Review: Haints and Hobwebs (Elemental Assassin #4.7) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Haints and Hobwebs

Series: Elemental Assassin #4.7

Previous books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3) | Tangled Threads (#4)

Short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5) | Wasted (#2.7) | Tangled Dreams (#3.5) | Tangled Schemes (#3.7) | Spider’s Nemesis (#4.5)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publication date: November 27th 2018

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: Anthology borrowed from library, novella preordered

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Synopsis: Even the Spider can’t escape a ghost’s web...

I’m being haunted.

As Gin Blanco, aka the assassin the Spider, I’m used to being haunted by all the bad things I’ve done over the years. I suppose it was only a matter of time before an actual ghost came back to haunt me. But for once, I’m not the bad guy, and I wasn’t the person who sent this ghost—this haint—into the afterlife.

But this haint definitely wants something from me, and I can’t help but think that it’s revenge on the person responsible for her untimely demise.

Good thing revenge is my specialty, whether it’s among the living or the dead . . .

Note: Haints and Hobwebs is an 11,000-word story that takes place after the events of Tangled Threads, book 4 in the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Haints and Hobwebs first appeared in The Mammoth Book of Ghost Romance in 2012.

My rating: ★★★★★
Ghosts! We get ghosts in this Elemental Assassin novella, and it was awesome! This is actually the first time we see them in this world.

The first time I saw the haint was in the cemetery.
Shocking, I know, a ghost hanging out in a graveyard, but the pale, wispy figure still caught my eye, if only for the fact it was the first one I’d ever seen.
You’d think that I would have been visited by more haints in my time, given the fact that I was a semi-retired assassin–and I’d helped a lot of people move on from this life to the next with a slice or two of my silverstone knives.

Review: Endlessly (Paranormalcy #3) by Kiersten White

Title: Endlessly

Series: Paranormalcy #3

Previous books in this series: Paranormalcy (#1) | Supernaturally (#2)

Author: Kiersten White

Publication date: July 2012

Published by: HarperTeen

Source: Library book

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Synopsis:

In Endlessly, pink-loving, butt-kicking Evie has way too much on her to-do list. Paranormals are begging her to open a faerie gate so they can leave the human world, something Evie’s not sure she has the power to do. The Dark Queen is torturing humans and must be destroyed.

On top of all that, Evie’s prom is coming up. She’s not sure what to wear, and, oh, yeah, her shape-shifting boyfriend, Lend, has been cursed so that he falls into an enchanted sleep whenever he and Evie are in the same room…and even Evie’s ex-boyfriend, the faerie Reth, can’t reverse the dark magic.

An epic battle is looming, and the choices Evie makes will determine the fate of whole paranormal world—and her own life.

My rating: ★★★★☆
And we have come to the conclusion of the series. A series I started 7 years ago and have only finished it just now. Heh. Hehe...

Review: Supernaturally (Paranormalcy #2) by Kiersten White

Title: Supernaturally

Series: Paranormalcy #2

Previous book in this series: Paranormalcy

Author: Kiersten White

Publication date: July 2011

Published by: HarperTeen

Source: Library book

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Synopsis:

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be...kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

My rating: ★★★★☆
Evie is trying to live a normal life with Lend. Going to high school, going on dates... just normal teenager stuff. But if you think Evie’s left IPCA behind for good, think again! She starts taking jobs on a case by case basis, with her own rules, but things just go wrong. So much for normal.

Review: Heart of Venom (Elemental Assassin #9) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Heart of Venom

Series: Elemental Assassin #9

Previous books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3) | Tangled Threads (#4) | Spider's Revenge (#5) | By A Thread (#6) | Widow's Web (#7) | Deadly Sting (#8)

Short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5) | Wasted (#2.7) | Tangled Dreams (#3.5) | Tangled Schemes (#3.7) | Spider’s Nemesis (#4.5) | Thread of Death (#5.5) | Carniepunk: Parlor Tricks (#8.1) | Kiss of Venom (#8.5)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publication date: August 2013

Published by: Pocket Books

Source: Library book

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Synopsis:

The hotly anticipated ninth novel in the hugely popular Elemental Assassin series finds Gin Blanco on a dangerous mission to rescue a friend.

When a terror from the past threatens Gin’s friend and body-disposer, Sophia, Gin will stop at nothing to protect her, even if it means walking straight into a killer’s trap. Meanwhile, the rocky romance between Gin and Owen reaches a turning point—can they reunite and rekindle their love? Or will the things Gin has been forced to do in her line of work as the deadly assassin the Spider keep them apart forever? Assuming, that is, she survives long enough to find out...

My rating: ★★★★★
Gin is at Jo-Jo’s hanging out, having a girls day and trying to relax...

I held up my hand. Jo-Jo had painted my short nails a deep, dark red that was definitely my color. If nothing else, it would help hide the blood that was sure to get on my hands the next time some idiot tried to murder me.

Review: Deadly Sting (Elemental Assassin #8) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Deadly Sting

Series: Elemental Assassin #8

Previous books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3) | Tangled Threads (#4) | Spider's Revenge (#5) | By A Thread (#6) | Widow's Web (#7)

Short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5) | Wasted (#2.7) | Tangled Dreams (#3.5) | Tangled Schemes (#3.7) | Spider’s Nemesis (#4.5) | Thread of Death (#5.5)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publication date: March 2013

Published by: Pocket Books

Source: Library book

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Synopsis:

Red is definitely my color. Good thing, because in my line of work, I end up wearing it a lot.

Most people shy away from blood, but for an assassin like me— Gin Blanco, aka the Spider—it’s just part of the job. Still, it would be nice to get a night off, especially when I’m attending the biggest gala event of the summer at Briartop, Ashland’s fanciest art museum. But it’s just not meant to be. For this exhibition of my late nemesis’s priceless possessions is not only the place to be seen, but the place to be robbed and taken hostage at gunpoint as well. No sooner did I get my champagne than a bunch of the unluckiest thieves ever burst into the museum and started looting the place.

Unlucky why? Because I brought along a couple of knives in addition to my killer dress. Add these to my Ice and Stone magic, and nothing makes me happier than showing the bad guys why red really is my color

My rating: ★★★★★
In this installment of Elemental Assassin, Gin goes to this gala to check out all of Mab Monroe’s stuff being put on display. Not willingly, mind you. Finn begs her to come with him, and Gin being the awesome sister that she is, agrees to go with him. What she doesn’t expect is to run into trouble at the museum. This poor assassin just can’t catch a break. But too bad for the thieves that decided to hold up the museum, because they just messed with the wrong assassin. The Spider.

Review: Widow's Web (Elemental Assassin #7) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Widow's Web

Series: Elemental Assassin #7

Previous books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3) | Tangled Threads (#4) | Spider's Revenge (#5) | By A Thread (#6)

Short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5) | Wasted (#2.7) | Tangled Dreams (#3.5) | Tangled Schemes (#3.7) | Spider’s Nemesis (#4.5) | Thread of Death (#5.5)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publication date: August 2012

Published by: Pocket Books

Source: Own paperback

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Synopsis:

I used to murder people for money, but lately it’s become more of a survival technique.

Once an assassin, always an assassin. So much for being plain old Gin Blanco. With every lowlife in Ashland gunning for me, I don’t need another problem, but a new one has come to town anyway. Salina might seem like a sweet Southern belle, but she’s really a dangerous enemy whose water elemental magic can go head-to-head with my own Ice and Stone power. Salina also has an intimate history with my lover, Owen Grayson, and now that she’s back, she thinks he’s hers for the taking. Salina’s playing a mysterious game that involves a shady local casino owner with a surprising connection to Owen. But they call me the Spider for a reason. I’m going to untangle her deadly scheme, even if it leaves my love affair hanging by a thread.

My rating: ★★★★★
Owen’s old flame, Salina, is back to not only wreak havoc in town, but also in Gin and Owen’s relationship. I loved this book, but it seriously broke my heart.

Review: By a Thread (Elemental Assassin #6) by Jennifer Estep

Title: By a Thread

Series: Elemental Assassin #6

Previous books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3) | Tangled Threads (#4) | Spider's Revenge (#5)

Short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5) | Wasted (#2.7) | Tangled Dreams (#3.5) | Tangled Schemes (#3.7) | Spider’s Nemesis (#4.5) | Thread of Death (#5.5)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publication date: February 2012

Published by: Pocket Books

Source: Own paperback

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Synopsis:

When killing people is your job, there's no such thing as a vacation.

Then again, how often does an assassin live long enough to enjoy her retirement? In this line of work, you either get lucky or you get dead. And since I destroyed my nemesis Mab Monroe a few weeks ago, all of Ashland's lowlifes are gunning to make a name for themselves by taking out the lethal Spider—me, Gin Blanco. So I'm leaving behind my beloved barbecue joint and heading south with my baby sister, Bria, to cool my heels in a swanky beach town. Call it a weekend of fun in the sun. But when a powerful vampire with deadly elemental magic threatens an old friend of Bria's, it looks like I'll have to dig my silverstone knives out of my suitcase after all. Complicating matters further is the reappearance of Detective Donovan Caine, my old lover. But Donovan is the least of my problems. Because this time, the danger is hot on my trail, and not even my elemental Ice and Stone magic may be enough to save me from getting buried in the sand—permanently.

My rating: ★★★★★
Gin and Bria go off on vacation to the town where Bria grew up, but poor girls can’t catch a break from trouble. Bria’s best friend is in trouble so, of course, Gin lends her brand of help against the awful vampire that is tormenting Bria’s friend Callie. Looks like there’s no such thing as a vacation for this assassin.

Review: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Prince

Series: The Infernal Devices #2

Previous book in this series: Clockwork Angel

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publication date: December 2011

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Own Hardcover

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Synopsis:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

My rating: ★★★★★

Tessa’s brother, Nate, had once promised her everything in London—a new beginning, a wonderful place to live, a city of soaring buildings and gorgeous parks. What Tessa had found instead was horror and betrayal, and danger beyond anything she could have imagined.

The Shadowhunters of London are still out looking for Mortmain and stop him from achieving his plan with the Internal Devices. However, what they have found is even more betrayal.

I love this series, but the love triangle just hurts my soul so much! You all know how much I despise love triangles, they are messy, and the one in this one..

Review: Tangled Schemes (Elemental Assassin #3.7) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Tangled Schemes

Series: Elemental Assassin #3.7

Previous short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5) | Wasted (#2.7) | Tangled Dreams (#3.5)

Books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3) | Tangled Threads (#4)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publication date: 2011

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: Free on author's site

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Synopsis:

This short story spans a period of time starting from the last chapter of Spider’s Bite and ending right before the beginning of Tangled Threads. It’s told from Detective Bria Coolidge’s point of view and shows her search for her long-lost sister Genevieve Snow. What Bria doesn’t know is what she’s going to do about the fact that Genevieve also happens to be the assassin the Spider.

My rating: ★★★★★
Tangled Schemes is told in Bria’s POV. Bria is Gin’s baby sister, if you don’t remember. This short story doesn't actually take place between any two books, like the other short stories tend to. This one spans from book 1 (Spider’s Bite) all the way up to just before that start of book 4 (Tangled Threads), and it shows Bria’s search for her sister Genevieve who she actually thought was dead, until recently. Little does Bria know that she is closer to her sister than she can imagine. But Bria does learn one astonishing thing about her big sister...

Review: Wasted (Elemental Assassin #2.7) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Wasted

Series: Elemental Assassin #2.7

Previous short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5)

Books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publication date: 2011

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: Free on author's site

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Synopsis:

This short story takes place in between the events of Web of Lies and Venom. One day, a beautiful woman walks into the bank where Finn works, and trouble soon follows.

My rating: ★★★★☆
When a beautiful woman walks into the bank that Finn works at, you know he won’t be able to resist her. But this woman might be more trouble than Finn could possible expect.

This short story takes place between book 2, Web of Lies, and book 3, Venom, and is told in Finn’s POV! I love Finn! I totally forgot how brilliant and badass he was! The man can fight and and kick some serious ass! Of course, then I remembered that his dad is an assassin, so... duh. Lol. But seriously, he surprised me in this.

Review: Web of Death (Elemental Assassin #1.5) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Web of Death

Series: Elemental Assassin #1.5

Previous short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5)

Books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publication date: 2011

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: Free on author's site

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Synopsis:

This short story takes place after the events of Spider’s Bite but before the beginning of Web of Lies. In "Web of Death," Gin Blanco’s retirement is interrupted by some unwanted guests.

My rating: ★★★★★
Web of Death takes place between book 1 (Spider’s Bite) and book 2 (Web of Lies) and is told in Gin’s POV.

Gin is now officially retired as an assassin and is moving into her new place when all of a sudden she is interrupted by a scream coming from the surrounding forest. To check it out, or not to check it out...

Review: Spider's Bargain (Elemental Assassin #0.5) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Spider's Bargain

Series: Elemental Assassin #0.5

Previous short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2)

First book in this series: Spider's Bite

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publication date: 2011

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: Free on author's site

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Synopsis:

This short story takes place before the events of Spider’s Bite, the first book in the Elemental Assassin series. In "Spider’s Bargain," Gin Blanco takes on a corrupt cop, but only one of them will be left standing in the end.

My rating: ★★★★☆
Spider’s Bargain takes place right before book one, Spider’s Bite and it is told in Gin’s POV. This assignment has Gin going after a corrupt cop who doesn’t know how to take ‘no’ for a goddamn answer. Not only is he abusing his power, but the things he has done—

Review: Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales by Kiersten White

Title: Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales

Author: Kiersten White

Publication date: July 2017

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Own Hardcover

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Synopsis:

Once upon a time, a girl skipped into the forest and became a zombie.

Wait, no, that's not how this story is supposed to go. Let's try again.

Once upon a time, a boy did a horrible job as a sheep-sitter and burned his tongue on stolen pie.

No, children in these stories are always good and virtuous. From the top.

Once upon a time, a king and queen tried to find a princess for their son to marry, and he wound up fleeing from a group of very hairy vampires.

Hmmm...

What about, once upon a time, a bunch of fairy tales got twisted around to be completely hilarious, a tiny bit icky, and delightfully spooky scarytales... in other words, exactly what fairy tales were meant to be. Grab some flaming torches, maybe don't accept that bowl of pease porridge, and get ready for a wickedly fun ride with acclaimed author Kiersten White and fairy tales like you've never heard them before.

My rating: ★★★★★

Vampires and Zombies and Stepmothers, Oh my!

I can always count on Kiersten White for a fun, humorous read, and this was no exception! While yes it is an MG novel, I do like to read them every once in awhile, and this one was amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Review: Poison (Elemental Assassin #0.1) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Poison

Series: Elemental Assassin #0.1

First book in this series: Spider's Bite

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publication date: 2011

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: Free on author's site

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Synopsis:

This short story takes place when Gin is a teenager and is told from the point of view of Finnegan Lane, Gin’s foster brother.

My rating: ★★★★☆
Finn’s POV, yay! So Finn is Gin’s foster brother, I guess you could say. She grew up with him after Fletcher, Finn’s dad, took her in when her own family was murdered. In this short story Finn finds himself in a bit of trouble, but don’t worry, Gin to the rescue!

Review: Shutter by Courtney Alameda

Title: Shutter

Author: Courtney Alameda

Publication date: February 2015

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Owned Hardcover

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Synopsis:

Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat—a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. As one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing lineage, she has trained since childhood to destroy monsters both corporeal and spiritual: the corporeal undead go down by the bullet, the spiritual undead by the lens. With an analog SLR camera as her best weapon, Micheline exorcises ghosts by capturing their spiritual energy on film. She's aided by her crew: Oliver, a techno-whiz and the boy who developed her camera's technology; Jude, who can predict death; and Ryder, the boy Micheline has known and loved forever.

When a routine ghost hunt goes awry, Micheline and the boys are infected with a curse known as a soulchain. As the ghostly chains spread through their bodies, Micheline learns that if she doesn't exorcise her entity in seven days or less, she and her friends will die. Now pursued as a renegade agent by her monster-hunting father, Leonard Helsing, she must track and destroy an entity more powerful than anything she's faced before . . . or die trying.

Lock, stock, and lens, she’s in for one hell of a week.

My rating: ★★★★☆
I was very excited to read this one because it just sounded so amazing! I mean, not only was it horror, but it involved descendants of Van Helsing! How awesome does that sound?

Review: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Spell Bound

Series: Hex Hall #3

Previous books in this series: Hex Hall (#1) | Demonglass (#2)

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publication date: March 2012

Published by: Disney Hyperion

Source: Library book

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Synopsis:

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

My rating: ★★★★☆
I love anything witchy and magical, and Spell Bound was just a fun read! This whole series was amazing! Snarky Sophie and swoon-worthy Archer... LOVE! There were a lot of surprising twists and turns in the story, which I loved. And it was just a fantastic ending to the series, but it makes me sad! *cries*

Review: The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

Title: The Reformed Vampire Support Group

Author: Catherine Jinks

Publication date: September 2010

Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers

Source: Own paperback

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Synopsis:

Think vampires are romantic, sexy, and powerful? Think again. Vampires are dead. And unless they want to end up staked, they have to give up fanging people, admit their addiction, join a support group, and reform themselves.

Nina Harrison, fanged at fifteen and still living with her mother, hates the Reformed Vampire Support Group meetings every Tuesday night. Even if she does appreciate Dave, who was in a punk band when he was alive, nothing exciting ever happens. That is, until one of group members is mysteriously destroyed by a silver bullet. With Nina (determined to prove that vamps aren't useless or weak) and Dave (secretly in love with Nina) at the helm, the misfit vampires soon band together to track down the hunter, save a werewolf, and keep the world safe from the likes of themselves.

My rating: ★★★☆☆
This had a very interesting concept--I mean, a Reformed Vampire Support Group? What? Haha. However, I found it all to be... underwhelming. The way the vampires are portrayed all sickly-like... I get it, really. Vampirism being more of an illness, I appreciate the different take, but it was just a bit disappointing. Though I admit I might be a bit biased since I’m not exactly the biggest vampire fan. I did, actually, liked Nina’s fiction character (she’s a writer!), the vampire Zadia Bloodstone, so much better! She was pretty badass! But the characters themselves in this particular novel... they were okay, though none really stood out to me. This seems to be the norm for me with standalone novels.

Review: Valentine's Day Sucks by Juli Alexander

Title: Valentine's Day Sucks

Author: Juli Alexander

Publication date: January 2012

Published by: Juli Alexander

Source: Own e-book

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Buy it: Amazon, it's FREE! (As of date posted)

Synopsis:

Who would have thought that a night of babysitting could change her life forever?

Since his little sister bit her in November, Matt Johnson has kept her alive. Only Natalie could have a hot guy climb through her bedroom window every night and have it mean absolutely nothing romantic. Natalie works hard to hide her crush on Matt because the last thing this newly-turned vampire needs to deal with is a broken heart. Her insecurities about Matt come to a head when the mothers insist on them going to the Valentine's dance together. Will this Valentine's Day suck worse than all her previous Valentine's days?

My rating: ★★★★★
Another (surprisingly) fun short story. I say surprisingly because I don't read many short stories... I love my full length novels, especially if they're a series! I also say surprisingly because I'm not a big vampire fan, but seeing as how I pretty much love everything Juli Alexander writes, I decided to give this a shot.

Review: Spider’s Revenge (Elemental Assassin #5) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Spider’s Revenge

Series: Elemental Assassin #5

Previous books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3) | Tangled Threads (#4)

Short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5) | Wasted (#2.7) | Tangled Dreams (#3.5) | Tangled Schemes (#3.7) | Spider’s Nemesis (#4.5)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publication date: September 2011

Published by: Pocket Books

Source: Library book

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Synopsis:

Old habits die hard for assassins.

And I plan on murdering someone before the night is through.

Killing used to be my regular gig, after all. Gin Blanco, aka the Spider, assassin-for-hire. And I was very, very good at it. Now, I’m ready to make the one hit that truly matters: Mab Monroe, the dangerous Fire elemental who murdered my family when I was thirteen. Oh, I don’t think the mission will be easy, but turns out it’s a bit more problematic than expected. The bitch knows I’m coming for her. So now I’m up against the army of lethal bounty hunters Mab hired to track me down. She also put a price on my baby sister’s head. Keeping Bria safe is my first priority. Taking Mab out is a close second. Good thing I’ve got my powerful Ice and Stone magic—and my irresistible lover, Owen Grayson—to watch my back. This battle has been years in the making, and there’s a good chance I won’t survive. But if I’m going down, then Mab’s coming with me . . . no matter what I have to do to make that happen.

My rating: ★★★★★
Finally, the fight we've all been waiting for: The Spider vs Mab Monroe!

Review: Tangled Threads (Elemental Assassin #4) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Tangled Threads

Series: Elemental Assassin #4

Previous books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3)

Short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5) | Wasted (#2.7) | Tangled Dreams (#3.5) | Tangled Schemes (#3.7)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publication date: April 2011

Published by: Pocket Books

Source: Library book

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Synopsis:

I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings.

But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead.

Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too.

The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling... or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead...

My rating: ★★★★★
The war between Mab Monroe and the Spider is finally on.