ARC Review: Kicking It by Rachel Caine, Chloe Neill, Rob Thurman et al

 

This was a good novella, especially if you like your books action packed and full of kick ass heroines with a leather fetish ~ Under the Covers

This was a good novella, especially if you like your books action packed and full of kick ass heroines with a leather fetish, luckily I lap that stuff up. I was also pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed nearly all of the stories in this anthology, some I did like more than others, but generally I now have a few more series to add to my reading lists.

Forked Tongues Rachel Caine

This anthology kicks off with a bang with Rachel Caine’s Forked Tongues, although I haven’t really read any Rachel Caine before, this short story has definitely prompted me into trying out one of her series. It gave you a quick shot of demon hunting and witches as well as a little romance between the characters. I am definitely going to have to find out what series this is from and full in the gaps!

Stolen Goods by Shannon K Butcher

A short but action packed novella involving a magical pair of red boots and hammer being put to use in nefarious ways. This short story is a really intriguing start to a series (or maybe a prequel to a pre-existing one? I am not sure) that has left me wanting to a lot more about the main characters; the beautiful and deadly Simone and craftsman Marcus and to see what is going to happen next in the battle against the bad guys.

The Girl with No Name by Chris Marie Green

You wake up in an unfamiliar bed with no recollection of where you are and how you got there…yes this may seem like a normal Saturday morning, but for the heroine of this tale, not only does she not know where she is, she doesn’t know who she is. We hop along on her ride to discover her identity and why the bad guys with the glowing red eyes seems to be following her. This was an entertaining story with plenty of action and a bit of mystery; however, it definitely wasn’t my favourite story in this anthology.

The Devil’s Left Boot by Faith Hunter

Faith Hunter brings gives us a story set in her Jane Yellowrock universe about twin witches Cia and Liz who are reluctantly helping their high school nemesis look for her missing mother. I really enjoyed this story and it has definitely prompted me to move the Jane Yellowrock series up in my TBR pile as Faith Hunter wrote a story full of action, witchcraft and intriguing characters.

High Stakes by Chloe Neill

I haven’t read the Chicagoland Vampire series, although I believe I will have to rectify that soon, for those of you who have I imagine High Stakes will be a must read. It is a story about Luc and Lindsey who I assume are characters from the main series. Lindsey’s murky past has reared its head and she must go back to New York and face it and face it alone despite Luc’s protests. I really enjoyed this story, it had a touch of romance and heat, which is something the other books have lacked this added spice to this novella and had me racing through the pages.

The Parlor by Lucienne Diver

Spying on a supposedly cheating husband is no fun, of course it all turns a little more interesting and a lot more dangerous when Tori discovers the husband in The Parlor. The Parlor is a gambling hot spot run by a mysterious woman in dark sunglasses and a foreboding sense of style. This is another action packed addition to this anthology and one of the stories I enjoyed the most, it has definitely inspired me to add Lucienne Diver’s Latter-Day Olympians series to my TBR mountain.

Red Really Isn’t My Colour by Christina Henry

This is a novella set with in Christina Henry’s Black Wing’s series where Madeline Black has been tasked by her great granddaddy Lucifer to look for a pair of red shoes. Of course they aren’t a normal red pair of shoes, when the shoes are put on the wearer will literally dance themselves to death. This is an entertaining story, if you are a fan of the Black Wing’s series than this is definitely a must read, but although I haven’t read that series it was still a quick and fun read.

Snake Skin by Rob Thurman

I tried with this story, but short as it was I just couldn’t get on with it, I read a little bit of it but I skipped most of it. I couldn’t get on with the writing style and the story wasn’t interesting enough for me to be inspired to continue anyways.

Ruby Red by Kalayna Price

Although I haven’t read the Alex Craft series, I believe Derrick and Briar are characters within the series, this novella shows them solving a case of some mysterious creatures that are leaching the will to live from their victims, which is all somehow connected to a pair of sexy red shoes. Like a few stories in this novella, this would probably be appreciated more if you have read the Alex Cross series; however, if you haven’t, like me, it was still an action packed adventure that will keep you entertained and give you a taster of the series.

*ARC provided by publisher

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