Short Story Saturday: Bitter Sweet Love

Title: Dark Elements #0.5: Bitter Sweet Love

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Date of Publication: December 1, 2013

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.

And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again...

My Review:

After reading and loving the first two books of the Dark Elements series it only seemed natural that I had to pick up the prequel novella. Though I don't really remember Dez all that much I was excited to read more about Jas and Danika and see what life was like for a female warden. Plus, knowing Armentrout like I do, I was sure that we would get to see a cameo of Layla!

My biggest complaint about short stories is that I feel that sometimes the story just isn't fleshed out enough to make it enjoyable. It's hard to develop a whole world and characters in a short amount of time but Armentrout did it beautifully and I loved all the action and romance she managed to pack into such a short time. With a unique cast of gargoyles and demons, and even a new creature I've never heard of, Pukwudgies, Armentrout makes the most of her 105 pages, and I adored every minute of it!

I love books where two characters travel together and fall in love so Bitter Sweet Love was right up my alley. The romance between Jas and Dez was adorable and heartwarming. Even though Jas started off not trusting him, since he abandoned her, he quickly redeems himself and I fell in love with him right along with Jas. The road trip device gave plenty of opportunity for action and romance and from the streets of New York city, to a hilarious scene with a Pukwudgie, this novel had it all!

Fans of the Dark Elements series will no doubt fall in love with Jas and Dez and I highly recommend this novel to fans of the series or those wanting to try something by Armentrout without the commitment of a whole novel. Armentrout is one of the best writers in paranormal romance and I'm excited to see what she does next!

4/5

Short Story Saturday: Hollow

Title: Hollow (from the anthology Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Date of Publication: September 2, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 42

Synopsis: "I have always had vivid dreams. Those dreams are especially real when I am sick- sometimes it takes me a while to figure out which part was the dream and which the reality. This story is born from a nightmare about an old friend who was being haunted by his murdered wife. It is also about Mercy making peace with the changes in her life." - Patricia Briggs, Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

My Review:

Mercy Thompson is one of my favorite heroines of all time so the last story in this anthology was definitely the one I was most looking forward to, and the one that ended up being my favorite. Though there aren't many returning characters in this one I enjoyed meeting some new faces in the Mercy world and I absolutely loved Briggs's take on ghosts.

One of the things I love most about Mercy is that she always finds herself in some of the most exciting situations and this one was no exception. I absolutely loved the ghost story/mystery in this one and my only complaint is that I wish it had been longer! Briggs did a wonderful job with the development of the plot and even though it was a short story she packed quite a punch in the time that she did have. I loved the ghost story aspect and I hope we get to see more of that in future novels!  

Even though there weren't many returning characters one person I was thrilled to see was Adam- swoon! He played a relatively small role in the story, only a page or two, but he was just as sweet and amazing as I remembered him, and his brief appearance made me fall in love with him all over again. Seeing a little peek of him, and the interaction between him and Mercy, made me desperate all over again for the next book in the series! 

A great conclusion to the collection Hollow was one of the best in the series and I loved getting a little story about Mercy to keep me satisfied while I wait for the 9th book in the series. If you only have time to read a few stories in this collection definitely make sure Hollow is one of them!

5/5

Short Story Saturday: Redemption

Title: Redemption (from the anthology Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Date of Publication: September 2, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 34

Synopsis: "Ben is in the process of change. We mere mortals have only seventy years or so in which to get over the bad things hat have happened to us- and the bad things we've done. I found an event that would be pivotal for Ben- and a chance to bring in some of the werid and absurd things my husband ran into in his years as a DBA (data base administrator) for a huge government contractor." - Patricia Briggs, Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

My Review:

 I am a huge, huge, huge fan of Ben. Even though he's rough around the edges and not always the best person I still love him and I know that, hiding under his rude and abrasive personality, there is a good person no matter how hard he tries to hide it. The friendship between him and Mercy is one of my favorite relationships in the whole series so I was thrilled to finally read a story from his perspective.

Though I didn't love this one as much as I was hoping I still enjoyed it. I liked getting inside Ben's head and seeing him from another perspective. Even though he was a jerk for the majority of the novel there was also a part of him that has always been a good person and I liked seeing little bits of that shine through. Because it was Ben Briggs was able to include a little bit of humor in this story as well and I really enjoyed watching Ben struggle through his challenge not to cuss and his attitude toward the people he worked with, both of which made me laugh.

One of the other most interesting parts of this story was learning a little bit more about Ben's past. In the novels his past is brushed on a little bit but never fully explained, while I still have a few questions it was really nice to learn a little bit more about Ben and what makes him tick. Ben's been through a lot, and even though his whole story hasn't quite been divulged yet I still have a special place in my heart for his character.

While Redemption wasn't one of my favorites of the collection I did enjoy it and fans of Ben will definitely be excited to finally learn a little bit more about him. I can't wait to see more of Ben in the future and I hope we get to learn even more about him as the series continues!

3/5

Short Story Saturday: In Red, With Pearls

Title: In Red, With Pearls (from the anthology Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Date of Publication: September 2, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 44

Synopsis: "Because I write the Mercy books from Mercy's point of view, her impressions of people are all I can show. To Mercy, Warren seems to be the least intimidating of the werewolves. This is largely because they are friends but partially because she sees him as a kind, caring, and gentle man- which he is. But he is also a very dominant and gay werewolf who has survived more than a century when most gay werewolves do not (my werewolves are still, for the most part, caught in the mores of a hundred years ago). Warren is bone-deep tough and practical- and here, for the first time, he gets to tell the story"- Patricia Briggs, Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

My Review:

 I was super excited for this story, I've always loved Warren and Kyle and I couldn't wait to read about the two of them from a different point of view. I've always loved Warren and Kyle and I couldn't wait to see them interact with each other from a different point of view, however this story wasn't quite what I thought it would be. The little mystery and the plot were enjoyable, but I didn't end up liking this one as much as I thought I would.

Maybe I was expecting more interaction between Kyle and Warren but I was sad to see Kyle barely playing a part in this short story. One of the reasons I've always loved Warren is the fact that he's gay and I was seriously hoping for more romance between him and Kyle. In the books we often see little snippets of affection between them and this time around I was hoping to see something a little more personal. I did enjoy getting a look into Warren's mind though,

I did like seeing Warren from a different perspective, as Briggs said Mercy sees Warren as a not very intimidating wolf and in this story we get to see another side of him. Warren wasn't afraid to do what he needed to in order to protect Kyle, even if it wasn't the nicest course of action. I was also super interested in the new creature introduced into the Mercy world, zombies. It wasn't quite a direction I could see Briggs going but overall the whole zombie aspect worked really well for the story and who knows, maybe we're destined to see a few more in the future!

In the end this was a very enjoyable story, and I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of it, but it fell just a little bit flat. I think I was just expecting a little bit more of the character interaction I love from Briggs but got more of a plot based story instead. Still a good read and a great addition to the anthology!

4/5

Short Story Saturday: Roses in Winter

Title: Roses in Winter (from the anthology Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Date of Publication: September 2, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 44

Synopsis: "Kara never appeared in any of the Mercy books, but her father's appeal to Mercy for help in Blood Bound struck a chord in readers. I never go to a book-signing event where someone doesn't ask about her. I knew that she went to Aspen Creek with the Marrok's pack, and I expected her to show up in the Alpha and Omega novels. That's what I told people. But she didn't come to Aspen Creek until after the events in Cry Wolf and Hunting Ground. And then Fair Game jumped ahead because I needed events at the end of the book to happen between River Marked and Frost Burned. Which meant that if I was going to tell Kara's story, I'd have to do it in a short story." - Patricia Briggs, Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

My Review:

Roses in Winter was, hands down, my absolute favorite of the collection, and ironically enough, the one I was least excited for. I've always liked Asil well enough but I was never particularly excited by his character. Likewise, while I do remember Kara a bit, I was never really interested to see what happened to her. However, this story absolutely blew me away and by the end I found I cared way more about both of them than I ever thought I would.

The friendship between Asil and Kara was heartwarming and adorable. Asil always tries to play himself off as being dangerous and insane but this story proved that he is anything but. Despite his claims Asil has one of the kindest hearts out of any of the werewolves in the series, not only does he help Kara but he also helps one of the older wolves, Devon, by letting both of them into his greenhouse. Asil's had a hard past and we really get a peek into how much he misses his mate and the effect her death had on him.

Since this story was from Asil's point of view I loved seeing Bran, Charles, Leah, and other various characters from a new set of eyes. Plus we got to see a soft side of Asil that we don't normally see in the main Mercy series. He did things to help Kara (I don't want to give away too much!) that I never pictured him doing for anybody and it made me absolutely fall in love with him. I really hope we get to see even more of Asil in the future and I hope Briggs has a happy ending for him planned somewhere down the line!

Roses in Winter was most definitely one of the best stories in this anthology. With a mix of new and old characters, and a friendship that will warm your heart this story has it all. If you only have time for one story I whole hardheartedly suggest you make it this one.

5/5

Short Story Saturday: The Star of David

Title: The Star of David (from the anthology Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Date of Publication: September 2, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 34

Synopsis: "So I was asked to write a Christmas story about werewolves. David Christiansen, who appeared in Moon Called, had such a tragic history, I couldn't help but write a Christmas story for him. A fellow army ranger, he and Adam were the only survivors of a mission gone bad in the Vietnam War. They returned stateside, only to discover that they had been turned into the beast they had defeated. David is, more than my of my wolves, suffering from the traditional curse of the werewolf. A good man who, while in his wolf form was in control, killed the very last person he wanted to hurt." - Patricia Briggs, Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

My Review:

The Star of David was my other least favorite of this collection. Though it had a heart warming message, I didn't particularly enjoy the story and I wasn't as caught up in the action as I was during other stories in this anthology. The characters in this one felt a little distant and I just didn't connect to them the way I usually connect to Briggs's characters.

I don't remember David at all from the series, but it's been awhile since I read Moon Called. However the farther I read into the story it became obvious why I had forgotten him, David definitely isn't my favorite character and though his story is sad I just didn't feel any connection to him. Because David seemed so detached from the tragedy around him it made it hard for me to really get into his character and relate to him.

The most interesting part of the story was getting introduced to a seldom seen type of character in the Mercy world, wizards. Though the series has its fair share of female witches I'm excited to see how wizards differ and learn more about Devonte and his powers. While the plot taking place in the hospital after the attack was okay I was much more interested in how Devonte discovered his powers and the circumstances that caused him to use them.

Even though The Star of David wasn't my favorite it was an enjoyable story nevertheless and a nice addition to the Shifting Shadows anthology. However, if you only have limited time I would suggest reading this one last.

3/5

Short Story Saturday: Seeing Eye

Title: Seeing Eye (from the anthology Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Date of Publication: September 2, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 30

Synopsis: "In Mercy's world, good witches are few and far between- and mostly on the run from dark witches. I thought about how a white witch could gain enough power to stand up to the evil ones, and Moria was born. A moment later, Tom knocked at my (figurative) door, full-fledged and ready to go. I am going to write more about Tom and Moira eventually. But for those who want more now, they also have a guestappearance in Hunting Ground." - Patricia Briggs, Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

My Review:

 I vaguely remember Tom and Moira from the Alpha and Omega series, but this story made me want to go back and re-read all the books in order to find the spot where they appeared. I absolutely loved reading about the two of them and they easily take the cake as two of my favorite secondary characters in the series (other than Ben, Kyle, and Warren, of course!) and I'm so excited to read more about them in the future.

Right off the bat I loved the chemistry between Tom and Moira. Even though there wasn't necessarily any romance-romance between them I could tell that there was a connection and I loved reading about their interactions, especially because of the uniqueness of Moria's character. Because she's blind it adds a whole new dimension to her personality and watching her overcome her adversaries despite her disability was extremely satisfying. Moria was a wonderful character and I finished this story wanting to know more about her but not feeling unsatisfied like I didn't know enough.

Even though this is a short story Briggs included so many threads that  could lead to a full length story and I was fascinated by each of them. Between how Moria got her blindness and her family drama I know that this story only touched the tip of the iceberg. Likewise I can't wait to learn more about Moria's magic and how Tom plays into all of it. Plus the shifting POV's is always a treat, I loved being able to see both Tom and Moria from each other's perspectives!

Seeing Eye was another of my favorites in the series and I have a feeling that this story is going to be much like Alpha & Omega in that we haven't seen the last of Moria and Tom! I just hope the stories about them come sooner rather than later!

4/5

Short Story Saturday: Gray

Title: Gray (from the anthology Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Date of Publication: September 2, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 34

Synopsis: "We lived in Chicago (a good long time ago now), and it remains one of my favorite big cities. It, like my hometown, has a colorful past and terrific people. Anyone who has been in Chicago in February, however, knows about those gray days, when everything is wet and cold and nasty, when it feels like it has been cold forever and spring will never come. Like those winter days, our heroine, Elyna, has been feeling cold and gray for a very long time." - Patricia Briggs, Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

My Review:

Gray introduced a new character into the Mercy world, Elyna, who's another one of the few good vampires. Gray was most definitely one of the best stories in the anthology, I loved Elyna and her bittersweet story; tale of tragedy, determination, hope, and love. I really connected to this story and I honestly wouldn't mind a full length novel about Elyna and her quest to be reunited with her husband.

Even though the story was heartbreaking it offered a little slice of hope, which was what made me love it. The story of what happened to Elyna and the death of her husband broke my heart, it was obvious that she loved him and even though a terrible sequence of events took him from her she refused to give up hope. Elyna was a strong character and I really respected her, especially her determination to get away from those who changed her and finally find peace with herself for what happened so many years ago.

Not only did Briggs write an amazing love story I also adored the friendship Elyna forged with Peter, the contractor she hired to help her restore the apartment. Briggs has a talent not only for romance, but writing some of the most satisfying friendships in the urban fantasy genre. Even though this story was so short I really fell in love with both Elyna and Peter and I loved watching their friendship blossom.

Out of the two stories that introduced whole new sets of characters Gray was, hands down, the best. I loved Elyna and I really hope she makes an appearance in either the Mercy Thompson series or the Alpha & Omega series... Anna is from Chicago so I've got my fingers crossed!

5/5

Short Story Saturday: Fairy Gifts

Title: Fairy Gifts (from the anthology Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Date of Publication: September 2, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 30

Synopsis: "I grew up in Butte, Montana... there were all sorts of stories that were told about the "old days." Stories about the racetrack that had stood where East Junior High (now East Middle School) had been built. I heard tales of Shoestring Annie, Dirty-Mouth Jean, and the old madame who beat up Carrie Nation when she took her temperance crusade to the wrong bar. So I just had to set a story in Butte." - Patricia Briggs, "Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson"

My Review:

Fairy Gifts was probably my least favorite short story in the Mercy Thompson collection. Thomas and his back story were interesting enough, and I would have loved to learn more about his life in the past, but I had a few issues with the plot that really hindered my enjoyment of the story.

I like Thomas, we don't see many good vampires in the Mercy world so I was happy to be introduced to another one. He had a fascinating back story and I would have loved to learn more about his life before he became a vampire as well as the times right after he was changed. His part in his fathers opium den intrigued me and I was fascinated by the powers to the earth he possesses.  However, I felt that this story didn't give enough time for me to really get to know Thomas's character or go into any depth with the plot.

The main reason I didn't like this short story was because I finished it with more questions than answers. I went back and read, and re-read, and re-read again but I just couldn't figure out why the events were taking place. Why was Margaret trapped in the mine in the first place? Why did Thomas's father punish him by making him a vampire? Why did the other fae in the beginning of the novel betray Margaret's father? The story just wasn't long enough to answer important questions and I finished this story feeling unsatisfied. Plus the entire plot of the story was the exact same thing happening twice, once in the past and once in the present.

Though I wouldn't say this story was bad it definitely wasn't what I was expecting from Briggs. The lack of a fleshed out plot, and quite a few holes along the way, just didn't do it for me. Though I wouldn't mind seeing Thomas again in the future I just wasn't impressed with his story.

3/5

Short Story Saturday: Silver

Title: Silver (from the anthology Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Date of Publication: September 2, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 71

Synopsis: "Herein is the ill fated romance between Ariana and Samuel, the first half of the story that continues in Silver Borne. This is also an origin story of sorts, because how he met Ariana is also tied up with the story of the witch, his grandmother, who held Samuel and his father for such a long time. I have to say that if it had not been for the constant requests for this story, I, usually a teller of happier tales, would have left this one alone."  - Patricia Briggs, Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

My Review:

Initially I had planned to review this entire book in one huge review, dedicating no more than a paragraph to each story. However, after finishing Silver I knew that was going to be impossible. Briggs is truly a master at her craft and I have way more to say than can ever fit in only one paragraph. So because nobody wants to read a HUGE review I'm going to spend the next 9 weeks reviewing each story in this wonderful anthology individually with a new review coming out every Saturday.

Right of the bat Silver really impressed me, I was never a huge fan of Samuel in the Mercy Thompson series; he was okay, but I just never really felt any connection to him and I didn't particularly care what he was up to. However, this story changed all that. In Silver we get a deep look into Samuel's origins and even get to see the moment that he becomes a werewolf. Samuel has gone through a lot of hardship in his life and this story really gets into detail on events that have only been brushed upon during the main series. Between his abusive grandmother and all the death and destruction she brought forth to Samuel and his father, as well as all the hardship he went through before he was even a werewolf,  Samuel's life hasn't been easy and I honestly have a whole new respect for him.

I don't really remember Ariana all that much, it's been quite awhile since I read Silver Borne and her character never really made an impact on me. However I really enjoyed reading about her in this story. Though I was a little confused at first about the beast and artifact I quickly got caught up and really got into her story. Ariana's life is filled with just as much terror and destruction as Samuel but only in a more personal way. While Samuel seems more detached from everything going on around him Ariana's story was much more personal. From her cruel and power hungry father, to the beast inside of her,Ariana hasn't had an easy life and her strength and independence impressed me more with every page.

The romance between Ariana and Samuel was cute and heart warming. Even though they both had a hard life they were able to find love and comfort in each other and although their feelings were subtle I still found myself "awwing" with every little exchange. Though this story does have a sad ending Brigg's included an outtake from Silver Borne at the end that includes a happy ending for both of them and I can't think of two characters more deserving. Now that I've fallen in love with both Samuel and Ariana I'm excited to see more of them in future Mercy Thompson books and I can't wait to watch their romance develop!

Briggs did a fantastic job giving us a little glimpse into Samuel's life and after reading Silver I have a whole new respect for his character. I love Sam and Ariana and I hope their romance lasts this time, because I can't bear to read anything sad about them again!

4/5

Short Story Saturday: Bewitching the Werewolf

Title: Megan Stevens #1: Bewitching the Werewolf

Author: Caroline Hanson

Date of Publication: September 25, 2011

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 62

Synopsis: When witch for hire, Megan Stephens, is assigned to help the local werewolf pack leader find a mate, she thinks the job will be easy. Get in, get it up and get gone. But when she meets Zack Connor, she realizes her future might have a lot more dog jokes in it than she ever imagined.

My Review:

Bewitching the Werewolf is one of the many free books I've downloaded from Amazon while I've had my Kindle. While some books end up being absolutely horrible this one (thankfully!) isn't one of them. Bewitching the Werewolf is a super fun read; with a hilarious main character, an interesting premise, and plenty of romance, this is one of those short stories that's perfect to read when you want to read, but don't want the commitment of a whole book.

I immediately loved Megan, she was hilarious and fun, the perfect heroine for a short story. I liked the idea of her being a witch for hire, and when she found out what her assignment was I had to laugh. Megan's commentary was hilarious and there were moments when I found myself laughing out loud. Her love interest, Zack, wasn't as developed as she was but I still enjoyed the romance between them and watching their relationship shift from their immediate dislike of each other to something more. My only complaint about this one is how that half the book seems to be ads for the authors other works, this one should have been longer!

Overall I enjoyed this story and it was really nice to get a taste of Hanson's writing. If I'm ever in need for something new to read I know that I'll be keeping her in mind!

3/5

Short Story Saturday: Reindeer Games

Title: Games #4.5: Reindeer Games

Author: Jessica Clare

Date of Publication: August 26, 2014

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 70

Synopsis: When mouthy Luna is voted off of Endurance Island: Alaska first, she's a little bitter about it. The only thing that assuages her pride is knowing that Owen(the sexy-but-douchey guy that ousted her) was out next. This means, unfortunately, that they're spending a lot of time at the Loser Lodge together. But will their fiercely competitive natures bring them together for the sexiest Christmas of all?

My Review:

From the get go I knew I was really going to enjoy this novel, the other book I've read by Clare (Wicked Games) was amazing and I had high hopes that this one would be just as good, and it was. Even though Reindeer Games is a short story Clare managed to pack quite a punch into what little time she had and create a developed world full of unique and fleshed out characters.

The thing I love about the Games series is the whole game show aspect. Maybe I'm missing out on a whole genre over here but these are the only books I've read that take place on the set of a game show and I absolutely love it! Watching the characters be put through such unusual challenges never gets old and I love the game show drama that goes along with it. I also really loved the Alaska setting in this one and even though not much of the book was spent in the elements I loved how cozy and warm the Loser Lodge sounded in comparison!

The animosity between Luna and Owen in the beginning of the story was great. I love books where characters go from hating each other to falling in love and Reindeer Games was a perfect example. Clare did an amazing job fleshing out both of their personalities in a limited amount of time and by the end I felt as connected to the two of them as I would have felt reading a full length novel. Even though Owen started off as a jerk Clare did an amazing job giving him some lovable characteristics and he and Luna made an adorable couple. With a sexy romance and the perfect winter setting to boot, I found myself not wanting this short story to end!

A super fun winter read Reindeer Games was a fantastic prequel to the Games series and readers looking for a sample of Clare's work should definitely check this one out. Funny and full of romance this is the perfect short story for a cold winters night. I highly recommend!

4/5