Olivia must use her wit and wiles to evade a powerful peer who vows if can’t have her, no man shall.

Review:

This novella was a lot shorter than I thought it was going to be. Reading it on my Kindle, it ended at about 50%, with the other half being the first chapter of Confessions of an Improper Bride (first book in the series). I feels much more like the epilogue to the first book or the prologue to the second book in the series than a full novella.

Though I wished it were longer, I did enjoy this brief glimpse into the Donovan Sister series. Serena and Jonathan were a wonderful couple. It was clear that they had gone through a lot to be together and their love for each other was very sweet. Serena's younger sister Olivia is innocent in the ways of London society and has a brief run in with a rake. Olivia was pretty bland in this. I think it has more to do with the brevity of the piece than an actual problem with Olivia herself. She has the potential to be an interesting character but she doesn't get a chance to shine in this short piece.

Once Upon A Wicked Night is more of a teaser than a novella. If the intention was to pique my interest in the Donovan Sisters series, it definitely worked. However, as a standalone story it's too short and does not give you enough to be a truly satisfying read. I received my copy free from NetGalley in exchange for a review but I would have been annoyed had I paid for it. It would serve its purpose better as a free read on the author's website. That way, fans of the series can get an epilogue to James and Serena's story and new readers can read it and decide if this is a series they'd be interested in. The actual "story" of this book is 2 stars for me but I am giving it 3 stars because it was enough to make me want to read this series.  I would recommend skipping this and jumping in with the first book. Yes, it costs more but you will be getting much more for your money.

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.
 


Visit the author online at www.jenniferhaymore.com and follow her on Twitter @jenniferhaymore


Please note that this post contains affiliate links. For more details, please see our full disclosure policy here

24 March 2013

Manicure Monday (9): The Painted Bridge


Hello again. I am going to keep this somewhat short today since I have an awesome (meaning awful) earache right now, making it hard to concentrate. I have never had an earache before and I am assuming that is what I have. Makes reading uncomfortable, which sucks. Why do I always get illnesses that don't let my lie and bed reading all day comfortably? Oh well.  

This week's MM book is The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace. This is my book club book (which I need to finish by Wed!) and is a historical fiction about a woman who is committed to a mental institution by her husband. Whether or not she actually suffers from a mental affliction or is the victim of a darker plan remain to be seen. I featured this one on my cover love feature a while back because the cover is so pretty. I love the vintage style and it's very eerie looking.

The Painted Bridge

The Painted Bridge

The nail polish I am wearing is Illamasqua Fragile from their newest I'mPerfection collection. Fragile is a gorgeous milky robin's egg blue with bits of small and medium black glitter in it. It really looks like a gorgeous speckled egg. I chose this one because I think it represented well the idea that Anna (the main character of the book) was this delicate and nervous creature who needed a retreat to calm her "nerves." I am still at the very beginning of the book so I don't know yet whether or not this stay is warranted but we'll see. 

The Painted Bridge

I am really excited about this polish and look forward to wearing it this week. Also, it is perfect for Easter. Thanks for coming by. If you have a MM post you'd like to share, leave your link in the widget below and I will check it out. Have a great week, everyone!






Stacked (47)


Hi, everyone. Why does Sunday always come so fast? I know I sound like a broken record but work's been rough. I really value weekend because they give me a little time to recover from the week. This weekend I will be spending my time doing some shopping and hanging out with friends. And reading of course. I had a pretty small book week this week. Kept it to a few ebooks. I received the case I ordered for my new Kindle so now I will be able to carry it with me. I am behind on my e-galleys and hope to catch up a bit in the coming weeks.


The Lady Always Wins by Courtney Milan - Short story by one of my favorite romance writers. Not as heavy hitting as some of her other novellas have been but still an emotional and engaging read.

Cursed by Jennifer Armentrout - I have been wanting to read this one for a while now and last week it was a Kindle daily deal.

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski - This is supposed to be part of othe "new adult" trend going on right now. Still not sure what that means but the reviews have been favorable so I decided to give it a try.


I also could not resist buying The Hobbit this week. I don't buy too many DVDs these days but I really liked this one. There'e just something really comforting to me about this world. So yup, it's mine now.

That's all I have for books this week. I just have to tell you all that I went and saw Olympus Has Fallen last night and it was as bad as I thought it would be. If Die Hard and Under Siege had a baby, it would be this movie. It was so unoriginal. There were some good fight scenes and I love Gerard Butler as an action start but, yeah, it just made me want to watch Die Hard when I got home. Hahaha. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!






23 March 2013

Hannibal - Trailer


Hi, everyone! I am totally copying my friend Bookyurt in posting this trailer. I had no idea that a Hannibal television show was even happening. And on NBC no less. It's no secret that I am a big fan of the macabre and scary, and this looks intense. I am really not sure how they are going to get away with this on network TV. But, if the trailer is any indication, it looks like they are not going to shy away from the scary stuff. Plus, it has Caroline Dhavernas (Wonderfalls!), Hugh Dancy, and Mads Mikkelsen in it. I am in.

Anyone else looking forward to Hannibal? First episode airs Thurs April 4 on NBC.  
 





22 March 2013

Uncovered (56): Infinityglass


Oh, Frday, how I have missed you. :) This week on Uncovered I have Infinitylglass, the third book in Myra McEntire's Hourglass series. I have been a fan of this series' covers for a while now but I think this one is my favorite. I just love the odd body languge and the feeling of movement you get from her pose. I don't how they shoot these ones but it looks like she is underwater almost. The font mimics the shapes that the figure is making - everything looks very fluid. I also happen to love blue and red together which is why I think this one is my favorite. I haven't started this series yet but I do have the first book on my Kindle. Infinityglass does not come up until this summer. 

Anyone else loving the covers to this series?
 





19 March 2013

Thrown by a Curve - Review + New Associate Reviewer


Publication date: 5 March 2013 by Berkley Publishing
ISBN 10/13: 0425253457 | 978-0425253458
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound

Category: Adult Contemporary Romance
Keywords: Romance, sports
Format: Paperback, eBook
Source: Purchased


My Synopsis:

Garrett Scott is facing the biggest challenge to his career - a shoulder injury that isn't healing and the potential that his career as a pitcher for the St. Louis Rivers baseball team is over.  Alicia Riley, Sport Medicine Specialist, has finally gotten her dream job working for the St. Louis Rivers.  When she boldly speaks her mind about what is holding Scott back from making progress with his shoulder therapy, she suddenly finds herself in charge of his rehab.  Both Garrett and Alicia have a lot riding on this, throw in some dynamic chemistry between the two and readers will find things heating up quickly.

*This review may contain spoilers for previous books in the series.*

Review:

A few months ago I was on a search for a romance series for my sister.  Though I tend to prefer Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance, my sister won't open it if there is a vampire, werewolf, or other supernatural creature hiding between the pages.  So, I decided that maybe sports would be a better option. After perusing various titles, I elected to give Jaci Burton's Play by Play series beginning with The Perfect Play a try if for no other reason than it has a great cover.  Before I knew it, I had managed to read the first four books in about a week and pre-ordered Thrown by a Curve (Book #5). Apparently, I'm hooked.

The Play by Play series is primarily set in St. Louis with a fictional football, baseball, and hockey team.  The first three books (The Perfect Play, Changing the Game, and Taking a Shot) feature the Riley siblings Mick, Gavin, and younger sister Jenna.  In Playing to Win, we are introduced to their cousins, Cole and Alicia.  Thrown by a Curve (Alicia's & Garrett's story) picks up a several months after the end of Playing to Win (Cole's & Savannah's story).

After reading the excerpt for Thrown by a Curve, I had been eagerly anticipating this book.  I started the e-book on the morning of release day and finished it basically in one sitting after I got home from work.  The heroine, Alicia, and hero, Garrett, had great chemistry together and I eagerly anticipated the hot, sexy scenes that made for a great romance story. 

Of course, there are a few things I have come to expect from a Burton novel.  It seems that there is always some forbidden aspect or reason why the heroine of the book shouldn't be with the hero.  In Thrown by a Curve, Alicia is Garrett's therapist (Sports Medicine) and she struggles repeatedly with knowing that she shouldn't be having a personal relationship with Garrett while she is working professionally with him.  This is one of those mixed things for me.  Whereas, I know that this makes for great tension between the main characters, in real life, it would annoy me. I find as I read the story that the heroine's guilt and conflict over her unprofessional behavior towards her client does produce a few eye rolls from me.  However, I typically love the chemistry between Burton's couples and continue reading despite the eye rolls.

The other aspect that I know will happen at some point in the story, usually towards the end, is that the hero will do something to emotionally hurt the heroine.  It is never something so terrible but you will recognize it when it happens.  With Thrown by a Curve, I found myself trying to guess what it would be and when it would happen.  It didn't make the story any less enjoyable for me, but I just knew it was coming.

Another thing I love about Burton's Play by Play series is the way the author includes the other characters from the earlier books into the newest book.  Readers get updates on Mick and Tara, Gavin and Liz, Jenna and Tyler, and of course, Cole and Savannah.  The updates and the integrating the characters from previous books provides readers with a sense that they are coming home to friends that they love spending time with.  As a result, it is best to read this series in order.  

As with the previous books, Burton provides us with a brief introduction to one of the characters that will be featured in the next book.  The sixth Play by Play book, One Sweet Ride, will feature Gray Preston.  Preston is Garrett's college roommate and a hot shot race car driver.  There is an excerpt from One Sweet Ride at the end of Thrown by a Curve.  Though the series will be moving away from St. Louis and the Riley clan, I am hoping Burton continues to provide readers with the updates that I have come to love so much.  If you are looking for a fun and somewhat addicting sports romance series, then I would seriously recommend Burton's Play by Play books.



Visit the author online at www.jaciburton.com and follow her on Twitter @jaciburton and facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJaciBurton

Olivia is the psueduonym of a good friend of Nite Lite's. Liv prefers to remain somewhat mysterious, hence the psuedonym. She will be reviewing some juicy romances for us on occasion, and we hope you will give her a very warm welcome. Welcome, Liv!

18 March 2013

Manicure Monday (8): Forbidden


Hello and welcome to another edition of Manicure Monday, a weekly feature where we encourage you to show off your current read and manicure.

This week I attempted some nail art for you guys. Let me say that I am usually terrible at this kind of thing but thought I would give it a go. The first try looked pretty bad but I did it again the next day, with much better results.

Forbidden by Jacquelyn Frank

Before you ask, yes, I put my fingers on his abs on purpose. ;) This week's book is Forbidden by Jacquelyn Frank. This is the first book in her new Bodywalkers series. So far I like it but, like all Jacquelyn Frank books, it's a little dense so it's taking me longer than usual to read it. But I am enjoying it.

On my nails is China Glaze Blue Year's Eve (blue) and Urban Outfitters Silver Holo. I thought this blue was really pretty and went with the cover well. You'll see in the close up how bright and sparkly it is. I wanted something fun to contrast with it and picked up the silver holo, which is a fantastic rainbow bomb. If you like holos, go to Urban Outfitters and get this one. To do this manicure, I first painted my entire nail with the blue (2 coats) and then let is dry. Like super dry. After it was really dry, I taped off half my nail with regular Scotch tape, making sure that there were no gaps or bubbles. Then I painted the untaped side with the silver polish and removed the tape right away. I wanted to do something with to sides to sort of show the two sides of the Bodywalkers souls since they are two souls Blending together in one body. Kinda makes sense, right?

Forbidden by Jacquelyn Frank

Forbidden by Jacquelyn Frank

That's my manicure for today. I don't know if I will be delving into nail art again anytime soon but I did like the look of this one, so you never know. Thanks for looking and commenting. Linky widget below if you have a Manicure Monday post that you want to share.  Thanks!






17 March 2013

Stacked (46)


Happy St. Patrick's Day! I can't believe it's Sunday again. Why does the weekend go by so fast? Well this week has been quite exhausting at work. Things are just so crazy that all I want to do when I get home at night is sleep. So I haven't done a ton of reading though I did manage to finish a book yesterday. Lack of reading progress has not stopped me from getting more books though. I haven't been to the library in a few weeks and decided to stop by this week and I found a lot of good books. We'll see if I have time to read them all. YABC also had a book swap this weekend. My goal was to leave with fewer books than I came with. I met my goal but still came away with quite a few books. :)  Shall we check them out?

For Review


What The Duke Desires by Sabrina Jeffries (Edelweiss) - If you saw my Manicure Monday post last week, you might remember that I was reading a historical romance by Sabrina Jeffries. I really enjoyed it and was excited to see her upcoming book on Edelweiss. It has a duke. Yum.

Borrowed


The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn - I'll read anything by Julia Quinn. 

Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas - Same with Lisa Kleypas. Love her historical romances and I haven't read this one yet.

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans - Another one I have been wanting to read but wasn't sure that I wanted to buy. Thanks, library!

Reflected In You by Silvia Day - I liked the first book in the series enough to pick up book 2, even though I had issues with it. Already finished this one and, unfortunately, did not love it. 

Kiki Strike: The Darkness Dwellers by Kirsten Miller - I was excited to see this one at the library since it's so new. I really enjoyed the first Kiki Strike book (second was was fun but not great), and was surprised to find out that another book was coming out. It's been years since the last book and I thought the series had ended. Glad to see it back and hoping that one is fun. 

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - I've seen lots of good reviews for this one and the cover is super cute.

Gilt by Katherine Longshore - Another one I have been wanting to read for ages. Hopefully I will have time to read it before it's due back. 

YABC Book Swap Haul


Going Too Far & Forget You by Jennifer Echols - I have so many friends who rave about Jennifer Echols but I haven't had a chance to read any of her books yet. Guess I will now.

Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn - A friend of mind really liked this one so I decided to give it try. I think the change of setting to Tokyo could also be cool.

Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay - Looked cute and I think I liked the idea of leftover. Is that weird?

A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford - I have been meaning to read this series and have the first book already. Hoping I like it enough to read the second book.

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger - Really enjoyed The DUFF by Keplinger and have been wanting to read more of her books. I was excited to find this one at the swap.

It was also my birthday this week and my new Kindle came. I am slowly putting my books back on to it. Unfortunately there's no quick way to just transfer all your books. You have to kind of do it one at a time. A pain, to say the least. I also received a few Amazon and B&N gift cards that I have not used yet, though I am sure I will soon. :) I hope everyone is having a wonderful St. Patty's Day. Eat some corn beef for me!

crazy neon birthday flowers




15 March 2013

Uncovered (55): The Tin Horse


Happy Friday! I feel like I say this all the time but man, this was such a long week. I just need to make it through today and I am home free! So today on Uncovered, I have The Tin Horse by Janice Steinberg. This one just came out in January and I have been eyeing it ever since. I love the cover for its simplicity and retro feel. Love the colors and how the red/orange is repeated in the dress, lips, and apples. I like the font which, again, has a sort of retro vibe to it. I also like that the horse on the girl's necklace alludes to the book title. Not sure if there is a real horse necklace in the book, but I like it. This book is also about twins, which fascinate me. 

Has anyone else seen this cover in the wild yet? What do you think?  
 



14 March 2013

Wicked Nights - Review


Publication date: 26 June 2012 by HQN
ISBN 10/13: 0373776985 | 9780373776986
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound

Category: Adult Paranormal Romance
Keywords: Paranormal, romance, angels, demons
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook
Source: Bought


Synopsis:

Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless -- and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions at any cost…until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.

Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation -- or her ultimate damnation?

Review:

Wicked Nights is the first book from Angels of the Dark, a spin off series of the very popular Lords of the Underworld series. I am not very familiar with Showalter’s work, having only read the first book from Lords of the Underworld a couple of years ago. I recall enjoying that book but obviously, I was in no rush to read the rest of the series. However, I decided to give this book a go based on all of the positive reviews and that smoking hot cover.

I devoured the first half of the book very quickly. I was really intrigued by Zacharel and his army of misfit angels. They’re all big, bad alpha males with dark secrets and I wanted to know more about them. Annabelle, too, was a really compelling character. Witnessing her parents’ murder is traumatic enough, but being blamed for it and then thrown it a psych ward just adds insult to injury. I admired her determination and strength in the face of adversity. However, after the initial rush and fun of diving into a new world, the story started to fizzle.

I didn’t really understand why Zacharel and Annabelle fell for each other. I read a lot of romances so I am usually OK with characters falling in love pretty quickly. However, I just wasn’t sure why these two were drawn together. They had some good chemistry, especially in the beginning, but it did not seem like a relationship that would warrant waiting over a thousand years for, as Zacharel had. The whole matter of Zacharel’s essentia being on Annabelle was also never explained. I know it’s a marker that they’re meant to be together but I would have liked a more detailed explanation on what it was and meant and if it had ever happened to anyone else before. Maybe I am missing something since I am not familiar with the Lords of the Underworld mythology, but I would have liked a little more insight.

While I liked Annabelle in the beginning, she started to get on my nerves after a while. She went from sassy and independent to annoying love struck teenager really fast. Her inner monologue and teen vernacular, especially, started to grate on me and I cringed every time she called Zacharel “Zachie.” Zacharel is your typical sexy, alpha male. I didn’t have any problem with him but he wasn’t particularly memorable either. The love scenes between the two were also somewhat lackluster. They felt rushed and were not nearly as hot as I was hoping for.

While I think this world has a lot of potential, the book lacked some spark and Annabelle and Zacharel did not do it for me. I didn’t feel a deep connection between the two and wasn’t as invested in their relationship as I should have been. I started getting bored halfway through and I found myself struggling to finish it. There is a bit of a twist at the end that surprised me, but the final confrontation is anti-climactic. Fans of Gena Showalter and the Lords of the Underworld series will probably really like Wicked Nights. I don’t think Showalter’s writing is for me and I doubt I will be continuing on with the series, which is a shame since I love the covers.
 


Visit the author online at www.genashowalter.com and follow her on Twitter @genashowalter


Please note that this post contains affiliate links. For more details, please see our full disclosure policy here