Chasing Shadows by S.H. Kolee (Shadow Series #2)

Warning: Spoilers for Seeing Shadows, Book #1 of the Shadow Series, are contained in the description below. Chasing Shadows is a direct continuation of Seeing Shadows. Caitlin Kile is on the run. Her life was shattered in one terrifying night, and now every decision she makes is a decision between life and death. The only thing she knows for sure is that she's tired of being scared. She's no longer a victim of shadows; she's their executioner. But who can she trust? And who can she save? Everybody Caitlin has ever loved is at risk and she'll do anything to protect them, even if it means her own death.

Initial Thoughts:

I was given a free copy of Chasing Shadows by the author for review. You can find my review of Seeing Shadows (Book #1 of the Shadow Series) here. The ending of the first had a big cliffhanger and I couldn't wait to find out what happened in book two.

The Pros:

Talk about suspense! I finished this book in a night because I couldn't stop reading until I knew what happened.

Caitlin is not one of the typical "too stupid to live" heroines. She is determined to do all that she can to keep herself and her loved ones safe. 

Once again, I enjoyed the not so typical paranormal storyline. Vampires and werewolves bore the crap out of me lately.

The twist ending. I was speechless. It totally came out of left field for me!

The Cons:

I didn't like the possessive, angry side of Simon. Not attractive.

I would have liked to see more from the supporting characters like Sarah.

I was confused at the end. I am guessing that my questions will be answered in the third book, like my questions from book 1 were answered in this book.

The Wrap Up: 4/5

A great follow-up to the first book. I can't wait for the third!

Buy Chasing Shadows by S.H. Kolee on Amazon

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Initial Thoughts: This has been on my wish list on Amazon since I got my Kindle a year and a half ago. It had great reviews, but as soon as I saw the word "vampire" I was turned off. It felt like everyone and their mom had a vampire book out last year. I went through my wish list recently and decided that it was time I gave it a try.
The Pros: It felt like this book was a mixture of Harry Potter, a romance novel, and a dash of Twilight. I think that's good? Pretty sure it's good.
The historic detail in this novel was fantastic. I'm a big historical fiction fan, so this was awesome for me.
Harkness is a fabulous writer. No Stephenie Meyer nonsense here. Her descriptions left you feeling like you were in the book, not just reading it.
We read about vampires and witches all the time. Harkness adds daemons to this list. No werewolves. No fairies. No hobbits. Thank god.
I liked the scientific aspect of this book. Taking supernatural beings down to a DNA level was fascinating.
The Cons: I was confused about the daemons. What were they really? Do they have a different lifespan than humans and witches? Do they live forever like vampires? What were their talents, other than being slightly inclined to higher IQs?
The book had a slow start. Slow starts are not good for me. I tend to lose interest and walk away from the book. Luckily, I stuck with it, which was rewarding in the end.
Diana is an intelligent woman (she DOES have a PhD in something fancypantsy after all), but she acts like a child multiple times in the book,
Matthew was a bit overbearing for my taste. And I like macho men in my novels. So that's saying something.
The Wrap Up: 3.5/5 I liked the book, but I think it could have been trimmed down a little. It was a monster sized book (just under 600 pages!) and I think the attention to detail, while good, could have been cut back a little. Less overbearing with Matthew, and more strength from Diana, and this book would have been perfect.
Favorite Quote: "My life now has a beginning, middle, and an end. Everything before you was a preamble. Now I have you. One day you will be gone, and my life will be over."
Buy A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness on Amazon.

Seeing Shadows by S.H. Kolee

Caitlin Kile was living a normal college life full of parties and early morning classes. Living with her best friend and enjoying her senior year, Caitlin's life seemed idyllic. Until her neighbor's cousin, Simon Crewe, transferred to her school, unbalancing her tightly controlled life. Because control was one thing Caitlin desperately needed. Simon was instantly attracted to Caitlin, but he couldn't seem to get past her guarded walls. Caitlin wasn't planning on competing with all the groupies clamoring for Simon's attention ever since he became the lead singer of a popular band. But despite Caitlin's refusal to show any interest in him, Simon couldn't seem to shake his attraction to her. But Simon didn't know everything about Caitlin. He didn't know about the images of death that haunted her while she was awake. Or the gripping terrors that plagued her at night. And Simon couldn't possibly know that those terrors were determined to destroy him.

Initial Thoughts:

I was given this book for free by the author, S.H. Kolee. I love me some rockstars and romance with a dash of paranormal, so I was excited to review it for her.

The Pros:

Caitlin is strong despite the obstacles she has had to overcome in her life. Between losing her mother, her less than pleasant father, and her visions, she has a lot on her plate.

Caitlin's best friend Sarah aides as her support system, as she gets no support from her father. Sarah also provides a sense of comic relief and normalcy to the book.

Simon seems sweet. I don't know if I would put him on the same level as Kellan in Thoughtless, but there is definitely something dreamy about him.

Although the boys are in a band, the band doesn't play a heavy part in the book. So this is definitely not another headstrong girl falls for a rock star romance novel.

The vardoger is a very interesting twist on the paranormal trend. It actually influenced me to do a bit of research on them. I wasn't sure if the author had invented it or not, but vardogers are readily known in Scandinavian culture. 

The Cons:

As many of you know by now, I'm a stickler for grammar and spelling errors. There were a couple here and there in the book. Sarah was referred to as "Sara", "he" was just a capital "H" at the beginning of the sentence, which was a bit confusing.

The vardoger aspect wasn't explained as well as I would have hoped. I was left feeling a bit confused.

The almost sex scene was a bit awkward. The book went from being pretty PG to rated R very quickly. Not that I don't like some R rated action, it was just a surprise.

This book is going to be turned into a series, so we were left with quite a cliffhanger, and I wanted to know more. But I'm sure that's what the author intended :) I also wanted to know more about Simon's back story, but perhaps we will learn more in following books.

The Wrap Up: 4/5

This is a pretty solid paranormal romance. The story line was intriguing and kept me guessing. I am very interested to see what the author comes up with next book in the series!

Favorite Quote:

"I had assumed his touch would make me tense and anxious, but I hadn't imagined that it would make me feel as though my body was on fire as well."

Are you interested in Seeing Shadows? Click here!

The Lancaster House by Taylor Dean

Zoe Grayson needs a change. So, she moves to another state, purchases an old, dilapidated 1920s Victorian Mansion, and sets out to restore it to its former glory. As she begins the restoration, she finds herself falling in love with the old house . . . not to mention its illustrious builder, Mr. Lancaster. Zoe becomes obsessed with the house as she discovers its secrets; hidden rooms, secret passageways . . . and a mysterious man who seems to think the house is his. Who is he? More importantly, how does he live in her home unseen and unheard? The unexpected answers leave her reeling—and questioning everything she’s ever known. To her dismay, Zoe’s actions land her in the local psychiatric hospital, scheming for ways to return to Lancaster House . . . and the love of her life.

Initial Thoughts: 
I am obsessed with old houses, so as soon as I read "1920's Victorian Mansion", I was sold.

The Pros:
I loved the author's attention to detail in regards to the house. It's apparent that she did some extensive research to accurately portray the house as she did. As a 1920's house junkie (I live in a 1924 American Bungalow), all of the details were spot on.

The hidden rooms that were inspired by the Winchester House were awesome treats throughout the book

I liked that they showed Zoe's doctor as a kind and gentle person. More often than not, mental health professionals are shown as cruel in books. The way he changed her medication so that she could think properly was a major turning point for her.

The unexpected visitor was easy enough to figure out from the beginning. It did add an underlying paranormal story line.

The Cons:
The whole vampire thing. It felt SO unnecessary.

Was Andre seriously that dumb that he couldn't see what she was doing to herself? I doubt he was that unobservant.

I don't like when women are so codependent on the men in their lives that they forget everything else around them. When Zoe doesn't leave the house for two months, I got a bit angry.

The Wrap Up: 3/5
The vampire thing ruined it for me. I really had high hopes for the book having more to do with the house, which seemed like a casualty of her love by the end of the book. There is a preview to the prologue of the follow up book at the end of this one and it confused me so thoroughly that I will probably have to read it.

Favorite Quote:
"I feel it Zoe, I feel you . I feel every touch, every kiss - I feel it keenly. I feel it in my heart."

Click here for your own copy of Lancaster House.

Eden by Jamie McGuire (Providence #3)

She had seen the unspeakable. She would learn the unknowable. Now, she would fight the invincible. In the third and final installment of the Providence series, Nina Grey will marry the wrong man, carry the child that was never supposed to be born, and fight a war she can't win. Faced with the impossible task of protecting his new wife and unborn child against the throes of Hell, Jared Ryel is allowed no mistakes. Pressured to return the Naissance de Demoniac to Jerusalem, he revisits St. Ann's to learn the answers were in front of him all along. Together, they must survive long enough to let their child save them - and the world.

Initial Thoughts:
This is the final book in the trilogy, so I was hoping to get the answers I was looking for in the first two books. And hopefully a happy ending too.

The Pros:
Action. Freaking. Packed. Big upgrade on the other two books! The series started as a romance, and ended as a thriller.

All of the conclusions that I wanted to happen, happened. I don't want to give away too much.

The ending battle was intense. I really didn't know what was going to happen. I like when I can't figure out the author's next steps.

The culmination of all the different paranormal beings in this book was super intriguing. It was like seeing what you were taught in bible school come to life.

The Cons:
The same writing flubs she made in the first two. Gets me every time.

Some of Nina's friends sort of get shoved to the background. I liked Beth's character and missed her a lot in this book.

The hybrid baby thing was a little too Twilight for me

The Wrap Up: 4/5
A good way to round out a series. Full of action, a dash of romance, and a happy ending. What more could you want?

Favorite Quote:
"I felt like Winnie the Pooh trying to squeeze into the honey tree."

Requiem by Jamie McGuire (Providence #2)

Dreaming of the dead might mean a restless night for anyone, but for Nina Grey, it was a warning. Still healing from her last run-in with Hell, Nina struggles with not only her life as a Brown University student, but also as an intern at Titan Shipping, her father's company. Recurring nightmares about her father's violent death have become a nightly event, but being overwhelmed with guilt from Ryan's unexpected departure to the Armed Forces, and heart ache over Claire being across the ocean to protect him, Nina believes her sleepless nights are the least of her problems—but she's wrong. Worried about Nina's declining health, Jared must steal back Shax's book for answers. Fighting new enemies with the help of old friends, Jared's worst fear comes to fruition. Desperate, he is faced with a choice: Fight Hell alone, or start a war with Heaven.

Initial Thoughts:
I liked the first book in the trilogy, Providence, so I thought I would give the sequel a go.

Pros:
The relationship between Jared and Nina grows and strengthens.

Not only does this book continue the romance story line of the first book, it definitely adds a mystery story line as well. Double the intrigue!

This book deals a lot more with the Ryel family. We get to know Jared's brother Bex a lot better in this book, and I really like him. He starts out as the cutie younger brother, but really steps up to the plate as a protector. Jared's sister Claire is one of the most kick ass literally females I have ever come across. 


The revelation of who Claire's Taleh is was shocking.


Cons:
Nina was annoying in some parts of this book. She asked some stupid questions and came off demanding.


Her internship didn't really add anything to the story line. It just made it look like she had something to do during her summer off.


The typos continued from the first book. Using "shuttered" instead of "shuddered", missing letters in words, etc. As a spelling stickler, it drew my attention away from the book.


Nina's mom is quite annoying. She seems hell bent on being a problem and not providing any information to those who need it.


The Wrap Up: 4/5
The sequel was a good follow up to Providence. It explained a lot more in detail that you were left wondering at the end of book one, and provided more questions to be answered in the final book. Once again, I liked it enough to read the third and final book in the trilogy.

Favorite Quote:
"Claire freed him, and then lifted Ryan to his feet. She pushed back his head to inspect his wound, overly rough. 'You'll live". Ryan winced. 'Thanks, Honey, I love you too.'"

Providence by Jamie McGuire (Providence #1)

In the old world shadows of Providence, Rhode Island, Nina Grey finds herself the center of a war between Hell and Earth. Struggling with her father’s recent death, Nina meets Jared Ryel by chance…or so she believes. Although his stunning good looks and mysterious talents are a welcome distraction, it soon becomes clear that Jared knows more about Nina than even her friends at Brown University. When questions outnumber answers, Jared risks everything to keep the woman he was born to save—by sharing the secret he was sworn to protect. When her father’s former associates begin following her in the dark, Nina learns that her father is not the man she thought he was, but a thief who stole from demons. Searching for the truth behind her father’s death, Nina stumbles upon something she never expected—something Hell wants—and only she holds the key.

Initial Thoughts:
I hadn't read anything paranormal since the latest Sookie Stackhouse came out and I loved Jamie McGuire's book Beautiful Disaster, so I figured I would like this one. Cover art was a little lacking, though.

Pros:
This paranormal story line has nothing to do with vampires, werewolves, witches, fairies, etc. Which was refreshing.

Jared is the ultimate protector. I wish I had someone like him around at all times, maybe I wouldn't be so clumsy!

Although there are a lot of characters, they are all well developed. There aren't any filler characters either.

I liked that it was set in Providence. I don't think I have read another book set there.

There was not only one, but TWO swoon worthy guys in this book.

Cons:
A few typos here and there. I know it was a self published novel, but run it through a spell checker maybe?

It wasn't made clear if everyone has a guardian angel or just a select few. I want one.

There are quite a few similarities in this book to Twilight, but just enough differences to keep it intriguing.

The Wrap Up: 3.5/5
Pretty darn decent paranormal romance novel. I liked Jared and Nina together, and there was enough drama to keep me reading, but not so much that there was confusion. I liked it enough to read the sequel as well.

Favorite Quote:
"Don't interrupt my anxiety attack. It's rude."

Want to get a start on book 1 of the Providence trilogy? Clickity click here!