Tamar Myers – Eat, drink and be wary

The sixth book in the Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries with Recipes series, published September 1, 1998.
Genre: cozy mystery



Tucked away in a picturesque corner of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Magdalena Yoder’s PennDutch Inn is a treat, and the perfect locale for a cooking contest. Unfortunately, as Magdalena discovers when a corpse is found in the barn, some food is to die for …
The killer is old Matilda, a cow accused of fatally kicking the CEO of the gourmet food company sponsoring the contest. Melvin Stolzfus, the local police chef, locally known to be two eggs short of an omelette, calls it accidental death. But Magdalena knows that a killer cow is a lot of bull. And when new evidence pins suspicion on Freni, the inn’s own cook – who hopes her bread pudding will win the grand prize – Magdalena starts sniffing about on her own. But she’d better watch her back. The real killer has decided to cook another goose. And Magdalena may just be the next course on a murderer’s menu.


Welcome to the PennDutch Inn. Magdalena Yoder is the owner, and she is a Mennonite. Which is just a tad more liberal than being Amish, like a lot of her family and friends are. Of course, they are all closely related to one another, or as Magdalena is fond to say: she is her own cousin. She is also very strict for her guests, no swearing, no drinking, no smoking, no t.v., no nothing. She has lots of famous guests, and she loves dropping names, which makes for very fun little innuendo’s.
The cross Magdalena has to bear is her nitwit of a sister, Susannah, who has very loose virtues, and carries a tiny little dog called Snookums in her bra. Then there is Freni, the Amish cook, who was a dear friend of their mother. Magdalena has lost her parents in a freak car accident, and she has converted the farm into an inn, and has to take care of her sister until she is mature enough to get her half of the inheritance. Which will be never.
Magdalena is very clever, for instance, she offers her guests the Amish package, meaning they will have to make their own beds, sweep their own rooms and help with other chores in and around the inn. And she makes them pay for it. She also allows them to practice quilt making in her salon, providing the materials. But then she sells the quilts they make to a local gift shop, and keeps the money for herself. But, she does tithe heavily to her church.

Magdalena is over 40 years old, and was quite used to her virgin state, until their neightbours son wooed her and wed her. And then left her, telling her he was married already … Making Magdalena an adulteress, and having committed a grave sin in the eyes of her church. Even though she did not know about it. So now she knows about the sins of the flesh, but is a free woman again. I love the little tidbits sneaked in the story about how she avenges herself on Aaron though. Very funny.

Old Freni has been asked to enter in a cooking contest, with a grand prize of $ 100.000,00. She has a great slow-baked bread pudding to die for, and she wants to win. She will use the money to bribe her daughter-in-law Barbara, whom she despises, to leave her son. Even though he will be heartbroken. Her apron strings are made of iron. The catch is though, the jury, the organizer and the other contestants will have to stay at the Inn, as the contest will take place here. So Magdalena will have to cancel her celebrity guests for that week. But well, she gave her permission before she knew that detail!

And a very colourful lot of people enter her Inn, even though Magdalena is used to a lot of strange birds. And when the organizer of the contest, and the owner of the food company, is found murdered in her barn, she will have to use all her wits to defend Freni’s innocence and find out who really did it. Unfortunately, all the other people present hated his guts, they all have motive enough to have done the evil deed.


I liked this story, even though it totally confounds me when Magdalena speaks some ancient Pennsylvania Dutch, and it is not Dutch at all, but German. (For you who don’t know me, I am Dutch). Still, I totally like the humor and sarcasm of Magdalena, the ways she deceives herself for the greater good, and others, and manages to find out the truth, or at least to survive when the killer sets his sights on her. And this time, I had no clue whatsoever who has done it. Also, the way the killer wanted to get rid of Magdalena was pure genius.
The story also has a great surprise for Freni, and suddenly, her daughter-in-law Barbara is the dearest thing to her old heart.

If you like a nice cozy mystery, with fun characters and lots of sarcasm and wit, mixed with Amish and Mennonite sayings and customs, I hope you will enjoy this series. But to stay fair, I cannot read a few back to back, I need some time between them.

7 stars.

© 2012 Reviews by Aurian

Suzanne Enoch – Twice the Temptation

The fourth book in the Samantha Jellicoe series, published July 31, 2007.
Genre: historical romance and contemporary romance.

This book is a duology. And it has a stepcover, with a couple in the exact same pose, only this time it is Samantha Jellicoe in a modern day black dress, and Rick Addison, hanging the diamond around her neck. This is something he doesn’t do in the book at all …



Two unforgettable tales. One dazzling diamond!

I guess you all know that Suzanne Enoch is primarily a writer of historical romances. Lately I have been posting my reviews of her one contemporary series though, which is also very good. In this book she combines her two worlds. First, she writes a story with Richard Addison’s great- great- great- grandfather, and his love, Evangeline Munroe. How a cursed diamond brought them together. And in the second story, Samantha Jellicoe actually finds the diamond they hid in the stables. Samantha does believe in the curse, but Rick thinks it all a lot of superstition and is determined to prove that to Samantha. With disastrous results of course…

A Diamond or Forever
Summer 1814…
When Evangeline Munroe inherits the exquisite but supposedly cursed Nightshade Diamond, she considers it a bit of good fortune. Then she literally runs into Connoll Addison, Marquis of Rawley, the most sought after bachelor amongst the ton. Surely her immediate attraction to the rogue is bad luck. Could the diamond be more dangerous than she ever imagined?

Evangeline Munroe is very surprised when her aunt gifts her with a special family heirloom she knew nothing about. A gorgeous diamond necklace, a 169 karts, with 13 13-karat diamonds on the chain. It sure is worth a lot of money! But when her aunt explains about the curse, Evangeline doesn’t want to believe it. As long as she has the Nightshade Diamond on her person, she will have bad luck, but if she puts it in a safe place, she will have good luck instead? Perhaps her aunt was right that the good or bad luck would not influence her and her pragmatic mind. She will wear it with pride!
Evangeline is set on marrying a special kind of man: one she can dominate, and wrap around her little finger. One who will compliment her, dress as she wills, and who will even let her dictate his political interest. Of course he must be rich and of good standing, but she need not marry for money. So when she accidentally meets the Marquis of Rawley, and he literally falls on her, she can call that bad luck! Especially when he won’t leave her alone, but is determined to pursue her. He is so not a man she can manipulate to do as she wishes for the rest of her life! Instead, he will be ruling her if she is not careful. Evangeline, or Gilly, already has two suitors, and she is trying to find out which of the two she will accept. One is an old man, but he clearly worships her. The other is a young fool, who will do whatever she asks. She only needs him to stop gambling.
But neither of them kisses like Connoll … and does she really wants a man without a backbone? Connoll sure does his best to make her change her mind…
Her mother is not happy at all with Connoll in her life, and does her best to keep them apart, even using the cursed diamond to that effect. Whenever Gilly wears the diamond, they are kept apart, but with the diamond elsewhere (like on her mothers person) they can meet and tryst a little.

Can Gilly change her mind when it has been made up for years? Will she follow her heart, and will they change their bad luck into good luck?

I loved this story, it was short and sweet and fun, and both Gilly and Connoll are such great characters, I loved them. Gilly never asked for love in her marriage, just a man she can tolerate and manipulate, so she can do whatever she wants. She will not be bullied or ordered around by her husband, like so many woman of her time are. The man after all is the sole owner of everything, including her own inheritance and dowry.
Connoll never thought about marrying, he just lost his mistress to his best friend (who does not know she was his mistress). And now he is very drunk when his carriage collides with another one, and he falls out of his carriage when the young lady opens his door. Thinking he is in bed with Daisy, he kisses her, right in the middle of the street. When he comes to his senses, he is certain he will be honorbound to marry the girl. And to his big surprise, the girl has no intention of marrying him, and wants him gone out of her house and her life. Or course, now the hunt is on! She intrigues him, and he likes her for her direct ways. (Which is of course typical male, go hunt the one that does not want you).

9 stars.

Diamonds are not a girl’s best friend!
Present …
Samantha Jellicoe thinks it’s good luck that has her – a reformed cat burglar – providing security for a museum exhibit. Then she discovers the Nightshade Diamond, with an accompanying note that says the thing is cursed. Cursed indeed! How else to explain Scotland Yard breathing down her neck, the appearance of an ex-boyfriend, and her lover Rick Addison suddenly testing the boundaries of their relationship? She needs to unload the gem and soon, or she may lose her dreams forever.


Samantha is tasked with setting up the security for a travelling museum exhibit featuring jewellery. What a job for a retired cat burglar! Of course, she never stole from musea. When she finds the Nightshade Diamond hidden in the wall in what used to be the stables, she thinks Rick has hidden it there, never even seeing the accompanying letter. She does believe in the curse, and wants to hide the diamond again, but Richard Addison, her multi billionaire boyfriend and current Marques of Rawley thinks otherwise. It is a priceless family heirloom, and he will have it appraised and wants Sam to wear it. Superstition is nonsense, and he will prove it to Samantha. By slipping the diamond in her coat pocket, on the morning of a very important day: the press presentation. And of course disaster happens. Not only is there a Scotland Yard inspector intent on guarding the show, as he firmly believes that some thieves will make an attempt, he is even staying in the house! And then Sam sees a familiar face among the reporters: a former boyfriend and also cat burglar extraordinaire. He is one of the few thieves out there, who might slip through her security.
When Rick sees her talking to the man, while she tries to warn him off of the job, his jealousy knows no bounds, and he needs to know everything. So he tries to talk to the man, and the way he evades all his personal questions reminds him of Sam in the early days. Of course Sam does not want to rat a former friend and collegue out (yes they were lovers and worked together one time), but to safe her relationship she does not have a choice.

Sometimes I really do not like Rick at all. He trusts Samantha, and he believes in her capabilities of handling whatever comes her way, but still he interferes in as much as he can, having his attorney investigate the other thief, and staying home instead of going on with his own job. He really is overbearing and overprotective, and his meddling sure makes matters worse for Sam. Of course, being a multi billionaire makes being in charge of every detail in his life necessary, and that people listen and jump and say yes, and Sam really is not like that.

But I love Samantha. She is doing her best to go straight, even though she really misses the adrenaline of the job, the planning of a heist and to be a success in it. She also made a lot of money that way! And then there is her former fence, best friend and surrogate father: Stoney. Whenever she is in trouble, or needs more information on shady dealings, he is the one she goes to. And I really like him. He is a great addition to the series, butting heads with Rick a lot, but he loves Sam, and they both want her safe. It is for her he is going straight alongside her, in their new security business.

The ending of the story had a nice surprise, and a lovely bit of action for Sam and Rick. Even though I have read this book a few times, I still enjoy it a lot. Which is of course the attraction of re-reading favourite series: you know it is a great book when you start, and you look forward to reaching the good parts.

Suzanne Enoch is one of my favourite authors, as I really love her writing style. It is fast paced, fluent, has lots of humor, great characters, great plots with unforeseen twists in them, and original stories.

9 stars.

© 2012 Reviews by Aurian

Susan Sizemore – In my dreams

A standalone novel, published October 1994.
Genre: historical romance / timetravel.



Into the mists of Irish legend.
California biker Sammy Bergen was a cool dude. He thought he’d seen everything. Then he was summoned back in time to medieval Ireland by a druidic song spell – and he met the singer, the bewitchingly lovely Brianna.
The stranger she’d called to her was a prince of a man, strong and handsome and kind. Brianna had her own plans for this knight from a faraway land across the sea. Could she dare dream that she and Sammy could cross space and time to find perfect happiness – together?


Every so often, I want to read an old book by one of my favourite authors. And Susan Sizemore is one of them. I am still trying to find all the books on her backlist though. And with this book, In my Dreams, I was certainly in for a surprise. I have been known to complain that it is always the woman who travels back in time, and never the man. Well, in this story, the hero gets sucked back into time, but not alone! No, he is on his beloved Harley and ends up in ancient Ireland, rescuing the fair maiden from some Viking pirates.

Sammy really wants to go home soon, as he is needed to testify on behalf of his friend in a trial in a few weeks. But Brianna doesn’t know how to do that, she needs her uncle Sean to help her. He is a druid, teaching her the old singing magics. No one can understand Sammy, but Brianna, so she needs to interpret for him. Her family thinks he is a fairy lord, and his Harley is a great big black beast. They are afraid of it. But Brianna’s twin brother wants Sammy to teach him to be a warrior, so he can defend the village against the pilfering Vikings, as they are sure to come back again.
Brianna’s father is a bishop though, and he wants Brianna to marry their local king Rory MacMurdo, who wants her as his second wife. Both Brianna and his first wife really don’t want that, but Rory is lusting after the fair Brianna, and wants her magic gifts, her visions, for his own blood line. So whenever he tries again to capture her, both Brianna and Deirdre stop his plans.

And so Sammy has to get used to living in a medieval village. Teaching Donnal to fight (Samma has his own Dojo back in Los Angeles) and he teaches their adopted little brother Ailill, who is deaf, sign language. (Which is a strange thing to do, as he will also have to teach others enough to communicate with Ailill!). He is very much attracted to Brianna, but he knows he can never be part of her life, he needs to go back home. And her life is here, as the healer of the village. She keeps house for her father and her brother, and her uncle when he is at home. But Sammy and Brianna share their dreams, and when she is practicing her singing magic, he can hear her, no matter how far away she is. And Sammy is the only one who notices how much it tires her.

Still, Brianna keeps having visions of the “smoking city” and herself in that strange place. She is convinced she will go there one day.

The ending was a real surprise, I would have loved to be there for real to witness it all. No, I am not going to tell you what happened. Even though most of the book is a bit predictable, I liked the characters, and I was smiling a lot.

Yes, this book is 18 years old, but I enjoyed it, and Susan Sizemore will stay on my autobuy author list . If you want to read something light and funny, but with a nice surprise in the end, you could try to find a copy of this book.

8 stars.

© 2012 Reviews by Aurian

Jenn Bennett – Summoning the Night

The second book in the Arcadia Bell series, published April 24, 2012.
Genre: urban fantasy



MAGICAL TRICKS. DEMONIC TREATS.
After narrowly escaping her fate as a sacrificial scapegoat, Arcadia Bell is back to normal. Or at least as ordinary as life can be for a renegade magician and owner of a tiki bar that caters to Earthbound demons. She's gearing up for the busiest day of the year - Halloween - when a vengeful kidnapper paralyzes the community. The influential head of the local Hellfire Club taps Cady to track down the fiendish bogeyman, and now that she's dating red-hot Lon Butler, the Club's wayward son, she can hardly say no.

Cady and Lon untangle a gruesome thirty-year trail of clues that points to danger for the club members' children. But locating the person behind the terror will require some metaphysical help from Cady's loyal bar patrons as well as her potent new Moonchild powers - and she'd better figure it out before the final victim disappears and her own darkest secret becomes her biggest enemy.


Cady and Lon are close to living together, spending most of the nights in his or her house. Even Cady’s pet hedgehog lives in Jupe’s room most of the time (Lon’s teenage son). Cady is a magician, and Lon is an Earthbound demon, something a normal person would never notice. But Cady can see demon auras. They have settled in a nice rhythm, getting to know each other better and better. Jupe would love to have Cady move in, he really likes her. But when Cady takes Jupe with her to the Tiki bar called Tambuku, which she owns and runs with her best friend Kar Yee, they run into trouble. And later, Jupe instantly is in love with Kar Yee. Which is fun of course, especially as she tells him to come back in a few years ;)

As an Earthbound demon, Jupe will someday have one of the psychic powers one of his parents has. But his seem to have come a bit earlier than normal. He can influence people’s thoughts, make them do things they normally would not do. Of course Cady and Lon are sceptical about it, and take him to a psychiatrist. But it all seems true, and they will have to teach Jupe the ethics of using his knack. And of course teach him control.
It all makes Lon tell Cady more about his former marriage and his ex wife and her knack.

But then history repeats itself and, like thirty years ago, children are being abducted. And this time, it are the children of the local Hellfire Club members, who are enhanced like Lon is.
Then Dare, the club’s president and a good friend of Lon, asks Cady to look into things, or else he will find out the truth about her past and tell Lon. Of course Lon knows all about Cady, but Cady is still wanted by the FBI, so she needs to keep herself a secret. Meaning, she has no choice but to comply and do whatever she can to solve this. Thirty years ago, seven other kids went missing, and they never found a trace of them. And now it is all happening again. Luckily, Dare has a suspect in mind, so they know where to start investigating.

To find this man, Cady needs a death dowser, an earthbound demon with the ability to find dead bodies. As this is not a very common knack, she asks one of her regular customers for his help. Bob knows everyone in the demon community in town. But when he finds her one, Cady is not happy, as Bob neglected to tell her that Hajo is a sømna addict. Still, the man is good in his work, even though he asks an outrageous price in exchange for his services. Cady has no other option, especially when another kid has disappeared.
Unfortunately, the suspect they have is the one they find death, so someone else has to be behind it all. Time is of the essence, as Halloween is around the corner, when the veil between earth and the realm where the demons live, is thin.


Lots of readers have told me, this second book would be even better than the first, and I am not that certain about it. I think I like them both equally. The first book had all the great revelations, and how can you top the ending with her parents? So yes, I liked this book a lot, but to say it is better? You know the main characters, and the story builds on that.

I really liked Cady, she doesn’t back down from a challenge, and she really loves Lon and Jupe. She doesn’t like her new moonchild powers, but also does not hesitate too long in using them when necessary. I do think, we will be in for some lovely surprises at what she can do, along with Cady herself.
What is not to like about Lon, who is an empath, and is better in doing stuff for Cady than telling her about his feelings. He is also a great father for Jupe, which is always a major asset in a hero. He is very protective of Cady, and I loved it when he “avenged her honor” on Hajo and Bob. He sure can fight.

And then there is of course the plot, the story itself. And that was a great one again, creepy at times too. I am so curious what Cady will have to do to get Dare of her back. I have learned a lot more about demons, and I have added Jenn Bennett to my autobuy author list. Here is hoping for many more great books in this series.

If you like urban fantasy, I heartily recommend this author and this series. Jenn Bennett has a great writing voice. The story is nicely paced, it has humor (which is a must for me), great characters, both the main and the secondary, a plot you cannot possibly predict, and some nice lovescenes. And almost lovescenes.

9 stars.

© 2012 Reviews by Aurian

New additions to my addiction

It has been a while since I posted my new additions post, which means I have been reading lots of good books and had enough reviews to post daily. This also means, this post has become a nice long list of books I have received in the last two weeks:

From the Bookdepository:
- J.K. Beck – When Passion Lies.
- Jude Deveraux – Heartwishes
- Jean Johnson – The Mage
- Maggie Sefton – Unraveled
- Alix Rickloff – Heir of Danger
- Alix Rickloff – Dangerous as Sin
- Alix Rickloff – Lord of Shadows

Received for Review:
- Susannah Sandlin – Redemption

Won:
- Joanne Kennedy – Cowboy Crazy

Bought secondhand:
- Debbie Macomber – Navy Blues
- Kerrelyn Sparks – The Vampire and the Virgin
- Kerrelyn Sparks – Forbidden Nights with a Vampire
- Kerrelyn Sparks – Vampire Mine
- Kerrelyn Sparks – Sexiest Vampire Alive
- Kerrelyn Sparks – Eat Prey Love
- Jean Johnson – Finding Destiny
- Jean Johnson – Bedtime Stories
- Jean Johnson – Shifting plains
- Tina St John – Black Lion’s Bride
- Tina St John – Lord of Vengeance
- Tina St John – White Lion’s Lady
- Tina St John – Lady of Valor
- Judi Mc Coy – I dream of you
- Barbara Bretton – Tomorrrow and always

I also got a nice package from A Buckeye Girl reads. Some awesome Gini Koch swag that I won on her blog recently, and just because she is nice, an ARC of:
- Kiss of the Vampire by Cynthia Garner.
Very cool! Thanks again Colette.

And that is not all, I received some nice swag from Vickie Dreiling, an historical romance author.

Telll me, am I the only one who loves refrigerator magnets as book swag? My fridge is getting filled up nicely  Lol, and if you have no idea what to do with the swag you have got, you can always mail it to me and I will be very happy with it ;) And perhaps share it with my best friend if she makes me another of those chili con carne dishes she is so good at ;)

Guestpost by Olivia Boler, and giveaway!

Today I have the honor of hosting the last stop on the Flower Bowl Spell Magical Blog tour by Olivia Boler. Olivia has written a lovely guestpost, and I hope you all take the time to read it, and comment on the post.



Thank you so much to Aurian for letting me guest blog today! It’s a great opportunity to talk about inspiration. Authors get asked all the time, what inspires you to write a novel? How do you get your inspiration? These are great questions, and there are so many different answers. Rarely do I find it difficult to come up with a story—inspiration is everywhere. On the news. In a café. Over by the checkout stand in my supermarket. Wherever I go, intriguing things are happening, whether it’s a girl going into labor on a train when she doesn’t even know she’s pregnant (true story!), as happened in my short story The Next Stop, or a duck that wears an L.A. Dodgers jacket (inspired by the characters of Beatrix Potter) in my novel The Flower Bowl Spell. Here are some tips, if you’re thinking about getting inspired yourself.

Record it—Like a lot of writers, I keep paper and pen with me wherever I go. If I don’t, it’s usually because I’m on a super short walk with my dog, and if inspiration hits, I can keep the idea in my head for at least three blocks. Sure, I might be mumbling to myself like a crazy person, but my neighbors are used to it. We writers live in our heads a lot, little movies playing across our mind’s eye. (I recently met a children’s book illustrator and songwriter who uses his iPhone to record ideas on walks. Much less coo-coo than my old-fashioned memory game.)

Borrow from real life—More than I’d care to admit, I get inspiration for the personalities of my characters from the people I know (sorry, friends and family!). They are just that interesting! But I pick and choose and blend, so the characters become their own persons, and aren’t just carbon copies of the people I know. And events…yes, if you are my friend and you tell me an interesting story about something that happened to you, chances are, I will steal—I mean borrow—it for my own fictional purposes. But I will do it in a way that makes it different from the original. After all, in my mind, that’s one of the points of stories—they have distinctive outcomes, sometimes better, cooler outcomes. Here’s an example from my own experience fictionalized: In The Flower Bowl Spell, the main character Memphis walks dogs in a San Francisco park called McLaren. Have I walked my dog there? Yes. Have I seen a fairy there? No. Not yet. I can hope, of course.

Pay attention—I once read a newspaper article about a Ro-Sham-Bo or Rock-Paper-Scissors competition. This sounded like a great premise for a story, so I wrote one. It’s called “Hand to Hand” and it hasn’t been published yet, but it will be in my forthcoming short-story collection. There are all kinds of ripped-from-the-headlines TV shows and novels out there. No reason to let that stop you from writing your own, right?
So go out there. Get inspired. Another great way to find inspiration? Read great books. I hope you’ll check out The Flower Bowl Spell, like it, leave a review of it on your favorite site like Amazon, Smashwords, Goodreads, or your own blog, and tell your friends. Thanks again for reading!

And now of course you are all curious of what this book is all about. Here is the data about the book, which I borrowed from Colette’s booktour blog, http://abgreadsbooktours.blogspot.nl/

Author: Olivia Boler
Title: The Flower Bowl Spell
Genre: Paranormal Fiction
Number of Pages: 227
Publisher: Self Published
Formats available: Ebook or paper

Synopsis:
Journalist Memphis Zhang isn’t ashamed of her Wiccan upbringing—in fact, she’s proud to be one of a few Chinese American witches in San Francisco, and maybe the world. Unlike the well-meaning but basically powerless Wiccans in her disbanded coven, Memphis can see fairies, read auras, and cast spells that actually work—even though she concocts them with ingredients like Nutella and antiperspirant. Yet after a friend she tries to protect is brutally killed, Memphis, full of guilt, abandons magick to lead a “normal” life. The appearance, however, of her dead friend’s sexy rock star brother—as well as a fairy in a subway tunnel—suggest that magick is not done with her. Reluctantly, Memphis finds herself dragged back into the world of urban magick, trying to stop a power-hungry witch from using the dangerous Flower Bowl Spell and killing the people Memphis loves—and maybe even Memphis herself.

And now about the giveaway:
Olivia is giving away one e-copy of The Flower Bowl Spell, to one lucky commenter on this guestpost. All you have to do to be entered in the competition is answer my question, and add your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner!
And the question is: what kind of paranormal creature do you like to read about the most, fairies, vampires, werewolves, angels, demons or something else?

Contest ends on Sunday July 1, 2012, at 12.00 am Dutch time  and I will email the winner, and announce your name on my blog.

Alexis Morgan – The Darkness Beyond

The eighth book in the Paladins of Darkness series, published May 31, 2011.
Genre: paranormal romance / urban fantasy



An online game of cat and mouse leads a Paladin warrior on a deadly rescue mission to claim the irresistible lover who should be his greatest enemy.

D.J. Clayborne has finally met his match. After weeks of playing cyber tag, a mysterious hacker bests D.J. at his own game. His nemesis downloads a top-secret history of the Paladins, forcing him to go on the hunt. The trail leads D.J. straight to Regina Morrison, a woman who is as sexy as she is talented in the cyber world.
Reggie has been working around the clock to stop a legendary computer hacker from accessing her clients' files, but the last thing she expects is to have D.J. show up at her door. Or that he's even hotter than his evasive avatar. Soon they're flirting with a dangerous line between duty and desire.
Now, Reggie's investigation gets her kidnapped by the Others and forced across the hostile energy barrier into an alien world. And it's up to D.J. to track down the captivating woman whose ability to break through his firewalls is also breaking through to his warrior's heart.


D.J. Clayborne is one of the Paladins, almost immortal warriors, guarding a hidden energy barrier deep down in the caves over the faultlines in our world. That energy barrier separates our world from an alien one, where their suns are dying. The warriors that cross over when the barriers collapse, are on a killing streak, and need to be stopped before they reach the surface. The only way to do that, is to fight them, and either kill them, or shove them back into their own world before the barrier is up again.
The Paladins are governed by the Regents, who provide funds, medical assistance and what ever they need to do their deathly jobs.
Lately though, the Paladins have learned that not everyone on Kalithia is a crazy killer, there are good people over there too, trying to keep peace and order on their world. And so, the Others got a name, the Kalith. There are even some living and fighting alongside the Paladin warriors, married and in love.
But some of the Regents have gone bad, betraying our world and the Kalith world for profit, no matter how many people get killed in the process. Because though a Paladin warrior can die and come back to life, numerous times, eventually he will go mad or stay dead. So when the Paladin found out, they were determined to put a stop to things. So far, they are still searching out the rest of the traitors.

In his free time, and at work when he is not fighting or training, DJ and his friend Cullen are the computer whiz’s of the Paladins. Hacking is their fun pastime, and finding new ways to secure their own systems. But now, someone has found out who DJ is, and has boldly invited him over for a chat in a digital chatroom. It is not easy for DJ to acknowledge someone is better, but he really admires whoever beat him at his own game. Supposedly some college geek. But when that same person breaches a Regent server and downloads some sensitive data, he or she is in serious danger.
DJ picks up the challenge, and finally manages to track down his own hacker. And without telling Devlin, he is driving down to Portland to scare the boy off for his own good. But when the boy turns out to be a pretty young woman, DJ changes his mission. Especially as she has a young collegue/friend over for dinner, and they both want to keep his secret identity a secret from Cody. He really likes Reggie, and he likes it that she is just as smart as he is, and perhaps an even better hacker. She has been sending him messages for months now.

What DJ doesn’t know, is that Reggie is tracking down hackers for a living. And she recently got the job to hunt down the Knightwalker. Reggie is torn about that. She did not tell her boss she already found him, as she kind of admires him. The Knightwalker is not a bad hacker, he just points out the weak points in the security of various businesses. And so she tries to set up a meet with him, to warn him off perhaps. But eventually she will have to tell her boss about DJ. She needs the job.

Unfortunately, DJ is not the only one who discovered her hacking into the Regents servers. They have their own security personnel, and the one who found out is a dirty one. They have been searching for Kincaid’s hidden accounts for months now, with no success. But any hacker capable of breaching their security should be able to find out more. And so Reggie’s life has gotten in danger.

At first Reggie believes DJ that it is dangerous for her to keep digging into the Regents database, but when she finds out he has broken into her house and stolen back the data she discovered, she is furious. So she decides to accept the anonymous invitation to learn more about the Paladins and Regents. Which leads to her being abducted by some criminals hired by the bad guys. They intent to leave her for a few weeks across the border, living as a slave with the Others, and then bring her back when she has learned to obey and have her use her hacking skills on their behalf.

But Reggie is a very smart woman, and she manages to steal a phone of one of the guards, calling DJ and telling him what has happened and what they are planning to do. Unfortunately, DJ is too late, and he will have to follow her over the border into a hostile alien world to rescue her. And while DJ is off on his mission, Cody and Cullen are working together to find out more about who is behind this all.


I loved this story; it is one of the best books in the series in my opinion. Of course, I already had a thing for DJ from his appearances in the previous books, and was hoping to read his own story one day.

Reggie is a great character. She is short, but she has martial arts training and is not afraid to use it. On an obnoxious co worker for instance. Or on her abductor when she gets the chance. She is very smart and feisty, and even though she certainly is not a meek person, she does listen to DJ when it is really necessary. She soldiers on, even when exhausted and hurting. I like her. She also manages to leave behind clues for DJ to find her faster.
And then there is DJ. Sigh. He is fun and very smart, and has a temper. Of course it doesn’t hurt that he is big and strong and gorgeous and a great warrior. I want a Paladin for myself!
Together they are fun, and the sparks sure are noticeable. And yes, there are some great lovescenes in here as well.

I have been hoarding this book for a long time, as it seems to be the last one for a long while, as Alexis Morgan is busy writing a new paranormal or fantasy series. But I grabbed it from the shelf this morning, read for an hour during my lunchbreak, and when I came home this afternoon, I just had to finish reading it. Alexis Morgan has a very fluent writing style, and a fast, action filled story, so reading on was not difficult. I finished in record time, and I want more! I don’t care how awesome that new series will be (of course it is in pre-order), I really hope she will not abandon her Paladin and Kalith warriors!

This is a series you really should read in order, to understand the overall story arc and who is who. There is some background, but not too much, and not as much as I give in this review.

9 stars.

© 2012 Reviews by Aurian

Gabi Stevens – Wishful Thinking

The third book in the Time of Transition Trilogy series, published April 21, 2012.
Genre: paranormal romance.



Free-spirited artist Stormy Jones-Smythe was raised by two talented wizard fathers but never showed the slightest hint of magical abilities. Which is why she’s totally surprised when three famous fairy godmothers show up at her door to tell her she’s one of them.
Surprised, and none too happy. The godmothers are fugitives, framed for treason, and the last thing the magical Council wants is another fairy godmother going rogue. Hence Stormy’s new fulltime Guard, Hunter Merrick. Stormy quickly realizes she’s not going to escape Hunter’s watch … and before long, she’s not sure she wants to. But her freedom depends on her ability to expose the plot against the godmothers, and that means getting control of her magic. Despite the growing chemistry between them, Hunter is fiercely loyal to the Council – and duty-bound to keep Stormy from doing either of those things.
But he didn’t count on Stormy’s irrepressible exuberance and passion for life. Before long, even Hunter isn’t sure which side he’s on and he can’t contain Stormy either way.


A great ending to a lovely trilogy. I think I liked this one best. Stormy is a great artist, a weaver of fabric. And when she learns she is the next fairy godmother, she knows she will have to give that up. As Hyacinth had to give up her writing when the magic choose her, 70 years ago. But she knows the magic choose her for a reason, and it will be the correct thing to do. The godmothers tell her she has the right to refuse the magic, especially in those difficult times. They tell her a little about the situation they are in, they are on the run for the council, and are still trying to find evidence to defeat Lucas Reynaerd / Luc LeRoy. And they know that as soon as they give her her wand, the council will now about it and will try to capture them. So they tell her the bare bones of what Stormy needs to know, and tell her to find out more, and decide for herself whom to believe, the council, or the godmothers.
Almost the same second the godmothers disappear, a council flunky and two guards appear on her doorstep, or rather, in her studio. As they have lost the first two new fairy godmothers, they are determined to keep a very close eye on Stormy, and “for her protection” she is not to go anywhere without a guard. And Ian (the former betrothed of Reggie’s sister) will be her arbiter. He totally looks down on her and her artist fathers and other friends and family in the artist enclave she lives in. And his only goal is to teach Stormy magic, and fast, and introduce her to his good friend Luc LeRoy. He is aspiring to become a council member himself, but for now, he is just a toad and errant boy. The guards absolutely dislike him, but for now, they will have to obey him and keep Stormy safe from the influence of the other fairy godmothers.

Hunter and Tank are not really happy with this babysitting assignment, but they will do their duty, as they are totally loyal to the council and serve without question. Hunter is attracted to Stormy, and that will never do. She is the “asset” he has to guard, and nothing more. So when he finds her crying when she tries her new magic, and it just won’t work, he has no clue what to do. Hold her? As Stormy did not have magic, it was forbidden for her to learn about the Arcani world, she could have been a normal human like Kristin. Even though she has seen her parents use magic she knows almost nothing about the workings of the Arcani world.

Stormy is a great actress though, and she plays the gullible and naïve young lady when with Ian and Luc, to try to find out more. And when she sees a tapestry that Luc has in his treasure room when he shows her around, she knows it is one of the real Relics or Merlin, and meant for her, the third godmother. As a weaver, she can see the message woven into it, and she wants to have it. Using Twitter, she stays in contact with the other godmothers, she already has chosen their side. And when Hunter finds out, he has no choice but to arrest her on grounds of treason, but she escapes him with her new magic. Later, she learns why he could not have acted differently from how he did, and at great cost. But now, she feels betrayed, as she has fallen in love with him and misses him.


A great ending, I really liked how this series ended, even though there was some sacrifice necessary. After all, not everything is a fairytale, not even for the Arcani. I liked seeing all of the previous characters together, getting to know one another, and plotting and planning. All their different strengths were needed in the end.
I liked Stormy a lot. She is a very passionate character, and a great artist, and she knew what she needed to do, and did it. The only thing I disliked was, like in the first book, the many times she started crying when her magic did not work as she wanted it to work. That really makes them a bit weaker heroines in my eyes, and should not be necessary all that often.
Hunter is just trying to do his duty, and to ignore his attraction to Stormy. But when other man, like Tank or Luc or even that twit Ian were with her, or talking about her, he sure did not like that! He did not believe the godmothers, but he did not trust Luc or his strange servant Dimitri, so he did some researching on his own. And found nothing, a very suspicious nothing. It took a lot for him to make the decision to believe and trust in Stormy, after all, he did know the consequences of his acts.

All in all, a great story, very loveable characters and a nice surprise in the plotending. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

9 stars.

© 2012 Reviews by Aurian

Gabi Stevens – As you Wish

The second book in the Time of Transition Trilogy series, published April 26, 2011.
Genre: paranormal romance
I have to admit, I have trouble with this cover. I thought it was a female model, but the beard stubble and the broad back makes it male. But who this is supposed to be? If it is Nate, he can’t slash himself in that place.



Born into a magical family, Reggie Scott is content to live out her life as a normal human until the moment she's informed that she's a newly appointed fairy godmother. Left struggling to deal with the powers she never thought she'd have, Reggie faces a curse, a plot to overthrow the magical Council, and an entirely too enthusiastic mother - all in a matter of days.
Jonathan Bastion is a man of power and wealth - with a dangerous secret. He desperately hopes that Reggie's new powers will hold the answer to his problem, and he isn't above using her to achieve his goals. What he doesn't expect is how much Reggie will affect him. Her honour, her honesty, and her strength quickly make cracks in his ruthless exterior.
As danger swirls around them both, Jonathan realises that what was once a ploy to get Reggie to assist him has become a battle to keep her safe and protected...in his arms.


Regina, Reggie, Scott is the second daughter of an important Arcani family. She is a disappointment to her family though, as she is born without any magic ability. They made her attend “special” classes at Arcani schools, until she was old enough to go to a groundling school, and finally learn what she needed to know to live as a magicless human. Now she runs a very successful bakery, with the help of two of her former classmates from those “special” classes.
So when the fairy godmothers suddenly appear in her shop, and tell her she is the next fairy godmother, she doesn’t quite believe it at first. She doesn’t have any magic? But a fairy godmother only comes into her magical powers at 27, so she will have more empathy for those without magic. After all, she is a conduit between the groundlings and the Arcani. But her happiness is soon destroyed, as the godmothers have to flee, they are wanted by the council as they are believed to be traitors. As is the first new fairy godmother (from the first book), Kristin. They are fighting an evil sorcerer, who wants the Arcani to come out of hiding, and take over the world, ruling the groundlings. Never mind that they are outnumbered 10.000 to 1, he believes himself superior, and of course the leader/ruler of all. The council does not believe the godmothers, and have acclaimed them traitors.
Reggie will have to find out the truth for herself. Especially now the council is so very strict with her, and have appointed her mothers biggest rival as her arbiter. Sophronia sure likes to bully Reggie, and even wants her to sign an oath of loyalty to the council.

Luckily, Reggie is not doing this alone. Not one, but three men are suddenly interested in her, and want to help her. The first one is one of her daily customers, Nate. He always wears a hat and gloves and a heavy muffler, the only thing visible are his eyes. But he is there for her, and goes with her when she goes to the academy to look for a copy of the book that Tennyson has discovered and was studying, the book written by Merlin and containing the rules and laws of the Arcani. And he defends her against the wild accusations stated by Sophronia.
And then there is Jonathan Bastion, who used to be a real ladies man, and has been a recluse for the last seven years. The head of one of the most powerful wandmaking families in the world, he is very much sought after. And suddenly he has accepted her parents’ invitation to her sisters engagement party.

And third, the mysterious older Frenchmen Luc LeRoy, who also wants to help and guide her in her new role as fairy godmother. Something Jonathan really does not like. But he keeps inviting her and his parents to his house, among with all the other important Arcani in the area, influencing them to his way of seeing things …

Reggie is not really happy with her new life, as it will be impossible for her to keep her bakery and do the work she loves so much. Luckily, the godmothers have foreseen that, and have sent her someone to help out. Alfred, a gnome who cannot do the work gnomes usually do anymore. He is there to take over for her, and he instantly cares for Joy and Tommy. They will be safe from bullies and rude people (Sophronia!) when he is around!

The three of them set out to find out more about the history of the godmothers, can the council really curtail her that much? And are the godmothers traitors, or are they desperately trying to safe their world?


I really enjoyed this book. Of course there are some similarities to the first book, as Reggie also has to learn magic on her own, with the mistakes and pain that comes from it. And of course I knew almost right away the truth about Nate and Jonathan. But I did like it, and the ending was sweet. I liked them all, and I enjoyed the twists in the tale I did not see coming, and the Relics of Merlin that played a role in this one as well.
I also was very happy surprised by Reggie’s mother. At first I thought her a cold social minded mother, who looked down at Reggie due to her lack of magic. But that was not the case at all, she was proud of her new status, and was there for Reggie in her time of need when the first change happened. And I liked her for that, and of course for standing behind them all, and deluding the council.

9 stars.

As lovely secondary characters, there are Joy and Tommy, who use their magic by baking all the things Reggie’s bakery sells. They also suffer from Intellectual and Development Disabilities (IDD). As does Gabi Stevens’ daughter. Gabi is donating 10% of the royalties of this book to Best Buddies, an organization that helps finding friends for people who have IDD. I think this is a great cause. I did not know this when I bought this book, though, so it did not sway me. I also don’t know if there is something like this in the Netherlands. But if you are hesitating about buying this series, perhaps this will make you buy it.

© 2012 Reviews by Aurian

Gabi Stevens – The Wish List

The first book in the Time of Transition Trilogy series, published April 27, 2010.
Genre: paranormal romance



Kristin Montgomery is more than a little shocked when her aunts inform her they’re fairy godmothers. Worse, after dropping that bombshell, they hand her a wand and head off on a world cruise. Now Kristin’s uncomplicated life as a CPA in San Diego has disappeared like magic, and she not only has to deal with her burgeoning magical powers but also a reluctant – and distractingly sexy – magical arbiter.
Tennyson Ritter is a historian. A scholar by choice, he is yanked from his studies to act as arbiter for the newly chosen fairy godmother. He doesn’t want to waste his time with a woman who doesn’t know anything about magic or the magical world, but soon the beguiling Kristin draws him away from his books and into her life.
But before Kristin can hone her skills and pass the tests necessary to fully claim her powers, she and Tennyson must work together to defend the world – both magical and human – against those who would claim her powers for their own.


Kristin is going over to her aunts Flora, Rose and Hyacinth, as they have asked her to stop by. What she gets into, is the little cottage she loves so much, in total disarray. Her aunts are packing up. And during that little half hour of chaos, she is told that her aunts (not biological aunts though) are fairy godmothers, that they are finally retiring from the job, and that she is the next one. O, and she will get an arbiter appointed by the council who will test her and determine whether she is worthy to be a fairy godmother.
Kristin has a very hard time believing all this. She is a CPA, her world consists of logic, not magic! Her aunts are going on a world cruise, and she is welcome to stay at their cottage for an unspecified amount of time. That last thing is very welcome, as the lease on her own ratty apartment was up and she needs a new place to stay.
And so she says goodbye to the aunts, and sets out to move her things into the cottage. But when she reaches her apartment, she is scared half to death by a huge man waiting for her. He tells her that her wand is following her and she should do something about that, or does she wants to be found out by the humans? To Kristin’s surprise, he has her wand, and she has no idea what to do with it. And when he follows her up to her apartment, she sure is not happy, she has no intention of allowing him inside. But Tennyson gives her little choice, and at least he is handy to have around as he packs her stuff with one flick of his own wand. And he shows her what to do with hers, how to store it properly.
Tennyson Ritter was busy studying when he got the assignment to be the arbiter for the new fairy godmother. And he has totally no understanding for Kristin, that this is all new to her, and that she doesn’t really believe anything about it. So when he wants her to use her new and unknown magic ability to transport her stuff to her new house, she refuses. No way is she going to fry her stuff! So she makes him help her move everything the oldfashioned way. Which he grumblingly does, until he gets fed up with all the manual labor, and summons the rest of her things for her.

The next morning, Kristin meets another Arcani man who is interested in her. He tells her he came to visit her aunts, but if Kristin needs his help, he will gladly give it to her. Kristin is a bit overwhelmed that this very handsome suave Frenchman, a sorcerer, is interested in her, but she likes him. And she agrees to go out with him the next evening.
The day is not done with surprises for Kristin, as she also meets Callie, a sprite, a tiny fairy who becomes her friend. Tennyson refuses to teach her stuff, but Callie and her friends really like to help her find her magic powers and train them.

Tennyson’s day is not going all that well. While he is busy with his studies, a giant earthquake almost destroys the Academy. But it is not a natural earthquake, it has magical properties, and his friend and mentor is killed by it. Someone is hunting for the fairy godmothers out of revenge, and Kristin can be the next target. So he needs to go back to her, to protect her. Even if she really does not want him in her house. And he sure is not happy with her having a date with another man! So Tennyson sets out to follow them, to keep an eye on her, and when Kristin catches him in the act, she is furious when Lucas even agrees with him! At that point, she just vanishes on the two of them, leaving them standing in front of the restaurant without her. She will not be fought over!

Danger keeps following them, but is Kristin the target? Or is it Tennyson? They will have to find out who is behind it all, and fast, especially when the cruise ship her aunts are on, meets with an accident in the middle of the ocean. Luckily, Kristin is a fast learner, and as a Rare One, she is very powerful. When the cottage is destroyed by lightning while they are out doing some grocery shopping, Tennyson takes her to the house of a friend of his. A groundling, so no one should suspect they are hiding there. When the little son, Jake, spies Callie though, they have no choice but to tell Zack everything about them and their world, and Zack is very cool with that.


I have recently read the reviews about this trilogy over at Books and Things blog, and I just knew I had to read those books. So I went to my favourite online bookstore, and bought them. And I am not sorry I did, as I really like those books (yes, I started book 2 immediately). I like Gabi Stevens writing style, it is nice, well paced and has humor when needed. I like the world Gabi Stevens has created and the many creatures that live in it.

Kristin is a Rare One, born from normal parents (called groundlings), but with magic. A fairy godmother only comes around every 70 years or so, in a time called the Time of Transition. The new fairy godmothers are learning about their powers and how to use them, and the old ones are loosing some of theirs. They were created by Merlin to be a conduit between the Arcani (the magical people) and humans. And it is his magic that creates the fairy godmothers, and chooses the next ones. The current ones always know when their successor is born, so they can keep an eye on her. But they are not allowed to tell her anything or help her prepare, or teach her magic.
The reader learns all this when Kristin learns, so luckily there is no huge info dump. It all comes in little bits and pieces.

It took me a while to get to like Kristin, as she cries a few times in the beginning of the story. I also don’t really feel the connection between Kristin and Tennyson, a bit more “being nice to each other” would have made it more believable. After all, Tennyson is very grumpy and impatient with her, and Kristin calls him a troll. Being handsome is not enough to make you fall in love with a man.
There is also the secondary storyline about Callie, who immediately recognizes Zack as her mate, and she really hates that, as she likes being small over being big. But Zack is such a cool character, I liked him a lot, and I hope there will be more about them in the next book.

The three aunts are fun characters as well, and still a force to be reckoned with. I am looking forward to finding out what happens in the next books.

I have to say, the plot was sometimes a bit predictable, but overall, I really liked this book.

8 stars.

© 2012 Reviews by Aurian

Suzanne Enoch – Billionaires prefer Blondes

The third book in the Samantha Jellicoe series, published October 31, 2006.
Genre: contemporary romance, with some suspense



Samantha Jellicoe has never met a security camera she couldn't disarm. And even though she's promised her billionaire lover, the irresistible Richard Addison, to walk the straight and narrow, she certainly can't help it when trouble finds her.
What should have been a quiet night at an auction house turns into something more unexpected when Sam spies her father-;her dead father-;very much alive and very interested in a painting Rick is after. Then the painting vanishes, Sam's arrested, and all hell breaks loose.
Now Sam has to track down the man who taught her everything she knows about breaking and entering. And when she finds him, will his proposal for a lucrative heist tempt her to the dark side, or does Rick have a few tricks to keep her on the right side of a jail cell?


Sam is really excited, going to Sotheby’s in New York together with Rick. The first time as a legitimate customer that is, she sure has been there before, and left with very valuable paintings too. But her excitement turns to dread, when she sees someone she never expected to see again: her father, famous art thief Martin Jellicoe. She also witnessed his funeral at the prison he was held at three years ago. Is it really him? And why is he here, and making sure she sees him? Suddenly she doesn’t want Rick to buy the paintings he came for, she is sure her father is after them. And how would it look when her father robs her boyfriend and she suspected it?
But Rick is stubborn as well, and he buys both paintings. Samantha tries to set up a meeting with her father that night, but he never shows. What did happen was that Rick got burgled, and the new painting he just paid 12 million dollars for, is stolen. And Samantha is missing as well, which makes Rick frantic with worry. His butler alarmed the police when the silent perimeter alarm went of, and they are out in force, having heard about her reputation and her father. They even arrest her when she comes home an hour later. And there is nothing Rick can do to prevent that, but he will do his damnedest to get her free as soon as possible. Which he does. There is something to be said for a mega rich boyfriend who knows which strings to yank. The lead detective on the case is not so happy that his suspect is snatched from under his nose, and keeps following Samantha around. Meaning he is not looking for any other suspect either.

Finally home again, Samantha calls Stoney with the bad news, and asks him to fly to New York to sort this all out. Did she really see her father? And did he set her up? Together they will find him. And why hasn’t he let her know he was alive all those years? Especially the last 5 months she has been very easy to find, with her being in the news as Richard Addison’s girlfriend. And while searching for Martin, he finds them instead. Still as arrogant and un-father like as ever. Stoney is and was more a father for Sam than Martin ever was. He would have left her for the police to find to safe his own ass. Sam is different though, she is a thief with morals.

Unfortunately, the bad guys have seen her with Martin, and now they want to use her in their heist. She has to choices: to get in, or to be dead. And not only herself, both Martin and Rick will be killed as well. This of course leaves Samantha with no choice but to join in the heist of the century, if they can pull it of. She is very excited about it, she really misses the adrenaline and the plotting and everything. But still, she is retired, and if she goes on the thieving path again, she will loose Rick. And that is something she is not willing to give up. How to keep everybody safe then? Those guys are really bad, they don’t mind killing security guards at all, let alone someone double crossing them.


This book had a lot more action and suspense then the previous one, and I gobbled it all up again. This is so well written, and the plot is absolutely great. Rick wants nothing more than to pack Samantha up, and taker her with him to England or wherever, out of the reach of the police and the bad guys. But running is no option, and she will not put Rick at risk at all. The moral dilemmas are difficult for all, but Rick has to learn to trust Samantha, and to give her her own choices to make, her own freedom. He cannot own her, and keep her behind lock and key (she would pick those in an instant). But he will do whatever he can to keep her safe, and to help her and protect her.

I also loved the ending of the book very much, leaving Samantha with a new job opportunity that has the adrenaline flowing through her veins, just thinking about it. And the best part, it is legit!

Another great book by Suzanne Enoch, I adore her writing style, her characters, her wonderful plots. You will love Rick and Sam, I am sure of that. And for those of you who really like love scenes, there are plenty of hot ones between Rick and Sam as they are very much in love and attracted to each other, even if they both are still adjusting in their relationship. I am looking forward to reading the next one soon.

9,5 stars.

© 2012 Reviews by Aurian