Attack of the Vampire Snowmen by Benny Alano

Attack of the Vampire Snowmen by Benny Alano

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


With only a few days before the big night, Santa Claus is kidnapped by an army of vampire snowmen; it's up to Laidenn, Claus' only dark elf-in-training, to enlist the help of the living dead elves to defeat the snowmen and bring Claus back.

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I am more than willing to read a Christmas story that detours from the path of "normal" if it is well written. I was intrigued by the idea of vampire snowmen and was willing to read this story with my sense of humor well prepared to be assaulted. Assaulted it was and then some. Vampire elves I can deal with. Vampire snowmen okay. Dark elves no problem, but when I started reading about zombie elves and Santa Flaws it was just too much. The story was not well written, it is definitely not something that I would want any child of mine to read, and it was not even something that I would recommend to adults. The most imaginative part of the story was the fact that there were vampires and zombies, which could have been fun if it was not so stupid! The author did not use his imagination to write this story beyond the creation of the characters. Don't waste your time, even if you picked this up free like I did.



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Flamingo Fatale by Jimmie Ruth Evans

Flamingo Fatale by Jimmie Ruth Evans

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After a full day slinging hash at Kountry Kitchen and then surviving the graveyard shift at Budget Mart, the last thing Wanda Nell Culpepper needs is to to find her no-account ex-husband, Bobby Ray, flashing cash and stirring up trouble. Things can't get much worse—until the next day when she finds her missing pink flamingo stuck in his very dead body.

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This was a good start to a cozy series. The author went a little heavy on the trailer park hick of some of the characters, but overall it was an interesting read. I like the characters and look forward to reading more about them, which is always a good thing in a cozy series.



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The Santa Society by Kristine McCord

The Santa Society by Kristine McCord

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Magic. Myth. Miracles.

They say there is truth in legends.

Last Christmas, Erin came home to be with her dying mother. It's been a year, and Erin can't move on. It's a good thing a behemoth dog named Klaus and Reason-the-handsome-realtor are about to change all that.

When Reason's efforts to help Erin sell her mother's house turn into a series of fiascos, Erin finds herself falling in love with him despite the quirky chaos that follows him. But Reason is more than he seems, and soon Erin is immersed in the clandestine world of the Santa Society, a centuries old secret organization that protects the truth behind Christmas.

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This book started a little slow for me but evolved into a fantastic Christmas romance. I loved the story and all of the twists. Definitely a wonderful Christmas read!!



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Bah, Humbug! (A Christmas Street, #1) by Heather Horrocks

Bah, Humbug! by Heather Horrocks

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Lexi Anderson is an up-and-coming, Martha Stewart-type TV hostess whose two kids love the Jared Strong adventure novels, which happen to be written by their new neighbor, Kyle Miller.
For the first time in his writing career, Kyle has writer's block - until he sees the snowman on his lawn and realizes this is the perfect place for his villain to hide the weapon. He digs into the snowman to discover two things: the weapon fits int he body just under the head, and the snowman was supposed to be the back drop for Lexi's next show.

From this improbable beginning comes friendship. Can there be more for a woman who is afraid to get close again and a man who has shadows from his childhood?

Families join together and hearts are healed as this couple goes walking in a winter wonderland.

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This was a heartwarming Christmas romance. I see that the author has a couple of cozy mysteries that I will check out as well. Quick, sweet read to put you in the Christmas mood.



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Once Upon a Christmas Carol by Pamela Fryer

Once Upon a Christmas Carol by Pamela Fryer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Trey Janssen only wants to settle his late mother's affairs and get back to San Francisco, but he finds himself trapped in the town Christmas literally threw up on when he's arrested for drunk driving—right after a Dickens in the Park actor proclaims he'll be visited by three spirits.

The ghost from his past turns out to be Celia Brown, the innocent Girl Next Door he deflowered before leaving town on a football scholarship. Now he's hoping for a repeat or two of that night, because pretty Celia Brown has something all the nameless, faceless, one-night-stands of his wild pro-athlete lifestyle didn't—but it will take ghost number two and ghost number three to show him exactly what that something is.

Warning: Once Upon a Christmas Carol will make you crave eggnog, sugar cookies, and a kiss from your sweetie under the mistletoe. If you’re a fan of Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Bond and Nancy Warren, you won’t want to miss Pamela Fryer’s magical romances set in the mountain town of Welcome, California.

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Very enjoyable Christmas Carol romance. Enjoyable characters and writing that kept me wanting to read. Will definitely look up more books by this author.



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Magic Rises (Kate Daniels, #6) by Ilona Andrews

Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them—no matter the cost.

Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.

Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap…

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Another great read in this series. One of my favorite paranormal series. Glad that Kate and Curran are strengthening their relationship and hope that series continues to build.




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Stirred (Jack Daniels Mystery #8) by J.A. Konrath

Stirred by J.A. Konrath

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


They are the very best at what they do. Peerless. Unmatched.Only fate could bring two such extraordinary people together?or the depraved manipulations of a homicidal criminal who takes lives for the sheer pleasure of watching his victims die.Luther Kite is a monster among monsters, growing increasingly bored with his kills. So he sets his sights on the one adversary who can offer him a true challenge: Lt. Jacqueline ?Jack? Daniels, the best homicide detective to ever come out of the Chicago PD. Jack has brought the city's most notorious criminals to their knees. But now she may die on hers, in a specially crafted hell Luther Kite has been building for years. Trapped in a nightmare from which none have escaped, Jack has never been so close to death...nor had so much to live for.Fast-paced, suspenseful, and darkly comic, Stirred brings J.A. Konrath's Jack Daniels series and Blake Crouch's Luther Kite series to a riveting, heart-stopping conclusion.


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First I need to say that while the Forward in this book says that no prior knowledge of the Jack Daniels series by Konrath or the Luther Kite series by Crouch is necessary before reading this book, I personally think that it is a good idea to have already read them both. I found this to be a satisfying ending to the Jack Daniels series (though I am one of those fans who would not mind one bit if Konrath wrote another book in the series)but I would very much have liked to have already read the Crouch series before reading this book. I had them on my wishlist but now I think that I will probably not bother as I feel like I would not enjoy them as much when I already know what the conclusion is going to be.

I will however be searching high and low for any and all books/stories that contain even a glimmer of konrath's Jack Daniels characters in the future!

Konrath has definitely made me a fan!!

One aspect of this book that I loved is the ability to hyperlink characters and events to the descriptions and explanations contained at the end of the book. I think that this is a fabulous feature that ebooks are able to offer over paper/ink books.



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Shaken (Jack Daniels Mystery, #7) by J.A. Konrath

Shaken by J.A. Konrath

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Chicago cop Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels has chased, and caught, dozens of dangerous criminals over the course of her career. But she's about to meet her match.
When Jack wakes up in a storage locker, bound and gagged, she knows with chilling certainty who her abductor is.

He's called "Mr. K." More than two hundred homicides have been attributed to him. His victims have died in the most horrible ways imaginable. He's the essence of evil. Some think he's just an urban legend. But he's real. Jack has tangled with him twice in the past, and both times he managed to slip away.

Now Jack will finally have a chance to confront the maniac she's been hunting for over twenty-five years. Unfortunately, it won't be on her terms. In less than two hours, Mr. K is going to do to Jack what he's done to countless others. And Jack is going to learn that sometimes the good guys don't win...



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I was a little concerned about the three different time lines, but it really worked well. In fact I would be willing to say that it increased the suspense three fold.

I love this series and I am going to be sad to read the last book, but I am thrilled to know that there are so many short stories that include Jack, Harry, Herb and Phin. I am looking forward to reading each and every one of them!!

This book gave us a lot of background for Jack and how she has been involved with some of the killers who have been featured in these books as well as some from other books.As always the action is non-stop and I found myself holding my breath as I turned the page to see how Jack was going to survive (though I never had any doubt that she would, with the help of her friends).



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