Blade Bound

Blade Bound

by Chloe Neill

The wedding of the century is coming and Merit is the bride-to-be.

Also coming is some sort of evil that people are struggling to identify and it's threatening everything that Merit and her groom, Ethan, have fought so hard to protect.

And when werewolf Gabriel stops by to remind them of the impending prophecy, Merit just knows that the honeymoon will have to be cancelled.

Time is running out to save Chicago from the supernatural powers that threaten it and the humans who think that they can handle it.

Final thoughts: After all of the many books that seemed to drag this story out, it now feels rushed. It's almost like Neill was so eager to start a new series (probably with a certain prophesied child) that she pushed this one to an awkward end. I still love Merit and Ethan, and I definitely love how Ethan has finally accepted Merit as his equal, deserving of the chance to make a difference, but the luster has gone. I'll miss some of Chicagoland, but I'm really not too sad to see it end.

Rating: 3/5

ARC courtesy of NetGalley

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight

by Darynda Jones

She can't look in on her daughter for fear that demons will follow her light and destroy her precious Beep to curry favor with Lucifer for ending the life of an infant who is prophesized to one day destroy him.

She can't figure out why her uncle wants her to stay home and/or why he's basically ignoring his wife and her bestie, making sadness abound.

She can't understand why her almost too-hot-to-handle-hubby wants her to drop a case.

She can't come up with a way to release the souls trapped in a hell dimension that she wears around her neck.

She can't figure out how to help her bestie's daughter to learn how to control her prophesizing powers while also catching the stalker who's sending her truly evil texts.

And she definitely can't figure out how to get rid of the angels that are following her everywhere.

With all the things that she can't do, will she ever be able to get used to the idea that she is a god?

Final thoughts: Yet another entry and still more amazing Charley. I really love this character and her sassiness. I REALLY wish there was a place to buy all the t-shirts mentioned at the chapter headings. My only issue... and it's pretty darn big... is that this one is a freakin' CLIFFHANGER!!!!  Ugh! Why couldn't the last chapter of this book have been the first chapter of the next instead? Why do I now have to sit around and wait to find out what happens?!?!?!  Sooooooo cruel!!!

Rating: 4/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Phantom Kiss

Phantom Kiss

by Chloe Neill

In between the proposal and the wedding are all those planning sessions, showers... and exorcisms.

Final thoughts: It's short, like a couple of chapters from a regular Chicagoland novel, so it doesn't have a lot of "meat" to it. It added some depth to the characters and the story, but it's not unforgettable. More than anything, I'm just worried about how this will all finally end in the next book, especially because we've had no further information on a Merit/Ethan kid, despite that being pretty dang important in the early books.

Rating: 4/5

Moonshadow

Moonshadow

by Thea Harrison

Months after she was shot, Sophie Ross is still recovering both physically and emotionally from the event. She needs a change of scenery STAT.

She gets her opportunity when the daughter of the man who rescued Sophie from a human trafficking ring offers her an amazing mansion, tons of land, and an annual stipend... IF she can get in the door.

Upon arriving in the U.K., Sophie meets Nikolas and sparks fly. It's hate at first sight, but Sophie has what Nikolas needs to save his people and get back to those he was separated from years before.

Can they survive each other long enough to get what they both need?

Final thoughts: I was hanging in there pretty well until about 35% of the way through. I'm not sure what happened at that point, but I do know that it was a struggle to finish. Sophie and Nikolas have horrible chemistry, but we're told that they can't keep their hands off each other; it doesn't make sense. Additionally, I know that many say this book can be read separately from Harrison's other series, but I really feel like I was missing something. It felt like I was being left out of half the story. Maybe if I'd read her other series, I would feel more comfortable with this one.

Rating: 2/5

Max

Max

by Sarah Cohen-Scali

Ok. No book talk on this one. According to my Kindle, I made it to 36% (finished chapter 13). I'm not even sure why I pushed that far. I just can't seem to care about this. Max is unsympathetic and just not relatable to me. Maybe some people love this, but I'm not one of them.