Review of HUNTED, by Rebecca Zanetti.

So I've been sick this week, and got a little behind in my reading, but finally, I have my review for Hunted up, so here it is;

Hunted

By Rebecca Zanetti

Another to add to my keep shelf!

This was my introduction to Rebecca Zanetti, and her stories, and yes, I am aware that this is not the first book in her series, but given that I didn’t even KNOW it was a series until after I read, there was no problem, with whether or not the story would work as a standalone.

I chose this book, because I love books about witches and of course because it was a romance, and I was NOT disappointed.

I would recommend this book to all my friends, and anyone who likes a good paranormal romance. The details where terrific, and I love the way Moira is so sweet, she wanted Conn to claim her all those years ago, and has made herself into a very powerful witch waiting on him. Conn is fantastic character in his own right, formidable, though I was worried, because the vampire bit is a bit cliché now with all the vampire stories out there. BUT he was a different sort than I’m used to reading about so it was a refreshing new take in my opinion. He’s very take-charge, but he clearly cares about her, I loved him as the male lead.

Rebecca Zanetti, is for sure going on my list of authors to look out for, and of course, now that I’ve read Hunted, I will most likely being go back to find the other books in her series as well- and I have to say, I LOVED the way she started Hunted. The chemistry was awesome; the brisk pace of the story line, and of course, the abundance of action- you couldn’t ask for a better story.  

Read this book, you won’t regret it. 

The Seduction of Phaeton Black- Review

The Seduction of Phaeton Black

By; Jillian Stone 

*Paranormal Investigator.

So I’ve been reading this book for a couple weeks, and although it is a really great story, I just can’t seem to get interested in it.

Normally when I read a book, I can read it in 5-10 hours, depending on how well the plot interests me, and while this book has a unique plot, It just doesn’t seem to be keeping my interest- but as I said, the book is still really good, so I’m going to go ahead and give it a 5 star, because my lack of interest should not judge the book.

So, The Seduction of Phaeton Black, is kinda like a steam punk, in that it is in an unusual time frame- One that I do not immediately recognize. Phaeton Black is an on again-off again employee of Scotland Yard who lives in what I understand to be the basement of a pleasure house.

He is good at his job, but his unique ability to see things that should not exist have gotten him a couple eye-rolls from his fellow employees, and so they don’t completely trust him, but a series of grisly murders forces them to hire him back- because while they do not necessarily like, or trust him, there is no doubt that he is good at what he does.

In one instance of the book, it seems like the ‘normal’ characters do not really know about the ‘other’ things that exist in their world; but a few pages later, it seems that maybe they do. So I was a little confused as to why Phaeton black was such an outcast. –That being said, Ms. Stone was able to develop a new world for me, which is somewhat difficult for an avid reader such as myself, so I definitely give her props for that.

Now, of course this is a romance, and as our leading lady we have, America Jones. She is sort of an odd character, with little to no known background, other than her father’s shipping business. She too is a bit unusual in that she can sense ‘others’ and how they feel. Together the two should make a wonderful team, and you would expect them to fall madly in love, but I feel at times as if they are repelling each other, more than attracting. Now that is not to say that there weren’t plenty of times when the love was clear, so maybe it is just my understanding that clouds my judgment on that particular score.

Don’t get me wrong, the book was great, the plot was new, something different that I have not come across before; the characters believable, if a bit challenging to understand- to be clear, this is one of those books you really have to follow along to understand. This book deserves a lot more focus than me, a young mother of a 3 yr old can really give, so perhaps the fault is not with the book, but with me as a reader.

This book is going on my shelves, as I would like to read it again another time where hopefully I will be able to have a better understanding of what’s going on. I recommend this book to someone with a lot of time on their hands, who can give it the attention it deserves.

To be completely honest, I didn’t always know exactly what was going on, so maybe that is why the book couldn’t hold my interest. I don’t know, but give the book a try anyway, as I’m sure our tastes differ, and this is just my opinion, so you might have a better chance at it than I did.

Tasting Fear- By; Shannon McKenna.

Tasting Fear

Shannon McKenna

Tasting Fear is a combined novel of three novellas, based on three sisters who, after finding their foster mother dead embark on an adventure full of intrigue and romance. 

A killer, bent on the destruction of the three girls is looking for priceless sketches, their mother, an Italian countess happens to possess. After accidentally killing the countess, the killer must rely on his talents in order to find out what he must from her daughters; Nancy, Nell, and Vivi  D'Onofrio, the three Irish women adopted as young girls by Lucia D'Onofrio.

Lucia, having gotten the upper hand by dying long before the thief could get the answers he wanted leaves clues for the three sisters, starting with some very pretty expensive jewelry. 

To be honest however, while I enjoy a good romance, it’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a contemporary, and this is perhaps not the best book to get me back into them. The story had a great plot line, but the story itself was a little dull. The characters started out great with a strong sense of who they were, but as the story went along, I got a sense that they tended to be a bit dry.

The story starts out very dramatic with the death of the Countess, and Marco, but fades a little. The only real drama was during the killer’s point of view, and only because he seemed like a disturbed individual. 

That is not to say that this was a bad book, I’m sure given the right reader, that this book is terrific, that reader is just not me.

I appreciate getting to read the book, I’m sure the author put a lot work into it, and I applaud her that ability, but this was just not the book for me. I intend to give this book another try a little later, but for now, I’m just going to leave it at that, and give it a 3. However, keep in mind that I have never read a book by Shannon McKenna before, and this book alone is not enough to keep me from checking out her other stories.