Feelin' Lucky Give Away Hop, March 7th - 13th (US/INT)

Bona Fide Reflections is honored to be participating in:



This blog hop is being co-hosted by I Smell Sheep and Fictional Candy.
For the Feelin' Lucky Giveaway Hop, Bona Fide is offering any two books (winner's choice) in Karen Moning's Dream Fever Series.  I think this is the perfect series to feature since it takes place in Ireland and March is all about the luck of the Irish! Please follow the instructions of the Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. Good luck!

 Bona Fide Review of Darkfever:

MacKayla (Mac) Lane’s protected, southern life is going well. She is holding down the fort at her house where she lives with her parents. The Lane family's lives are irrevocably changed when Mac receives a call that her sister, Alina, has been murdered in Ireland where she has been attending Trinity University in Dublin. There is one clue that is left behind by Alina. She leaves cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone alluding to the fact that Alina was caught up in a quagmire of trouble. 

Mac decides to travel to Ireland on a crusade to find of answers. There Mac is caught up in the scary, elusive world of the Fae. Her Southern Belle reality makes a huge paradigm shift when she realizes she has a peculiar power that allows her to see the Fae's real face through the glamor they project to assimilate into the human world.

As Mac gets further entrenched into the mystery of her sister’s demise, she meets the mysterious Jericho Barrones. Barrones and Mac come to an uneasy alliance in the quest to search for Fae objects of power, one of which was specifically mentioned (the Sinsar Dubh) by Alina in the last voice mail message she left on Mac's phone before she died. The Sinsar Dubh is a very dark, evil book which was created by the Unseelie King.

This book was an absolute joy to read. Karen Marie Moning's unique voice lures the reader into a world you could never dream up on your own. The smooth anecdotic writing of the author is stunningly resplendent. Moning builds a bridge between the reader and Mac through her writing by eliciting the feeling that the reader is the one and only confidant Mac feels safe enough to confide all of her secrets, insecurities, epiphanies, and emotions to as she is led into a very dark, scary, unfamiliar world. Hold on tight to your book as you are sucked into Mac's world. This story will amaze and titillate while emotions you never thought a book could could call forth swamp your imagination.

To enter giveaway click here

Blood Rights by Kristin Painter

To start us off here is what Goodreads.com says about Blood Rights by Kristin Painter:

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the telltale marks of a comarré—a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world…and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks. Now Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and superatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.

What I thought:
I absolutely LOVED this book and can't say it enough. I'd shout it from the rooftops if I could. There are so many elements to this book that make it unique that I don't really know where to start.Blood Rights was just such a good mix of urban fantasy and paranormal romance that you just won't find in other stories and I feel that is really lacking in the genre today. So, for me this book was a breath of fresh air.

Kristin Painter

I think the best part of this book for me - and I have to say this unreservedly -is that I'm the type of girl who loves a good love story but I don't want it to be mushy/mushy and take over the entire book. This book accomplishes this in spades and I love it. I also want to make note of the fact that I found the lore that was created and the twist on the vampire legend to be absolutely fantastic and by reading it, you can tell that there was a lot of thought put into it. I love how there is a little bit of everything as far as supernatural creatures  goes and even some new creatures that I have never heard of before which  just makes the book that much better. 
 If you are looking for a book that has a good blend of paranormal romance and urban fantasy then Blood Rights should be at the top of your "to be read pile."  I will just say this, start the book early in the day because once you start reading it you won't want to put it down. 
Happy Reading!!Gigi

Elemental Asassin Review and the Gi-Meisters New Home.

Hey everyone its Gigi here!! I just thought I would take the time to not only introduce myself but also do my first blog post so here goes:

My name is Gigi and I am the creator of the goodreads group Down and Dirty Lusty and Flirty.  I also ran a blog by the same name which will be coming down as soon as I'm focusing my attentions here on Bona Fide and my Goodreads' group. I have a lovely daughter named Daenerys (named after a character in a George R R Martin book) and I have a great boyfriend. I read constantly. I read so much, in fact, its crazy. I read mostly UF with a smattering of Dark Paranormal Fantasy; however, I'm hoping to embrace some other genres while I'm here. Its going to be a great time and I can't believe that I get to work with such great girls.

For my first review here on Bona Fide, I thought I would start off with a bang and do my Elemental Assassin Series review. To give you a little background, Poison and I read this together as a buddy read and I'm so glad we did it this way because it saved time finding the short stories as Poison knew where to find the short stories and I didn't and, honestly, it just helped get me sorted.

Here is the reading list and I definitely recommend reading them in this order:

Web of Deceit

Poison
Spider's Bargain
Spider’s Bite
Web of Death
Web of Lies
Wasted
Venom
Tangled Dreams
Tangled Schemes
Tangled Threads
Spider's Revenge

What I thought of the Series:  I thought the series was amazing. I miss Gin daily. Honestly. Its a 4 fang book for me. I love how over the books she has evolved. Over the course of the series, we saw Gin become this guarded-I-won't-trust-anyone-I-have-no-family person to having people she could rely on and still keep to her core of herself. For those of you who have read the series, I was over the moon about Jennifer Estep's choice for a love interest for Gin. It was someone who was strong enough to keep up with her. I also loved her relationship with the various members of her patchwork family. It just worked. It added a lot to the overall story and it made me want to read and delve in to the story more and more. I will say that my overall favorite character in the series has to be Sophia the Gothic Dwarf. I just love her. I'd read this series for her alone.

If you haven't read this series, do it. You won't regret it. Its one of those Urban Fantasy series that just grabs you and drags you in and won't let you go. If you read Kate Daniels, if you read Cat and Bones, this series should be the next on your list. You won't regret it.

Jennifer Estep

Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

Phenomenal Reading!!

Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews is another home run and then some. The plot in this book out does the previous books in this series. You will be on the edge of your seat while you read this book. I will spare you a detailed review if this book and give the “cliff notes” version. There are a lot reviews out there that do an outstanding job of relating the details of the book.

Kate Daniels has started her own business since she left the Order. Things are kind of slow at the office until Gastek, Master of the Dead, calls and asks her for a favor which leads to a bloody altercation in front of her office. Then her first client shows up who is from the Red Guard, an elite body guarding company. Next, Andrea - her best friend shows back up after being gone for months with no communication.

From there, a mystery unravels that will leave you guessing as to what will happen next. The crux of the mystery is that he Magic users’ lives are being threatened by a magic-sucking device that they need to contain before it causes catastrophic damage to the magic community of Atlanta.

Curran and Kate are going strong. There is a little hiccup; but, they get through it, of course. I love these two together. Their relationship gets stronger, deeper, and more meaningful with each book. They are the perfect paranormal couple: strong alpha male paired with a strong alpha female with a lot of soul-searing love to share between them.

This book is the best in the series. Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance enthusiasts will, no doubt, love this book as much as I did.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!

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Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill

Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Warning: Hard Bitten is not the book you want to pick up if you are new to the Chicagoland Vampire series. You really need to start with Some Girls Bite and read the series in order to truly appreciate this story.

That being said, Hard Bitten is the best installment yet of the Chicagoland Vampire Series by Chloe Neill. There are so many elements in this book that collaborate together to make this story the most exciting one yet. The novel affords, mystery, love, politics, a secret vampire society, friendship and, sadly, heartbreak. These elements are evident in the previous books; but, they are combined in this tale in a more arresting elocution. The reader will have to hold onto his/her chair as Chloe Neill takes the reader on a harrowing roller coaster ride through the life and times of Merit, the heroine.

The most frustrating situation, for me, is waiting for next book, Drink Deep, to be released November 1, 2011. I am definitely pre-ordering Drink Deep when it becomes available on Amazon.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!

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Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris is another good installment to the Sookie Stackhouse Series because it is rife with delicious tension and quite a few interesting discoveries...

Sookie is now living with her two remaining Fae relatives and comes across more information on what makes the Fae actually tick. She also finds out how Eric was more involved with her Fae connections than she first thought. (It is my belief that the next Sookie Stackhouse book will expand more on the Fae portion in this novel more because it will be intricate to the next plot.) There are a few other surprises that will jump out at you while Sookie discovers more of her family's background. There is a bit of introspection on our heroines part in this book but I feel like it is sculpting more panache into her character. And, in the long run will pay off for her.

Amelia and Bob make an appearance in this book, as well as Alcide's cameo appearance. Surprisingly, Sookie and Amelia's relationship takes a turn that I did not see coming. Another eye-opener is that Bill seems to be growing another pair of balls. The development of this resurgence into Sookie's life could make things much more complicated for Sookie; but we will have to see.

Victor is continuing to make Eric's life very difficult - to put it mildly. Pam has actually fallen in love and wants to create her first vampire child. To complicate matters further, Pam and Eric are at odds with each other and it is difficult for them to be in the same room together without the tension between them igniting. Sookie is made very uncomfortable with the prickly duo's tension because she has a feeling it has to do with her. She's right and the reader will be flabbergasted for the reason behind the strain and leave their relationship's destiny undetermined .

There are some zingers in this novel that were not expected and has left me panting for more in this series. However, the one element that truly disappoints me in this book is the slow disintegration of Sookie and Eric's relationship. I truly hope Ms. Harris rectifies this situation fast... or maybe there is someone much better for Sookie in the future; but, I - for the life of me- cannot think who could be better for Sookie than that sexy Viking. I would be so much happier if Eric would just pull his head out of his butt and come to grips with his true feelings for Sookie (Go team Eric!!). In light of that one disappointment for me as a fan and reader of this series, I still cannot wait to read further into the life and times of Sookie et al!

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!

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Friday Nite Bites by Chloe Neill

Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this installment of the Chicagoland Vampire series by Chloe Neill, Master Vampire Ethan and Merit must try to keep vampire raves from being discovered by humans because of the bad press that would be peppered against the vampires that have recently disclosed their presence among humans. To aid in keeping the raves under wraps, Merit must re-enter the circle of Chicago's affluent circles by reconnecting with her family and their powerful connections.

While on this campaign, a family of shifters plays a pivotal role in forcing Merit and Ethan to discover a plot orchestrated by their vampiress arch nemesis who carries a deep seeded animosity toward Merit for interfering in her previous diabolical plans. Along the way, Merit and Ethan's attraction heats up another notch while Merit tries to balance out her relationship with another vampire, Morgan. Merit's relationship with her best friend Mallory becomes more frayed as they both try to assimilate into the world of the supernatural.

The Chicagoland Vampire series offers a great view into an original urban fantasy where the vampire heroine is more human than monster. Chloe Neill has a snarky, comedic way of relating the tale through Merit's point of view. The author's portrayal of her heroine pulls the reader into a very imaginative world of the supernatural and has the reader pulling for Merit every step of the way. The only complaint I have is that Merit and Ethan's potentially smokin' hot relationship is not moving along fast enough for me. I am starting to tire of Ethan's hot and cold attitude toward Merit.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!

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City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Two in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare continues the tale of Clary, Jace, Isabella, Alec, and Simon as they band together to fight against Valentine, a rogue Shadow Hunter who has twisted ideas on how the world should be. In this story, Valentine is hunting other Downworlders (werewolves, vampires, fae, and warlocks) to obtain his twisted goals with Mortal Instruments he has stolen. There is pulse pounding action and incredulity at the villian in his twisted efforts to monopolize those around him. The young Shadowhunter's lives hang in the balance at the end of this tale and has the reader anxiously biting his/her nails while screeching.

Cassandra's ability to to weave a tale of strong characters, evil creatures, and the human condition is astounding. I wish I could write a book as well as she does. Again, this book would stand up to any adult paranormal fiction out there. I highly recommend this book to any Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Genre fan.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!

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City of Bones, (Immortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am going to keep this review short and sweet...

This book starts out with teen-aged Clary Fray witnessing a murder in the Pandemonium Club. From there the action is non-stop. Clary and her best friend, Simon, are thrown into the world of Shadowhunters, Vampires, Werewolves, and Demons. This tale supplies mystery, a budding romance, excellent character building, and heart-stopping revelations. Cassandra Clare is a phenomenal writer! Her imagination is amazing. This YA novel can stand against any Adult Paranormal Fiction offered on any bookshelves.

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Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning

Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dreamfever begins where Faefever ends. Mac is in the sexual clutches of three Unseelie princes thanks to the Lord Master's conniving actions. She is rescued by Dani and eventually Barrons intervenes. He is able to cure Mac of the sexual addiction she contracts from having sex with the three Unseelie princes. She surfaces from this experience stronger than she was before.

The story continues with the search for the Sinsar Dubh in the wake of the devastation caused by the walls falling between Faerie and the mortal world. Mac also has to confront Rowena and her purposes toward the Sidh Seers. Dani and Mac forge a partnership to hunt the Unseelie that have infiltrated the world with weapons of power. They also dig for information on the Sinsar Dubh with the help of a faction of the Sidh Seers.

The Lord Master declares a challenge to Mac in order for her save her parents back home in Ashford, Georgia. To get there, Mac has to travel through the mirrors. Traveling through the mirrors is an unknown since one cannot be sure they will end up where they are intending to travel. This mode of transportation lands Mac in places unknown. The ending of this book takes your breath away. Leaving your psyche screaming "OMG....no! NO! No!"

Karen Moning continues this story with her talent for melodic prose. She paints a story from the point of view of Mac with a few glimpses into the thoughts of Dani. Mac's internal musings lend themselves to thoughts that invoke deep thought on behalf of the reader. Moning's aptitude for weaving an unforgettable tale is profound and does not disappoint in this addition to her "Fever" series.

View all my reviews

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

MacKayla (Mac) Lane’s protected, southern life is going well. She is holding down the fort at her house where she lives with her parents. The Lane family's lives are irrevocably changed when Mac receives a call that her sister, Alina, has been murdered in Ireland where she has been attending Trinity University in Dublin. There is one clue that is left behind by Alina. She leaves cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone alluding to the fact that Alina was caught up in a quagmire of trouble.

Mac decides to travel to Ireland on a crusade to find of answers. There Mac is caught up in the scary, elusive world of the Fae. Her Southern Belle reality makes a huge paradigm shift when she realizes she has a peculiar power that allows her to see the Fae's real face through the glamor they project to assimilate into the human world.

As Mac gets further entrenched into the mystery of her sister’s demise, she meets the mysterious Jericho Barrones. Barrones and Mac come to an uneasy alliance in the quest to search for Fae objects of power, one of which was specifically mentioned (the Sinsar Dubh) by Alina in the last voice mail message she left on Mac's phone before she died. The Sinsar Dubh is a very dark, evil book which was created by the Unseelie King.

This book was an absolute joy to read. Karen Marie Moning's unique voice lures the reader into a world you could never dream up on your own. The smooth anecdotic writing of the author is stunningly resplendent. Moning builds a bridge between the reader and Mac through her writing by eliciting the feeling that the reader is the one and only confidant Mac feels safe enough to confide all of her secrets, insecurities, epiphanies, and emotions to as she is led into a very dark, scary, unfamiliar world. Hold on tight to your book as you are sucked into Mac's world. This story will amaze and titillate while emotions you never thought a book could could call forth swamp your imagination.


Happy reading from Bona Fide Reflections!

View all my reviews

River Marked by Patricia Briggs

River Marked by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Patricia Briggs delivers another story that packs a wallop in River Marked! While on their 10-day Honeymoon, Adam and Mercy get caught up in a mystery which leads the reader into some of Mercy's American Indian roots. This includes more background on her biological father. The Fae are involved in the periphery of the story, as well. Along the way, Adam and Mercy are put into a situation where they must contend with a water-dwelling monster lurking in the depths of a river near where Mercy and Adam are staying for their Honeymoon. In order to eradicate the evil river monster, she and Adam must join their new-found allies against the monster in order to conquer it.

This novel is a great addition to this series. Patricia Briggs does not disappoint her fans in this intricate story.

Happy reading from Bona Fide Reflections!

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Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mercedes Thompson sure can get into a few scrapes to put it mildly and this book is no different. The tension weaved into the storyline from the predicaments Mercedes finds herself in creates an edge of your seat reading experience. This series gets better and better as you read it.

Mercedes finds herself involved with the Fae, the local werewolf pack (since she is the Alpha's mate), her mating bond, and here roommate - Samuel's - drama. With all of the theatrics, putting down the book is almost impossible!

Kudos to Patricia Briggs for creating such a harrowing and fulfilling story with the installment of Silver Borne. I absolutely loved this book! I highly recommend this book, especially if you are an avid reader of this series.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!

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Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, Book 5)