Monday, August 12, 2013

Emerald Isle (A Stacy Justice Mystery) by Barbra Annino

This is another in the line of Stacy Justice books that I enjoyed. I always love a good magic book especially where the main character is a kick ass witch. In this installment of the series you find out more about Birdie, Stacy's grandmother, and you also find out that Stacy is indeed the Seeker of Justice.
The story begins and centers around Stacy's 30th year which is the year one can become a full witch with full powers. She is screaming and yelling at a painting of the goddess and then all of a sudden she is sucked INTO the painting! She meets the goddesses and they give her some help with her struggles. I should mention that before this she is being haunted by an apparition who gives her riddles to help her. After getting back from the goddess' Birdie tells her (or rather Birdie's enemy) that there is a challenge for her and that she must find the stolen cauldron before another does. They fly to Ireland and stay in this giant castle where Stacy is haunted in her room by a bad ghost. Then she thinks she sees her Mother who she is trying to save too. After a meeting or two, she and her cohorts whisk away to find the cauldron of the ancestors. They see it and find out that it's at the castle. That the leader of the clan is the one who stole it and he's betrayed them all. The evil ghost is the father of  Birdie's enemy who thinks that the Seeker should stay in his bloodline.
All in all, a great story. It kind of seems to me this series is finished with this telling. Stacy Justice a great heroine to read about.
5 out of 5!

A Hidden Fire: Elemental Mysteries Book 1 by Elizabeth Hunter

Beatrice, known to friends and family as 'B', is a quiet, unassuming young woman who is a student in the library science department of her college. She works at the college library helping in the quiet department handling old books and documents. Her life is going great until she meets Giovanni. He's a tall, handsome man with beautiful skin and hair. But, there's something different about him. A lot different. He's a vampire. As a very old vampire Giovanni, Gio to most, has lots of money and lots of time. He's in the process of copying an old document for a friend when he realizes who B is. She's the daughter of a man who killed 10 years ago. Or so she thought. Her father was actually turned into a vampire because of what he found in Italy all those years ago. Gio and B start to hang out outside of the library. He starts stalking her basically. Then he proposes she work for him since his vampire affinity is fire- which an unusual gift. Because of this fire affinity, he cannot work with computers as he sparks fire when touching them or anything mechanical. Brought into this vampire world B doesn't understand what she's gotten herself into until he brings her to a vampire bar to show all the other vamps SHE is HIS. They find out that Gio's 'child', a man he turned in a vampire is after B. It appears that whatever B's dad found has come back to haunt her now. He also has Gio's library that he thought was long long ago burned. No matter how much protection and how close he is to B, Lorenzo still manages to capture her and take her captive. She is rescued, of course, by Gio and his vampire friends. She steals Lorenzo's money as we learn that she is very good at hacking because she was a loner as a kid after her dad died.
Honestly, this book is very captivating. Maybe it's because I haven't read a lot of vampire stories lately or maybe it's because you fall in love with B and Gio and root for them the whole time but it really is a great read and worth your time.
I plan on buying the next books in this series too!
5 out 5 stars!!
Characters and setting and plot are all great. Gives a different spin on vampires which is MUCH appreciated.

The Princess Problem (A Fairy Tale Romance) by Diane Darcy

A short story about love based around a princess theme. The Princess in this story is based on the 'Princess and the Pea'. Alicia has a great eye for detail and it shows in all the work she does. She is hired by a mattress company to shoot a commercial for their new store. Her idea is unique because it's based on the princess the Princess and the Pea. The son of the woman who hires Alicia falls instantly for Alicia's smart wit and head strong ways. It's apparent that they are meant to be. It is a whirl wind romance from start to finish especially since they get married a few months later. I really enjoyed the short and sweet of this story. It was predictable but in a 'awww, I'm so glad they got together and are happy' sort of sappy way.


4 out 5 stars!

Predictability lessens score.