The Dangers of Dating a Rebound Vampire by Molly Harper

In the next book in Molly Harper’s beloved Half Moon Hollow paranormal romance series, Gigi starts her first job (at Vampire Headquarters), gets over her first love, and may even fall for her first vampire!

Gigi is no longer an innocent teen. All grown up and looking for love, her family and friends worry she’ll go for the sexy, alluring vampire instead of a nice, safe human. But sexy and alluring, with a penchant for biting, could be just what Gigi wants...

My Review:

If I'm being 100% honest... it's a 4½ (not the full 5 stars/hearts/flowers rating that I show below - why, oh why, did I not make ½ ratings?  *Note to self: make ½ ratings*)

OK, moving on.  The one single thing that made everything worthwhile (and my eagerness to round up my rating to 5): Ophelia getting punched in the face.  *Boom*

*and there was much rejoicing*




 *and there was even more rejoicing*



Seriously, if any character was ever asking for a punch in the face, it's Ophelia.  I've developed a long, slow, burning dislike of this perky 'teen' vampire.  Well, perky is really more of a nice way of saying sociopath, but I'm a Southern lady and would never use such a crass tone.  *smirk*

You want snark?  Yup, this one is strong with the snark.  Looking for a slightly New Adult Paranormal slant?  Why, yes.  Rebound's got ya covered.  Romance?  A strong yes, although it's not so steamy that you'll be embarrassed to read in public.  Vampires?  Indeed.  No sparkles anywhere, just the occasional trashy T-shirt the Dick managed to save.  Want to see characters from other books?  Granted, not the entire team assembled, but it was quite close and lovely to see previous characters I fell in love with.

I feel I should give a bit of a disclaimer here... the combo of Molly Harper and Amanda Ronconi (narrator) are one of my feel-good drugs of choice.  Well, specifically the Jane Jameson and Half Moon Hollow series varieties.  They are my happy place, and a near instant auto-buy in audio format.  I'm a fan of Molly Harper's PNR books, but her contemporary romance can be hit or miss for me.  Long story short, my overall love of the series might be coloring my thoughts a bit on this specific installment.  It's not outside the realm of reason.

The reason I'm fighting the full 5 rating on this... while sexual angst and tension ran rampant, it was a hair speedy and I really wanted more background (and just plain MORE in general of) "Mr. Tall Blonde and Bitey".  On one hand, this is a fun, flirty PNR in it's hayday - so one expects a little 'fast forward' and improbable, dangerous situations that create a fast, firm bond between Gigi and the mouthwatering vamp.  But on the other hand, there are moments I wish for a little less flirt and a little more show and tell of the building relationship.  Throw in the fact that this is Gigi we're talking about, and we can throw those hands ALL out the window.  She's like the angsty, young adult/new adult little mascot... for vampires?

In the grand scheme of the series, it's not my favorite but it's most definitely not my least favorite.  I will most definitely put this on my re-read rotation.  If you're looking for some fun and have followed the series*, I'd highly recommend picking this gem up. 

*There are some spoilers unless you read the Jane Jameson series first, then read the Half Moon Hollow series.

While I received a free paperback book from XOXOAfterDark  as part of their XOXOperts street team, I also purchased the audio as well.  I also will happily give Audible my money each and every time there is a Molly Harper/Amanda Ronconi audio available. That should be a BIG NEON SIGN that my thoughts are honest and not just stroking the metaphorical hand that feeds me.  My acceptance of the book in no way guaranteed my review would be favorable.

Author Bio (from website)

When Molly Harper was eight years old, she set up a “writing office” in her parents’ living room, complete with an old manual typewriter and a toy phone. And she (very slowly) pecked out the story of her third-grade class taking a trip around the world and losing a kid in each city. She had a dark sense of humor even then.

 

When Molly was considerably older, she headed for Western Kentucky University, where she majored in print journalism. After graduation, she landed a job with The Paducah Sun and married her high school sweetheart, David, a local police officer. After six years at the newspaper, Molly took a more family-friendly secretarial position at a local church office.

Her husband worked nights and Molly was alone with their small child in the “The Apartment of Lost Souls.” A big fan of vampire movies and TV shows, she decided to write a vampire romance novel. Molly created Jane Jameson, a bit of an accidental loser. Jane is single, almost 30, and a librarian working in Half-Moon Hollow, Ky. She has become a permanent fixture on her Mama’s prayer list. And despite the fact that she’s pretty good at her job, she just got canned so her boss could replace her with someone who occasionally starts workplace fires. Jane drowns her sorrows at the local faux nostalgia-themed sports bar. On her way home, she’s mistaken for a deer and shot by a drunk hunter. And then she wakes up as a vampire. The three-book Jane Jameson series–which includes Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs,Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men and Nice Girls Don’t Live Forever—was released in 2009.  A fourth and final installment, Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbors, was released in 2012.

Molly continues stories in the Jane Jameson universe through her Half-Moon Hollow series,Driving Mr. Dead, The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires, Undead Sublet, and A Witch’s Handbook of Kisses and Curses.  Undead Sublet is a short story in The Undead in My Bed anthology.  A Witch’s Handbook of Kisses and Curses will be released in June 2013.  A special free audio holiday novella, I’m Dreaming of an Undead Christmas, was released in December 2013.
Molly will update her popular Naked Werewolf romance series in 2013. How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf, was released in February 2011, quickly followed by The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf. A third installment, How to Run With a Naked Werewolf, will be released in December 2013.  Her first-ever “haunted house story,” Better Homes and Hauntings, will be released in June 2014.

Molly will launch her first-ever contemporary romance series with My Bluegrass Baby in December 2012.  Rhythm and Bluegrass was released in October 2013.
Molly’s books are published by Pocket Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. They are available in print, as e-books and audio books at major book stores and on Amazon. Molly is a native of Kentucky. She lives in Paducah with her husband and children.

Molly Harper/Snarky Romance with Bite website

... and did you know there was merchandise at Zazzle?  I feel like Yogurt from Spaceballs, "Merchandizing, Merchandizing!"

This is one of my personal favorites:

Buy it for yourself 

Have fun with her 

'Half-Moon Hollow Vampire Name Generator'

mine is:  Bellatrix Snodgrass

Visit her 'Character Graveyard' 

 ... and as one final fun addition, if you're a fan of this series, you'll get it.

Shirt says, "This is a disguise. I'm a possum."

Broken Lens Is Released to the World!

Broken Lens Book Blurb

Although this book is the second in the series, it’s been written to be read as a New Adult Stand Alone novel. You do not have to read book one, which is a young adult novel, to enjoy.

No one said love is ever easy. And for Jess, he would ride his Harley to heaven and back for an eternity with her arms wrapped around him. That makes leaving her that late summer day to head to separate colleges the hardest thing he has to do. Still, he thinks that they could beat the odds and prove everyone wrong, until one drunken night and one sober confession.

Through the jagged edges of a broken lens, he’s faced with the reality of his choices. And fixing the pieces of Jess’s broken heart may be impossible. Without her, he’s left with only a mother who hates him and marks him as a dead man walking. And that’s not the only truth that has the potential to destroy his life.

The upcoming trial will reveal the defendant’s motivations for the crimes committed against the people he cares about. But that guy’s not the only one who’s guilty of something. With a cloud of mistrust hovering around him, can he keep Jess safe from his past? Can she or anyone forgive him for his secrets? Will he win back the one girl he’s ever loved or will he lose her forever?

*WARNING* This book is rated a New Adult book, which means it can contain foul language and sexual situations. Please be warned in advance.

Excerpt

After the second beer and a dose of pain meds, I finally passed out. I dreamed of better times. A carefree Jess when I’d realized I’d fallen completely for her. Then she’d looked at me like I was worth something more than the image of my face or the size of my bank account.

The warmth of the sunlight, like Jess’s fingertips on my skin, jolted me awake. My hand went to the back of my neck where the sofa created kinks I couldn’t get out. I stood still unsteady and found Jess asleep on my bed. Thoughts of kissing my way up her from her leg to her beautiful mouth invaded my mind. I made a hasty retreat to my bathroom...

I shucked my clothes, causing them to slap against the tile floor. I turned on the shower and stepped in, even though, the water was as cold as ice. Hopefully, it would alleviate my heated desire for the girl on my bed who had me hard as my thick skull.

Soapy, head to toe, I fisted my need in my hand as I rested my head on the tiles. Water cascaded down my back and did nothing to cool my heated skin. I almost didn’t hear the door to the shower stall open. As the water began to warm at my back, a soft hand landed on my hip. I jumped and turned around.

Jess stood with willing Puritan eyes. If only she knew of the monster that was so close to the surface, she would most likely run like hell.

“Jessica, you need to leave now.” I called her by her given name, which I rarely did, to get her attention.

Undeterred, her hand reached up and touched my shoulder. “I don’t want to leave.”

“You have no idea what you’re asking for. Please leave, or I swear I’m going to have you like I’ve wanted since the first day I saw you.”

I gave her my back and rinsed the soap out of my hair. Her finger grazed around from my hip down the definition of muscle that led to my pulsing need.

Roughly, I said once more. “Jessica, please go.”

Amazon links

http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Lens-Shannon-Dermott-ebook/dp/B00WOT286E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430236675&sr=8-1&keywords=broken+lens+shannon+dermott

Barnes & Noble links are still unavailable at this time.

Author Bio and Links

Shannon’s first love is reading, diving into other realities to explore and brave new worlds. To share her writing is the best experience of all. She writes books about teen romance whether paranormal or contemporary. She also has a steamy adult series. When Shannon isn't writing she loves to shop and watch horror movies that make turning out the lights seem like a stupid idea. You can explore more about her at her website www.shannondermott.com, on facebook, goodreads and twitter.

Website www.shannondermott.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shannon-Dermott/237824696261512

Twitter: @shannondermott

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5121644.Shannon_Dermott

The Master by Kresley Cole ~ Submitting Is Worth It

A need colder than Siberian winter meets an attitude hotter than the Florida sun in #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole’s sultry new Game Maker novel.

Everyone fears the Master…

Rich, irresistible politician/Mafiya boss Maksimilian Sevastyan prefers tall, obedient blondes to fulfill his…complicated desires. That is, until the icy Russian encounters a disobedient brunette whose exquisite little body threatens his legendary restraint.

Except her.

Catarina Marín was a well-off young wife until her world fell apart. Now she’s hiding out, forced to start working as an escort in Miami. Her very first client is beyond gorgeous, but when he tells her what he plans to do to her, Cat almost walks out of the door.

If pleasure is a game, play to win.

After their mind-blowing encounter burns out of control, the lovers crave more. If they escape the deadly threats surrounding them, can Maksim overcome his past—to offer Cat his future? Only then will she tempt him with what he really wants: her, all tied up with a bow.

So who is the Vixen that wrote this, you ask?

About the Author from Goodreads:

Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Gamemakers series, and five award-winning historical romances.

A master’s grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings.
Her IAD books have been translated into twenty foreign languages, garnered three RITA awards, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.

Cole lives in Florida with her family and “far too many animals.” You can learn more about Kresley at www.kresleycole.com.

From her Tumblr Page:

"Author of the Immortals After Dark, the Game Makers Series, and The Arcana Chronicles. Means well. Has plans to take things more seriously one day."

Kresley Cole's World

Kresley Cole on Facebook

@KresleyCole on Twitter

Kresley Cole on Tumblr

Goodreads Author Profile

Review:

Alrighty then, first things first, we must point out this shout out (or disclaimer, depending on your point of view.)

While I received a free book from XOXOAfterDark  as part of their XOXOperts street team, I also purchased the audio as well. I don't have enough money to buy books willy-nilly, so the fact that I spent money on this says something... something good, something wonderful... and I'm not just whistling Dixie.  My acceptance of the book was in no way guaranteed for my review to be favorable.

I feel I should further explain, though living in Texas for a looooong time now, I barely know a lick of Spanish.  Maybe I'm just that oddball Texas that has never owned her own pair of cowboy boots; seriously, what was I thinking taking French as my foreign language instead of Spanish?  Regardless, while knowing Spanish isn't necessary for reading this book, I had to listen in order to read along in the book.  My inner character voice couldn't pronounce those words and that was just not an acceptable outcome as I was already hooked.

Now that the formalities are past us, (woohoo - party time) let's really sink our teeth into this one... it SO deserves it.  This is an Adult Erotica romance with mafia, Russian accents (oh, how I am LOVING this theme lately of Russian accents,) escort drama, maybe just a little kidnappy, definitely some dark secrets, and did I mention... erotica?  It deserves mentioning twice. 

I think I should point out, with at least a small amount of shame, that is the first Kresley Cole book I've ever read.  Not the previous books in the series (The Professional, in 3 parts, I believe) or her paranormal series (though I can no longer count how many times I've had the Immortals After Dark series recommended to me.)  I was a Kresley virgin.  *blushes*  Wow, I really started off with quite the bang!  With that in mind, if you are a virgin like myself you can still jump right into bed with this book and start reading without fear.

My brain keeps flitting from little moments, characters, and snarky lines from the book like a butterfly because I can't seem to pinpoint what I liked best out of this book.  I liked that 'Cat' had such sass despite her... position.  Oh, how I adore those borderline banter/arguments!  *Don't mind me while I reminisce a moment* *Smiles*  *Blushes*

Sadly, I really can't give too many specifics or details, because... well, spoilers.  I've got to do all readers a solid here and not giveaway anything and shortchanging your fun.  You can thank me later.  I will say, that this book is what great porn is made of.  I downright liked the characters, though they were imperfect and honestly not one-little-tiny-bit anything like me.  I was cheering for them *rahrahrah*, and booing their stumbles *boooo*, and squirming in my seat most other times *shudder*... and like Cat, "I regret nothing."

This is among one of my favorite books this year.  I was smitten, I was happy, I was snapping at others to go away and let me read.  I still regret nothing.

Thank you SO SO SO SO SO much, XOXOAfterDark!