Book #Review: The Summoner

Book Title: Summoner
Author:  S.D. Grimm|Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Entangled Teen
Genre: Paranormal YA, Mystery
Series/Standalone: 
Format: ebook 

Cost: $2.99

Pages: 330

How I got it: Purchased

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: Sept 04, 2017
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Synopsis:

When Allie’s best friend dares their group to play a game in a cemetery—something she calls “witching”—Allie never expects what it might mean for her. When she plays, she doesn’t just find bodies, she summons their souls. But one soul wants more than Allie is willing to give.

And the boy next door could be the key to saving her.

Cody Burkhart. Straight from Montana, cowboy hat wearing, and smoking hot, he’s just the thing to help Allie become “normal” again after the death of her mother. And as her newly appointed Guardian, he’s also just the thing to help Allie ward off the vengeful spirit who’s after her soul. Except Cody has his own demons to slay that keep him closed off. But as the full moon approaches, so does their only chance to break the curse, and Cody will have to make the biggest sacrifice of all.

I went into this one kind of blind, I pre-ordered based on watching a fellow booktuber's highly anticipated book-list and this was on there.  I ordered and when it came out I dived right in.  I figured this would be perfect for the season and I was right. This was a young adult to mature YA read about a young woman learning to cope with a recent tragedy in her life. She's trying to reconnect to her friends after such a huge change and she doesn't want them to treat her differently, so despite her fear she goes on a dare with them to the local cemetery and from there a whole new world opens up for her.

This unfolded slowly at first then once the world got established it just flew by, I found myself trying to find ways to sneak and read it when I was supposed to be paying attention to other things.  I really enjoyed the voice of the character as she shared this journey she was on.  This was very well written. I enjoyed the exploration of grief they were both feeling while learning to move on at this crucial time in their lives. 

While the novel explores the mystery of how she's able to summon, they also go on a journey to learn to move beyond their grief while trying to explore their attraction to each other. One of my favorite moments between them is the horseback riding scene where they just got to be a couple learning about each other without the world or their pasts intruding.  As the novel progressed and the mystery unfolded we learn more about what it means to be a summoner, how the 'gift' is bestowed and watch as Allie struggles to accept what it now means.  I loved her girlfriends in this tale, they were so supportive and at times pushed her to accept things about her new circumstances that she was hesitant to accept or to even see  I enjoyed how it was a paranormal tale and yet you felt like it could almost take place in this town as well. 

I did enjoy the story especially because of the minor twists and smaller mysteries that were being dealt with.  I loved the development of the characters and how the situations came about.  There is a love story within, and yet it never takes over the main focus of the story, it's a part of how she grows as a character and how she confronts changes.  I especially loved that it as slow build up to mystery and the love story.. Another bonus of the novel was the presence as well as the great relationships the characters had with their parents. From Allie with her Dad to Cody with his parents, the family units within the novel worked well together. Cody even had extended family he was close to that Allie got to meet and hang out with.  I enjoyed that the adults were adults who were present while still maintaining enough distance that their teens could explore without being watched all the time. 

I did however have a bone to pick with the author, now I have mentioned before that the healthcare field is my wheelhouse, this is my career, while I may not work in the field of prosthetic/robotics, I do have patients who have them and I can tell you they are built way better than the author made it appear in this novel.  Even on the cheapest end of the spectrum the prosthetic for hands are built in such a way that they won't just fall off because someone hit you, they are generally built with some suction capabilities to help it remain on.  I wasn't a fan of that part as it isn't an accurate depiction, considering there are prosthesis that appear almost life like that is now available. 

Other than that one con I really enjoyed this novel and the fact that it's a stand alone made me love it more.  I recommend if you want an interesting new take on ghosts.

 ★★★★1/2☆

If you have any ghost stories you think I should check out can you please share in the comments down below?? Thank you my loves and as always
Happy Reading 

Book #Review: Second Grave On The Left by Darynda Jones

Book Title: Second Grave On The Left ( Charley Davidson #2)
Author:  Darymda Jones |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 2
Format: Hardcover 

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 307

How I got it: Purchased 

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BAM
Publication Date: August 06,, 2011
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Synopsis:

If you hang around with dead people, life can get pretty complicated. Take it from Charley Davidson, part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Complicated is her middle name. The deceased find her very sparkly. Demons find her irresistible. And one entity in particular wants to seduce her in every way possible.
When Charley and Cookie (her best friend/receptionist) have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate. Cookie's friend Mimi disappeared five days earlier. Mimi then sends Cookie a cryptic message telling Cookie to meet her at an nearby coffee shop. The coffee is brewing, but Mimi's still missing. There is, however, a clue Mimi left on the bathroom wall: a woman's name. Mimi's husband explains to them that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old high school friend had been murdered. The same woman whose name Mimi had scribbled on the bathroom wall.

Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He's left his body because he's being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can't let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they'll have a portal to heaven...well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty.

Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Can she keep those she loves out of harm's way? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel her as she does?

While I enjoyed this I can see there are going to be several things that are going to bother me if Charley doesn't grow out of them.  I ended up giving this 4 stars because of several issues in the books.

We are back in Charley's world and she has two cases she's working on, the overall case of Reyes and the case her best friend brought her of a missing woman.  What should be a simple missing persons case quickly evolves into more as bodies start turning up, and of course there is the case of the Dead Trunk Guy.  I really love Charley's voice she's so sarcastic and funny.  She feels really relateable, however at times she share some thoughts that make me want to slap her, especially when she does shyt after being told not to. 

As the story progresses Charley finds herself dealing with so many people who want to hurt her and she is left clueless by many of the attempts especially because it appears her case isn't going anywhere at all.  Charley keeps secrets from everyone especially when she shouldn't then wonders why they do the same to her.

In the first book we learned that Charley is a bit of book genius and really smart, sometimes in her actions I have to wonder is she really smart because she makes really bad choices way more than a competent adults should.   The things that annoy me in this book maybe minute to others but you can't expect me to believes she's been doing this since birth and she's never done any research on what it means to be a Grim Reaper, no fairy tales no myths, nothing??? You never tried to see what you could do with your gifts at all?? Your telling me you're a teenager with special gifts and you never tired to see what you could do with them to freak your friends out?? To make yourself cool?? Yeah Okay. Also for someone who is a magnet for trouble you never considered learning any kind of martial arts?? Self Defense?? No you just figured your dad and uncle will save you ever since time??

I get that Charley and her stepmother don't get along especially because the stepmother is a terrible excuse of a woman but for Charley to say she made the SS salute to her, wasn't ok and I didn't find it funny, yeah she did it as a child, but that's a symbol of serious hatred that aided in the death of millions that isn't a joke anyone should be making at all.  Like who the hell raised you???  Then there are times she makes these comments about some characters especially whens he met a character who as of Asian descent but was from Texas and made the internal comment that her face didn't match the accent. What the fuck does that even mean??  Are you trying to say Asians can't be from parts of the country with strong accents or are you saying they look too other to be American???

The story otherwise flew by quickly with different small cases being solved while the two major cases were being worked on.  Charley is trying to balance sharing enough information with those that need it and keeping what she thinks will change their lives forever We have hijinks, witty conversations, steamy moments with Reyes and then Charley discovering so much more about him and his world than before.

I like the way the series is setting up and how it seems everything is going to go. Hopefully Charley takes her head out of her hind parts and quickly because I can only do with so much clumsiness when it comes to your life being in danger. Get it together girl. It ain't cute or funny after a while, nope after a while you're just a mess that no one needs.

 ★★★★☆

RECOMMENDATIONS

• The Croak Series by Gina D'amico: Croak, Scorch and I'm reading the 3rd one this month. 
• Dead Like Me TV Series

I still recommend and I'm super excited to see where this series goes.
Happy Reading my loves, 

Book #Review: First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

Book Title: First Grave on the RIght ( Charley Davidson 1)
Author:  Darymda Jones |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: St. Martins 
Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Mystery/ Thriller
Series/Standalone: Series 1
Format: Mass Market 

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 315

How I got it: Purchased & ARC from Netgalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: Feb 2011
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Synopsis:

First Grave on the Right is the smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper.

Charley sees dead people. That's right, she sees dead people. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

This is a thrilling debut novel from Darynda Jones, an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.

First Grave on the Right is the winner of the 2012 Rita Award for Best First Book.

I picked this up years ago in a walmart because her shoes looked cool. yeah it was a total cover buy and it sat on my shelves waiting for me to remember it, now even though I never read the first one, i kept buying the series because Grim Reapers are my jam.  With the 12th book coming out in October, I was among the many lucky few who was given the widget to get this book as an E-arc to get us into the world of Charley and I must say it totally worked on me.

I absolutely loved this story, I'm glad I grabbed it when I did because awesome sauce doesn't even begin to explain how much fun this story is.  We are in snarky Charlotte "Charley" Davidson's head most of the time and we see what she sees and knows.  Ghost are real and as the Grim Reaper it is her job to help them figure out what is wrong and why they haven't passed into the veil to the otherside yet.  As such she grew up to become a private investigator after helping her Dad & Uncles fight crime from the time she was five. She's got a fun crime fighting 'secretary/ mother daughter duo, a few ghosts as resourcces and of course the police department in town to help her out.

I absolutely love this story, I love Charley even though sometimes she annoys the heck out of me. At first I didn't understand how she didn't know more about her gift but then you realize this isn't a world in which the supernatural are known and accepted, it's our world basically with only a few understanding souls around. And it's not like there is a Guide to being a Grim lying around anywhere.   Charley tries to use her talents for good, to aide those who need to pass on and those who need her help in this world.  With her links to the cops and her unathletlic abilities she more often than not ends up on the wrong side of a punch.

And then the mystery starts, Charley's being haunted by a man who she cannot see and that scares her.  Even thought the dreams are sexy in nature and not scary they still make her wonder because if she can't see him, what kind of ghost is he.  She's working a few cases and they start to converge as well as the case of her mystery night visitor and before long Charley has headed into a case that is darker than she can imagine.

I found that several of her secondary characters were well developed especially if they were characters that Charley knew well.  She has a cast of characters that make you wonder who is staying and who will be going and why are they here.  A few that seem like love interests, her Uncle who gladly takes her help but doesn't really want to know how her talent works, and a paranormal story wouldn't be complete without an evil stepmother.  Then of course is the man haungitng her dreams and my gawd does the man kno how to haunt.

For me this was a very quick read as it sucked me in and turned me on. I really found myself trying to read faster so I could find out what happened to whom and where is her mystery man, and what was really going on.  By the end we know there is an even bigger bad guy that she must face and I'm pretty worried for Charley because she's got no defense skills at all.  She's an extremely clumsy private investigator , she relies more on her gifts to aide her instead of actual PI skills which unfortunately for her means she runs into more physical issues than anything else.

I'm really invested in seeing where this all goes since I own the next four books in the series. Hopefully she signs up for a self defense class with what is brewing around her because Grim or not she's going to need it. 

 ★★★★☆

Highly Recommend to my paranormal romance friends and those looking for a good paranormal mystery with a sarcastic quirky female lead.  
Happy Reading my loves, 

31 Days of Scare: My Favorite Paranormal Writers

Hi My loves,

I'm going to be sharing my love of the paranormal genre with you, from middle grade, to young adult, to new adult and to the all too awesome adult and romance sub genres, if it's paranormal I'm sharing.  I'm sharing show recommendations as well.  But for today we're talking about some my go to authors for the paranormal genre in adult:

The Queen for me has been and probably always will be L. A Banks' Vampire Huntress Series, and not because they are the most horrifying books (because they really aren't ) but because they have a badass female protagonist and she happens to have locs, be Black and is one hell of singer. Her crew and love interest are so good and while sometimes doing a little too much, you can't help but love them. This series does have strong faith discussions, not just Christian or the Abrahamic traditions, but influences of the Kemetic, Yoruba, Buddhist and so many more.  One of the best mutli cultural paranormal book series I've read in a long time.

Heather Graham, she's written books from contemporary paranormal to full on paranormal and she does it all under several names including Shannon Drake,   She's a versatile author who has had a long career creeping people out.  Some of my faves include her Krewe of Hunters series, her paranormal romance that features law enforcement working with psychics and mediums, heck sometimes even the cops are mediums.

Katie MacAlister, if you're looking for the rom com of paranormal, look no further than Katie's books, her Aisling Grey series, features a witty protagonist, who is an American expat in England and the foolishness she gets up to when she stumbles into the world of Dragons. I love this series and just how great Katie is at writing humor into her romances.

Next we have two openly pagan authors who still make it their mission to share amazing stories while sprinkling in a little bit of facts about Pagan paths.  I really enjoy that

The first is Maggie Shayne, who has written several different series featuring witches and many of the other paranormal creatures, her witches of course have to battle many different foes, and tend to be ultramodern women who just happen to be witches/psychics or mediums.  My fave by her is Gingerbread Man which is a thriller, and it's haunting and creepy and just plain scary.

Next is Laurell K Hamilton. Not only is she openly pagan, she's also in a non traditional relationship and she shares all of that on her facebook, and blog posts. Her paranormal series, both of them are amazing to read and feature more mature female characters that are super badass and really cool.  The Anita Blake Series  and the Merry Gentry Series

Another great author for me is Tracy Fobes, she writes historical paranormal books, especially ones which contain the Fae. I've loved each of the ones I've read and can't wait to read the one on my shelf that's unread.

A great author featuring the Fae is by Karen Marie Moning.  Her stories feature magic, the fae, Highlanders and time travel. I really love these.  Her books are always seamy and romantic and fun.

Gena Showalter landed on my radar several years ago when she created books about Atlantis, and now she has the Lords of the Underworld series, I've read a few but now I want to read the whole series.

Another that I love and admire, and y'all shouldn't be surprised since this was one of my new year's goal to catch up on the series.  Christine Feehan has written several different series. However, my favorite is the Dark Carpathian series.

Some of my old school favorites are:

• Shana'a Abe, she was doing dragons and the fae in the early 90s and she is still amazing at it.
• Susan Krinard her wolf series is really good, and she's wonderful at world building
• PC. Cast's Goddess Summoning series
• Charlaine Harris A Southern Vampire Series (Sookie Stackhouse series that True Blood was based on)
• Cheyenne McCray her Magic series is amazing!!
• Lilith SaintCrow The Devil series, which features a bounty hunter who is a necromancer who happens to work for the devil.

Well those are just some of my favorites, I'll be sharing more from each sub genre, like favorite authors for weres, or witches, or all the other supernatural categories, so stay tuned.

Why don't you share some of your favorite paranormal authors??