ARC REVIEW Never Let Me Fall by Abbie Roads

Fatal Dreams #3, Each of the Fatal Dreams books can be read as a standalone. While this one didn't quite have the same umph as Roads last three books it was still a fantastic read. Very deep in the internal conflict of recognizing who they are together and what they are becoming. A dark fairy tale/folklore at the root of it all tells a tale of never ending love and the power it holds and the reincarnated souls that carry on that power.

Thomas Brown lost the ability to see color when his step father tried to kick his face in, the resulting damage caused serious problems to the optic nerve. He also has the ability to see a person's "death shadow" which tells him basically how evil a person really is and after a person dies it can show him the person's life up until their death. Helena Greyse was tried and convicted for a murder she never committed and spent the last ten years fighting for her life. Helen survived many attacks while in prison some that should have killed her, even her last night there she barely made it out with her life. When they meet for the first time, the day Helen was released, they both knew their lives have unequivocally changed. Helen has brought color to Thomas' life and for the first time in ten years Helen felt safe with Thomas. Thomas and Helen's lives are tied together in so many ways but there is still one giant obstacle for them to overcome. Can their love overcome this common enemy who has been a source of pain for them both?   

Overall, this book was outstanding it's an emotional read, it's dark, it's paranormal, it's suspenseful, it's heavy on the internal conflict without the characters sounding whiny and useless. They are each other's strength, they are the balm for their souls it's a beautiful insta-love romance. The external conflict wasn't as traumatizing for me as the other two, it was still bad but it almost feels like it was glossed over and leaves you with just assuming how bad the events were; but it was still good and I loved the conclusion.  

Halloween Reading Recommendations

All this week I will posting books for to help you get into the Halloween spirit, or just help you find book that will creep you out and keep you up.

Normally I don't do recommendations often, but I figure for Halloween it's okay.

One book in particular I love, it's a great Halloween read. The Gingerbread Man by Maggie Shayne. A hair raising thriller that kept me wanting for more, I didn't want to put this book down. Although I did guess one element at about half way through, other than that I loved this book. The characters have troubled pasts in one way or another, an internal struggle they must deal with at the same time fight the attraction toward each other and finding the serial kidnapper/pedophile/rapist before he strikes again. And it all takes place during Halloween.






Books that are scary but not Halloween




I've always been partial to Clive Barker. Cabal and the Hellbound Heart are two of my favorites but also The Books of Blood series. There are six book in the series and each book contains a collection of the macabre that only Clive Barker could do. Yes those are my books and yes I'm missing the sixth book.






Next up on my list is William Todd Rose's Realms of the Dead, it's two connected novellas.
For me everyday day is a good day for a damn good horror novel. I had no idea what to expect from William Todd Rose, I have never read him before. I love horror but I'm picky about who I read, but the synopsis intrigued me. This book was creepy in all the right ways. It kept me engulfed in the story and the characters. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. I liked the science fiction/ metaphysical aspect and it blended in nicely with the gruesome games of a tormented mind. The synopsis likened William Todd Rose to King and Koontz, but I would be more willing to group him with Clive Barker. I really enjoyed this. Crossfades is more the sci-fi horror while Bleedovers is more paranormal. I liked how this was two separate novellas, even though it could have worked as a full length novel, it cut down on unnecessary filler

I newly discovered Abbie Roads. She has three books out right now and each othe them are a dark romantic suspense. Her books are dark and twisted and sexy as hell, it really satisfies my horror and romance needs. The Fatal Dreams duo also has a dark fairytale/folklore feel to it. 










For kids, always the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series the illustrations alone can give you nightmares. For beginner readers one of my favorites growing up was one called Four on the Shore by Edward Marshall. It is a fun little book about four friends telling scary stories to each other.

ARC REVIEW Saving Mercy by Abbie Roads

More dark, bloody, chilling romance by Abbie Roads. Saving Mercy has a real sinister feel to it, and can be real morbid with the content, Cain can be lugubrious but with his method of finding out what happened at crime scenes is quite disturbing and how he got that way is disconcerting and it is completely understandable for him to be the way he is. Cain is the son of a serial killer, Adam Killian, who forced Cain to watch all his murders and bathed him in the blood of the victims. Ever since Cain has had an extrasensory ability to read the murder scene, he can see the murder through the killer's eyes. He now works for the FBI with the agent who saved him from his father and then raised him as his own.  

Mercy survived the unthinkable, she watched as a serial killer murdered her parents in front of her and his own son. She barely survived but grew up fairly normal and well balanced until the "good" Dr. Payne has her institutionalized. Dr Payne is obsessed with Mercy and her survival of the attack, he is telling everyone she's crazy and out of her mind. Cain is friends with a nurse, Liz, a woman who has been like a mother to him since his Father was caught and he was saved. Liz tells him he needs to save Mercy from the doctor. Cain has been keeping tabs on Mercy the whole time and when Liz fills him in on what the doctor has been doing to Mercy he knows he's the only one who can save her. But the most recent murders is tieing Cain to them, and it is suspiciously like his father's murders, only it couldn't possible be his father he is still in prison  and only Cain can track down this copycat. Cain and Mercy have a connection, and while Cain feels guilty for it Mercy sees it as a kinship. Mercy proves she doesn't hold him responsible for the sins of his father. Can their bond prove to be thicker than blood?

Overall, such a good book. OMG! Suspenseful, nice twist. Bloody, oh so bloody. Romance in an unlikely time but fated to happen. Abbie Roads is a great writer, she transports me into the book and proceeds to creep me out, I love it.  

ARC REVIEW Hunt the Dawn by Abbie Roads

So fantastic, Abbie Roads has nailed the dark, disturbing, and sexy. What's nice is that you don't have to read the first book of the series, Race the Darkness, in order to read this one; it helps but it's not required. This book was everything I hoped for and more when I thought about Lathan story. Evanee I really love her, she did what she had to do to survive and even when at her lowest it didn't stop her.

Lathan is unbelievable with his overactive olfactory being able to see memories and feelings from a person's smell. He works with the FBI as a special consultant he helps track down killers and he's one the path of one who is constantly changing his MO but the nose knows and Lathan knows all these victims were killed by the same person. Lathan because of his talent doesn't get close to people for the exception of one, his childhood friend and FBI contact. Evanee is working at a truck stop diner surviving on tips trying to avoid the pervert who has been harassing her. Evanee's car stops working she pulls off into a rest stop and who should show up but her step brother the pervert. Lathan happen to be riding by and he smelled Evanee's fear he pulls over to help. Everything about about Evanee calls to Lathan, he instinctually trusts her and knows he must protect her at all costs. Evanee is in shock by the time the stranger rescues her she allows him to take her to his home until she feels better. Evanee, like Lathan, trusts him she knows that she should know better but it's an instinctual need to be with him. Lathan can drop his guard around her and not get bombarded with scent memories. Evanee, on the other hand, her dreams start getting worse, she's connecting with the murdered victims in Lathan's case and leads to evidence. The serial killer figures out who but not how, but at all costs he must stop Lathan from exposing him so he focus on the person closest to Lathan; Evanee.

Overall, this truly exceeded my expectations for the book.  

  

ARC REVIEW Race the Darkness by Abbie Roads

This book takes paranormal to a new level. It is a paranormal mystery thriller with a touch of  Dark Fairy/Folk tale. I loved this book! I thought Abbie Roads was just brilliant with the story. I will sing it's praises from the rooftops. Very rarely has a debut author surprised me with the awesomeness of her first book. (Both other debut books were earlier this year). The Romantic Suspense aspect is wonderfully creepy and suspenseful from the repeated attempts on Isleen's life right to the crazy religious zealot doing it. The Paranormal and the Dark Fairy Tale fit in together. Xander and Isleen are tied together, bound by some mystical ancient story. Even before they meet Isleen and Xander know that there's something someone out there, like they are missing a piece of themselves. Xander a bit of an ass and that pretty obvious from the very beginning. I love how the book started it was a great introduction to Xander and how and why he's so damn special. Isleen and her grandmother were kidnapped and for the last several years held in a trailer in the middle of nowhere starved and tortured pushed to the verge of death and brought back. Until one night when Isleen is sure she's going to die, Xander finds her.

Xander was struck by lighting and the result was Lichtenberg figure, which means he's horribly scarred on half of his body. He also became able to hear what others do not, what others are thinking. He has become the BCI's troubleshooter at integrations. To Xander it almost seems like there's someone else living in his head whom he refers to as The Bastard in His Brain. Tonight the bastard is restless and there is another voice in his head, a female calling out for help, on the verge of death. Xander follows his gut it's something the Bastard is telling him to do where to go and it leads him to a trailer in the middle of nowhere. Inside the trailer Isleen lies emaciated and half dead. Once Xander finds Isleen he's never going to let her go again and nothing bad will ever happen to her again, but something things are even out of his control.

When Isleen is better she starts having dreams strange vivid dreams. After three of these strange dreams Xander realizes what they are, prophetic dreams of what can or is happening. Once Alex, Xander's father, realizes what's happening he fills them in on a Legend of Fearless and Bear. There is so much to this book it really is one you have to read yourself to get the whole impact of the story. But what a story it is. Overall, read this book.