Legally Undead

From the Publisher: Elle Dupree has her life all figured out: first a wedding, then her Ph.D., then swank faculty parties where she’ll serve wine and cheese and introduce people to her husband the lawyer.

But those plans disintegrate when she walks in on a vampire sucking the blood from her fiancé, Greg. Horrified, she screams and runs—not away from the vampire, but toward it, brandishing a wooden letter opener.

As she slams the improvised stake into the vampire’s heart, a team of black-clad men bursts into the apartment. Turning to face them, Elle realizes Greg’s body is gone—and her perfect life falls apart.

My Review: I LOVED this book!! We meet Elle who, at the very beginning of the book upon arriving home, walks in on her fiancé, Greg getting all the blood drained from him by a vampire in her living room. Elle has this sudden burst of, well, anger, and she finds something and kills the vamp that just killed Greg! She understandably is freaking out but not before a few strange men come barging into the apartment to "clean up" the mess. Huh?? These men, Nick, John, Dominick and Tony go around town killing vamps and cleaning up the mess...that's so nobody will know the truth that vampires exist. They do a bang up job at it and get Elle's apartment spic and span within minutes. Well if the vampire in the apartment wasn't strange enough.. just wait! Only moments after seeing Greg's lifeless body fall to the floor, she turns back around to find him gone. Vanished. What the?!?!

Nick tells her that the only conclusion is that he was turned. Elle cannot accept that fact but she soon realizes that is the case. Her loving fiancé, the man she was going to marry is now a blood thirsty monster. Not only is she going to have to get over losing him but she now has to come to grips with the fact that he might be hunting her. What is she going to do?

She must try and get on with her life but it's hard. She has mad vampire killing skills and Nick and the boys want to utilize it! I mean, why not have another bad ass on the team who's willing to kill these things? Elle starts helping them out but she's only doing it because she is trying to figure out why Greg was turned. One night, while walking back to her new apartment (Nick and the boys set her up with a new place, of course!) she's attacked from someone, or something, up in a tree. She quickly realizes it's Greg!! Does he want to kill her and what is his agenda?? She escapes but not without the help of a guy named Malcolm. He shows up at the right time and Greg disappears. Literally. She did not even see him move.

From here the story gets even better and we follow Elle, Nick, Tony, John and Dominick on a journey to find a den of Vampires that are planning to expand their "empire" I guess you could say. But, it's not without a price. Will Elle find out the true reason that Greg was turned? What else is in store for the people she cares about? She tries her best to protect those she cares for but is it enough? You have to get the book to find out!! Click here to purchase on Amazon.

This book has it all: humor, romance, suspense and vampires...what more can you ask for ;)

*Please note: there are some graphic scenes in the book pertaining to vampire attacks and even a pretty explicit one towards the end of the book when Elle is killing a vampire. There is also a little bit of bad language but it's just a few words (which is a nice change as some use it a lot!).

 To see my review of Margo Bond Collins' book Waking Up Dead click here.

                                                             *****5 Stars!!

The Cup Bearer: And Other Stories (Erato's Musings)

From the Publisher: Erato’s Musings: classical mythology for the bedroom.

The gods of Olympus were powerful, majestic, and seductive rulers of the world. Over thousands of years they interacted with the mortal realm; inspiring leadership, fear, and passion. Their passion for the mortals they ruled over was legendary. The stories in this collection retell those tales with all the desire and lust originally present. Discover what you’ve been missing.

The Cup Bearer is the story of Zeus’ all-encompassing love for a mortal youth, Ganymede. Can Zeus work the fates in his favor when death and his wife threaten to tear him away from his lover?

The other short stories in this collection involve the erotic tales of Artemis and Actaeon, Priapus, and Selene and Endymion.

My Review: We've all heard the stories of the god's of Olympus. How powerful they are and, at least in my mind, made them out to be beautiful or very handsome. In this collection of five short stories, we are given a different point of view of these immortal gods. We see a more sexual and, even, the nasty/vengeful side of some.

Like in the first story, we see Artemis, goddess of the forest, who also happens to be a virgin. She is in the stream washing off, basically enjoying the peacefulness of being alone when she discovers a man named Actaeon has been watching her from behind a bush. He comes out and she knows what's on his mind...but she is a virgin and wants to stay that way. He gives her his word so we are given the treat of reading of a steamy oral sex scene. But what happens afterwards will leave your jaw dropping. At least it did mine!

That's just one story. Green has given us the privilege of seeing into the world of these gods and goddesses from a point of view that normally we wouldn't think of. And they are steamy!! You will see them in a whole new way and read, in explicit detail, how they have their "fun" ;)

I really enjoyed these stories and it was a nice change that it was from the Greek mythology. It gave it a nice twist. Click here to order from Amazon!

*This work contains explicit and graphic sex. Intended for adults.

                                                                  ****4 Stars!

Good Pussy Bad Pussy

From the Publisher: Most married women only dream of having sex with other men, but Rachel actually does. And it gets her into all kinds of trouble. From Amsterdam to the French Riviera to New York City…from her blond lover Stefan, to aristocratic Albert, and mad doctor Howard, Rachel tastes forbidden fruit – and likes it. That is until life takes a very surprising turn!

My Review: I want to be up front and honest because I'm sure I'm not the only one, the title of this book did make me question if I wanted to read and review it. Obviously, curiosity killed the cat so I picked it up. I'm really glad I did!!

Aimee gives us a story that, at first makes you think it's going to be about nothing but sex. That's so not the case! We meet Rachel. A thirty something wife and mother who's marriage to her husband, Jan just isn't what it used to be. She feels trapped and basically thinks to herself "Is this all there is to life?" She is at the beach one day with her son when a very handsome, Adonis type of guy named Stefan comes over and they start talking. Rachel falls for him right off and soon after meeting him, runs away with him to the French Rivera! Yes, you read that right. She leaves her son and husband just like that.

But like I said earlier, Rachel was looking for more. More out of life and more out of a man. She seemed to think she found it in Stefan. He was gorgeous, kind and a great lover! After a few days in paradise, (and by that I mean great sex ;)), Stefan introduces Rachel to his boss, Albert. Albert is a very wealthy, handsome and powerful man. He has a history of bedding the women Stefan is seeing so it's no surprise to Stefan when Albert does the same with Rachel. Old habits, I guess...So Rachel reluctantly goes with Albert. She is in love with Stefan and hates hurting him like this but he told her to do whatever Albert wanted. She obeys. He takes her back to his apartment and has his way with her. She didn't want to feel anything but ultimately does. She comes hard and it's an orgasm like she's never experienced! Her and Albert make an unspoken connection that night. But why? Why does she feel so drawn to him when she is in love with Stefan?

As the days go by, Rachel finds herself at the mercy of whatever Albert wants her to do and Stefan is powerless over it. Since it's his boss that is calling the shots, he cannot stop it and Albert basically tells Rachel that if she doesn't go through with what he wants, he will send Stefan out of the country on business. The only thing is, their business isn't a very safe one and Rachel knows that she might never see Stefan again if that happens. She's between a rock and a hard place so what will she do?

As more time goes by, Rachel finds herself missing her son, Daniel. She wants to go back to him but she doesn't want to leave the life she has now, even though she knows it's not going to last. Then something totally unexpected happens and changes everything! I don't want to go into anymore details of the book because you really need to get it and read it all for yourself! You will not be disappointed! Click here to purchase on Amazon!

I specifically did not go into much detail about the sex scenes. They are super steamy and explicit and I would not have done them justice by typing a sentence or two about them. Like I said earlier, this is not a book just about sex. It goes deeper than that and you will see the struggles that one woman has with feeling trapped and her journey to find freedom.

**This is a book intended for mature audiences. Please don't leave this lying around for little eyes :) The sex scenes are explicit and there is also some bad language. There were quite a few typos (grammatical and punctuation) so please know that going in.

This was a really intriguing book and I recommend it to anyone who likes erotica, drama and a love story all rolled into one!

                                                                     ****4 Stars  

On The Isles of Mozambique

From the Publisher: Samira McAllister, an aspiring writer working for The Seasoned Traveler magazine is offered an opportunity. She takes advantage of the chance to jump start her career, hoping to make a mark in the writing industry. Unforeseen hurdles threaten her ability to follow through with her plans, and life as she knows it becomes a memory. From that point onward, every choice she makes will seal her fate.

My Review: Samira is asked by her boss, Porsha to take a writing assignment in Africa. Mozambique to be exact. Of course she takes it because it is her dream to be a traveling journalist and this is her first opportunity to start on that path! Samira is excited as she tells her parents and her friend, Amy of her upcoming plans. She says her farewells and tells them she will see them in a week. Little do they all know that it will be much longer, if at all before they lay eyes on each other again.

Once there, she settles in her hotel, and meets her translator for the week. His name is Claus. He is one of those men who loves adventure and lives the life to prove it! He is also a traveler but not for journalism. For pure fun. While he and Samira get to know one another, they act as though they have been friends for a while. They feel comfortable around each other and even hold hands. All seems to be going well on the job front and, possibly, the romance front as well...

Towards the end of her trip, Samira and Claus charter a boat and with the help of their guide, Christian, enjoy a day out on the ocean. Samira snorkels for the first time, lays in the sun and just enjoys her time listening to Claus and Christian swap stories of their amazing, and sometimes dangerous, adventures. It was the perfect day. Until a boat filled with pirates came...

There is so much that goes on in this book that you really need to get it to see what happens. You will not be disappointed!

Click here to order on Amazon.

**I really enjoyed this book! This is the second one I have read from Mila Ballentine and I am finding that she is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Her stories are intriguing, real and full of such detail that you almost feel you can see it happening as you read it. She is a very gifted author. I will point out there were a few typos but it wasn't anything too bad. Also, check out my review of Spent Lives also by Mila A. Ballentine from a previous post. 

                                                                        4.5 Stars! 

Unplugged

From the Publisher: What would happen if some modern kids were forced to live without their modern devices?
The teens enrolled in 'The Natural Path'--a school for device-addicted kids run by the smooth but vaguely sinister Dr. Zarkov--quickly find out when the school turns out to be nothing but a front for an elaborate kidnapping plot. Trapped on a remote tropical island and facing what looks like certain death, they will have to band together if they hope to defeat their ruthless captors. But it will still take all their ingenuity just to survive...
A realistically detailed and thrilling story by novelist P.D. Quaver which will appeal to young adults (13 and over).

My Review: When I was asked to review this, I was very hesitant. I really had to think "Do I want to read and review a book that's for a starting age of 13?" Once I got started, I was quickly sucked in. It kind of reminded me a little of the Hunger Games, in that it's a group of kids on an island fighting for their lives...although the difference here is they aren't fighting one another, but adults.

The story starts out with a group of eleven kids named Max, Bone, Samuel, Tommy, Ernesto, Wolly, Mickles, Agatha, Nootan, Bella and Monique that all have one thing in common, they spend their lives on computer/electronic devices and their parents are sick of it! One day in the local paper, an ad appears for a three week camp called "The Natural Path." Dr. Zarkov, Miss Hess and two men the kids quickly nickname Stalin and Scar-face claim to help middle school age kids get over their electronic addictions. One of the stipulations for this camp is that none of them are allowed to have any of these devices with them. So at the beginning they are all taken away. The kids have no idea how they will survive without said devices...but they will find out just how well they do get along without them very quickly.

A summer camp that gets kids away from the computer/cell phone/video games? Sounds like a dream to most parents out there! So of course the parents of these eleven teenagers jump at the chance to have a normal kid. Not one that spends hours on end wasting their life away. They say their goodbyes and off they go. They are taken to, what they thought would be their home for the next few weeks. Little did they know a change was coming.

It was early in the morning when they were all woken up by Miss Hess and one of the men carrying a gun. They rushed everyone out of their rooms and into a small plane. Now they were being blindfolded with tape over their eyes and their hands bound together. They were being kidnapped. But why? Why would someone want a group of kids and where on earth were they going? After hours of being on the plane, they finally landed. They were all thrown in a cell with some air mattresses, blankets and a bucket of water to flush the toilet. One small window was their only connection to the outside world.

As the days go by, they get to know one another pretty well. They were all sharing one small cell in, what they figured was an island somewhere off the coast of Africa. They also learn that they have been kidnapped so Zarkov and his team can blackmail their parents out of money. All the kids there were rich and Zarkov knew that so he had come up with a way to get millions. The only problem was, one of the kids there wasn't rich. His dad had lied to get him into this camp. Max just knew that once they found out, he was dead. He would be no use to them since they wouldn't be able to get the amount of money they wanted out of his family. Also, Agatha has diabetes and needs her insulin. They try and tell Miss Hess when she brings them food but she doesn't seem to care. So they get creative and a few of them prick their fingers and write a message on a paper plate in blood "Dr. Zarkov Agatha needs insulin or she will die." When the leftover food was picked up, all the kids felt really hopeful that the Doctor would get the message and Agatha would get what she needed. Their hopes were lifted even higher when Dr. Zarkov visits them and tells Agatha that he will get it for her...the next morning. Of course he will send for the insulin! They wanted Agatha alive so her parents would send money, right? The girls take turns taking care of Agatha and using the water out of the bucket to wipe her face to try and keep her fever down. The next morning they woke up with hope, but that quickly faded when Max realized that they should have heard the plane take off already. It never does and as the day wears on, it becomes apparent that the insulin is not coming. The kids do everything they can to keep Agatha comfortable but ultimately, she dies. Why would their captors allow her to die?? The only conclusion is that the Doctor and his goons did't intend on keeping any of them alive.

After Agatha's death, the kids get a plan together to get themselves out of the cell they've been locked in. They start a fire and wait for one of the guards to come unlock the door. Once he does, they quickly use a brick to knock him out. Only, it kills him. Mickles, grabs the guards gun and heads for a bungalow. It's where Dr. Zarkov and his team have been staying so the obvious conclusion would be to scare them into contacting someone to come get them. Only, when Mickles confronts them, he didn't count on having a gun pulled on him as well and he had no choice but to shoot. He kills the Doctor and Miss Hess. Now, there's only one other adult out there and they need to find him before he gets a chance to get to them first. They have an encounter with the other guard and he ends up dying as well. I'm purposefully not going into many details so you can get them from the book!

As the days and weeks go by and the kids learn to survive on the island, they learn to catch fish, get along and take care of each other. All the while thinking that they are stuck and coming to grips with the fact that they might never get off the island. They try and make the best of things but before long, they are faced with the fact that they want to go home and will find any means necessary to get there. With a story full of action and adventure that will appeal to an adult audience as well, you will find yourself pulling for these kids to figure out how to survive and get home. Click here to purchase on Amazon.

*I will say that even though this says it's for a starting age of 13, there were quite a few bad words in it that I wouldn't want my young teen reading. There was also some pretty graphic death scenes in the book so I would recommend a parent read the book before allowing your child to read it.

                                                                      ****4 Stars 

    

The Long Ride Home

From the Publisher: Holton Dade was eight years old when Elena Rose was born, and he has watched out for her ever since. The girl with the wild, curly red hair has been on his mind on and off for years, but he has a few hang-ups--age being one of them, and death being the other. With the help of friends, Holton and Elena survive through many breakups and insecurities, but in the end there is only one place to go--home, and it is one hell of a long ride to get there.

My Review: Holton drives eleven hours to tell Elena her father has been in an accident. After the shock of the news, her mind wonders to why he didn't just call. But she was happy to see him just the same. On the long drive back to see her father, they banter back and forth about life, relationships and the fact that Holton is too old for her. Of course, Elena gets defensive and deep down she hates to hear he still feels that way. He's 28 and she's only 21. But she's been in love with Holton since she was a little girl and her dream has always been to marry him and start a family. Her only obstacle is convincing him that he's the right man for her.

When they arrive at the hospital, they learn Elena's father has amnesia and his brain is swollen. It doesn't look good but he wakes up and, even though doesn't recognize Elena, he tells Holton to look after his daughter. Holton gives him his word. A short time later, her father passes away. Holton knows he has feelings for her and even though he wants to take care of Elena, he ultimately doesn't want to get married. The main reason being that he lost is parents a few years back and doesn't want to get close to anyone like that only to have them die. He just can't bear the thought of it. Especially when it comes to Elena. But, he made a promise and he intends to keep it. He proposes to Elena who knows he's just doing it out of a sense of duty to her father but she accepts. She knows it's probably selfish to do so but she has loved and wanted to marry him since she was little so she jumps at the chance! Little does she know that their relationship will be a roller coaster of a ride.

Holton has feelings for Elena but he still sees her as a little kid. She knows this and makes it a point to try and let him see her in a different light. As his eyes are opened, his feelings for her deepen and he comes to the realization that he is in love with her! He has always loved her so he gives it a chance. But just when you thought it would be happy ever after for them, circumstances arise and it puts their relationship to the test. Will they overcome it and have their happy ending or will they go their separate ways and Elena's dream of becoming Mrs. Holton Dade remain just that, a dream? You will have to get the book to read the whole story and find out! And of course, I have left out a lot so I won't spoil anything :)

I started this book one evening and read the whole thing in one sitting. I really liked the story and the characters were very likable and engaging. Zwissler has done a good job of engaging the reader and giving us a good, classic love story. It has humor and drama and of course sex. That's always a bonus! ;) Click here to purchase on Amazon.

***I do want to note that there is a little bit of bad language in this book and also a couple of sex scenes so don't leave it lying around for little eyes :) Also, there were quite a few grammatical errors and other typos that I wish weren't there because, for me, it takes away from the story. But all in all it was a good book and I enjoyed it! 

                                                                 ****4 Stars