Bite the Dust by Cynthia Eden - Review

I've been a fan of Cynthia Eden for awhile but I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I know its paranormal and I don't have an issue with that at all, it's just the whole story was missing something but I can't quite put my finger on what it was. Maybe character development? Hell I don't know!

Jane is a detective with the New Orleans PD and she's investigating the death of a girl outside the infamous club Hell's Gate. This is where she first meets Aidan, the owner of the club and she instantly knows there's something not right about him. Well turns out he's a werewolf and apparently Jane is some supernatural "could be" vampire, but obviously that won't happen unless she dies.

I liked the action and intensity of the story but Jane's character somewhat irked me. She's badass to a point but not how I expected her to be. She was kind of careless and, I hate to say it but stupid at times. And not to mention she has this insane back story, yet we never really get it.

Aidan on the other hand, I liked! He was hot and sexy and not to mention the alpha of his pack, which is a huge deal and very rare. I wish I could see the connection between him and Jane but I just wasn't very believable to me and I mostly blame that on Jane's character and how she was written. I'll continue to read Cynthia Eden's books but this one just missed the mark.

Marked by the Vampire (Purgatory #2) by Cynthia Eden - Review

"I kill because I'm a vampire. That's sort of our thing."

I absolutely love Cynthia Eden! Her books are always sexy, adventurous and mysterious. Marked by the Vampire is the second book in the Purgatory series. The first book is The Wolf Within, which I did not read first and I think that's why I was a tad bit confused at first. I loved the story but there were times I felt like we were moving right along and then we would come to a sudden halt and make an abrupt turn and derail. I don't read paranormal stories often but if they are written as well as this author, then I think I will be reading more!

Dr. Olivia Maddox is a psychologist who studies criminals to determine why they become such monsters. Well that's where you could say curiosity killed the cat! She is able to gain access to a Paranormal Jail call Purgatory. This is where the paranormals (werewolves, vampires, etc) are placed when they turn on humans and kill. Purgatory is described to look like Alcatraz and is pretty much a hell hole. 

Purgatory is where we meet Shane August, undercover FBI agent who is sent to Purgatory as a "criminal" to see where the loopholes are coming from within the prison. Shane is a very old, very powerful, very sexy vampire! Did I mention he's super sexy, and dark and....okay moving on!

I can't go into too much detail because this is a fast paced book and a lot happens! Again, I suggest you read the first book because things will make more sense! Olivia ends up being saved by Shane when all hell breaks loose at Purgatory. You end up realizing very quickly that there's something "special" about Olivia because the wolves and vampires that she does get to interview find her "scent" very appealing and very "different." If any of you watch True Blood you'll kind of understand the whole "special scent" ordeal! Olivia is a Djinn...and when I first read that I was like WTF?

A Djinn is something I have never really read about in any paranormal book I've read. It's pretty much a very powerful witch, wizard, something or another that can unleash hell on earth for the humans if used incorrectly. It was very confusing trying to figure it all out!! And I think Olivia was feeling the same thing because she had no clue what she was!

I did enjoy the story but felt is wasn't up to par with how this author normally writes. But it was dark and sexy and every time Shane bit Olivia I about melted into a pool of OMG-ness. I mean when a hot vampire states "You will ask for my bite" you can't really turn that invitation down...like ever! I will be reading the next book because now I'm interested!

Fall From Grace by Christine Zolendz - Review

Okay I had to mentally prepare myself to write this review because honestly *gag, choke, gag* I absolutely despised this book. I would rather have dental work done by Edward Scissors Hands! Ughhhh this book has 5 star reviews and great ratings and I'm sitting here going "WTF?? Did I miss out on the group koolaide session or what?" Because this book was torture to get through!!

I will keep this review as brief as I can, although I could go on all day about the ridiculousness of how it's written. Don't get me wrong, the storyline could have gone leaps and bounds, instead it face planted, right into a brick wall.

So the book starts off with Grace, our main character, saying goodbye to her dying brother Jacob. Literally within the first pages her brother dies from cancer and you learn she has no other family as they died in a car accident years ago. So she leaves the hospital/hospice place that she's been holed up in since her brother got sick and is headed, like a freakin maniac, back to New York where she was previously living with her best friend Lea.

Okay just so you know, this is a paranormal book, yet you don't know that until halfway through the book. Grace keeps rambling incoherently about things that make no sense yet gives you an inkling that it's "paranormal" related.

 Anyways....so this book just nose dives into oblivion once Grace gets back to New York. She's not back for more than five freakin minutes and she's getting ready to hit the bar and get drunk with her best friend. The amount of alcohol that was consumed in this book made ME feel like I needed to go to an AA meeting! It was soooooo over done. My God, every second someone is downing enough Tequila to make a frat house look like the Catholic church.

Moving forward...so at said bar, we meet Shane. Now I kinda like Shane! He's all hardcore, rocker, bad boy and has taken a liking to Grace. She on the other hand constantly pushes him away like a little bitch because she's looking for some long lost love, yeah I don't know! We also meet Lea's boyfriend, Conner as well as friends Ethan, Bryden. Alex, Tucker and there are a few others I can't recall.

The banter between Grace and Shane was so damn annoying at times, I almost died from perpetual eye rolling. I cannot write this review without giving some quotes from this book so I can share the ridiculousness I had to submit myself to....

Without saying another word to me, he delicately took my arm and sprinkled a small pinch of salt on the soft skin of my inner wrist. He raised my arm to his mouth and I watched him lightly press his tongue against my skin...."God Grace. You do taste like heaven," he whispered breathlessly. I felt a delicious heat rise all over my body. "I think I should go home now. I'm...really...tired." I whirled around and practically ran towards the bathroom.

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!!!!!! WTF?!?!?! A HOT ROCKER/BAD BOY JUST LICKED SALT OFF YOUR WRIST AND YOU "SHOULD GO HOME" BECAUSE YOU'RE TIRED?!?!?!?!?! UGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Okay rant over....at this point my poor Kindle was getting a verbal beating from me.

But it just keeps getting better....

We ordered pizza and we all sat around and colored flyers for the auditions. We looked like a group of five year olds on a play date.When I mentioned that out loud, all hell broke loose.

(All hell broke loose? Really, because I swear we were getting reading to dive into the next chapter of the freakin' Babysitters Club book!!!!!!!Ughh)

Alex's face scrunched up and he shouted, "Bryden picks his nose and eats it!"

Almost choking on a bite of pizza, Bryden shouted, "Alex has got the cooties!"

"So we look like five year olds, huh?" Ethan asked coming up behind me. He grabbed me in a gentle headlock and gave me noogies on my head."

(Are you shitting me right now? Noogies? God Bless America.....)

I screamed and ran for my water bottle, and poured it all over Ethan's head. "Oh no," I teased. "Ethan just wet himself!"

I tried to move again, electricity shooting up through my body. Oh my! I grabbed the only thing I could, my slice of pizza, and smashed it in his face laughing. He rolled off me laughing just as hard.

(Who the hell does that?!?!?!?)

I will say that this book did get pretty good at about the 99% done point, only because it leaves you with one big fat cliffhanger that has you screaming:

If you want to read this book then I say go for it but you've been warned. Again, the storyline with the paranormal, angel, bad angels or whatever, could have been awesome but it just spiraled into eye rolling and WTF moments for me. The paranormal part was just allover the place and too damn confusing to grasp onto.
 And no, I will NOT be reading the second book. Cliffhanger or not, I will not put myself through the torture again. I can't stomach it!