18 and Over Book Blogger Tag Along Friday Hop #33

Laurie from Bitten by Paranormal has created a 18 and Over Book Blogger Tag Along Friday Hop where you can find adult bloggers. Thank you for this since I was looking for more adult blogs.

How it works:

*First make a post on your blog with this picture on top. That lets us know we are in the right place to make a comment so you can follow back. If you don’t do this I will have to take you off the tag along.

*Second place your name or blogs name in the first linky tool. I want to add here, put in (paranormal romance) beside your blogs name what you mainly review. Then add your URL to the tag along post in the second Linky tool.

*Third visit blogs listed if you like what you see hit the follow button. Remember to leave a comment, so they can tag along back.

If you have a question or problem you can email Laurie: bittenbyparanormalromance@gmail.com

Now, if your new don't be shy most of these ladies are here every week and they are very, very friendly (I know because I follow most of them;)

Did you set yourself a reading goal?

I set a reading goal of reading 200 books this year on GoodReads.

Follow My Blog Friday #48

This Meme is hosted by Rachel from Parajunkee's View on Fridays.

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host {Parajunkee.com} and any one else you want to follow on the list.

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://ninjagirlreads.blogspot.com

3. Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing.

4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments

5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can

6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers

7. If your new to the Follow Friday Hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

The Friday Follow Feature is...

Ninja Girl from Ninja Girl Reads

Hi there, Ninja Girl here. I started a blog about three months ago called Ninja Girl Reads where I review mostly YA and paranormal titles. Growing up I was one of those kids who hated reading, absolutely refused to pick up a book unless it was assigned in school. Then a guy named Harry Potter came along, and I caught the book bug. It was like a whole new world opened up, and I just couldn't get enough. I'm an aspiring author who reads too much, sleeps too little, and loves finding the next series or single title that'll keep me up nights. I also love finding awesome book blogs, commenting, and stalking them to my heart's content. So if you've got any amazing recs (books or blogs), I'd love to hear them!

My favorite authors include Meg Cabot (always makes me laugh), Elizabeth Scott, and J.K. Rowling on the YA front, Patricia Briggs, J.R. Ward, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips for adult. I'm basically addicted to The Black Dagger Brotherhood series, in love with Zsadist, want my own brother to take home etc. But who doesn't, right? Can't get enough of anything paranormal/superhero-ish. Mainly because in my head I am one (Note: for proof see Ninja Girl profile photo). I'm still learning the ways of the blog-o-verse, but I hope you'll stop by and take a look.

Q. It's circle time. Time for us to open up and share. Can you tell us FIVE quirky habits or things about you? 

We all have them...

1. I like to read the ending of a book before reading the rest of the story. Am I the only one? LOL!

2. I really love animals and they seem to gravitate towards me too!

3. I love listening to 80's music and it helps me calm down when something upsets me.

4. I love to sing in the shower and really belt it out when no one is home.

5. I'm addicted to the Darkhunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon and The BDB series by J.R. Ward.

ARC Review: The Legend of Michael: Sin and Satisfaction (Zodius) [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Legend of Michael" the 1st book in her Zodius series by Lisa Renee Jones.

Product Description

HE IS A LETHAL WEAPON...

One of an army of human soldiers injected with alien DNA, Michael is a legend within this new race, split between good and evil. Untamable, he has walked on the dark side and returned to the light. Feared and misunderstood, he leaves everything behind, including the one woman destined to be his mate.

HE IS HER ENEMY...AND HER DESTINY...

Cassandra holds the key to Michael's power, and his pain. With loyalties divided and against insurmountable odds, Cassandra's heart propels her to Michael's side-but can her love do anything but destroy him...

No ordinary woman can control a creature such as Michael, and only one thing is clear-the world will never be the same...

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (May 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402251564
ISBN-13: 978-1402251566

My Review:

Michael Taylor is a GTECH or super soldier who has managed to become a legend in a new breed of soldiers. He is one of several soldiers that have been injected with alien DNA to make them stronger, faster and better than the average soldier. One thing no one expected is the special abilities that some of them have mastered with their new found strength and speed. Michael is one that has managed to control the wind to his advantage.
Then Adam Rain a fellow GTECH stages a mutiny which splits the soldier into two groups The Zodius and The Renegades.  Michael joins The Zodius and leaves everything behind including the one thing that meant the most to him, Cassandra Powell. She is also the one woman destined to be his mate but rather than hurt her or allow what he has become to affect her he leaves.

Cassandra Powell was devastated when Michael left her before. Now he is back and she isn't sure if she can trust him. He is everything she never wanted but everything that she needs. Now Cassandra and Michael are being divided by their loyalties to duty and others only time will tell if they will be able to find a way to be together or if they will be completely torn apart again. Cassandra is the only person that can help Michael and his comrades. Cassandra and Michael are going to have to find a way to work together to overcome the madman and stop him before he destroys the world and humanity.

This book was very exciting to read and fast paced from start to finish.  The storyline was really easy to follow and the romance was very steamy and hot.

Really liked how things were explained (why they are fighting, what lifebonds are and how The Renegades build something new).

3.5/5

Thanks Danielle from Sourcebooks for sending me this ARC to review, greatly appreciated!

The Guardian Giveaway Winners

I have picked the three winners of my The Guardian Giveaway and they are:

CONGRATULATIONS:

1.  da kennedy
2.  Meredith Miller
3.  Stephanie M.

Please fill out this form with your contact information, so I can send the info. to the publisher thanks!

http://www.emailmeform.com/fid.php?formid=640430

Please comment on this post if you have won this book on another blog, so I can pick a new winner(s), thanks!

You will have 2 days to get back to me or else I will have to pick new winner, thanks!

Savage Nature (Leopard) [Paperback]

I've finished "Savage Nature" the 5th book in her Leopard series by Christine Feehan.

Product Description

Danger lurks in the shadows and desire shimmers in the sultry heat as leopard shifter Drake Donovan is sent to a Louisiana bayou to investigate a murder. He's ready for anything except the insatiable hunger that rocks him when he meets Saria Boudreaux, a woman with a compelling motive -and ability - to distract him from the task at hand...

Product Details
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Jove; First Mass Market Edition Editi9on edition (April 26, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0515149330
ISBN-13: 978-0515149333

My Review:

Saria Boudreaux grew up on the Louisiana Bayou, which may explain why she feels a special affinity to the place's eeriest secrets. Saria happens to come upon several corpses all containing leopard bites which causes her fear for her older brothers who are all were-leopards though she knows her siblings would not commit these atrocities.

Saria decides not to call the cops but instead contacts land owner Jake Bannaconni. He sends Drake Donovan to investigate the serial killings. At first sight and sniff Drake realizes that Saria is his mate as he struggles to control his euphoric inner leopard. He also senses she is on the verge of her first shift. As he makes inquiries into the murders and starts his courtship of his beloved, Drake learns a lesson about life on the Bayou when none of the leopard-shifting families including Saria's kin cooperate with him.

Saria is a wild and beautiful young woman who takes no crap from anyone but does as she sees fit. Raised by an alcoholic father and five brothers who could care less what she was doing in her youth so Saria retreats into the swamp to photograph the world around her.  She's very sassy that one!

Drake has had his leg operated on and wants to know if he could still shift since he hasn't been able to for two years.  He's very dangerous and very protective of Saria.

Loved how he would try to get Saria to do stuff his way but she wouldn't take it. 

4/5

Thanks Laura from Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Waiting on Wednesday Meme

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selections are:

The Girl Who Disappeared Twice [Hardcover]

Product Description

If she'd only turned her head, she would have seen the car containing her daughter, struggling to escape her kidnapper. Despite years determining the fates of families, family court judge Hope Willis couldn't save her own.

Now she's grasping at any hope for Krissy's rescue. She calls Casey Woods and her team of investigators, Forensic Instincts.

A behaviorist. A techno-wizard. An intuitive. A former Navy SEAL. Unconventional operatives. All with
unique talents and reasons for joining Casey's group.

Able to accurately read people after the briefest encounter, Casey picks up signs of a nervous spouse, a guilty conscience, a nanny that hides on her cell. She watches as secrets creep into the open.

But time is running out, and the authorities are bound by the legal system. Not Casey's team. For they know that the difference between Krissy coming back alive and disappearing forever could be as small as a suspect's rapid breathing, or as deep as Hope's dark family history.

Product Details
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Mira (May 31, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778329844
ISBN-13: 978-0778329848

The Reluctant Vampire: An Argeneau Novel (Argeneau Vampires) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

Has this immortal finally met her match? 

Rogue hunter Drina Argenis (from the Spanish side of the Argeneau family) has been many things in her years as an immortal, but bodyguard/babysitter to a teenage vampire is something new. There's an incentive, however: the other vampsitter, Harper Stoyan, may be Drina's life mate.

Trouble is, having just lost a life mate, Harper is resigned to being alone. He's completely unprepared when sexy and unpredictable Drina bursts into his life to reignite his passions. Can Drina, with a little matchmaking help from their teen charge, tempt this reluctant vampire to take a chance?

Or will a dangerous, unseen renegade kill Drina and Harper's one chance at happiness? 

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Avon (May 31, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061894591
ISBN-13: 978-0061894596

New Anime Release 2011 (May 17)

Vampire Knight Guilty 2

Product Details
Format: Animated, Color, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
Language: English, Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Viz Media
DVD Release Date: May 17, 2011

Chasing Fire [Hardcover]

I've finished "Chasing Fire" by Nora Roberts.

Product Description

The number-one New York Times - bestselling author delves into the world of elite firefighters who thrive on danger and adrenaline - men and women who wouldn't know how to live life if it wasn't on the edge.

There's little as thrilling as firefighting - at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are in Rowan's blood: her father is a legend. She's been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home - even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering.

Fortunately, this year's rookie crop is one of the strongest ever - and Gulliver Curry's one of the best. He's also a walking contradiction, a hotshot firefighter with a big vocabulary and a winter job at a kids' arcade.

Everything is thrown off balance when a dark presence lashes out against Rowan, looking to blame someone for last year's tragedy. Rowan knows she can't complicate things with Gull - any distractions in the air or on the ground could mean the end - but if she doesn't find someone she can lean on, she may not make it through the summer. . . .

Product Details
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (April 12, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780399157448
ISBN-13: 978-0399157448

My Review:

Storyline:  Last season Rowan watched her jump partner, Jim Brayner, die while on a jump with her.  She is blames herself  and still has issues with it she has to get past ... like the dreams that have been haunting her.

Gull is determined for Rowan to let him 'in', and in his own dogged way inserts himself into her daily routine...they are just beginning to have a relationship when the woman who had been dating Jim, the jump partner who'd died, shows back up on the base begging for a job and because she is pregnant with what might be Jim's child, is given one. But she blames Rowan  and is determined to make her life hell.

Characters:   Rowan is strong and independent woman who is hard but fair. She is a good trainer and team leader. I loved the scenes in which she trained the new smoke jumpers and the way she supported them and joked with them was admirable.  She is also quick tempered, loyal to her friends and family and very protective of her dad.  Man she could even kick butt!

Gull is intelligent, interested in a lot of variety of different things and seems to live his life exactly the way he wants to.  I really enjoyed their highly entertaining bantering dialogue and the way Gull focused on Rowan and never gave up on her.   I'm really glad Rowan gave him a chance.

I loved reading about the camaraderie of the smoke jumpers and about their missions. The smoke jumpers are like a small family who love to rib each other and there are a lot of funny scenes between them.  I was  interested in reading about their operations and I was impressed that with every jump into the flames they risked their lives.
  
Romance:   Both Rowan and Gull are such a wonderful couple because they support each other and work well together. 

I also enjoyed the smaller love story between Rowan's father and a woman he meets. Their relationship is so cute and sweet and shows that you are never too old to find love.

Killer(s):  The killer was pretty screwed up and life wasn't so great for them.

5/5

Thanks Laura from Penguin Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Wild Man Creek (Virgin River, Book 12) [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Wild Man Creek" the 12th book in her Virgin River series by Robyn Carr.

Product Description

Colin Riordan came to Virgin River to recuperate from a horrific helicopter crash, the scars of which he bears inside and out. His family is wonderfully supportive, but it's his art that truly soothes his troubled soul.Stung personally and professionally by an ill-advised affair, PR guru Jillian Matlock has rented an old Victorian with a promising garden in Virgin River. She's looking forward to cultivating something other than a corporate brand.

Both are looking to simplify, not complicate, their lives, but when Jillian finds Colin at his easel in her yard, there's an instant connection. And in Virgin River, sometimes love is the simplest choice of all….

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Mira; Original edition (January 25, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780778329312
ISBN-13: 978-0778329312

My Review:

Wild Man Creek is the story of two scarred people, software executive Jillian Mattock and former Blackhawk helicopter pilot Colin Riordan who both end up in the tiny Humboldt County town of Virgin River. Jill is escaping a case of shattered trust that cost her her Silicon Valley job and Colin is recovering from a helicopter crash that ended his military career. He has fought painkiller addiction and rehab and is now turning to painting wildlife but still plans to pursue flying. Jill, on the other hand, turns to her childhood love of gardening for therapy. Neither is looking for romance or commitment, so when their initial meeting turns to attraction, they both embark on a relationship they know will be short term. Colin will go to Africa to photograph wildlife and in the hope he can land a bush pilot job that will enable him to resume flying, while Jill gardens furiously, but knows she'll be returning to the corporate world come September. Meanwhile the two find comfort in each other, and for the first time for either of them, they begin to trust, to heal, and to live.

Jill rents an old Victorian on ten acres and begins returning the land to the garden paradise it once was by   growing high end fruits and vegetables used in five-star restaurants with the same vegetables her great-grandmother used to grow when she lived with her. The gardening adventure rolls forward with the addition of greenhouses and a helper and before long, Jill wonders if there's a future in raising organic vegetables for commercial use.

Colin paints and with Jill's encouragement, decides to see if his work can sell.

Both Colin and Jill decide to have a summer romance but without any attachments.  As they spend more time together they both fall in love!

4/5

Born of Shadows (The League) [Hardcover]

I've finished "Born of Shadows" the 4th book in her League series by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Product Description

In a world where the League and its assassins rule, where betrayal and treachery are everywhere . . . the only survivors are those ones who are . . .

BORN OF SHADOWS

For Caillen Dagan, a defiant soldier of fortune, survival isn't a right, it's a brutal daily battle. Moving through the Ichidaian universe like a wraith, his brushes with the law and death are legendary. But when an act of rare heroism reveals his hidden birthright, he's forced into a world much more dangerous and cold-hearted than the bloody streets where he was raised-one of obscene wealth and lethal politics.

Ferocious and determined, Desideria serves as an official bodyguard for her queen. Born of questionable genetics, she will do anything to prove herself worthy of the weapons she carries and the position she's won by combat. But when she uncovers a ruthless plot to assassinate the queen and overthrow her country's government, Desideria is caught in the crosshairs.

With assassination contracts out on both of them, Caillen and Desideria must learn to fight together or die alone. And if they fail, their governments will fall into the hands of an unimaginable evil.

About the Author

In just two years, Sherrilyn Kenyon has claimed the #1 spot on national bestseller lists fifteen times. This extraordinary bestselling author continues to soar to the top of every genre she writes, including manga and graphic novels. With more than twenty-five million copies of her books in print in over thirty countries, her series include: The League, Dark-Hunter, Lords of Avalon, and Chronicles of Nick. Since 2004, she has placed over fifty novels on the New York Times bestseller list and her manga is an international bestseller. Proclaimed the preeminent voice in paranormal fiction by critics, Kenyon continues to blaze new trails that blur traditional genre lines

Product Details
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (April 26, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446573256
ISBN-13: 978-0446573252

My Review:

Caillen is an obnoxious jerk but a loveable one with an overly-healthy sex drive, but underneath his bad boy attitude he is such a sweetheart.  Loved the way he would protect his sisters and gladly strangle them anytime but would rip anyone else in two.  He is quick tempered and very stubborn.

Desideria is tough, smart, beautiful but has confidence issues. Since her father's death, she has lived with the constant criticisms of all of her female relatives and has received no love from anyone. She is as quick tempered and stubborn as Caillen.  Desideria comes from a society where women are warriors and are very violent.

This book was very fast paced from the first page to the last page and a lot is going on from the assassination attempts.

The constant bickering between Caillen and Desideria is very fun and fast paced.  Also loved the way the characters switched into easy bantering during live and death situations.

4/5

Books in Series:

1. Born of Night
2. Born of Fire
3. Born of Ice

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