My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon by Various Authors

What newly married couple doesn't dream of a romantic retreat where they can escape the world for a while—but what happens when supernatural forces intrude on their wedded bliss?

Nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors answer that question in this all-star collection of supernatural stories.  Can a vampire-hunter enjoy her honeymoon when she’s just learned that her new hubby is a werewolf?   How can newlyweds focus on their wedding night when their honeymoon suite is haunted by feuding ghosts?  And what’s a wizard to do when a gruesome monster kidnaps the bride on her way home from the wedding?

With so much otherworldly mayhem awaiting our newlyweds, will they ever get around to the honeymoon itself?  Find out in…My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon.

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Stalked by Kelley Armstrong stars werewolves Elena Michaels and Clayton Danvers which are characters from her Women of the Otherworld series.

I've never read that series or anything by Kelley Armstrong so I was going in blind. I didn't know that these stories were going to have characters from the author's other series. I was a little bit uneasy, just because I don't like to jump in the middle of things - I prefer to start from the very beginning and get to know the characters the way they were intended to be. But it is what it is at this point. At least it's a branch of the story and characters, and not part of the series.

Anyway, the story was very entertaining. The author alluded to some things that happen in the Women of the Otherworld series and it made me want to read them. I have to make sure to make a note somewhere to look these books up. As the title suggests, someone is being stalked, but by the end, the stalker becomes the stalked and it was a fun little read. Definitely gave me enough of the two characters to like them and make me want more.

***

Heorot by Jim Butcher stars Harry Dresden from the Dresden Files. I had no fucking clue he was a wizard!!!  Obviously I've never read the books or seen the show. Honestly, I thought the show was about aliens.

This story isn't about Harry Dresden going on a honeymoon (lol) it's actually about a case that he decides to work on where a woman goes missing before going on her honeymoon. At first it looks like she just got cold feet or something, and there isn't anything out of the ordinary about her disappearance. That is, until Dresden finds her purse with her wallet and cell phone.

It was a good read. As I read it, I thought it was good, but not necessarily my cup of tea. But by the end of the story, I had completely changed my mind. I've officially put the Dresden Files on my TBR list.

For any Dresden readers reading this - What's up with Dresden and Gard?

***

Roman Holiday, or SPO-arrrrr by Rachel Cain - I'll admit it was hard getting into this particular story in the beginning. Since I wasn't familiar with the characters, I was confused about the paparazzi and getting tailed by Oprah, and where the heck this ancient pirate come from. I felt like I started the story in the middle instead of the beginning. But when I got to the (almost) sex scene, I got into the story. What can I say, I loved the porn conversation! I am curious to know how Cecilia and Liam met; I gathered she somehow ended up stuck on his ship. Did enjoy Liam as a character. Not 100% sure if there's a series or a stand alone book for these characters. I tried searching for it, and I found a lot of other things by this author, but I couldn't find anything that mentioned Liam or Cecilia...I find it weird if this is the first thing she's written with them. If it is, it wasn't executed well.

***

Her Mother's Daughter by P.N. Elrod - I've been obsessed with vampires my entire life, and I'm tired of reading about them. That being said, I was hooked the moment I started reading this story! Set in Chicago during the 1930's - can anyone say gangsters? - Jack Fleming is a vampire shamus. And yes, I had to look up that word to know what it meant. I was very intrigued by Jack the vampire who is a private investigator, but also owns clubs; is afraid of heights and afraid of the dark, and has apparently proposed to his girlfriend a shit ton of times and been rejected every single time. I'm totally digging him, and I will definitely have to check out The Vampire Files. (I can't believe I've never heard of it!)

I think this story was very well done. It was a great introduction into the series and the character and the story itself was just great! I love the twist towards the end - which I won't spoil for you guys.

***

Newlydeads by Caitlin Kittredge - I wanted to like this story, I really did, but I was confused for most of it. The characters are from London and they have certain slang words that I knew, but some that I didn't. I'll admit, in the beginning of the story, I thought the two main characters were in Atlantic City - that wasn't the case. If the random slang didn't confuse me enough, I got put right in the middle of some Black world after something really big happened to the main characters in a previous story, and I had no idea where I was or what was going on. This might have been a good emotional story for fans of the series and the beginning of some really interesting things, but since this was my introduction into this particular world, it just didn't do it for me. Too confused to even think about trying to read the beginning of this series.

***

Where The Heart Lives by Marjorie M. Liu - I was hooked almost instantly! This is a prequel to the Dirk and Steele series (which I've never read) and I am enamored with it. I think I read this particular story the fastest - I just devoured every single word. I wanted to know more about Lucy and what her particular gifts were and also about Miss Lindsay's gifts. I wanted to get to know Henry and Barnabus more. The whole gang, they were very interesting characters and they were different from one another but complimented each other so well. The story was also great, it kept me in suspense for the majority of it - not knowing what was going to happen. I'm definitely going to check out Dirk and Steele.

*** 

Cat Got Your Tongue? by Katie MacAlister - I'm a big big fan of Katie MacAlister. Ironically, this story is part of her Dark Ones series which I have NOT read - yet. In my defense, the lady has a lot of books out! I've read like 8 or 9 of them.

This short story solidifies my love for the author and reinforces my desire to read this series - apparently there is a twist in one of the books which is mentioned in this short which I will not spoil for you guys, but I liked it, and I'm even more excited than before to read the Dark Ones series. Great as always Katie MacAlister. Great as always.

***

Half Of Being Married by Lilith Saintcrow is a decent read. A pair of newlyweds discover on their honeymoon that the groom is a werewolf and the bride is a vampire hunter; that part of the story was cute. I think it had nice little twists in it. I wasn't too keen on the husband's thoughts. A lot of "gotta bite my tongue, that's what being a husband is all about/the wife is always right" jokes that were funny the first 2 times but got tiresome rather quickly.

***

The final story in the anthology is A Wulf In Groom's Clothing by Rhonda Thompson. It was a great closer! It was funny, and sweet, and just all around nice! Couldn't have asked for a better ending to the whole book. :)

Overall I really enjoyed this anthology. Great stories, and characters. I even added a few series to my TBR list. So YAY!

All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins

"Turning thirty has it's ups and downs... For Callie Grey, coming to grips with her age means facing the fact that her boyfriend-slash-boss is way overdue with a marriage proposal. And that she's way off track, because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company's new Miss Perfect. If that isn't bad enough, her mom decides to throw her a Big Three Oh birthday bash... in the family funeral home. Bad goes to worse when Callie stirs up a relationship with the town's single-yet not so warm and fuzzy- veterinarian, in order to flag Mark's attention. So what if Ian McFarland is more comfortable with animals? So what if he's formal, orderly and just a bit tense? Friendly, fun-loving and spontaneous Callie decides it's time for Ian to get a personality makeover. But, dang-if he doesn't shock the heck out of her, she might actually fall for Vermont's unlikeliest eligible bachelor..."

Usually I don't like to read romances based in modern times, that's not to say that I don't, just that I don't often. This novel however, pleasantly caught me by surprise! It's main Character, Callie Grey is someone I can relate to fully. She's quirky and lovable and fun! Over all cute and friendly. She aims to please and sometimes tries too hard at being liked. That being said I was not surprised to find that she was over the moon for her handsome model-like God of a boss. and was even less surprised when his feelings did not pan out as she had foreseen. The horror!

This book has some elements that had me cringing as Callie's luck gets increasingly worse!! Her birthday present of a bracelet and break-up combo, "Emotional Diarrhea" at the DMV and party at a funeral home, yuck! Her bad luck just seemed never ending and I found myself unable to pull myself away. The way her romance with the serious and pensive vet played out, had me a little disappointed at first because he was so awkward at times, but getting to know him, and getting under his rough exterior, you meet a man that was seriously damaged by his own past. By just being who she is, Callie stirs up a romance that opened an array of emotions that she didn't expect he or she would ever have for each other, as well as closing the door on her older unresolved emotions for Mark. Without giving up too much more, I will say that this story had me laughing and on the verge of crying at points and always kept me entertained. I will say that if I had to change one thing, it would be adding more details to the romantic aspect of Callie and Ian's relationship. Beside that, I love how the story was written and am anxious to read more of Kristan Higgins's novels.

Moonlit Majesty by Crystal-Rain Love

She is the mother of the werewolf race and the heroine that her people have waited over a century to be saved by.
He is the forbidden fruit that caused her banishment and the key to her return.
When the man Zaira blames for the curse hanging over her Pack appears to ask for her help, her first impulse is to rip his throat out, but Addix has been cursed as well.
The two must work together to defeat a common enemy, a dangerous journey which brings them closer yet threatens to separate them forever as they struggle to choose between love and duty.
The 4th installment in the Moonlit series tells the story of the mysterious White Wolf and how forbidden love created an entire race of shapeshifters.

***

God, I love that cover!!! I could stare at it for hours!

This was an interesting book with an interesting concept. In my opinion I found it to be less paranormal and more fantasy. I'm not big on fantasy usually, but I really enjoyed what Rain did. I was very intrigued by the world of Imortia and their queen and the different shifters, and also the different realms that she touched on briefly. Honestly, I would love to read more about it. For me, it's what made the story a pleasant read. Also one of her secondary characters named Merta. She stole the show. She is fearless, and sassy, and bitchy but in a cool way - and she's a dragon! Doesn't get more kick-ass than that. I hope hope HOPE that Rain heeds my advice and writes a story about Merta because I'm not ready to say goodbye to her just yet. I want to know her story leading up to her involvement in Moonlit Majesty and also what she does afterwards.

Crystal-Rain Love is one of my favorite authors - I was her first official fan if you ask around. She is also a good friend of mine. Now, many people would assume because she is a friend of mine, that I would be biased. I think this is true, but not in the way you think. Because I'm her friend, because I know how talented she is and know what she's capable of, I have high expectations. I expect her to make me cry, I expect her to make me want to be in love, I expect her to move me with her words. Unfortunately, I can't say she did that here. I did enjoy the story, and I did smile, but compared to her other Moonlit books or her stand-alones like The Fire Still Burns I must admit the romance aspect fell short for me. And for that reason, I have no choice but to give this story 3.5 stars. 

 Good read, good secondary characters, but not the epic romance I'm used to from her.

Accidents Make The Heart Grow Fonder by Tara Mills

Sabrina Eckhart is losing it. Oasis, the restaurant she manages, is getting battered by a trendy newcomer, and with everyone looking to her for ideas, you could say she's under a little pressure. But wait, that's not all. Her evil landlady has given her until the end of the month to vacate her crummy apartment. And her thirtieth birthday is looming, reminding her of the milestones she's missed. No wonder she's distracted and driving off the rails...down the sidewalk, and nearly running over the man with amazing glutes.

Jackson Murphy is an avid jogger, and the local television station's scrumptious news director--if he can keep the job. Unfortunately, he has one year to resuscitate their wheezing news department or the owners are going to pull the plug. His hands are already full even without Sabrina dropping into them. The last thing he needs is to be involved with a publicity stunt.

The road to love is bumpy. It'll take all of Cupid's arrows, and a lot of interference from friends, for these two to win the Dating Game.

~~~

(I think it was Cupid's arrows that was complicating things.)

Oh my gosh, this book is hilarious! I don't think I've ever laughed so hard while reading a book. I'm talking shoulder shaking, teary-eyed, busting a gut laughing. It was great. The premise, the story, the plot - everything, it was just a perfect little gem. 

I have so many favorite scenes; Sabrina almost running into Jackson, their official first encounter at the grocery store, the game show at Oasis, when Jackson goes to the hospital...so many more!  I could probably say the whole book was my favorite scene. Poor Sabrina, every time she turned around she was hurting Jackson. (Guess it's really poor Jackson.) This is the first Tara Mills book I've read, but I'm definitely going to have to look for more. See if this was a fluke, or if this author's other stories are as funny, heart-warming, and perfect as this one.

Pretty short review, but not much to say, except I 100% recommend this book to anybody that likes funny contemporary romances.

Talk This Way by Dakota Cassidy

If life is like a box of chocolates, Cat Butler has tasted them all—and decided on none. It's no wonder she can't keep a job, even though her mother's health depends on it. Just when she finds herself up a creek without a paddle—again—a benevolent friend throws her a lifeline. In the form of a job at, of all places, a phone sex hotline. Not exactly what she had in mind, but if it pays the bills for her mom's expensive nursing home, what's the harm?

Successful entrepreneur Flynn McGrady knows a thing or two about responsibility. So when his mother has a stroke, he knows the right thing to do is relocate to Atlanta to be near her while she recovers. He's got a plan for everything—except for feisty Cat, who finally gets his mama to talk again. Talk dirty, that is, and he's not pleased. Cat is gorgeous and sassy to boot…too bad she's not the type to settle down.

Cat and Flynn may have bigger fish to fry, but the sparks between them are hotter than hell. And when they finally give in to temptation, the results are explosive. Can a girl who follows her heart and a guy who follows his head find their way to forever?

***

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.

 This is a new series by Dakota Cassidy, who is best known for her Accidental books -which are amazing, btw. I've been a fan of hers for years, and was very excited to read something completely different from her paranormal stories. This new series is contemporary romance and after reading this prequel to the Call Girls (a.k.a Plum Orchard series) I can safely say Dakota has done it again! I can tell this series is going to be special. She writes characters that you instantly become invested in. Not one character is the same which adds to the magic of her writing - it's one of the reasons I love her books.

Be warned, if you decide to read this book (and you definitely should) make sure you have tissues ready; you will cry - hell, you'll sob. Talk This Way will make you feel: you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel love, and not just the romantic kind. Your heart may even get a little bigger after reading it; I know mine was very full of good emotions and felt bigger. I'm looking forward to continuing this series and these bunch of girls we've barely just gotten acquainted with.

Talk This Way comes out April 1st, and it's available on Amazon for pre-order.