Wednesday, February 4, 2015

The Witch Hunter's Tale: A Midwife Mystery (The Midwife's Tale)



I've finished "The Witch Hunter's Tale" the 3rd book in his Midwife Tale series by Sam Thomas.

Product Description

Winter has come to the city of York, and with it the threat of witchcraft. As women and children sicken and die, midwife Bridget Hodgson is pulled against her will into a full-scale witch-hunt that threatens to devour all in its path, guilty and innocent alike. Bridget — accompanied once again by her deputy Martha Hawkins and her nephew Will Hodgson — finds herself playing a lethal game of cat and mouse against the most dangerous men in York, as well as her sworn enemy Rebecca Hooke. As the trials begin, and the noose begins to tighten around her neck, Bridget must answer the question: How far will she go to protect the people she loves?

About the Author

SAM THOMAS teaches history at University School near Cleveland, Ohio. He has received research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Neweberry Library, and the British Academy. He has published academic articles on topics ranging from early modern Britain to colonial Africa. Thomas lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio, with his wife and two children.

Product Details
Series: The Midwife's Tale (Book 3)
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (January 6, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250045754
ISBN-13: 978-1250045751

My Review:


3/5

Wednesday Wish List


 

Please list the books/manga/manhwa/yaoi manga from your wishlist that you are hoping to add to your shelves in a comment, thanks.








Lieutenant Eve Dallas walks the thin line between love and hate in this fabulous 40th thriller from #1 New York Times–bestseller J. D. Robb.

Eve Dallas has solved a lot of high-profile murders for the NYPSD and gotten a lot of media. She — and her billionaire husband — are getting accustomed to being objects of attention, of gossip, of speculation.

But now Eve has become the object of one person’s obsession. Someone who finds her extraordinary, and thinks about her every hour of every day. Who believes the two of them have a special relationship. Who would kill for her — again and again.

With a murderer reading meanings into her every move, handling this case will be a delicate — and dangerous — psychological dance. And Eve knows that underneath the worship and admiration, a terrible threat lies in wait. Because the beautiful lieutenant is not at all grateful for these bloody offerings from her “true and loyal friend.” And in time, idols always fall.






As a child, Bailey Browne dreamed of a knight in shining armor swooping in to rescue her and her mother. As she grows older, those dreams transform, becoming ones of a mysterious stranger who will sweep her off her feet and whisk her away from her ordinary existence. Then, suddenly, there he is. Despite the ten year difference in their ages, her working class upbringing and his of privilege, Logan Abbott and Bailey fall deeply in love. Marriage quickly follows.

But when Logan brings her home to his horse farm in Louisiana, a magnificent estate on ninety wooded acres, her dreams of happily-ever-after begin to unravel. A tragic family history she knew nothing about surfaces, plus whisperings about the disappearance of his first wife, True, and rumors about the women from the area who have gone missing — and when another woman disappears, all signs point to her husband's involvement.

At first Bailey ignores the whispers, even circumstantial evidence against Logan mounts. But finally, Bailey must make a choice: believe what everyone says — or bet her life on the man she loves, but is realizing she hardly knows.

From the author of Justice for Sara, Erica Spindler's The First Wife is a thrilling new novel that will have you gasping on every page.







Forensic science, magic, mystery, and romance mix in this edgy steampunk fantasy — a retelling of the horror classic, in which Dr. Eliza Jekyll, daughter of the infamous Dr. Henry Jekyll — pursues a dangerous murderer in an alternate Victorian London.

In an electrified Victorian London, Dr. Eliza Jekyll is a crime scene investigator, hunting killers with newfangled technological gadgets. She will need every advantage available to catch a terrifying new psychopath splattering London with blood. Hidden in the grimy shadows, the fiendish murderer preys on beautiful women, drugging them before slicing off their limbs. Finding the “Slicer” can make Eliza’s career or unmask her darkest secret. Like her father, she has a hidden second self that emerges when she drinks his forbidden magical elixir. Just a few sips, and a seductive and impulsive Lizzie Hyde is unleashed.

The members of the Royal Society do not trust Eliza, and they send their enforcer, the mercurial Captain Lafayette, to prove she’s a dangerous sorceress. The careful doctor knows that one wrong step can make her prey to the clever Lafayette, a man who harbors an evil curse of his own. No matter how much she craves the elixir, she must resist.

But as the Slicer case draws her into London’s luminous magical underworld, Eliza will need the potion’s power to help her even if it might attract the attentions of Lafayette.

Even if it means setting the wild Lizzie free.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

New Releases 2015 (Feb 3)



 

 



New Releases








From the New York Times bestselling author of Watch Your Back and Did You Miss Me comes the newest novel by ''the queen of romantic suspense'' (Crime and Punishment).

Psychologist Faith Corcoran is desperate to escape the stalker who's made her life a nightmare for the past year - desperate enough to run to the one place that has been her nightmare far longer. Both boon and bane, her recent inheritance of her grandmother's old house in Cincinnati offers a sanctuary in which she can start her life anew, but requires that she face dark memories that resonate to this day.

She has no idea, however, just how close to home her fears still are

Two college girls have gone missing in the area, and FBI special agent Deacon Novak is called to work on the case. When his inquiry unexpectedly leads him to Faith, he finds a beautiful and brave woman he can't help but fall for. Soon they'll discover that this seemingly simple investigation is anything but. Reaching back decades into Faith's own past, it will shatter everything she believes to be true and will give terrifying new meaning to ''flesh and blood.''







Half man, half animal, a Shadow Shifter must walk the line between predator and prey, hunger and obsession — to capture the woman he loves. A natural born hunter proud of his birthright, Ezra Preston agrees to hide his identity and pretend to be human — to learn what his enemies know of his kind. But even undercover, it’s not in his nature to play games with a woman. Especially when he discovers the beautiful creature has been keeping secrets of her own. This is no ordinary woman he’s stalking but an alluring and mysterious cat thief — with dangerous secrets of her own. Jewel Jenner has plotted and schemed for months, hiding her knowledge of a top-secret operation to save her ailing father. Captivated by her passion, skill, and courage, Ezra wants to help Jewel on her mission. But when he discovers how far she’s gone — sleeping with the enemy to steal a fortune in diamonds — he must decide if he can trust this enthralling woman with his secret or trust his fiercest instincts when he’s near her.

Manga:







In a futuristic city, augmented reality Duels are all the rage. Duelists, using devices called D-Gazers, can interact with their environment and their opponents as never before. With more awesome monsters and unbelievable cards, the future of Yu-Gi-Oh! starts right here!

Kaito and Shark find themselves in an epic duel with Shadow. The fallout from this battle leads to some surprising revelations about the Numbers War. Luna describes Dr. Faker’s plans and the connection with Kaito’s brother, Haruto. They also learn that Yuma’s friend Astral originally came to destroy the world, and that Dr. Faker isn’t actually dead! They’ll have to take their battle straight to Mr. Heartland to get to the bottom of his evil schemes!





Tenth-grader Yugi always had his head in some game -- until he solved the Millennium Puzzle, an Egyptian artifact containing the spirit of a master gambler from the age of the pharoahs! Possessed by the puzzle, Yugi becomes Yu-Gi-Oh, the King of Games, and challenges evildoers to the Shadow Games - weird games with high stakes and high risks!

Let the games begin! Meet Seto Kaiba, master of the world's most dangerous collectible card game.

When Kaiba discovers that Yugi's grandfather owns the incredibly rare "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" card, he will stop at nothing to get it even if he has to duel with Yugi's dark alter ego Yu-Gi-Oh!

Then, out of the sands of Egypt, the mystic Shadi has come to test Yugi's powers, which will give Yugi his greatest challenge yet. If he loses, his best friends will die!




Kaoruko Mochizuki runs an herb shop in a small seaside town. One day, a mysterious man dressed in black named Kaname Hibiki enters her shop and reveals that Kaoruko is actually a witch. And what’s more, Kaoruko needs Kaname to help control her awakening power!

When it becomes known that Kaoruko has received the power of the Witch Queen, she and Kaname are ordered to appear before the coven of the Black Witches. There, Kaoruko discovers that she must become a Black Witch in order to control her rampaging powers. But that means she will be offered up to an incubus — who presents himself as Kaname as he closes in on her!





Dimitri Lewandowski is a celebrated tenor in early 1900s Vienna. When he is killed in an accident, his corpse is colonized by the seeds of a vampire master. At first, Dimitri denies that anything has changed, but as the people around him start dying, he is forced to accept the ghastly truth.

Flash-forward to 2008. In Tokyo, Azusa Kikukawa has become Alice, resurrected in a century-old body to become the breeding ground for a group of vampires. Alice is serious about fulfilling her role, but she needs a little time to adjust before she commits herself to propagating. But vampires aren’t as immortal as myth paints them. Will her hesitation cost Alice her chosen mate?






When a girl at her school is attacked by what seems to be a vampire, high school student Hinata Sorazono refuses to believe that vampires even exist. But then she meets her new neighbor, Junya Tokinaga, the author of an incredibly popular vampire romance novel. Could it be that Junya’s actually a vampire — and worse yet, the culprit?!

Honey Blood Tale 0 is where Hinata and Junya’s love story originally began. In addition to the one-shot chapters that made Honey Blood’s serialization possible, this volume contains two bonus short stories from the author!





Hime Kino’s dream is to one day do voice acting like her hero Sakura Aoyama from the Lovely ♥ Blazers anime, and getting accepted to the prestigious Holly Academy’s voice actor department is the first step in the right direction! But Hime’s gruff voice has earned her the scorn of teachers and students alike. Hime will not let that stand unchallenged. She’ll show everyone that she is too a voice acting princess, whether they like it or not!!

Senri Kudo’s unusual upbringing may have prepared him for being an amazing actor, but it also left him ill equipped to have normal relationships with kids his own age. Can Senri act his way into being a good friend, or will “getting into character” get him into even more trouble with his peers?






A bargain omnibus edition of the bestselling romantic comedy — final omnibus volume includes all-new material (previously unpublished Volumes 14 and 15 of the series)! Hapless Haruna needs help finding a boyfriend! After failing to win the eye of any guy in high school, Haruna enlists the help of cute upperclassman Yoh to coach her on how to make herself more appealing to the male species. Yoh agrees, with one catch: Haruna had better not fall for him!

Yoh faces a difficult choice — should he go to university all the way in Tokyo or stay near Haruna? Haruna wants to support Yoh’s decision no matter what, but will her high school romance end with his graduation? Don’t miss the series finale, plus previously unpublished stories from volumes 14 and 15 of the High School Debut series!




Soma Yukihira’s old man runs a small family restaurant in the less savory end of town. Aiming to one day surpass his father’s culinary prowess, Soma hones his skills day in and day out until one day, out of the blue, his father decides to enroll Soma in a classy culinary school! Can Soma really cut it in a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate? And can he convince the beautiful, domineering heiress of the school that he belongs there at all?!

Let the shokugeki begin! Soma has challenged Totsuki graduate Chef Shinomiya in order to prevent Megumi’s pending expulsion. However, thanks to a condition levied by Gin Dojima, the match turns in an unexpected direction! With such a foolhardy challenge, can Soma and Megumi win to survive another day?





The legendary Shonen Jump series, now available in English for the first time, in a deluxe edition featuring color pages and newly drawn cover art! JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a groundbreaking manga famous for its outlandish characters, wild humor and frenetic battles. A multigenerational tale of the heroic Joestar family and their never-ending battle against evil!

Young Jonathan Joestar’s life is forever changed when he meets his new adopted brother, Dio. For some reason, Dio has a smoldering grudge against him and derives pleasure from seeing him suffer. But every man has his limits, as Dio finds out. This is the beginning of a long and hateful relationship!





In order to help her father, Chiwa Takanashi agrees to an arranged marriage with the company president, Hokuto Mamiya — a man she doesn’t know — at the request of Hokuto’s grandfather. Chiwa believes the arrangement isn’t binding, but her new partner seems to think otherwise. Can two strangers living together find their way to a happy marriage?!

Final Volume!

Jessica Sorenson Saving Quinton Launch Day Blitz with a Spotlight and Giveaway




I am so excited to have Jessica Sorenson here at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Launch Day Blitz Spotlight and Giveaway.

Thanks Jessica and Hachette Book Group for allowing me to join your Saving Quinton Blog Tour!

Please take it away, Jessica!






About the Author:

Jessica Sorensen is a #1 New York Times and USA Todaybestselling author who lives with her husband and three kids in Idaho. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

Social Media Links:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads






SAVING QUINTON by Jessica Sorensen (February 3, 2015; Forever Trade Paperback)

From the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Breaking Nova comes a gripping story about what it takes to save the one you love.


Nova Reed can't forget him - Quinton Carter, the boy with the honey-brown eyes who made her realize she deserved more than an empty life. His pain was so similar to her own. But Nova has been coming to terms with her past and healing, while Quinton is out there somewhere, sinking deeper. She's determined to find him and help him before it's too late.

Nova has haunted his dreams for nearly a year-but Quinton never thought a sweet, kind person like her would care enough about a person like him. To Quinton, a dark, dangerous life is exactly what he deserves. And Nova has no place in it. But Nova has followed him to Las Vegas, and now he must do whatever it takes to keep her away, to maintain his self-imposed punishment for the unforgivable things he's done. But there's one flaw in his plan: Nova isn't going anywhere.

Buy Links:

Amazon
B&N
iBooks
IndieBound
GooglePlay
Kobo
BAM!

Excerpt

I suddenly realize that I’m in my room. Awake. And Nova’s here. With me. My thoughts start racing as I try to recollect what happened. I was planning on those guys beating me to death. Why didn’t that happen? Because it was too easy? Do I deserve not to be let off so easy — do I deserve worse than death? But if that’s true then why’s Nova here?

“What are you doing here?” It’s painful to talk, but I force the words to leave my mouth. “Or am I dreaming?”

She repositions her hand on my cheek, but doesn’t pull away, the startled look in her eyes diminishing. “You’re not dreaming…you were unconscious but are you okay?” She seems nervous and it reminds me of how innocent and good she is, and how she shouldn’t be here in the crack house that I call home.

“Why are you here?” I ask, my voice feeble as I try to sit up, but my arms aren’t working and I fall right back down on the mattress.

“I came here to see you,” she replies, absent-mindedly touching her lips, and I wonder if I really kissed her or if I was imagining it.

She stares at me with her fingers on her lips and it’s uncomfortable because she’s really looking at me. I’ve been so used to people looking through me, as if I were a ghost, seeing the drugs, the person that I am now, the worthlessness all over me, instead of who I used to be. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be really looked at and for a split second I enjoy it. Then she looks away and I feel like I’m dying, my brain registering the pain in my legs, arms, chest — everywhere. And I’m crashing. Badly. My hands start to shake, my heart rate picking up as soon as I realize this.

“Go put some ice in a plastic bag,” she says, snapping her fingers at someone.

I hear a mutter and then Tristan steps into my view. He glances down at me and the haziness in his eyes lets me know he’s high on something, but I’m glad he’s at least here and it doesn’t look like he’s been beaten up. “Dude, you look like shit,” he tells me with a dopey-ass grin.

“I feel like shit,” I mutter, managing to get my hand up to my face to rub my eyes. “You look like you got away.”

“I did, and you should have run with me, you dumbass.  I thought you were for a while until I realized I was alone.” Tristan chuckles under his breath. “Wait until you see yourself in a mirror.”

His amusement seems to piss Nova off and she gets to her feet, tugging the bottoms of her shorts down, fury burning in her eyes. “Go get a fucking bag to put the ice in,” she says, not yelling, but her tone is cold, abrupt, harsh, and she sort of shoves him. This isn’t the Nova I remember at all and she kind of scares me.

She seems to scare Tristan, too, who surrenders with his hands in front of him and backs toward the doorway. “Fine. Jesus, Nova. You don’t have to get crazy about it.”

“You haven’t even begun to see me get crazy,” she snaps, pointing at the door. “Now go get a damn bag.”

After Tristan leaves, she turns to the doorway and says, “What am I going to do?”

I can’t see who she’s talking to and it makes me wonder who the hell is in here. Delilah? I doubt it, since I don’t think she’d be asking Delilah that question.

“I don’t know,” someone replies. I still can’t see who it is, but I can tell the voice belongs to a female and I hate how excited I get over the fact that Nova’s not here with a guy.

Suddenly a girl with black hair and big blue eyes steps in. “He looks…” She assesses me, then looks at Nova. “He looks like he needs to go to a hospital.”

“No hospitals,” I croak. “I don’t have the cash to pay for that.” And I don’t deserve to heal so easily. I should suffer for getting up and running away from my death.

Nova stares down at me with reluctance. “Quinton, I really think you need to go to a hospital.” She kneels back down on the mattress, sweeping her long brown hair to the side as she leans over me. Her fingers gently enfold my wrist and, moving slowly, she bends my arm so I can get a good view of my hand. It’s twice the size it normally is and my skin is purple and blue. Even where her fingers are, the skin is swollen and raw, and it seems like her touch should hurt, but all I can feel is heat — her heat. God, I’ve missed her heat. I’ve spent the last year wrapped up in coldness, feeling the numbness of drugs and sex with random women and now she’s here and I feel like I’m burning up.

“It’s just a bruise,” I say, not looking at my hand, but at her. I want to hold her, hug her, kiss her, touch her, but I also want her to go away. Stay. Leave. Right. Wrong. Lexi. Nova. Guilt.

Guilt.

Guilt.

Guilt.

It was all your fault.



Giveaway

Rafflecopter Grand Prize: A signed copy of SAVING QUINTON plus audio CDs for THE TEMPTATION OF LILA AND ETHAN and THE DESTINY OF VIOLET AND LUKE




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Monday, February 2, 2015

Bold Tricks (The Artists Trilogy)




I've finished "Bold Tricks" the 3rd book in her Artists Trilogy by Karina Halle.

Product Description

The third and final installment in Karina Halle's USA Today bestselling Artists Trilogy, now available in mass market paperback.

The Faster They Live, the Harder They Fall


Raised by con artists, Ellie Watt has a lot of crazy childhood memories-but none crazier than being scarred with acid by the demented crime boss Travis Raines. Now Ellie is a full-grown woman who lives for revenge, and Travis is a full-blown drug lord who kills for pleasure. The sadistic bastard has kidnapped her good friend Gus as well as her mother, whom he's been holding as prized possessions in his heavily guarded lair. And Ellie has only one chance in hell of getting them out alive - using two dangerous men who love her to death.

One is Camden McQueen, a talented tattoo artist who's made a permanent mark on Ellie's heart. The other is Javier Bernal, her fiery ex-lover who's busted more than a few heads in his time. From the crime-ridden streets of Mexico City to the predatory jungles of Honduras, this unlikely trio forms an uneasy alliance in the deadliest game of all - a gun-blazing battle to the finish that will pit enemy against enemy and lover against lover. And Ellie must choose the right man to trust or die.

Don't miss the other titles in this edgy, sexy, action-packed contemporary romance series:

Sins and Needles, Book 1
On Every Street, Book 1.5
Shooting Scars, Book 2


Product Details
Series: The Artists Trilogy
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Forever (December 16, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1455552224
ISBN-13: 978-1455552221


My Review:

4/5

Thanks Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Blog Resolutions

Here are my Blog Resolutions for Feb:

1.  Comment back to blogger comments
2.  New Blog Design
3.  More Manga, Manhwa, Shonen-Ai and Yaoi Reviews
4.  Manga, Manhwa, Shonen-Ai and Yaoi Challenge
5.  More Recipes
6.  Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Recipes

Weekly Book Reads (Feb 2)



 Weekly Book Reads


Weekly Book Reads is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews:

Post the books read last week and books you plan on finishing this week.

Read Last Week:

1.  Sins and Needles - Karina Halle
2.  Revenant - Larissa Ione
3.  Bold Tricks - Karina Halle
4.  Pandora Hearts: Odds and Ends

Weekly Book Reading:

1.  The Witch Hunter's Tale - Sam Thomas
2.  Jason - Laurell K. Hamilton
3.  A Matter of Grave Concern - Brenda Novak
4.  Private India - James Patterson
5.  BTOOM Vol. 8 - Junya Inoue

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Sins and Needles (The Artists Trilogy)


I've finished "Sins and Needles" the 1st book in her Artists Trilogy by Karina Halle.

Product Description

There's a Fine Line Between Sin and Salvation

Ellie Watt is a woman on the run. Raised by a pair of thieves who taught her the art of the grift - and pursued by a mobster who fell for her con - she hopes to find refuge at her uncle's farm in quiet Palm Valley, California. Ellie swears she's through with her life of crime. But before she knows it, she's right back in the game when she meets an easy mark who's too good - and too hot - to be true.

His name is Camden McQueen. A master tattoo artist and a total inked stud, Camden is nothing like the awkward kid who crushed on Ellie back in high school. Now, as owner of the wildly successful Sins and Needles, he's got tats to kill for, muscles to die for, and money to burn. Ellie can't believe the transformation - and can't resist pulling off one last con. But when Camden catches Ellie red-handed, the tables are turned. The mark becomes the master. And when the ultimate player gets played, you never know who's going to end up on top.

About the Author

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and the USA Today Bestselling author of Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, and other wild and romantic reads. She lives in a 1920s farmhouse on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Learn more at:


AuthorKarinaHalle.com
Twitter, @MetalBlonde
Facebook.com

Product Details
Series: The Artists Trilogy
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Forever (August 26, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1455552194
ISBN-13: 978-1455552191

My Review:


4/5

Thanks Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Library Haul 2015 (Feb 1 - 7)




Library Haul


Here's the list of books/manga/manhwa/yaoi manga I picked up this week at the library:

Softcover:

1.  Jason - Laurell K. Hamilton

Hardcover:

1.  Death and Co.: Modern Classic Cocktails

February Releases

3rd
Closer Than You Think - Karen Rose
Hunger's Mate - A.C. Arthur
Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal Vol. 6 -  Shin Yoshida
Yu-Gi-Oh! (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1 - Kazuki Takahashi
Spell of Desire Vol. 3 - Tomu Ohmi
Black Rose Alice Vol. 3 - Setona Mizushiro
Honey Blood: Tale Zero - Miko Mitsuki
Voice Over Seiyu Academy Vol. 9 - Maki Minami
High School Debut (3-in-1 Edition) Vol. 5 - Kazune Kawahara
Food Wars Vol. 4 -  Yuto Tsukuda
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 1 -- Phantom Blood, Vol. 1 - Hirohiko Araki
Happy Marriage Vol. 10 - Maki Enjoji

10th
Obsession in Death - J.D. Robb
The Diabolical Miss Hyde - Viola Carr

17th
Dendera - Yuya Sato

24th
When Irish Eyes Are Haunting - Heather Graham
The Black Widow - Wendy Corsi Staub
Running Blind - Cindy Gerard
Soulbound - Kristen Callihan
Cursed by Fire - Jacquelyn Frank
One Wish - Robyn Carr
Barakamon Vol. 3 - Satsuki Yoshino
BTOOM Vol. 9 - Junya Inoue
Judge Vol. 6 - Yoshiki Tonogai 
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