Something Strange and Deadly - Susan Dennard

There's something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia...

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family as fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walkers by. But this is nothing compared to what she's just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor... from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she'll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel, the situation becomes dire. An now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.


I remember being at RT and getting swag from this author. Bookmarks and whatnot. They looked good and I'm finally just getting around to reading them. This is a historical YA paranormal book. I love historical books but I Hate the women of that time. I love strong, kick ass heroines and Eleanor Fitt is not one of them. She was annoying, cowardly and at times I thought she was going to pee herself. But she had a smart mouth and the potential to be better than the women of her time. I guess this book was the perfect example of character growth and development. If you have ever read a story where the kick ass heroin hints at a time when she wasn't so kick ass and some hard times or extenuating circumstances made that character who she is today, that is that story for Eleanor Fitt. This is the story that defines the type of woman she will become and its not a cowardly woman of her time. She becomes strong and brave. She ends up with war wounds that no one should have. I can't wait to read more from Miss Fitt of the Philadelphia Fitts. This sums it up perfectly...

"When you first came into our labs, I thought you were a snobby princess who only cared about herself. Just the sort of person I hate."
I bit the inside of my mouth, trying to keep the thirsty ache away. "A-and now?"
"Now..." He shook his head and gazed at his cap. "Well, you're none of that. I was wrong. You're an empress with grit and brains, and I wish..."

There was just as much mystery in this book than there was the walking dead. It all started with her father and the people her father called friends. There is betrayal, bullying and secrets. There is so much more to Clarence than you see in the beginning. I loved the spirit hunters. Daniel especially. there wasn't much spark in the love interest department as I think was intended. I really didn't feel for either guy until the end.

"The Fault is not in our stars," I whispered to the ceiling. "But in ourselves. This was my choice."

This book didn't really get good until the end because I just didn't like her much. I did start to like her more and more throughout the book and towards the end it was really good. I will be reading the whole series and I intend to start the next one immediately.

And with all the strange and deadly things in the world, what was there even to dream about.

I give this book a 3.5 stars and I have a feeling this series is only going to get better and better and I will be there for the ride.

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Sixth Grave on the Edge

Few things in life can come between a grim reaper and her coffee, but the sexy, sultry son of Satan is one of them. Now that Reyes Farrow has asked for her hand, Charley Davidson feels it's time to learn more about his past, but Reyes is reluctant to open up. When the official FBI file of his childhood abduction lands in her lap, Charley decides to go behind her mysterious beau’s back and conduct her own investigation. Because what could go wrong?

Unfortunately, another case has fallen into her lap—one with dangerous implications. Some very insistent men want Charley to hunt down a witness who is scheduled to testify against their boss, a major player in the local crime syndicate. If Charley doesn't come up with an address in 48 hours, the people closest to her will start to disappear. 

Add to that a desperate man in search of the soul he lost in a card game, a dogged mother determined to find the ghost of her son, and a beautiful, young Deaf boy haunted by his new ability to see the departed as clearly as he sees the living, and Charley has her hands full. The fact that Reyes has caught on to her latest venture only adds fuel to the inferno that he is. Good thing for Charley she's used to multi-tasking and always up for a challenge…especially when that challenge comes in the form of Reyes Farrow.

In this latest installment, you are tossed back into the fun world of Charley Davidson and her hotter than hell boyfriend, Reyes. (*SWOON*) Some very important things come to light in this book and Kristyn and I decided to take a moment to discuss this points. SPOILER FREE, of course! 

What utensil would you be?

"Oh," I said after he set our plates down, "I forgot to ask you. If you were a utensil, what would you be?"

He took hold of my chin and lifted my face to his. "I have a feeling a machete and a spork can work very well together."

"Because I'm versatile. I can multitask like nobody's business. And I like the way it sounds. It's so...sporky."

Catherine: I think I would be a set of Tupperware or a pair of chopsticks. You can NEVER go wrong with Tupperware. It's microwavable and has stood the test of time. And chopsticks, you can eat with them AND put your hair up with them!!! 


Kristyn: I have given this lots of thought since reading this book and I just cant think of anything I would want to be. I do love Catherines answer of chopsticks. I wish I would have thought of it first! Does it have to be an eating utensil? is there any other type of utensil? How about a grater. That seems like it fits me.

With the proposal of the century (in the last book!) on a classy post-it, if they ever get married - where do you think they would get married? What would it be like?

"I decided to stick with my coffee. We loved each other, Joe and I. We would have a quiet wedding on a beach with only a few friends present, and I would be secretly praying for a blender. Surely someone would get me a blender."

Catherine: I imagine the two of those crazy kids getting married at the bar. Would Charley wear white? Nope. Who would walk her - Ubie or her Dad? I know Cookie would be her Maid of Honor. Would Mr. Wong show? There'd be coffee and beer. Cheez-Its too. And I am sure the cake would be HUGE. Lots to take home. Maybe themed! Oh, I hope we get to see a wedding. I can't imagine how Darynda would write the wedding of the century. This is bigger than a royal wedding!

"Do you think if I lived on Cheez-Its and coffee alone, I'd ultimately starve to death?"

Kristyn: I could actually see them eloping. Or kind of like a reverse shot gun wedding. well, not that she would have to be forced but I could imagine him kidnapping a priest and saying something like, 'Marry me now." Everyone would already conveniently being there watching it all go down. I mean why not? He took out her bedroom wall for crying out loud!

What was the moment that you fell even more in love with Reyes in this book? I know, I know. Reyes is a swoon-worthy son of Satan, and there were TONS. What is your favorite moment?

Catherine: Simple. 

With one corner of his mouth tipping sensually, he asked, "Want some coffee?"

And I fell.
I fell hard.

Me too Charley. Me too! Without saying anything more than YES or NO (no spoilers!) Kris, do you think Charley can handle decaf? If I were to hashtag that moment, my status would read something like #impressed

Kristyn: I did mention that he took out her bedroom wall, right?

What are your thoughts on Cookie's crush on Ubie? 

Catherine: I'll be honest. This is odd to me. I love Ubie and I love Cookie. I just hope it doesn't change the Charley and Cookie dynamic, you know? I will say his reaction to the last attempt was HILARIOUS. I love that Charley was the victim. Made me giggle out loud! 

 

Kristyn: Im glad something was finally done about this! I love how awkward cookie is around him. It did seem like a lot of this books focus was on their relationship

Thoughts on Charley's Dad jumping ship?

Catherine: I think he is dying. Or running from the law. Or sold his soul to the devil. Oh hell, I have NO clue. I know he is lying. I just don't know why. 

 

Kristyn: I have NO clue what is going on with her dad. But what I did find super strange is that his lying was just kinda brushed off. Why did we not learn more about this? Why was this kinda not made into a big deal? I wanna know!

If you could choose one character to have Darynda pen a spin-off with; who would it be?

Catherine: Swopes! Garrett is such an ass and I love it! I think he has a really interesting story to tell. 

 

Kristyn: I think it would be really cool to have  spin off with the runaway biker gang. I miss them and wonder what happened. Did they escape from the law? Does he think about that kiss him and Charlie shared? I hope we see them again someday.

Words on Wong?

Catherine: Kris and I have discussed this man a LOT. More than my dear Reyes this book. (He has his hands a little full with Charley right now!) Mr. Wong leaves me a little wordless. I know he has an important part in Charley's life - I just can't figure out what. And believe me, it is frustrating. 

Kristyn: I keep going around and around with this. Is he some type of warrior angel? Some type of protector? Is he bad and has been in her living room this whole time spying on her? This man/being/whatever he is bugs me more than anything else! I want this mystery solved!

Final Thoughts?/Favorite Lines

Catherine: I think this series is wrapping up. I feel like we were given a LOT of information and unanswered questions in this installment. I think it is all leading up to the end of the series. This would make me very sad, but having read how she ended her YA trilogy, I have no fear that this woman knows JUST  how to end it for us insane fans. 

 

"It's a beautiful day. I think I'll stick my meds and stir things up a bit."

 

"You could be like the demonic version of Dexter."

"Yeah, never bungee jump. Reality isn't the only thing that hits you in the face."

 

"I would expect nothing less from the son of evil incarnate. He's a good guy."

 

"The smile he wore could've charmed the panties off a nun."

Kristyn: This one, I have to admit, wasn't my favorite. Not that I didn't like it, cause I totally did. Just so many unanswered questions. so much nonchalance about weird things, and so many brushoffs. I want answers! Then toward the end, it got really good. I hate when a series ends, but like Cat, I see it coming.

 

My favorite scene from the book...

“Reyes. Alexander. Farrow," I said.
Seconds after I spoke his name, Reyes walked into his bedroom, and I looked across the open space directly from my room into his.
He waited for me to continue.
"I feel like there's something missing from my bedroom."
A dimple appeared at the corner of his mouth. "You don't say."
"Any idea what that might be?"
He glanced around my room as well, then shrugged. "I can't imagine."
"Oh, wait," I said, stepping from my room into his, "wasn't there something here? Like, I don't know, a wall or something?"
He looked up. "You could be right. I do seem to remember a barrier of some kind here."
"Yep," I said, stepping closer, "I definitely remember a partition separating our apartments." When his only response was a mischievous tilt of his full mouth, I asked, "Where did you put my wall?"
He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against his doorframe. "What makes you think I took it?"
"It was there this morning."
"And that means I took it? Maybe you just misplaced it. Where exactly did you see it last?"
I pressed my lips together. "You tore down my wall."
The smile he wore could've charmed the panties off a nun. Completely unrepentant, he admitted, "I tore down your wall.”  

 

 

Me and Cat give this a 4 star!!

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Three Southern Beaches

Hello fun cover! Robyn Peterman is my go-to author when I need a pee your pants funny read, and when I saw that she came out with Ready to Were in an anthology with two other authors, I knew I needed to read it. I poured myself a cup of coffee and cozied up with my Kindle. (Sidenote: I think I need to name my Kindle; since he and I spend an entirely large amount of time in bed together!)

First up in this book was Kathleen Brooks and All Hung Up. You meet Taylor Jefferies, a Hollywood starlet and Trey Everett, small town football star turned pro. Both choose a quiet life in Hung Island, Georgia instead of the bright lights of the big city. This incredibly sweet story of the world's hardest proposal had me in a non-stop fit of giggles. The grand gestures in the romance genre will never grow old with me. And this story is no exception. "You deserve so much more than a country boy like me, but I promise no one will love you as much as I do. I fell in love with you by the pond in Keeneston the night we first met, and I've spent these past years falling more and more in love with you. Not only do you make me a better man, we make each other stronger. We're a team, a family, and I would love nothing more than to be your husband." By the end of her contribution to this anthology, I added all her books to my TBR shelf on Goodreads and my Wish List on Amazon!

Our second trip to Hung Island, Georgia is Divorced, Desperate and Dangerous by Christie Craig. Reese Morris walks into Casey's Honkytonk Diner to run away from her problems back home. A broken heart, a breech of trust, a witnessed murder leads her to pouring coffee and serving up the best damn breakfast on all of Hung Island - to the locals first, of course. Reese hopes this help keep Trey Freedman - or Turner Calder, as she learned was his real name - off her mind.

In this diner, she finds her peace in a gun-toting lady by the name of Casey and a former FBI agent who she dropped eggs on and paid $20 to smile so she could get the job! In walks, Trey Turner and asks to be sat in her section. "What the hell did he want with her? What part of, 'The tooth fairy ill be serving cherry Popsicles in hell before I give you the time of day again,' did he not understand? Had she not been clear?" This story was full of suspense and I felt like I was turning the pages so quick to get the the HEA.

Turner has an amazing group of friends, Cops and PI's who are all content on never getting close to a woman again. They are a group of divorced men who called themselves the No Ball and Chain Gang. They watched out for each other if any were in danger of getting to close to getting in too deep with a woman. Nobody held a chance in stopping Turner from making things right between him and Reese. And as much as Reese wasn't having his apologies, it was hard not to loose yourself in Turner - after all, "Let me tell you, if he was gravy and I was a biscuit, I'd sop that plate clean." I cannot believe I have never read any books by Christie Craig - she is talented beyond belief. She also pens YA novels under the name C.C. Hunter! And my TBR lists grows...

To wrap up our vacation on Hung Island, Robyn Peterman fills us in on the stories we heard briefly during the treasure hunting about the paranormal activities on Hung with her deliciously witty story, Ready to Were. Robyn tosses you knee deep into the Council, a paranormal government that ran all things supernatural. WTF (Werewolf Treaty Federation) is who Agent Essie McGee worked for. Essie ran from Hung Island when she caught the love of her life, Alpha of her pack and the sexiest Were around cheating on her. Chicago is where she finally stopped. Dwayne is her 300+ year old Vampyre best friend she only answered to her Granny, and the WTF! When Essie gets an assignment that sends her back to Hung - she is not pleased to be working with the local pack alpha and sheriff.

"Name's Hank Wilson. You know him?"

"Yep." Biblically. I knew the son of a bitch biblically. 

With Dwayne tagging along, she heads to Hung Island to be the professional she has worked so hard to become. Essie knew she could work with Hank, get the job done and be back to Chicago before she knew it. Turns out Hank doesn't want to work with Essie either! He makes her prove herself with her impeccable gun skills and than hand-to-hand combat. "Pinned underneath him on the floor, my inner wolf hooker was ecstatic." No time for nonsense, they had missing were's to find all while maintaining the cover that Essie was home to work out their "issues." Ester and Henry were on the job! Dragons, Fairies and Vampyres beware. This duo is dangerous. 

Hank's older brother, Junior is who I am petitioning for to get their own story! (And Dwayne of course, but I am sure he needs no help getting Robyn's attention in his Prada wedges and Gaga drag!) Junior's secret is safe with him - but when he finally steps up and takes over the Pack, he is going to be a force of nature and the woman who finally tames him - I need to be her friend. That will be one fierce lady. The HEA was perfect in this one. Sand in inappropriate places, Grandma in a thong bikini and a gay Vampyre demanding to see the ring - what better way to end the fun and giggle filled vacation to Hung Island? "Weird was my new normal - accept and continue."

My favorite aspect of this anthology was that all the stories tied the location together. When I picked it up, I thought all would be beached themed stories, but to have them all with a central location made them all flow so well. Each showed the individual author's incredible talent to paint a beautiful story with their words. 

Now to show these women some serious Hung Island Love! 

Kathleen Brooks

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Christie Craig

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Robyn Peterman

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Long Live The King!

The King. Pretty self explanatory. I was super excited to start this book. We get to go back! Wrath hasn't had his own book since the very first one. We see bits and pieces, of course, of him and Beth but a whole book? Yay! 

My poor beautiful blind King. He has had some hard times. He never did want to be king. That's what his father was good at. Him? He was always good at being a brother and kicking ass. But now that there is dissent and his place as King is being threatened? He has the chance to give it all up, not by choice but he does get that chance.

This book started off sad. Besides the flashbacks, which I loved. But the fate of that happy couple even has a sad ending. You hear so much about Wraths' parents but actually getting to see it written was awesome.

 Poor Beth, who is terrified of losing Wrath and only wants a baby. To Iam and Trez the brothers whom I adore. Even Xcor in love with someone he can't have. 

Iam and Trez. I love these brothers. So much going on with them. Trez is skirting his duties to their queen while falling in love with another.  Iam trying to be the responsible brother and fix the mess that they are in. 

Assail. Finding himself attached to the human woman, Sola, he will do anything to protect her. She has no idea what or who he is but the pull is there. So curious to know where that is going to go. 

Saxton. poor Saxton. Even he is sad. A father who hates him for being gay and a life where he has to watch the one he loves be with someone else.

John Matthew. Not very sad on that end. He has his mate. He is starting to have weird seizures again. That part of his little story is about to drive me nuts! When will we find out what in the world is going on?! I have ideas but not really knowing is gonna be the death of me!

I love Wrath. I love the way he talks to people like they are equals. He has no idea the effect he has on them. I love Doc Jane. I love how she gets up in his face over and over and has not one fear. I love getting little glimpses of everyone's lives. I love seeing Zsadist with his young. I love seeing that even though things do seem sad, there is happiness and so much love and loyalty. 

There wasn't much talk on the enemy side of things. Have no idea what is going on there. Not much fighting either.

I think the one problem with J.R. Ward's books is talk about the Queen of cliff hangers. Each little section ends with a cliffhanger. It's smart cause it keeps you reading but it's so frustrating! 

And of course you can't have all that sadness without having some joy. I fell in love with Wrath all over again. Just like I did with each brother in each book. The book did such a great turn around. I love that I get so wrapped up in their fates. I felt their sadness and then their love and then their joy. I laughed and even cried a little. The ending was amazing and the thought of waiting for the next was is agonizing. Because of course, not everyone got their happy ending and not everyone's individual story was finished.

As a whole, this book was great! Definitely five stars. And the Miley Cyrus references didn't hurt!

And because I am a quote whore here are some teaser quotes!

“He’d never thought about it before, but “insanity” was largely a hypothetical concept to the sane; a derogative slur to slam someone you didn’t respect; a descriptor applied to inappropriate behavior.”

“In the words of Dr. Phil, How’s that working for ya?

Great, Phil. Just awesome.”

“Pigs flying.

Hell freezing over

Miley planting her twerking ass in a chair and keeping it there as a public service.”

“The Rolling Stones were right. Sometimes, you didn’t get what you wanted. But if you had all you needed?

Life was good.”

“After everything that had gone down lately, she really didn’t want to know what happened to people who broke an agreement with the big guy.

And no, she wasn’t talking about Santa Claus.”

“Knock her dead, my man.”

“Oh, no.” Xcor shook his head. “That shan’t be necessary. This one I like.”

“Naturally, there wasn’t a dry eye in the training center.

But that was what happened when an ordinary mortal … did something worthy of a superhero.”

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