Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss

Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss

(BCC)

Annie and Eve are life-long friends who have absolutely nothing in common-except a lack of skill in the kitchen. So when they sign up for a cooking class at the local gourmet shop, they figure the only things at risk are a few innocent fruits and vegetables. But when murder spices up the stew, they find out just how dangerous good food can be...

Cooking and love. Too bad Annie Capshaw stinks at both. Once she almost burnt the house down--boiling a pot of water. And a year ago, her husband ran off with the dry cleaner. Since then, Annie's put love on the back burner and leftover Chinese takeout on the front. Until her bubbly best friend Eve signs them both up for cooking lessons.

On the first night, Annie and Eve see their fellow student Beyla arguing with a man--a man who later turns up dead in the parking lot. Now, with the police bungling the investigation and Beyla acting more suspicious every day, the friends feel bound to uncover whatever secrets she's hiding before someone else's goose, perhaps one of their own, gets cooked.

Sorry there is no clickable link on the author's name. I couldn't find where Bliss has a website, and that almost stopped me from typing up this post. I wonder, why, in this day and age does an author not have a website? It kinda makes me nervous that I've started a new to me series, and maybe, just maybe the author isn't writing anymore? Anyone have any idea? Anyway...

Annie Capshaw has been divorced for a year now, but it's the little things that keep popping up, such as the fact she has no potholders, that keep reminding her of the hurt and betrayal all over again. An organized and logical bank teller, Annie just can't quite figure out how her ex-husband Peter could have been so cruel in leaving her. When her best friend Eve comes over one night and smells something metallic in the air only to discover that Annie has once again burned boiling water, Eve announces that she has enrolled them in a ten day cooking class. Eve figures it's time for Annie to get back out there and try new things and this class seems just the way to do it.

Although Annie has no desire to take the class, she nevertheless shops for the supplies and heads to class with Eve. But when they get there and are almost ran over by a rather large and angry man and the owner of the store the class is being held at is nervous Annie's nerves aren't so much about cooking as they are so much about the weird behavior of those involved. When Eve forgets her watch, a gift from a current boyfriend who she has a lunch date with the next day, the women head back to the school to retrieve it. In the parking lot, they overhear Beyla, an exotic beauty from class arguing and threatening the same large man that had rushed out the door nearly knocking them over before class. When they come back form retrieving the watch and find the man dying in the parking lot.

At first, the death seems to be nothing more than a heart attack. Unfortunately, the police woman that shows up is now the significant other of Tyler, the only man that ever broke Eve's heart, the ladies fudge the truth of the encounter and the few words spoken with the now dead man. When Tyler shows up at cooking class the next day, and informs the class that the man did not simply die of a heart attack but was murdered, then proceeds to tell Eve and Annie they are now lying to him just so Eve can make Tyler look like a fool, the ladies set out to prove, once and for all that they are not liars and they are every bit, if no so much more, smarter than the man that broke Eve's heart.

But being an amateur detective isn't nearly as easy as they first thought, and soon the women find themselves in way over their heads. Exploding stoves, poisoned tomato sauce, and threatening letters soon have the women rushing against the clock to find the killer and save their own hides.

With an extremely good looking cooking instructor making Annie feel something she hasn't felt in a long time and an ever growing list of questions, Annie and Eve have their work cut out for them, in this wonderful first book of the Cooking Class Mystery series.

In my search for more cozy mysteries to read, I came across this series during a B&N search. I loved the cover, it's something about these cartoon covers that I just can't resist, and decided I must give it a go. I am ever so glad I did, and the next book, Murder on the Menu is already in my shopping cart waiting for the next order to go in. Bliss has a way of writing quirky and lovable characters, fast paced dialogue and a mystery with twists and turns that has the reader guessing from start to finish. Cooking is a great addition to any cozy mystery fans library and may even cause a few new readers to the cozy mystery to be hooked as well.

Take Care

Author Promotion Page At Novel Reads Word Press

I've had Novel Reads over on Word Press for quite some time now and I simply put the same post on each site. However, Word Press allows several pages and Blogger does not. I will continue to update both sites when talking about books I've read and any other posts such as my Reader Expectation series but, I wanted to let you know that if you go to the Word Press site I've added a page specifically for Author Promotion. For the most part, any posts on that page will be author or publisher backed. Unless a book is reviewed by me on the home page, I cannot endorse the work.

So, if you are an author or publisher visiting this site and would like to promote your new book or author, click here to see where it will go. Send any promotion or contest information that you would like to run to novelreads at gmail dot com (you know the drill) and I will add it to the site as I receive it or on a date you specify.

If you're simply a reader, be sure to check the page for new books.

Take Care

Bound By Sin by Jenna Maclaine

Her story spans the ages, across centuries and continents. Her powers are immortal, her struggles eternal, her battles legendary. She is the vampire warrior Cin Craven, and this is her story--a breathtaking saga of blood, magic, and desire that is bound to live forever...

Bound By Sin by Jenna Maclaine

(BCC)

As the Civil War rages among mortal men, Cin Craven is locked in an epic battle of her own—fighting the renegade vampires whose unquenchable appetites she knows all too well. At her side are the immortal warriors of The Righteous- among them her husband, her lover, her soul-mate Michael. With a passion bordering on possession, Cin’s love for Michael knows no bounds. But when a ruthless plantation owner kidnaps Cin’s cousin the most terrifying battle of all awaits. Cin is drawn to the irresistible lure of dark magic to stop their enemies, while Michael staunchly opposes it- putting their love and loyalty to the ultimate test.

I know I complain a lot about not having a book store in town but it's just so infuriating, not just because I can't get some of the books I want faster, but also because I find that when I actually make it to a book store and am browsing around I find some really great reads. The first book in this series, Wages of Sin was one such book I found by browsing a book store. The cover drew my attention and so did the fact that it was a new author. I didn't read the BCC, I just grabbed and am so very glad I did.

Cin Craven is a witch turned vampire. But Cin isn't just any witch, she is one of the Macgregor witches, a long and proud line of very gifted witches. In order to save herself and the ones left in her life she loves, Cin must give up her mortal life and become vampire. However, Cin doesn't just become any vampire, she becomes the Red Witch of the Righteous. The Righteous are a small group of vampires, before Cin joined them there were only three. Devlin and his wife Justine and Michael. They are the boogeymen of the boogeymen. Whenever vampires get out of hand The Righteous deal out justice and keep them in line.

Fifty years has passed since Cin became a vampire. After a summoning spell returns Cin to her old home Ravenworth, Cin finds that the last ties she had to her mortal life are gone. All but the children of her dearest friends remain. Cin had been expecting this day to come she just had no idea it would hurt so bad. But she was summoned to Ravenworth for a reason. Her cousin, the current Macgregor witch needs her. It seems that Claire, Cin's cousin has been abducted. The mother does not know exactly why only the who and the fact that he seemed mighty interested in an urn that had been given to Claire.

Claire has been taken to America, somewhere in Savannah, Georgia where the Civil War is in full force. What Cin and Michael find when they arrive is that the man, Adrien Boucher, who has taken Claire is an evil man. He knows what is in that urn and he wants it so that he can win the war for the South. So out to Devil's Island Cin and Michael head. The island has on it a large plantation. One that Boucher married to procure and one that he cannot maintain. The island is also heavily dosed in Black Magic. Cin is no stranger to Black Magic, ever since drinking from a user of those arts she has had it in herself. She fights constantly to keep it at bay, but this island, and one slave Pandora, in particular, calls to that magic hidden deep within her and she fears she may never survive the struggle to keep it hidden.

When Boucher refuses to let them take Claire, Michael and Cin buy the island, which has been heavily mortgaged and kick Boucher out. But Pandora, heavily into the dark arts, is loyal to Boucher, and though she does not leave with him, can they trust that she will not harm Claire in his absence? Also, to Cin's great horror, she realizes she is now the not so proud owner of slaves, and simply setting them free will not be an option that helps anyone.

Bound is a fast paced story, filled with struggles, both internal and external that threaten to tear Cin and the life she has come to love apart at the seams. Maclaine has built a world so incredibly rich and real with people a reader can route for. The struggles they face are common in the most pleasantly uncommon of ways and the way they face them will have readers on the edge of their seats with bated breath.

Vampires, witches, and gods, Oh My! Run, don't walk to your nearest bookseller and pick up a copy today!

Bound by Sin is the third novel in the Cin Craven series, and while it stands alone just fine, trust me, if you haven't yet read the other two you are missing out and once you read Bound, you'll be rushing to get your hands on them.

Take Care

Please don't forget my contest for Kristan Higgins books. Click here for the WordPress post or here for the Blogger one.

the next best thing by Kristan Higgins and Contest

the next best thing by Kristan Higgins

(BCC)

Lucy Lang isn't looking for fireworks...

She's looking for a nice, decent man. Someone who'll mow the lawn, flip chicken on the barbeque, teach their future children to play soccer. But most important... someone who won't inspire the slightest stirring in her heart...or anywhere else. A young widow, Lucy can't risk that kind of loss again. But sharing her life with a cat named Fat Mikey and the Black Widows at the family bakery isn't enough either. So it's goodbye to Ethan, her hot but entirely inappropriate "friend with privileges" and hello to a man she can marry.

Too bad Ethan Mirabelli isn't going anywhere. As far as he's concerned, what she needs might be right under her nose. But can he convince her that the next best thing can really be forever?

Click here to see the book trailer.


I have, numerous times over, confessed my complete and utter fan girl status as far as Higgins is concerned. I LOVE her books. I mean, if I ever, ever get caught some place where I can only take one book (oh the horror!), you can bet your bottom dollar it'll be a Higgins. It was Millie in Fools Rush In that started my love of the newfound author and that sort of love is lasting. So, today as I stared at my already read when the hell are you going to talk about me books and became overwhelmed, I went to Facebook (talk about procrastinator Heaven!) and saw that Higgins posted this little bit - "Oh, happy day! Too Good To Be True is #2 on the Barnes & Noble best-selling e-books, and Just One of the Guys is #10!" and I realized I never did talk about tnbt and that is just wrong. I don't even have my copy here at the house, I've loaned it out to my sister, but I could not believe I was lax in posting about this wonderful book! My sister got a nook for Valentine's Day as did a few friends (and no, that's not a little jealousy you read here, that's a LOT of jealousy!) and then when asked for recommendations, this book was my first one quickly followed by Just One of the Guys. So you get it, right? That I'm total fan girl and that this post is nothing more than a great big gush of gooey fan girl love for Higgins?

The BCC does, as most of Higgins do, a great job at describing the book inside the pages. What we miss here though is that Ethan is not just a "friend with benefits" he is also Lucy's brother in law. There is what would seem a curse on Lucy's family and every woman, her mother included seems to lose her husband, the love of their lives, very early on. Lucy was no exception, and when she lost her Jimmy, her life was shattered (I can so totally see that, too, I mean if anything ever happened to The Hubs, I would be a complete mess, for all of eternity).

As a trained pastry chef, Lucy now works in her families bakery, only she's not the head of pastry, she's the head of bread. While it's still work baking, she feels stifled that she's not making the decadent desserts she was trained for. It's not like she can actually do anything about it either, considering she works with her mother and aunts, The Black Widows and they have far more stock in the Bakery than she. Her late husband was also in the business of cooking, he was a chef at his family restaurant a place Lucy still supplies with bread.

When Lucy's younger sister has a baby though, Lucy decides it's time to move on. She wants to get married again. Have kids of her own. She just doesn't want to love the guy too much. She doesn't want him to do anything dangerous, like jump off cliffs or ride a motorcycle. She doesn't want him to be too funny, too kind, or too charming. She just wants him to be a normal if not a tad dull man that can give her a decent life. In other words, she wants him to be the exact opposite of Ethan, her former brother-in-law turned friend with benefits. In an effort to find said man, she tells Ethan they need to stop sleeping together. Only when things start to change with the friendship and Ethan starts hanging around a woman Lucy cannot stand Lucy starts missing Ethan more than she ever realized possible.

But Lucy can't be with Ethan. Loving him and losing him, like was bound to happen, would be the final nail in her coffin. She would never overcome that loss, and she's not entirely sure she'd ever be able to put Jimmy in the past enough to give Ethan everything he deserves.

the next best thing was so much more than I could have hoped for. I never thought it possible that Chastity and Trevor's story could be matched, but Higgins has once again outdone herself. Filled with heart, heart break, family, loss and love, Higgins shows women of all ages yet again, that life, love and happiness have to be gained from within before we can truly appreciate them.

To truly smile with your whole heart and fall in love all over again, grab a book by Higgins, you will not be disappointed. And, since I've been in a giving kind of mood lately, I'm going to run yet another contest. This one for two of Higgins books. If you already have them all then, if you're the winner, just choose two books by Kristan's fellow Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills pals, and I'll send those to you.

Ways to Enter:

* Comment here or on my WordPress post letting me know you'd like to enter and why you'd love to read one of Higgins books.

* "Friend" me on Facebook and make sure I know you want to have an entry in the contest.

* "Friend" Kristan Higgins on Facebook and then let me know you've done it.

* Spread the word so that I can spread the word about Higgins and the wonderfulness that is her work and let me know where you posted. Each different place will earn you an entry.

It's as simple as that. The contest will run through March 10, one week from today.

Take Care

Reader Expectations: Author and Genre Part 1 Paranormal and Winner Announced

I'm the type of reader that reads across the board, I love YA, Paranormal, Women's Fiction, Romance, Historical, Urban Fantasy, Mystery, you name it, and I’ll read it. I may not read it fast, and I may be known to set it aside and read something else, especially if I find it hard to get into, but I'm a Reader, as almost everyone that visits this blog is, and I'll always, almost always find my way back to the book and finish it.

My love of reading proclamation out of the way though, let me make it clear that I am a Reader of the genre fiction variety. I’ll read the occasional memoir, self-help book, or literary masterpiece (aka, whatever Oprah thinks is good), but my reading tends to be all genre fiction. I love it. I can’t get enough of it. BUT, I hate the genre labels. There are far too many out there and it’s tough to keep up.

When a book has a genre label attached, I find my expectations are different for the book and I tend to compare that author’s work with that of other authors, but not just any authors, my crème de la crème authors. The ones that write books I can’t put down and read a million times over simply because I love them. This is a habit that I cannot—for the life of me—overcome. It can be stifling to the TBR pile and it can—and I’m sure, has—leave me out in the cold when it comes to finding new authors. It’s also left me with the question of whether or not I’m the only one who does this, so I thought that I’d do a series of posts, using different genres, and pose a few questions and share some of my expectations and comparisons.

Paranormal: I use this term loosely, because as far as I’m concerned, if the book has anything to do with "other", regardless of how it is portrayed, I call it Paranormal. It may, in fact, be Urban Fantasy or Sci-Fi, I still stick it with the label Paranormal. My first (well, since I started reading again, I used to read a lot Stephen King and Anne Rice) foray into the Para genre was Laurell K. Hamilton. What an introduction huh? Since I soon became bored with her work, I went on to discover, Charlaine Harris, MaryJanice Davidson, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kim Harrison, Richelle Mead, Gerry Bartlett, Jenna Maclaine the list goes on and on.

Expectations: There will be vampires, witches, weres, mediums, psychics, mythology, angels, demons, something, that is not within societal norms. The protagonist will be strong, both mentally and physically by the end. They don’t necessarily have to start out strong, but they must find a hidden strength or talent that pushes them to do or become something they would never have dreamed of before.

What I Love: I think the thing that keeps me coming back to the Paranormal genre is that other-worldly fantasy. The thought that these different creatures not only exist but co-exist with us and could possibly live in our very neighborhood. The ultimate fight of good versus evil. The idea that an average, every day person finds within themselves or their bloodlines, something that they never knew existed and that struggle to make it all work.

I also very much so, enjoy the erotic feel to many of the books. The sexual connection that is made between the two characters. This is just a side perk to what is normally a very, very well crafted story, but I love it nonetheless. It isn’t a necessity, and I certainly don’t like it when it’s there simply to fill pages (I’ll get to that bit in a second).

What I Hate: I absolutely cannot stand some of the sex for the sake of sex in these books. It’s not just the Paranormal genre this is a problem in, but it sure seems to be a big issue with this genre. I don’t want your forced seduction scenes because your hero is big alpha male that’s had sex with millions of girls and knows what the woman wants better than she does. I don’t want your sex acts that cannot, under any circumstances happen with your average every day human gal, no matter how experienced and limber her partner may be. You cheapen your writing and the genre with these types of scenes and it just absolutely infuriates me.

I don’t want long drawn out self dialogue about some internal conflict your protagonist is having because she may or may not be moral in being or being with one of these “others.” Show me but, for the love of all that is holy, STOP telling me. Fancy prose is okay, but you darn well better move it along. I’m tired of reading twelve pages about the sparkly essence that is your characters sex floating around their head as they perform a magical act. That isn’t to say excessive sex turns me off (hehehe) a book either, there are quite a few books that the sex is a major plot device and when used in that manner and one that makes sense, I don’t mind at all.

In the same way I don’t need sex to make the book enjoyable, I don’t need your blood, gore and violence explicitly laid before me unless it relates to the story and makes a difference. The violence needs to have meaning, it needs to move the story forward—either by taking your protag back a few steps to ultimately move them forward—and not in there simply for the shock factor. You can show me violence but if you’re going to go into graphic detail, there damn well better be a reason.



Where Expectations Bite Me On The Ass: Or the author, take your pick. I’ve named a few favorite authors up there and the problem I find anymore in the Paranormal/UF genres is the comparison factor. Let’s face it, this is a booming genre, and has been for some time. This is a good and bad thing for readers. Good because it guarantees we’ll continue to get new books bad because there are too many books out there and not all of them good. It seems that for a while and possibly still, publishers were in such a hurry to capitalize on the booming genre that they’ve put out an overload of books, and quite frankly, a lot of them are crap.

Now, what I may consider crap, though, is some one elses gold and that’s where I screw myself with comparisons. For instance, if I would pick up a book that is about witches, from page one I would be comparing it to Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan, another series I’ve been with since book one and absolutely adore. In the first couple of chapters this comparison is either going to dissolve away and I’ll be in a new world or the book will fall miserably short. But, every so often, a book will sneak past my preconceived notions and find it’s way to my keeper shelf, such as Jenna Maclaine’s Cin Craven novels and Linda Robertson’s Circle books.

The books that ultimately do make it past my preconceived notions do so because one of a few things happens: Great cover. Great BCC. Fabulous on-line promotion where the book is highly recommended from bloggers I trust. Or even a book gets sent to me to be reviewed and more than once, this has happened and the author gained further sales form me because I bought up their back list.

I’m curious though. Do you have preconceived notions about the Paranormal Genre. Does it hold you back or enable you to more freely explore? If you’re an author what sort of thought do you give some of the things I’ve discussed when writing?

I’ll continue my discussion on genre in a few days with Cozy Mysteries as my target.

Take Care

WINNER ANNOUNCED: Beverly G

Please e-mail me at novelreads at gmail dot com so that I can get the books sent to you ASAP.

truly, madly by Heather Webber and Contest Reminder

truly, madly by Heather Webber

(BCC)

Lucy Valentine is as smart as can be, as single as you can get, and so not qualified to run a matchmaking service. But, when her parents temporarily step down from the family business, Valentine, Inc., it's Lucy's turn to stop up and help out -- in the name of love. Plus, her rent is due.

Here's the problem: Lucy doesn't have the knack for matchmaking. According to family legend, every Valentine has been blessed by Cupid with the ability to read "auras" and pair up perfect couples. But not Lucy. Her skills were zapped away years ago in an electrical surge, and now all she can do is find lost objects. What good is that in the matchmaking world? You'd be surprised. In a city like Boston, everyone's looking for something. So when Lucy locates a missing wedding ring--on a dead body--she asks the sexy private eye who lives upstairs to help her solve the perfect crime. And who knows? Maybe she'll find the perfect love while she's at it...

* This post may include what some would consider spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Sorry for the spoiler alert, and in truth, there may be no true "spoilers" in this post, but just in case, I'd rather be safe than sorry. Lucy Valentine comes from a long line of matchmakers. Like the BCC says, her family believes that they have been given a gift by none other than Cupid himself, and they can see the auras of others and this allows them to match people with their true love. However, it seems that Cupid didn't give the gift free of charge, no not at all, it was accompanied by a curse as well, and for generations, no Valentine has been able to sustain a loving relationship with those of the opposite sex. When her father, the current head of Valentine, Inc. is caught, quite literally, with his pants down with a mistress on the beach when he has a heart attack, her parents decide that it would be best for him to step down for a while and for them both to get out of town while the media circus dies down.

Lucy is a bit reluctant to take charge though, but since she long ago decided not to use her trust fund or accept any financial help from her family, she really has no choice. She's between jobs and she's behind on her rent (she rents from her grandmother, who would never throw her out, but it still bothers her that she's behind). So it is with crazy nerves that she steps in and begins her first day on the job at Valentine, Inc. Thank goodness Suzannah, her father's secretary and all around office manager, is there to help get her going, because Lucy is sure if it weren't for the other woman's help that the business would surly go up in flames.

But matchmaking isn't the only thing happening on Lucy's first day. A little boy has gone missing and with the cold winter temps it is very critical he be found before too long. Lucy's upset that her "gift" at finding lost objects can't help the boy - or can it?

When Lucy meets with a client that her dad has not yet seen, therefore has no aura color swatch to help guide her, she listens to his story of why he hasn't found anyone since losing his long ago girlfriend and first love, Jennifer, the story tugs at her heart and she decides that she will try and find Jennifer and maybe, just maybe once she finds out the true story of long ago events, she will be willing to meet back with Lucy's client. But when saying goodbye to her new client Lucy shakes his hand, she immediately sees the engagement ring that he had given her - it's on the ring of a skeleton, buried in a shallow grave. Lucy immediately knows that this is going to be way over her head, and decides to enlist the help of the P.I. that rents the office space above Valentine, Inc. Only when she arrives, she finds out he's gone and his brother, ex-fire fighter Sean is helping out. What's worse, is that when Lucy shakes his hand, she doesn't get an image of what he's lost, but an image of the two of them - in bed together. Is Lucy seeing the future or simply going crazy? Will she and Sean be able to figure out why the engagement ring is on that of a dead girl and will Lucy be able to keep her secret safe from Sean and the world at large?

truly, madly was a mixed bag for me. I loved the author's voice. I loved how the book was filled with humor and quirky dialogue. The characters were real for me and the mystery was great. I enjoyed getting to know Lucy and her eccentric family - those related and those not.

That said, I really didn't enjoy the way Sean and Lucy come together. The attraction seemed forced to me. Yes, I understand that she had this totally erotic vision of the two of them together but - they had just met and BAM they are talking trust. Trust to me is something earned and not to be given lightly. I also didn't enjoy the sexual nature and relationship-esque manner in which Sean and Lucy spoke to one another. I simply didn't buy any of it. Maybe I'm just a cynic but I simply did not like the relationship between the two. I also couldn't seem to get over wanting to throw the book against the wall whenever Lucy cites the family "curse" as a reason not to get involved with some one. We get it, your family thinks they are cursed.

Aside from that, I enjoyed the book. It's a fast read with tons of humor, a great cast of characters, and a mystery that had me guessing to the end. And WHOA, what an ending, I was blindsided with it and that is one of the best things about the book. I can only hope that the next book answers a few questions for me, such as why the hell did Lucy "see" the future when shaking Sean's hand, but never with anyone else. I will definitely continue to follow this series, as Webber left me wanting more of the quirky Valentine's.

Heather Webber is also a Cozy Chick, so don't forget my contest and this could be one of the books you choose! Since Miss Beautiful was very sick this week and I haven't had a chance to blog very much, I'm extending the contest until Monday.

Take Care

Firespell by Chloe Neill

Before I start I wanted to let you know that Novel Reads is on FaceBook now. Click here to add me as a friend (I can't embed it for some reason), I'll be doing some contests over there that are specific to the page.

Firespell by Chloe Neill ( A Dark Elite Novel: Book 1)

(BCC)

As the new girl at St. Sophia's Boarding School, Lily Parker thinks her classmates are the most monstrous things she'll have to face - but oh, how wrong she is.

When Lily's parents decide to send her away to a fancy boarding school in Chicago, she is not happy. Lily's classmates are the ultrarich brat-pack type - and if that isn't enough, she's hearing and seeing bizarre things on St. Sophia's creepy campus.

The only thing keeping her sane is her roommate, Scout, but even Scout's a little weird - she keeps disappearing late at night. When a prank leaves Lily trapped in the catacombs beneath the school, Lily finds Scout, who's running from a real-life monster. Scout is part of a splinter group of rebel teens who protect Chicago from demons, vamps, and the gone-to-the-dark-side magic users called Reapers. She lets Lily in on her secret, even though Lily has no powers of her own...or at least none she's discovered yet.

* This review is done from a copy supplied to Novel Reads by the publisher.

I've made it clear that I have no love for YA books about spoiled poor me rich girls away at a fancy schamncy boarding school. So when this book came I was more than a tad reluctant. What got me though, is my love of YA/Paranormal, the really cool cover, and the fact that I'd never read this author before. Things I very much love in a book.

Lily Parker, not quite sixteen year old, finds out just after her sophomore year that her parents, philosophy professors, will be going to Germany for a two year academic sabbatical, and she will be leaving her New York town for Chicago where she will go to school at St. Sophia's Boarding School. To say the least, Lily is not happy. She'd much rather stay with her friends and her comfort zone. But when St. Sophia's accepts her into the school, her future is set.

Lily hates St. Sophia's. There are the typical cliques and she's just not fitting in. Thankfully, one of her new roommates, Scout, is most definitely nice and true friend material. But, as the BCC says, Scout keeps skipping out late at night, and she seems more than a little tired after these outings. What Lily doesn't know about Scout and her secrets really piques her curiosity and she begins to follow her one night, that is after all, what a new BFF would do. But it isn't until Lily is on the receiving end of a fairly nasty prank that Lily truly finds out what Scout's been up to.

But Scout's mystery isn't the only one Lily is faced with - could it be her parent's had lied to her all of her life? Made a whole identity to cover up what they were really working on? As clues begin coming Lily's way about this, and evil magic users attempting to suck the souls of young magic users start to attack the school, Lily realizes she just may be in over her head. Or, does she have a bit of latent magic of her own?

Firespell is a refreshing addition to a YA Paranormal genre that is quickly filling up with shifters and vamps. Neill's writing is spot on, with great dialogue and the action packed scenes have the reader turning the pages and spellbound from the get go. I'm eager to read more from Neill and have added her Chicagoland Vampires Series to my wish list.

Take Care

Don't forget about the current contest I'm running, scroll down to yesterday's post or click here to see the details.