Stings and Stones by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review

Stings and Stones by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Bookbub

 

Description:

An Elemental Assassin short story Collection. Flash back to one of Gin Blanco’s many missions as the assassin the Spider. Learn more about Gin’s relationships with her mentor, Fletcher Lane, and her foster brother, Finnegan Lane, and see what trouble the other characters get themselves into when Gin’s not around. From a ghost’s lost love to a villain’s origin story, this action-packed collection has something for every urban fantasy and paranormal romance fan.

The Stings and Stones collection features ten short stories told by various characters.  

“Spider’s Bargain” — Gin Blanco
“Web of Death” — Gin Blanco
“Web of Deceit” — Fletcher Lane
“Poison” — Finnegan Lane
“Wasted” — Finnegan Lane
“Tangled Dreams” — Jo-Jo and Sophia Deveraux
“Tangled Schemes” — Bria Coolidge
“Spider’s Nemesis” — Mab Monroe
“Haints and Hobwebs” — Gin Blanco
“Parlor Tricks” — Gin Blanco

 

••••••

Barb’s Review:
Stings and Stones
is a 67,000-word collection of Elemental Assassin short stories. Some of the stories previously appeared on Jennifer Estep’s website, while others have been featured in anthologies.

I enjoyed reading each and every short story, as it was so much fun. I am a big fan of Jennifer Estep and her wonderful Elemental Assassin series. Gin, Fletcher, Finnegan, Bria, Jo-Jo, Sophie, Owen, just to name a few, were wonderful characters throughout all the books.

At the end, Estep added an excerpt from her Galactic Bonds series, which was ok.

But I am thrilled that there will be more of Elemental Assassin and our wonderful heroine, Gin Blanco. If you have not read this series, you are missing a gem of a series.

 

Sandy’s Review: 

STINGS AND STONES by Jennifer Estep is a collection of ten previously released  (newsletter or website) short stories and novellas in the author’s ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN series focusing on assassin and elemental Gin Blanco.

Told from several first person perspectives including Gin Blanco, Fletcher Lane, Finnegan Lane, Jojo or Sophia Devereaux, Bria Coolidge or Mab Monroe, each story line can either be a  prologue or epilogue to one of the instalments in the Elemental Assassin series, or a side story in which the reader is up close and personal with the private and personal lives outside of the main story lines.

Fast paced, entertaining and intriguing, STINGS AND STONE is a wonderful addition revealing a little background and history of the story line characters.

Copies supplied for review

 

 

Share

SPIDER AND FROST (Elemental Assassin) by Jennifer Estep-dual review

SPIDER AND FROST (Elemental Assassin/ Mythos Academy) by Jennifer Estep-dual review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Chapters Indigo / Apple Books / Smashwords

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 26, 2023

WHEN AN ASSASSIN . . .

My name is Gin Blanco, and I’m on vacation. Sort of. As the assassin the Spider, it’s hard for me to completely relax, but I’m determined to enjoy a scenic train ride and a nice, quiet lunch before heading back home to Ashland.

My plans change when Gwen Frost boards the train. The girl says she’s heading back to Mythos Academy, the fancy private boarding school, but I can’t shake the feeling that Gwen is hiding something—and is in far more trouble than she realizes.

. . . MEETS A CHAMPION

My name is Gwen Frost. I might have saved the world from Loki, the evil Norse god of chaos, but I’m still chasing down Reaper villains. It’s all part of being the Champion of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.

I’ve been assigned to protect some mythological artifacts that are being transported via train to Mythos Academy, but some Reapers are hot on my trail, and they’ll do anything to recover the artifacts—and kill me.

Also on the train is Gin Blanco, who claims to be the owner of the Pork Pit barbecue restaurant. My psychometry magic keeps whispering that there’s more to her than meets the eye, although I can’t tell if Gin is a friend, an enemy, or something else entirely.

Note: Spider and Frost is a 28,000-word crossover novella between the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series and the Mythos Academy young adult series. It is told from the points of view of Gin Blanco and Gwen Frost.

Spider and Frost takes place after the events of Last Strand, book 19 in the Elemental Assassin series.

•••••

Sandy’s REVIEW: SPIDER AND FROST by Jennifer Estep is a cross over instalment in both of the author’s Elemental Assassin and Mythos Academy series focusing on elemental assassin Gin Blanco, and Oracle Gwen Frost.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Gin and Gwen) SPIDER AND FROST follows in the aftermath of a rockslide that separates Gin and Gwen from family and friends . Gin, Owen, Fin and Bria were taking a well-deserved scenic train vacation in the wake of the war between Ashland and The Circle but all does not go according to plan when a rockslide separated Gin from her loved ones. With a push from her friends, Gin continues on with the tour wherein she will me an eighteen year old Gwen Frost, a young woman who reminds Gin of herself. From the outset, Gin and Gwen suspect one another but it is Gwen’s enemies, The Reapers, who are determined to take back what they claim as their own. Several attacks, a talking sword, and a young woman who can ‘see’ the past, finds Gwen and Gin on the defensive to protect one another’s backs.

SPIDER AND FROST is a quick read; a fast paced, short story that revisits Gwen Frost and some of the Mythos Academy characters, as well as Gin Blanco, and the family she loves. There is plenty of action, swords and knives, magic and mayhem, and just enough love and friendship to keep everybody happy. The premise is captivating and engaging; the characters are familiar and tenacious.

 

Barb’s Review: Spider and Frost by Jennifer Estep is a novella set in our two wonderful series, Elemental Assassin and Mythos Academy. I really got a kick out of Gin and Gwen getting to know each other, and learning what each can do.  It was lots of fun.

At the start, Gin Blanco (the Spider) is waiting at the train station, for her friends, Owen, Fin and Bria, as they are on vacation; but a rockslide has caused the others to be late; they tell Gin to take the scenic train ride anyway, and enjoy the ride. 

Gwen Frost is also watching out for her friends (Logan, Daphne, and others), who have also been slowed down by the rockslide.  Gwen has been assigned to protect a number of mythological artifacts, which are on the train, on the way to Mythos Academy.

Gin sees Gwen on the train, and gets vibes that she is possibly in danger, and decides to go into her section, just in case she may need help. When the train starts off, Gwen notices some of her Reaper enemies, who are determined to steal back the artifacts. In a short period, Gin and Gwen do become friends, knowing they will help each other.  When the Reapers attack, Gin is injured, with Gwen thinking she is dead; and is captured by the Reapers.

What follows is a wild, exciting, battle with both Gwen and Gin fighting together to defeat the enemy. I really loved Gwen trying to save herself, using Gin’s special knife and Gin using Vic (Gwen’s magical sword).  Gwen also used her psychometry magic to learn more about the amazing Gin Branco. They really made a great team, and I would love to see more of them working together. 

Spider and Frost was a fun, exciting, action-filled, fast read and very well written by Jennifer Estep.  I really enjoyed seeing Gin and her friends, as well as Gwen and her own friends. They did make a great team, and should be fun if they ever meet again (Jennnifer-?) to fight all enemies. If you are fans of either series, you should read this novella.

 

Copy supplied for Review

Share

Last Strand by Jennifer Estep- Dual review & Giveaway

Last Strand  by Jennifer Estep- Dual review & Giveaway

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 16 2021

Every bloody thread has been leading to this . . .

I’ve battled a lot of bad guys in my time, both as Gin Blanco and as the notorious assassin the Spider. But I’ve never faced off against anyone quite as powerful and deadly as the dastardly leader of the Circle secret society.

Just when I finally have a lead on how I can defeat the evil group once and for all, new information comes to light that throws me for a loop. Suddenly, everyone and everything I love is in imminent peril of being destroyed, and I’m racing against the clock to figure out a way to save my friends.

The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the danger has never been greater. Somehow, I need to weave one last strand in my web of death—and kill my enemies before they kill me .

•••••

SANDY’S REVIEW:LAST STRAND is the nineteenth and final (for now) instalment in Jennifer Estep’s contemporary, adult ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN urban fantasy/paranormal series focusing on Gin Blanco aka the Spider aka The Assassin-the reigning Queen of the paranormal Underworld of Ashland, LAST STRAND can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order or at the very least, read SHARPEST STING book 18.

SOME BACKGROUND: Years earlier, Gin lost her father to a supposed accident, then her mother and older sister to a deliberate fire started by a fire elemental, a fire ordered by the notorious group known only as The Circle. Fostered and mentored by Fletcher Lane, Gin would become the fiercest elemental assassin the Underworld would ever know.

NOTE: There are some scenes of graphic violence that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Gin Blanco) using present day and memories from the past, LAST STRAND follows the beginning of the end for the group known as The Circle. Gin Blanco has spent most of her life training for and defending against a number of enemies, all with ties to The Circle. With the revelations about her father’s murder, and the person responsible, Gin struggles with the information and connection to her extended family, family that is about to meet its’ match. When an ultimatum is given, Gin must take aggressive steps to protect the people she loves, and in this, ending the life of the person out to destroy them all. The leader of the Circle is gunning for our heroine, beginning with the take down and demise of her business, and everything it entails.

The familiar secondary and supporting characters include Gin’s sister Bria, and her step-brother Finn Lane (Bria’s lover); Gin’s assistant /vampire Silvio Sanchez, vampire Roslyn Phillips, police officer and giant Xavier dwarves Jo Jo and Sophia Deveraux, Lorelei Parker, as well as Underworld boss and security specialist Liam Carter, vampire Hugh Tucker, Bellum Bank owners and fire elementals Charles Yang, and his daughter Drusilla; elemental and giant Emery Slater, and current leader of The Circle Mason Mitchell.

LAST STRAND is a story of family, friendships, relationships and love; a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control; greed, avarice, hatred and malice. The premise is exciting and engaging; the characters are fierce, energetic and determined- the camaraderie and friendships are electric and deep. Jennifer Estep has revealed LAST STRAND is the final instalment (for now) in the Elemental Assassin series but the author has plans for more stories focusing on the secondary characters introduced throughout the series. The Elemental Assassin series is a dramatic, thrilling and wonderful series.

 

BARB’S REVIEW:
Last Strand
by Jennifer Estep is the 19th and final (for now) book in her fantastic Elemental Assassin series. I am a big fan of Jennifer Estep, having read all her series, and this series is my favorite. I love the lead character, Gin Blanco (The Spider), as well as all the wonderful secondary characters that help support Gin.   I can’t say enough about how Estep keeps the flow going so smoothly in each and every book in this terrific series, as well as the exciting action throughout.  Needless to say, Gin Blanco, the Spider, is one of the best literary kick-ass female heroines, as well as one of my favorites. 

In Last Strand, Gin and Finn have discovered where Fletcher has hidden the money, he had  supposedly stolen from the Circle leader, Mason Mitchell.  With some of their friends hiding nearby to help them if needed, they enter a bank that has strong rules, and very powerful clients, as well as strict security measures.  To their shock, the vault in Fletcher’s name is loaded with treasures and money, which amounts to a lot of money, but Gin is confused, as it is not as much as she expected.  They leave without a problem, to go home and meet with the group how to find a way to get everything out of the vault, before Mason Mitchell finds out. Before they get a chance to move the money, Mitchell and his giants, including the evil Emery, threaten the life of one of theirs, forcing Gin to agree to give them what he wants. 

Gin has dreams about Fletcher and how he taught her things, but no matter what she cannot figure out what clues he was telling her.  Gin also knows that not only is her life on the line, but so are all of her family and friends.  Mason Mitchell will stop at nothing to kill them all.  She also learns what Mason is planning to destroy her Pork Pit restuarant, as well as take complete control of Ashland. Can she stop him?

What follows is an exciting, action filled, pulse pounding adventure that will bring Gin and her team into death defying situations. But with help from her fantastic friends and others, she will devise an elaborate plan to destroy Mason.  Will it cost her life, or that of her loved ones?

This series is always an edge of your seat suspense when following Gin Blanco, as she is always in the middle of a wild violent adventure.   To tell too much more would be spoilers, and I do not want to ruin it for anyone; especially this being the final book (for now). But as we come to the conclusion of the series, we worry who will survive.

I love spending time with Gin, but I also love all the recurring secondary characters that are Gin’s friends and family that she is loyal to, and they are always there for each other.  Finn, Owen, Bria, Silvio, Sophia, Jo Jo, Lorelei, Silvio are all great members of Gin’s group.   

Jennifer Estep is a master at creating exciting, mind-boggling adventures in each story, and making Gin into such a great heroine.   Last Strand was a wonderful action filled addition to this series, which also gives us answers to some questions, as well as an amazing and satisfying conclusion.  If you have not read the Elemental Assassin series, it is time for you to start now.

 

 

Jennifer Estep is a New York TimesUSA Today, and international bestselling author prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. 

Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Sharpest Sting, book #18, will be released Oct. 8.

Jennifer is also the author of the Crown of Shards, Mythos Academy, Black Blade, and Bigtime fantasy series.

For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit www.jenniferestep.com or follow Jennifer on FacebookGoodreadsAmazonBookBubBlog and TwitterYou can also sign up for her newsletter.

 

 

Jennifer is graciously offering a $10 Amazon Gift card to ONE (1) lucky commenters  at The Reading Cafe:

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE:  If you are having difficulty commenting after logging into the site, please refresh the page at the top of your computer

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Jennifer Estep on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Giveaway open Internationally

8. Giveaway runs from March 16- 20, 2021

Share

Sharpest Sting by Jennifer Estep – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Sharpest Sting by Jennifer Estep – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository / Google Play / Apple

 

Description:
As Gin Blanco, aka the assassin the Spider, I’m used to having a target on my back. But ever since I started investigating the secret society known as the Circle, that target seems bigger than ever.

Still, I’m trying to relax and enjoy the events leading up to my friends’ wedding when I learn that an old enemy has returned to Ashland. And that’s the just beginning of my latest nightmare. Soon, I have Circle goons watching my every move, but I have no choice but to continue searching for a key piece of evidence against the evil group.

The deeper I dig, the more horrifying secrets I uncover, and the more dangerous things become for me and my friends. Just when I think I finally have a handle on things, a shocking revelation shatters my heart and leaves me with an ugly realization—that betrayal is the sharpest sting of all …

•••••••••••••••

Barb’s Review:
Sharpest Sting
by Jennifer Estep is the 18th book in her fantastic Elemental Assassin series.  I can’t say enough about how Estep keeps the flow going so smoothly in each and every book in this terrific series, as well as the exciting action throughout.  Needless to say, Gin Blanco, the Spider, is one of the best literary kick-ass female heroines, as well as one of my favorites.  

In Sharpest Sting, Gin continues to find out more information about the secret powerful Circle Society that was also responsible for killing her mother, father and sister.  In the last book, Gin made a discovery who the leader was, and now she is more determined find a way to stop him and the Circle.  With help from her awesome friends, Gin searches every where for clues, and during one such trip to the cemetery, she and Owen are attacked by Giants; which they manage to survive by killing the two Giants.  Gin realizes she made a mistake in leaving clues that would identify her as the killer.

In between her investigation, she and all our recurring favorites, are preparing for the wedding of Mallory and Mosley. While the ladies are trying on dresses, an enemy of the past will kidnap Gin, Bria and Lorelei, bringing them to the Circle leader, Mason Mitchell, who is actually Gin’s uncle, whom she never knew.  Mason threatens Gin will killing all those she loves, unless she finds and brings him a ledger that has been missing for some time; time is of essence, as Gin is desperate to protect her family/friends.   

What follows is an exciting, action filled, pulse pounding mystery that will bring Gin into death defying situations. This is always an edge of your seat suspense when following Gin Blanco, as she is always in the middle of a wild violent adventure.  There were some major revelations and betrayals, some of which devastates Gin.

I love spending time with Gin, but I also love all the recurring secondary characters that are Gin’s friends and family that she is loyal to, and they are always there for each other.  Finn, Owen, Bria, Silvio, Sophie, Jo Jo, Lorelei are all great members of Gin’s group.  I also loved spending time with them at the wedding of Mallory and Mosely, only to be rudely disturbed by Mason’s people and Gin is once again kidnapped.  To tell too much more would be spoilers, as a lot is revealed and we once again are subject to the terrible suffering Gin must endure, as we pray for her survival.   

Tucker, who has been one of the villains for some time, continues to be cold, but every time Gin is in danger, he seems to be there to help her, which has us wondering ‘what is it that we do not know?’ The ending gives us more reasons to suspect there is more secrets in the books ahead.

Jennifer Estep is a master at creating exciting, mind-boggling adventures in each story, and making Gin into such a great heroine. Sharpest Sting was another wonderful action filled addition to this series, which also gives us answers to some questions, as well as surprises that will have us waiting impatiently for the next book.  I cannot wait for more adventures of Gin Blanco. If you have not read the Elemental Assassin series, it is time for you to start now.

 

Sandy’s Review:

SHARPEST STING is the eighteenth full-length instalment in Jennifer Estep’s ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN adult, paranormal, urban fantasy series focusing on Gin Blanco aka The Spider aka The Assassin –the reigning Queen of the paranormal Underworld of Ashland. SHARPEST STING can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion and backstory. SHARPEST STING begins the latest arc in the series.

SOME BACKGROUND: Years earlier, Gin lost her father to a car accident, then her mother and older sister to a deliberate fire started by a fire elemental, a fire ordered by the notorious group known only as The Circle. Fostered and mentored by Fletcher Lane, Gin would become the fiercest elemental assassin the Underworld would ever know.

NOTE: There are some scenes of graphic violence that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Gin Blanco) using present day and memories from the past, SHARPEST STING begins the latest arc of the Elemental Assassin series focusing on Gin Blanco as the Circle continues to reign supreme in the world of the supernatural. When her friends and family are threatened, Gin is forced to retrieve an item, her mentor and former assassin Fletcher Lane, had stolen and hidden from the man in charge. As Gin and her lover Owen Grayson begin a search of places known to Fletcher Lane, Gin will discover that her connections to the Circle go much deeper than the hated disdain of the Queen of the Underworld, connections that threaten everyone she loves. An ultimatum forces Gin to give into demands as she continues to search for the missing item, demands made by an elemental whose powers overshadow those of all others.

The secondary characters are numerous, colorful and energetic with the return of Gin’s sister Bria, and her step-brother Finn Lane (Bria’s lover); Gin’s assistant /vampire Silvio Sanchez, vampire Roslyn Phillips, police officer and giant Xavier dwarves Jo Jo and Sophia Deveraux, Mallory and Lorelei Parker, as well as Underworld boss and security specialist Liam Carter, vampire Hugh Tucker, elemental and giant Emery Slater, and leader of the Circle Mason Mitchell. Here’s hoping the author has future plans for Silvio and Liam, together.

SHARPEST STING is a story of family, friendships, betrayal and love; hatred, vengeance, power and control. The reader is pulled into the past through Gin’s memories, memories that reveal more about Fletcher Lane, and his connection to the group known as the Circle. The premise is haunting and engaging; the characters are energetic and strong.

 

I shut the trunk, while Owen hefted the two shovels up onto his shoulder. Together, we left the car and headed into the trees.
I took the lead, slipping through the shadows and scanning the surrounding woods, with Owen creeping along behind me. It was just after nine o’clock on this clear February night, and the luminous full moon and pinprick stars brightened the landscape, as did the crusty patches of snow and ice that still dappled the ground from the most recent winter storm. The woods were utterly still and quiet, and not so much as a breeze rattled the tree branches.
The silence should have reassured me, but a frosty finger of unease slid down my spine, even colder than the night air, and I palmed one of the knives hidden up my sleeves. The mark stamped in the silverstone hilt pressed into the larger, matching scar embedded in my palm—each of them a small circle surrounded by eight thin rays. A spider rune, the symbol for patience.
A pendant shaped like a spider rune hung from a chain around my neck, and the symbol was also stamped into the ring on my right index finger. My Ice magic rippled through both pieces of silverstone jewelry.
Normally, the cool touch of the jewelry on my skin and the solid strength of my knife in my hand would have comforted me but not right now. Or perhaps my continued unease was caused by our destination, along with our mission. I scanned the landscape again, but I only saw the same trees, ice, and shadows as before. The woods seemed to be completely empty, and even the owls, squirrels, and other animals had vanished for the night.
A few minutes later, we reached the edge of the woods. Owen stopped beside me, and we peered out at the area before us.
Blue Ridge Cemetery.
The moon- and starlight clearly illuminated the cemetery, which spread out for acres. An uneven carpet of dull brown winter grass rose and fell with the hills and ridges that creased the land like wrinkles grooved into an elderly dwarf’s face. Tombstones of all shapes and sizes dotted the ground, from square slabs to Celtic crosses to tall, elegant spires topped with wings and other symbols. A few trees rose up here and there, their bare branches hanging over and casting long, bony, fingerlike shadows onto the tombstones below. The shadows filled in many of the names and dates carved into the markers, making the old weathered letters and numbers look like they had just been stamped on the stones in thick, wet black ink.
Most people would have been creeped out to be in the cemetery at night, but I had an extra reason to be uncomfortable: I could hear the tombstones’ wails.
Love, hate, anger, grief, rage, despair. Over time, people’s feelings sink into whatever stone is around them, and few places conjured up more deep, wild, varying emotions than a cemetery. As a Stone elemental, my magic let me hear the soft sobs and bitter, plaintive wails of everyone who had grieved for loved ones, as well as the sly, smug murmurs of happiness from those who had been delighted to see the deceased go into the ground. The sorrow and the satisfaction made for an odd, disturbing, disparate chorus, and the incessant screeching between the two factions caused a dull headache to bloom in the back of my skull.
“Gin?” Owen asked. “Are you okay?”
I blocked out the stones’ cries as best I could and scanned the grounds again, but I didn’t see anyone lurking behind a tree or crouched beside a tombstone. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
We left the woods and went over to a gray stone path that curled through the grass like a dull, tattered ribbon. Owen and I followed the winding walkway for about three hundred feet before stepping off the path and climbing up one of the hills. We stopped atop a ridge that featured a massive maple looming over five graves, each one marked with its own separate tombstone. Another, much larger stone statue shaped like a snowflake was set into the ground above and behind the tombstones, denoting this as a family plot.
The tombstones represented the five members of the Snow family—my mother, Eira; my older sister, Annabella; my younger sister, Bria; and myself, Genevieve Snow. Of course, Bria and I were still alive, although, sadly, the rest of our family was very much dead, thanks to Mab Monroe and Uncle Mason.
Owen rested his hand on my shoulder, letting me know he was there if I wanted to talk. I flashed him a grateful smile and squeezed his hand. Then I moved over to the fifth and final marker—the one for my father, Tristan.
His tombstone was the oldest and most weather-worn, and I crouched down and yanked off the dead kudzu vines that had snaked across the stone. It didn’t take me long to get rid of the frozen, brittle tendrils and reveal the writing underneath.
Tristan. Beloved Husband and Father.
The words flowed across the stone in a simple script, along with the dates of his birth, June 2, and death, March 24, and the corresponding years. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and snapped some photos of the tombstone, zooming in and focusing on the dates. Then I texted the photos to Bria, and also to Silvio Sanchez, my personal assistant.
My sister had left the rehearsal dinner early to work a shift at the police station, so she didn’t respond, although my phone chimed with a new text from my trusty assistant less than a minute later.
Got them. Starting work right now!
“Silvio?” Owen asked in an amused voice.
I tucked my phone back into my pocket. “Yep. There is something seriously wrong with that man. No one should be that eager to work, especially not this late.”
Silvio had also been at the rehearsal dinner, and I had told him where Owen and I were coming afterward. My vampire assistant had an annoying habit of tracking my phone and car, so it was just easier to tell him what I was up to rather than trying to keep it a secret. Silvio had made me promise to send him what was on Tristan’s tombstone so he could start digging up info on my father and see if he could find any clues that would lead me to Mason.
My mother had claimed that my father died in a car accident, although I doubted that was true. No, I had a sneaking suspicion the Circle was behind Tristan’s death, just as the group had been behind my mother’s and Annabella’s murders.
Perhaps Tristan hadn’t liked being under his brother’s thumb and the two of them had some falling-out that led to Mason eliminating my father. Then, later on, Mason had ordered my mother to be killed when he learned that she was planning to expose the Circle. At least, that was what I thought Eira had been planning. So much of this was still just hunches and guesswork on my part.
I’d come here hoping to get some answers, but the information on Tristan’s tombstone didn’t tell me anything new. Frustration flooded my stomach, curdling the fine dinner I’d eaten earlier. Owen was wrong. My motto as the Spider should be More Questions, because that was all I ever seemed to get regarding my parents and Mason.
Owen slung the shovels off his shoulder and crouched down beside me. “I never realized it until right now, but you’ve never told me your father’s last name.”
“That’s because I don’t know what it is.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“My father died when I was five, so I barely remember him. Ever since we discovered that Mason is the head of the Circle, I’ve been thinking back, trying to remember every little thing I can about my father. But Tristan is just this vague, hazy image in my mind—a nice smile, a warm laugh, a pair of gray eyes like mine.” I shook my head. “I don’t know if that image is real or simply what I want him to be.”
“And Mason?”
I shook my head again. “Nothing. I draw a total blank when it comes to him. I don’t remember anything about my father’s family. I always assumed Tristan didn’t have any family, but of course, now I know that’s not the case. But no matter how hard I try, I haven’t been able to remember anything helpful about Tristan, not even his last name.”
Owen pointed to my mother’s marker. “But Snow is your mother’s last name, and yours too. Not your father’s.”
“I was hoping Tristan’s last name would be on his tombstone, but it’s not.”
“Maybe your father decided to use your mother’s last name,” Owen said. “Maybe he didn’t want anything to do with Mason, not even something as simple as sharing the same surname.”
“That’s what I think too. That Tristan was so disgusted with Mason and the Circle that he disowned himself from their family.”
At least, that was what I hoped. I didn’t want to contemplate the idea that my father might have been just as evil and horrible as Mason was.
“Well, Silvio is working on it now, and if anyone can figure out my father’s last name and where Mason is hiding, then it’s him. But we have another mission.”
Owen lifted the shovels and tapped them point-first against the ground. “Are you sure you want to do this? We don’t have to. I know how hard this is.”
“I appreciate that, but we need more information about the Circle, and this is the only place I can think of where Fletcher might have hidden it. Even Silvio hasn’t been able to crack all the codes in that Circle ledger, and we’re running out of time to decrypt the info before Mason and Tucker target us again.”
A few weeks ago, during an auction of items from Mab Monroe’s estate, I had stumbled across what seemed to be a blue book of Circle secrets. Hugh Tucker had been after the ledger, as had Alanna Eaton, a vampire cannibal. That book had turned out to be a decoy, but I had still ended up with the genuine item. Fletcher Lane, Finn’s dad and my assassin mentor, had given the real ledger to Stuart Mosley for safekeeping years ago, but Fletcher had never gotten a chance to tell Mosley what to do with the tome.
But perhaps the most surprising thing was the fact that my mother had written the book.
I had recognized her handwriting immediately, and Silvio and I had been working to decode the contents ever since. My mother had been some sort of accountant or bookkeeper for the Circle, and the blue ledger chronicled assassinations, kidnappings, and other crimes the group had committed, orchestrated, and profited from, as well as bribes and payments they had doled out to various people.
Silvio was still trying to crack the last few bits of code, but the ledger hadn’t been quite the smoking gun I was hoping for. Sure, it cataloged some of the Circle’s dirty deeds, but most of the crimes were more than twenty years old, and many of the people associated with them were long dead. I wanted—needed—more information about the Circle’s past plots, as well as what its members had been up to in recent years, so I’d come to the cemetery to try to get it.
“Do you really think Fletcher knew how Tristan was connected to the Circle?” Owen asked. “And that Fletcher left something here for you to find? Buried in your father’s grave?”
I shrugged. “If anyone knew about Tristan and Mason, then it was Fletcher. Besides, the old man seemed to know everything else about the Circle.”
Owen tapped the shovels against the ground again, still unsure. I didn’t blame him. I didn’t want to dig up my father’s grave, but Fletcher had left me information in this cemetery before, and it was the only place I hadn’t checked yet.
Owen shifted his stance, and a bit of moonlight slid past his body and hit the tombstone, illuminating a small dark spot in the lower right-hand corner. I scooted forward and leaned down to get a better look at it.
“Find something?” he asked.
“I’m not sure.”
The spot was right above the grass, and I wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t cleared away the dead vines. I yanked up a tuft of grass and tossed it aside, then leaned down lower so that I could get an even better look. It wasn’t a spot at all but rather a rune that had been carved into the tombstone.
And not just any rune—a small circle surrounded by thin rays. My spider rune.
“Fletcher,” I whispered.
I traced my fingers over the rune. Unlike the name and dates on the tombstone, which were neat and smooth and had obviously been done by a carver with professional equipment, this symbol looked thin and jagged, as though it had been crudely scratched into the stone with a blade meant for something else—like an assassin’s knife.
I stared at the knife in my hand, then dug the point into the stone and drew a short line with the blade. My gaze snapped back and forth between my mark and the rune already on the tombstone. They matched exactly.
“Fletcher,” I whispered again. “You sly fox.”
The old man had once again left me a clue from beyond the grave. My heart lifted, excitement zipped through me, and I surged to my feet and turned to grab one of the shovels from Owen. To my surprise, he was also on his feet, frowning and looking off into the distance.
“Something wrong?”
He stabbed his finger toward the bottom of the hill. “There’s a freshly dug grave down there.”
“So what? This is a cemetery.”
Owen shook his head. “So there are no flowers on it. And look where that grave is. I know that spot, Gin, and so do you.”
I peered in that direction. A grave had been recently dug at the bottom of the hill not too far away from where we were. No flowers were strewn across the turned earth, and no funeral wreaths were propped up on metal stands. But what made my heart sink was the grave’s location. Owen was right. I knew that spot all too well.
“That’s Fletcher’s grave.” Shock blasted through me, but it was quickly drowned out by sick understanding. “Someone dug up Fletcher’s grave.”
“Who would do that?” Owen asked. “And why?”
It took me a moment to force the words out past the hard knot of emotion clogging my throat. “Because they were looking for clues, just like we were. They must have thought there was something in Fletcher’s grave—or his casket—worth stealing.”
Owen’s eyes narrowed in understanding. “Like a blue ledger full of Circle secrets?”
“Yeah.”
I kept staring at the grave, not wanting to believe that someone had been so cruel as to disturb Fletcher’s final resting place, even though I was here to do the same thing to my father.
Then my assassin training kicked in, and I realized how much danger we were in. Not only had the grave been freshly dug, but a couple of shovels were propped up against Fletcher’s tombstone.
“We need to get out of here,” I told Owen. “Right now. Before whoever dug up that grave comes back—”
It was as if my whispered words made the very worst possible thing happen. Footsteps crunched on the frosty grass, and two giants rounded a tree and stepped into view at the bottom of the hill, heading straight for Fletcher’s grave.


 

 

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. 

Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Sharpest Sting, book #18, will be released Oct. 8.

Jennifer is also the author of the Crown of Shards, Mythos Academy, Black Blade, and Bigtime fantasy series.

For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit www.jenniferestep.com or follow Jennifer on Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, BookBub, Blog and Twitter. You can also sign up for her newsletter.

 

Jennifer is graciously offering a $10 Amazon Gift card to ONE (1) lucky commenters  at The Reading Cafe:

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE:  If you are having difficulty commenting after logging into the site, please refresh the page at the top of your computer

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Jennifer Estep on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Giveaway open Internationally

8. Giveaway runs from October 8- 12, 2019

 

Share

Haints and Hobwebs (Elemental Assassin 4.7) by Jennifer Estep-dual review

HAINTS AND HOBWEBS (Elemental Assassin 4.5) by Jennifer Estep-dual review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

Re-release Date: November 27, 2018.

Even the Spider can’t escape a ghost’s web . . .

I’m being haunted.

As Gin Blanco, aka the assassin the Spider, I’m used to being haunted by all the bad things I’ve done over the years. I suppose it was only a matter of time before an actual ghost came back to haunt me. But for once, I’m not the bad guy, and I wasn’t the person who sent this ghost—this haint—into the afterlife.

But this haint definitely wants something from me, and I can’t help but think that it’s revenge on the person responsible for her untimely demise.

Good thing revenge is my specialty, whether it’s among the living or the dead . . .

Note: Haints and Hobwebs is an 11,000-word story that takes place after the events of Tangled Threads, book 4 in the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Haints and Hobwebs first appeared in The Mammoth Book of Ghost Romance in 2012.

•••••••

Sandy’s REVIEW: HAINTS AND HOBWEBS is a short story in Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin paranormal/ urban fantasy series focusing on Gin Blanco aka The Spider aka The Assassin –the reigning Queen of the paranormal Underworld of Ashland. HAINTS AND HOBWEBS takes place after the events of Tangled Threads (Elemental Assassin #4).

NOTE: HAINTS AND HOBWEBS first appears in The Mammoth Book of Ghost Romance in 2012

DEFINITION: A Haint is a restless spirit who is unable to move on due to unfinished business.

Told from first person point of view (Gin Blanco) HAINTS AND HOBWEBS follows Gin as she is haunted by the spirit of a young woman who needs our heroine’s help. Unable to move on, the ‘haint’ needs Gin’s help to reunite with the man that she loves but his soul lays trapped behind magic and glass. When Gin’s foster-brother Finn discovers the truth behind the spirit’s death, Gin goes in search of the young lover’s soul.

HAINTS AND HOBWEBS is a very quick read; an intriguing, engaging and colourful stand alone in the author’s Elemental Assassin series that reveals at little about Gin and Owen’s growing love; Gin and Jo Jo’s ability to see spirits; the early stages of Finn and Bria’s relationship; and the ultimate evil who steals the souls of the people he kills.

 

BARB’s Review:   Haints and Hobwebs by Jennifer Estep is a short story that is part of her wonderful Elemental Assassin series.  Haints and Hobwebs is a re-release that was published as part of an anthology from a few years ago. Since I had never read this book, I looked forward to reading this, as I love Gin Blanco and Elemental Assassin series.

The story begins with Gin visiting Fletcher’s grave and she sees a female ghost standing over someone else’s grave.  Gin is shocked as this is the first time she can see a ghost; as she watches the girl, Gin notices the desperation on her face.  What is a Haint? It is a spirit (ghost) that cannot move on due to something left unsettled.  Even though communications is difficult, in a short time, Gin and her team will become involved in helping the haint solve the problem, which has been in existence for many years.

What follows is a quick story that is exciting and also fun.  It was exciting as Gin will discover an evil vampire who is killing people and stealing their souls; one of those souls is from the girl’s (haint) boyfriend, whom she is desperate to help.  It was tense when both Gin and Owen find themselves in a deathly situation.  The fun part, since this goes back to earlier in the series,  was remembering the early days of Gin & Owen; Gin’s sister Bria, and just spending time with them all.

Haints and Hobwebs was a nice fast paced enjoyable read. If you are a fan of the Elemental Assassin series, I suggest you read this short story, as it was fun.

 

Copy supplied for review

 

 

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.

Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Share

Venom in the Veins by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review & Giveaway

Venom in the Veins by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review & Giveaway

 

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iBooks

 

Description:
Blood might be thicker than water, but venom is stronger than just about anything …

It was supposed to be a nice, quiet, simple dinner with friends—but nothing is ever nice, quiet, or simple when you’re Gin Blanco, the Spider, notorious assassin and current queen of the Ashland underworld.

This time around, someone seems to be targeting Stuart Mosley, the president of First Trust bank. Lots of people have grudges against Mosley, but the more I investigate, the more Mosley’s problems seem to be connected to some of my own, especially when it comes to the Circle, the evil, shadowy group that is secretly responsible for much of the crime and corruption in Ashland.

But when another blast from my dark and deadly past as the Spider comes to light, I wonder if I’ll be able to survive this dangerous new enemy, who has a burning thirst for revenge that will only be satisfied with one thing: my death.

•••••••••

Barb’s Review:

Venom in the Veins by Jennifer Estep is the 17 book in her fantastic Elemental Assassin series.  Jennifer is one of my favorite authors, as I always look forward to reading her books, and spending more time with our kick-ass heroine, Gin Blanco.

Gin is enjoying dinner with Finn and Stuart Mosely (Finn’s boss at the bank, and friend to Gin); they learn about the upcoming auction that Mosely has been buried helping set up.  When they leave, Gin senses something wrong, and rushes to save Mosely, who is under attack and being kidnapped.  As we always come to expect with Gin, she saves him, but now the question is why someone is targeting Mosely.

Gin suspects that the attack is related to the Circle and  her arch enemy Tucker.  Upon further investigation, Gin will come across a blast from her “spider”past.  Years before, when she was still being trained by Fletcher, she ended up killing a dangerous vampire, and regretted that the daughter came upon the scene.  In present time, Alanna, this story’s main villain, is the daughter of the woman she killed years before, who is also working with Mosely on the auction, which proves to Gin who is behind the attack and why.

What follows is an exciting, action filled, pulse pounding mystery that will bring Gin into death defying situations, where ‘déjà vu’  memories of the past as the daughter comes back to enact revenge on both Moseley and Gin.    As always with Gin Blanco, she is right in the middle of this wild violent adventure.  Gin suffers a lot, and I held my breath so many times when she was in precarious situations.  We have come to expect that Gin, who is always in the middle of danger so many times as they all try to kill her, and somehow our heroine always manages to suffer horrific injuries, and yet escape death.  But it still is nerve wracking to watch, as the violence escalates.

I love spending time with Gin, but I also love all the recurring secondary characters that are Gin’s friends and family that she is loyal to, and always there for each other.  Finn, Owen, Bria, Silvio, Sophie, Jo Jo, Lorelei are all great members of Gin’s group.  Tucker, who Gin is determined to destroy, as well learn more about the Circle leader, Mason are two main villains in this arc of the series.   Though I feel there is more about Tucker than we know, especially with his penchant for being around to help save her a few times.  There are some findings as we race to the thrilling climax that will lead into the next book.

Jennifer Estep is a master at creating exciting, mind-boggling adventures in each story, and making Gin into such a great heroine. Venom in the Veins was a wonderful action filled addition to this series, which also gives us answers to some questions, as well as surprises that will have us waiting impatiently for the next book;  I cannot wait for more adventures of Gin Blanco. If you have not read the Elemental Assassin series, it is time for you to start now.

 

Sandy’s Review

VENOM IN THE VEINS is the seventeenth full-length instalment in Jennifer Estep’s contemporary, adult ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN paranormal/ urban fantasy series focusing on Gin Blanco aka The Spider aka The Assassin –the reigning Queen of the paranormal Underworld of Ashland. VENOM IN THE VEINS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion and backstory.

SOME BACKGROUND: Years earlier, Gin lost her mother and her older sister to a deliberate fire started by a fire elemental, a fire ordered by the notorious group known only as The Circle. Fostered and mentored by Fletcher Lane, Gin would become the fiercest elemental assassin the Underworld would ever know.

Told from first person point of view (Gin Blanco) using present day and memories from the past, VENOM IN THE VEINS brings together all of the familiar, and not so familiar characters in a show down between the present and the past. The Circle, a secret society of supernaturals responsible for much of the crime and corruption in Ashland, continues to haunt our story line heroine as sins from the past come full circle in the search for something Gin knows nothing about. When Ashland’s First Trust Bank owner Stuart Mosley is targeted in what appears to be a random abduction and robbery, Gin’s mind goes into overdrive as she sets out to discover the reason behind the attack against a man she has called a friend, a discovery that is laced with revenge, guilt and a familiar party. Sins from the past are revealed in the present such that Gin must face down a powerful enemy with vengeance on her mind as a high-stakes auction is only the beginning of a battle for control.

Gin’s intrepid friends and family (step-brother Finn, sister Bria, officer Xavier, boyfriend and lover Owen, Gin’s assistant/ vampire Silvio, dwarves JoJo and Sophia) return to assist our heroine as she must battle not only her guilt but with a vampire avenging the death of the mother she loved. We are introduced to Alanna Eaton, a vampire whose mother Amelia was killed, years before, by our heroine in a fight to the death. A cannibal vampire like her mother, Alanna is not above using The Circle, in her need to seek vengeance against our story line heroine. Vampire Hugh Tucker and the mysterious Mason make a cameo appearance to set up the next arc in the Elemental Assassin series

VENOM IN THE VEINS is a familiar story line in that Gin’s past has come back in more ways than one. Look a-likes, including mothers and daughters, are a persistent theme throughout the series, a theme that will continue with the reveal of what’s next for our story line heroine. The over-use of familiar phrases, specific to the author, are easily recognizable throughout the series. The series arcs, premises and situations in which the heroine struggles are similar in context and plot. VENOM IN THE VEINS is a dramatic and intense instalment in Jennifer Estep’s ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN urban fantasy series.


Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.

 

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

 

 

Jennifer is graciously offering an $10 Gift Card to ONE  (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe:

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE:  If you are having difficulty commenting after logging into the site, please refresh the page at the top of your computer

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Jennifer Estep on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Giveaway open to USA only.

8. Giveaway runs from June 11 to 14, 2018

 

Share

Snared by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review & Giveaway

Snared by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review & Giveaway

 

Snared Banner

 

Snared
Elemental Assassin series – Book #16
by Jennifer Estep
Release Date: April 25, 2017

SnaredAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
If you don’t know Gin “the Spider” Blanco, you don’t know dangerous female heroines.

Irony 101—The Spider herself snared in someone else’s web…

Another week, another few clues trickling in about the Circle, the mysterious group that supposedly runs the city’s underworld. Gathering intel on my hidden enemies is a painstaking process, but a more immediate mystery has popped up on my radar: a missing girl.

My search for the girl begins on the mean streets of Ashland, but with all the killers and crooks in this city, I’m not holding out much hope that she’s still alive.

A series of clues leads me down an increasingly dark, dangerous path, and I realize that the missing girl is really just the first thread in this web of evil. As an assassin, I’m used to facing down the worst of the worst, but nothing prepares me for this new, terrifying enemy—one who strikes from the shadows and is determined to make me the next victim.

Barb’s Review

Snared by Jennifer Estep is the 16th book in her fantastic Urban Fantasy Elemental Assassin series.  I always look forward to reading the next book in this series, as Jennifer Estep never fails to give us another fantastic exciting action packed story, which has one of the best kick-ass heroines in Gin Blanco (Spider). 

In Snared, Gin continues to research about the secret powerful group called the Circle, who was part of killing her mother years before.  When on a mission to find more information on one of the Circle leaders, she overhears something about her mother and her evil enemy Tucker, which upsets Gin, and pushes her to find out more.  But when Jade, one of Ashland’s gangland leaders, asks for help, Gin will step forward.  It seems that Jade’s younger sister is missing, and when Gin pulls her team (what an awesome group; Bria, Finn, Owen, Silvio, Sophia, Jo Jo, Xavier, etc), together they discover that a serial killer has been killing young blond haired girls. 

What follows is an exciting, mind blowing, pulse pounding mystery that will bring Gin right into the lion’s den, where clues will point to the serial killer somewhere within the circle.  As always with Gin Blanco, she is right in the middle of this wild adventure.  No one messes with Gin, and yet so many times they all try to kill her, and somehow our heroine always manages to suffer horrific injuries, and yet escape death.  Will she find Jade’s sister in time?  Will she learn the truth about her mother and her enemy, Tucker?

Reading this series, and spending time with Gin is always fun and enjoyable.  I love how tough and loyal Gin is, and no matter how much she suffers in each book, she still rises up for more.  We are always on the edge of our seats through each and every book.  Jennifer Estep is a master at creating a seamless flow into each story, and watching Gin evolve into such a great heroine.  As I noted earlier, the secondary characters that make up Gin’s team are great, and always fun to be with.  Her romance with Owen is just perfect and sweet, which always manages to release the tension in the story at the moment.

Snared was a wonderful  action filled addition to this series, which also gives us answers to some questions, as well as surprises that will have us waiting impatiently for the next book;  I cannot wait for more adventures of Gin Blanco. If you have not read the Elemental Assassin series, it is time for you to start now.

 

Sandy’s Review

SNARED is the sixteenth full-length installment in Jennifer Estep’s contemporary, adult ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN paranormal, urban fantasy series focusing on Gin Blanco aka The Spider –the reigning Queen of the paranormal Underworld of Ashland. SNARED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion and backstory.

Told from first person point of view (Gin Blanco) using present day and memories (flashbacks) from the past SNARED follows Gin as she searches for the mysterious, underground group known as the Circle-a secret organization connected to the death of her parents and her beloved sister. A serial killer is on the loose in Ashland, and Gin and her family of supernatural investigators find themselves on the hunt for the person responsible leading Gin back to the Circle and their connections to the past. New details continue to emerge about Gin’s younger years, and her mother’s possible association with the Circle assassins.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of characters including Gin’s lover Owen, her sister Bria, and foster brother Finn, as well as Gin’s assistant /vampire Silvio Sanchez, Jo Jo and her sister Sophia, and an assortment of giants, dwarves, more elementals and vampires. Vampire Hugh Tucker returns and sets into motion a series events that are both deadly and revealing.

SNARED has moments of intrigue, mystery, action and suspense as Gin and her family of elementals search for answers from the present and the past. The action is limited; the violence not as graphic as in previous story line but that is not to say that the violence is non-existent. Gin Blanco, is after all an assassin, and as Queen of the Underworld there is always someone waiting to take down the woman in charge. The premise is engaging, revealing and spirited; the characters are colorful and energetic. Jennifer Estep’s ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN series is a magical and impassioned look at the world of the supernatural, and all of the evil brought together in a battle for power and control.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Giveaway

Jennifer is graciously offering a paper copy of SNARED (Elemental Assassin #16) to TWO  (2) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe:

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE:  If you are having difficulty commenting after logging into the site, please refresh the page at the top of your computer

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Jennifer Estep on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Giveaway open to USA only.

8. Giveaway runs from April 25 to 29, 2017

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Share

Nice Guys Bite by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review & Giveaway

Nice Guys Bite by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review & Giveaway

Nice Guys Bite Banner

NICE GUYS BITE
Elemental Assassin 15.5
by Jennifer Estep
Genre: adult, contemporary, urban fantasy
Release Date: December 15, 2016

 

Nice Guys BiteAmazon / Amazon. ca /B&N / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Working for Gin Blanco (aka the Spider, the assassin who runs the Ashland underworld) doesn’t leave much time for romance, especially with Gin’s holiday party planning in full swing. But when he catches the eye of a charming gentleman, Silvio finds himself going out for coffee.

All’s fair in love and war, though. Just as Silvio is starting to enjoy himself, he realizes he’s being watched. His nice guy date doesn’t sense the danger, and Silvio wants to keep it that way (and, well, keep the guy alive) so Silvio ends the date early—only to be abducted by some villainous giants.

Will Silvio survive the night and make it back to the Pork Pit in time for Gin’s holiday party?

 

 

Barb’s Review:

Nice Guys Bite by Jennifer Estep is a Christmas themed novella from her wonderful Elemental Assassin series. This was a different type of story; short, exciting, some fun, and only little bit of our heroine, Gin Blanco.  Gin is in the holiday spirit, planning for her party for friends and family.  She tries to get her assistant, Silvio to relax and take some time to have fun.  For those who are not familiar with Silvio, he is a vampire, who became her assistant after Gin became the leader of the Ashland underworld. Silvio, after being pestered by Gin, finally agrees to go out for coffee with a charming new male friend. 

While having some fun, Silvio is being charmed by his new friend, and realizes that someone is watching them.  He excuses himself to quickly leave, so that his friend wouldn’t get hurt from the expected attack.  What follows is an exciting adventure where Silvio and his friend are kidnapped, putting both of their lives in danger.  Anything more would be spoilers, but it was exciting and fun to watch Silvio use his abilities to recognize that all is not what it seems.

I am a big fan of Jennifer Estep, and this story had a lot of action, but also some humor as we see Gin planning her party.  It is the holiday season, and Estep has given us a quick fun read to hold us over for the next full Elemental Assassin book, Snared, coming in April, 2017.

 

Sandy’s Review:

NICE GUYS BITE by Jennifer Estep is the latest novella in her ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN urban fantasy series focusing on the head of Ashland’s Underworld and Elemental Assassin known as The Spider aka Gin Blanco. NICE GUYS BITE focuses on Gin’s assistant-vampire Silvio Sanchez.

Told from first person point of view (Silvio) NICE GUYS BITE follows Silvio as he embarks on a date with a local college professor Martin Mahoney- but things don’t go according to plan when the couple finds themselves victims of a kidnapping where information about The Spider is payment for release. As Gin prepares for the friends and family Christmas party, Silvio struggles to get himself free.

 

NICE GUYS BITE is a quick read; a supernatural tale of mystery and suspense that allows the reader a small glimpse into the mind of Silvio Sanchez-a vampire whose strengths have never been revealed; with a protective streak for his boss known as The Spider; and a man whose loneliness comes at a cost. There are moments of fun and humor; heartbreak and crushing realization; torment and victory. NICE GUYS BITE is an entertaining and engaging short story; another playful addition to Jennifer Estep’s ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN series.

Copies supplied by Netgalley

giveaway

Jennifer is graciously offering a paper copy of UNRAVELED (Elemental Assassin #15) to TWO (2) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe:

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE:  If you are having difficulty commenting after logging into the site, please refresh the page at the top of your computer

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Jennifer Estep on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Giveaway open to USA only.

8. Giveaway runs from December 12  to 15, 2016

Share