Fallen Too Far (Too Far, #1) by Abbi Glines

To want what you’re not supposed to have…

She is only nineteen.

She is his new stepfather’s daughter.

She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother.

But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no.

Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that…

Blaire just may have fallen too far.

• Genre: Romance, Drama
• Age: New adult / Mature Young adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read from April 11 to 12, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★/★★★★★

Come Alive (Experiment in Terror, #7) by Karina Halle

It’s one thing to bring the woman you love back into your life. It’s another to try and keep her there. For Dex Foray, con­vinc­ing Perry Palomino to open her­self to their bur­geon­ing rela­tion­ship has been more chal­leng­ing than hunt­ing ghosts, bat­tling demons and stalk­ing Sasquatch com­bined. 

Add in the fact that the only way they can keep their Exper­i­ment in Ter­ror show run­ning is to take on a third part­ner in the form of the mys­te­ri­ous Max­imus Jacobs — all while inves­ti­gat­ing a sin­is­ter voodoo sect in New Orleans — and you’ve got the per­fect South­ern storm and a recipe for dis­as­ter.

 Luck­ily, Dex has never been one to back down, even when his life –and heart — are on the line.

Come Alive is told from Dex’s POV.

• Genre: Horror, Paranormal Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Supernatural
• Age: adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read from June 23 to 25, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★★/★★★★★

Sins & Needles (The Artists Trilogy #1) by Karina Halle

Ellie Watt is used to starting over. The daughter of a grifting team, Ellie spent her childhood being used as a pawn in her parents' latest scam. Now she’s much older, wiser and ready to give her con artist life a rest. But returning to the dry desert town of Palm Valley, California means one more temptation than she bargained for – Camden McQueen. Once known as the high school weirdo, Camden is bigger and badder than the boy he used to be and a talented tattoo artist with his own thriving business. Ellie’s counting on Camden still being in love with her but what she’s not counting on is how easily unrequited love can turn into obsession over time. When Camden discovers Ellie’s plan to con him, he makes her a deal she doesn’t dare refuse, but her freedom comes with a price and it’s one that takes both Ellie and Camden down a dangerous road.

• Genre: Romance, Mystery, Suspense
• Age: adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read from January 29 to February 01, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★★/★★★★★

On Every Street (The Artists Trilogy #0.5) by Karina Halle

When young con artist Ellie Watt decides to call herself Eden White and go after the drug lord who ruined her as a child, she never expects to fall for one of his henchmen. But Javier Bernal is no ordinary man. Subtly dangerous and overwhelmingly seductive, Eden finds herself passionately in love with Javier, the very person she's set-up to betray. With her body and heart in a heated battle against her deep need for revenge, no one will walk away from this con a winner.

This 50K word (100+ pages) novella takes place six years before Sins & Needles. It can be read before or after Sins & Needles and may also be read as a standalone.

• Genre: Romance, Mystery, Suspense
• Age: mature young adult / adult
• Source: ARC for review
• Read from March 06 to 07, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★/★★★★★

And With Madness Comes the Light (Experiment in Terror #6.5) by Karina Halle

The Man. The Mystery. The Madness.

Dex Foray has never been anyone’s fool – until he missed his chance for happiness with Perry Palomino. Broken and alone, Dex has no choice but to rise from the ashes Perry left behind and find his own path to redemption. But nothing in Dex’s life has ever come easily, especially when there’s a dark madness waiting in the wings.

Told from Dex’s POV, And With Madness Comes the Light is short story/novella that spans the time period from the end of Lying Season (Book #4) until the end of On Demon Wings (Book #5). If you were ever wondering what really happened to Dex while Perry was gone - his journey to Dex 2.0 - now is your chance.

• Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Mystery, Paranormal Romance
• Age:  adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read in February 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★★/★★★★★

Into the Hollow (Experiment in Terror #6) by Karina Halle

Perry Palomino has fought her demons – and won – but the battle is far from over. She’s now left broken and on her own, leaving behind her life and family in Portland to focus on giving Dex Foray – and the Experiment in Terror show – a second chance. 

But their past mistakes continue to tease and test their relationship, as does the wild and desolate terrain of the Canadian Rockies.

The snow-covered peaks and ravenous forests hide an urban legend too unbelievably frightening to be true and the only way the duo has a chance of surviving is if Perry can let in the very man who sent her to hell and back.

• Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Mystery, Paranormal Romance
• Age:  adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read from February 20 to 21, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★★/★★★★★

The Dex-Files (Experiment in Terror, #5.7) by Karina Halle

The truth is out there...

The Dex-Files is a compilation novel that accompanies the Experiment in Terror Series and is not to be-read as a stand-alone. In the Dex-Files we find a variety of scenes and chapters from the enigmatic Dex Foray's POV from books #1-6 in the series.

Some of these scenes have been previously published, albeit from Perry's POV, while other scenes are completely new.

In addition to it not being a stand-alone, the novel also contains some major spoilers and should be read only by those who have read all the published books in the series.

• Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Mystery, Paranormal Romance
• Age:  adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• note: short story 
• Read from February 19 to 21, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★★/★★★★★

Old Blood (Experiment in Terror, #5.5) by Karina Halle

 

 A haunting novella from the Experiment in Terror Series...

From her harrowing introduction in Darkhouse, the spectre known as “Creepy Clown Lady” has been a constant fixture in Perry Palomino’s life. But beyond the horrid makeup and piercing stare lies Pippa, a woman just like everyone else.

Well, not quite.

When Perry discovered Pippa’s message to her and Dex on the EVP recordings, she thought she heard the last of the old woman’s message. She was wrong. In the novella Old Blood, Pippa relays the tale of her troubled and tortured past, revealing how an aspiring actress and loving mother fell into madness and how an unfathomable betrayal led to her untimely death.

For Perry, the repercussions of her message are life-shattering.

Old Blood is #5.5 in the series and occurs between books #5 On Demon Wings and #6 Into the Hollow

• Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Mystery
• Age: mature young adult / adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read in February, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★/★★★★★

On Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror #5) by Karina Halle

When the life you wanted has crumbled beneath your fingers, there’s nothing left to do but pick up the pieces and soldier on. You’ve done this before.

But what happens when you no longer feel like yourself anymore? When fires spontaneously start-up around you, when you hear growling coming from underneath your bed, and you no longer recognize your face in the mirror. What happens then?

Ghost-hunter Perry Palomino doesn’t have much time to find out. Now, the evil she used to hunt is a lot closer to home. It’s inside of her, taking over her life bit-by-terrifying bit, and there’s only one person who can help her.

If part of her doesn’t kill him first.

• Genre: Paranormal Romance, Horror, Supernatural, Mystery
• Age: mature young adult / adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read from February 17 to 18, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★/★★★★★

Lying Season (Experiment in Terror #4) by Karina Halle

Ama­teur ghost-hunter Perry Palomino has bat­tled ghosts, fought off skin­walk­ers and skirted the fine line between life and death. 

But can she sur­vive bunk­ing down in Seat­tle for a week with her partner (and man she secretly loves) Dex and his perfect girl­friend, Jennifer? 

And can she do so while being tor­mented by a mali­cious spirit from Dex’s increas­ingly shady past? 

With love and life in the bal­ance, Perry must dis­cover the truth among the lies or risk los­ing every­thing she's ever cared about.

• Genre: Paranormal Romance, Horror, Supernatural, Mystery
• Age: new adult / adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read from February 16 to 17, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★★/★★★★★

Dead Sky Morning (Experiment in Terror #3) by Karina Halle

With the Experiment in Terror show finding some success, amateur ghost hunters Perry Palomino and Dex Foray embark on their most terrifying investigation yet. 

A tiny, fog-shrouded island in the rough strait between British Columbia and Washington State has held a dark secret for decades: It was a former leper colony where over forty souls were left to rot, die and bury each other. 

Now a functioning campground, Perry and Dex spend an isolated weekend there to investigate potential hauntings but as the duo quickly find out, there is more to fear on D’Arcy Island than just ghosts. 

The island quickly pits partner against partner, spiraling the pair into madness that serves to destroy their sanity, their relationship and their very lives.

• Genre: Paranormal Romance, Horror, Supernatural, Mystery
• Age: mature young adult / adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read from February 14 to 16, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★/★★★★★

The Benson (Experiment in Terror #2.5) by Karina Halle

A short, sexy and scary read.

The Benson hotel in Portland, Oregon might look like your ordinary, swanky turn-of-the century hotel, but deep in the heart of this historic icon, lie a few restless souls with secrets that won't stay buried.

Amateur ghost hunters (and your favorite "will they or won't they" pair) Perry Palomino and Dex Foray spend an evening exploring the hotel for their Internet show "Experiment in Terror" - but this is no ordinary hotel and this is no ordinary episode. There's someone here in the Benson, someone dead, who will push the boundaries of what the duo know about ghosts and challenge Perry's very notion of the truth.

The Benson is a short novella in the Experiment in Terror Series. It occurs between books #2 (Red Fox) and #3 (Dead Sky Morning) but can also be read as a standalone and is the perfect primer for anyone interested in the best-selling series.

• Genre: Paranormal, Horror, Supernatural, Mystery
• Creatures: ghosts
• Age: mature young adult / adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Note: short story
• Read in February 13, 2013
   

FINAL RATING: ★★★★/★★★★★

Red Fox (Experiment in Terror #2) by Karina Halle

 

With Book Two of the Experiment in Terror Series, Perry Palomino and Dex Foray trade in the stormy Oregon coast for the unforgiving deserts of New Mexico.

In the for­got­ten town of Red Fox, a Navajo cou­ple is tor­tured by things unseen and by motives unknown. Wild ani­mals slink through their house in the dark, a bar­rage of stones pound their roof nightly, and muti­lated sheep car­casses are turn­ing up on their prop­erty. Armed with a cam­era and just enough to go on, Perry and Dex travel to the des­o­late locale, hop­ing to film the super­nat­ural occur­rences and add cred­i­bil­ity to their flail­ing web­cast. 

Only their show has a lot more work­ing against them than just grow­ing pains. Tested by dubi­ous ranch hands, a ghost from Dex’s past, and shapeshift­ing decep­tion, the ama­teur ghost hunters must learn to trust each other in order to fight the most ancient of myths…or die trying.

• Genre: Paranormal, Horror, Supernatural, Mystery
• Age: mature young adult / adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read from February 11 to 13, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★/★★★★★

Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror, #1) by Karina Halle

 

Enter the world of the highly-acclaimed Experiment in Terror Series by visiting...the Darkhouse:

There’s always been something a bit off about Perry Palomino. Though she’s been dealing with a quarter-life crisis and post-college syndrome like any other twenty-something, she’s still not what you would call “ordinary.” For one thing, there’s her past which she likes to pretend never happened, and then there’s the fact that she sees ghosts.

Luckily for her, that all comes in handy when she stumbles across Dex Foray, an eccentric producer for an upcoming webcast on ghost hunters. Even though the show’s budget is non-existent and Dex himself is a maddening enigma, Perry is instantly drawn into a world that both threatens her life and seduces her with a sense of importance. Her uncle’s haunted lighthouse provides the perfect catalyst and backdrop for a mystery that unravels the threads of Perry’s fragile sanity and causes her to fall for a man, who, like the most dangerous of ghosts, may not be all that he seems.

• Genre: Paranormal, Horror, Supernatural, Mystery
• Age: mature young adult / adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read from February 8 to 11, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★/★★★★★

Harbour Falls (A Harbour Falls Mystery #1) by S.R. Grey

Best-selling author Maddy Fitch, researching material for a new novel, returns to her hometown of Harbour Falls to investigate a disappearance that has haunted the tiny Maine coastal town for the past four years. 

Maddy soon discovers that the case has gone cold, but the prime suspect, Adam Ward, is hotter than ever. Now living on an isolated island, Maddy takes up residence near the sexy Mr. Ward's home. As she begins to seek out answers, the mystery deepens, putting Maddy in jeopardy. 

Lies, secrets, deceptions. Nothing is ever what it seems in Harbour Falls.

A steamy novel that immerses the reader in an intricate storyline that will keep them glued till the very last page.

• Genre: Contemporary romance, Suspense, Mystery
• Age: Adult
• Source: owned ebook
• Read from March 05 to 09, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★☆/★★★★★

Willow Point (A Harbour Falls Mystery #2) by S.R. Grey

 

With the Harbour Falls Mystery solved, author Maddy Fitch hopes secrets and lies are behind her. But a cryptic letter from her former best friend would seem to indicate otherwise. Is the man Maddy fell in love with while solving the Harbour Falls Mystery, the gorgeous and rich Adam Ward, keeping a damning and potentially dangerous secret from her? Only the writer of the letter, Ami Hensley, knows for sure. But Maddy is hesitant to confront her, since the last time they saw one another Ami tried to kill her.

But if Maddy wants answers--ones that could potentially save Adam--then she must face her fears and visit her former friend. Unfortunately for Maddy, Ami is currently locked up in the creepiest place in Maine, an old gothic structure that houses the criminally insane, known simply as Willow Point.

Will this new mystery tear Maddy and Adam apart?
Who else is in on Adam's secret?

And will Maddy find the answers before it's too late?

Another heart-stopping page turner from the author of Harbour Falls. Willow Point promises to keep you on the edge of your seat.

• Genre: Contemporary romance, Suspense, Mystery
• Age: Adult
• Source: ARC, courtesy of the author S.R. Grey in exchange for an honest review 
• Read from April 20 to 21, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★☆/★★★★★

Light in the Shadows (Find You in the Dark, #2) by A. Meredith Walters

How do you keep going when you feel like your life is over?

Maggie never thought she’d see Clay again. So, she attempts to put her life back together after her heart has been shattered to pieces. Moving on and moving forward, just as Clay wanted her to.

Clay never stopped thinking of Maggie. Even after ripping their lives apart and leaving her behind to get the help he so desperately needed. He is healing...slowly. But his heart still belongs to the girl who tried to save him.

When a sudden tragedy brings Maggie and Clay face to face again, nothing is the same. Yet some things never change. Can the darkness that threatened to consume them be transformed into something else and finally give them what they always wanted? And can two people who fought so hard to be together, finally find their happiness? Or will their demons and fear drive them apart for good?

The thing about love, is even when it destroys you, it has a way of mending what is broken. And in the shadows, you can still see the light.

• Genre: Contemporary romance, Dark, Drama
• Age: new adult / high school
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read from April 15 to 16, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★/★★★★★

Find You in the Dark (Find You in the Dark #1) by A. Meredith Walters

 

Maggie Young had the market on normal. Normal friends, normal parents, normal grades...normal life. 

Until him.
Clayton Reed was running from his past and an army of personal demons that threatened to take him down. He never thought he had a chance at happiness.

Until her.
Maggie thought their love could overcome anything. Clay thought she was all he needed to fix his messy life.
That together, they could face the world.
But the darkness is always waiting. 

Sometimes the greatest obstacle to true love is within yourself.

• Genre: Contemporary romance, Dark, Drama
• Age: new adult / high school
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read from April 14 to 15, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★★/★★★★★

The Space Between (The Book of Phoenix, #1) by Kristie Cook

 When Life Falls to Pieces, Answers Lie in the Space Between

After a month-long dance tour through Italy, 20-year-old Leni Drago returns to Georgia to care for her great-uncle, only to find him gone, the home they shared empty and any evidence he ever existed wiped out. All that’s left is a journal she can’t open.

Jeric Winters has been searching for a piece of his past for over a year, only to reach a dead-end in Georgia. When an urgent and magnetic pull draws him out of his hotel room, he comes face-to-face with the beautiful dancer who’s been haunting his dreams day and night.

Jeric’s one to stay away from—a bad-boy, hit-it-and-quit-it type—but Leni can’t escape the fervent feelings between them. As their own existences begin to crumble around them and shadowy forms that are more monsters than men attack, they realize there’s more to the connection between them than physical fascination.

To solve the riddle their lives have become, they must embark on a journey that requires them to face their pasts and release their true souls. And they must do it fast—dark ones from another world are closing in, intent on killing them. Permanently.

• Genre:  Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Mystery
• Age: mature young adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read from April 19 to 21, 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★/★★★★★

Raphael/Parish (Bayou Heat, #1-2) by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright

  

RAPHAEL

The brilliant and dangerous diplomat of the Pantera shapeshifters, Raphael has devoted his life to discovering the key to the infertility that is threatening the extinction of his puma race. Creating a vast network of spies worldwide, he never expected to discover that the answer might be beneath his very nose. But when Ashe, a beautiful human female, crosses his path, his most primitive instincts are stirred. Unable to resist, he takes her to his bed, and is shocked when she becomes pregnant with his child. It’s a miracle that might prove to be the salvation of his people, but only if he can keep her safe from the mercenaries determined to kill her.

PARISH 

Untamed and undeniably sexy, Parish, leader of the Pantera hunters, rarely leaves the magic of the Wildlands to deal with the humans he despises. But with the prized and risky Pantera birth on the way, puma shifter, Parish must travel to New Orleans to find and bring back a human doctor. The moment he sees the lovely, talented and all too human Dr. Julia Cabot he cannot resist the wild, potent drive to make her his. Betrayed and destroyed by love, Julia will not let her heart choose her path again. But as she and Parish fight to save the life of an unborn child, a fierce and overwhelming bond develops between them, threatening her frozen heart with the secret hope and ultimate temptation of love and family.

• Genre: Novella, Erotica, Paranormal Romance
• Age: Adult
• Source: owned ebook 
• Read in January 2013

FINAL RATING: ★★★★☆/★★★★★