Cate DeanReseñas

Definitely a good start to a romantic murder mystery series with ghosts.

Read this as part of a bundle of 13 paranormal books.
Way too many errors early on in the book. Did not finish... I quit after chapter 7.

This e-book was difficult to get through. It seemed to start in the middle of a story, with multiple story-lines and characters with not a whole lot of development or explanation before just jumping in. Once I got into it and figured out who was who and what was going on, it got better. There was a twist at the end, which leads me to want to read the rest of the series, although I'm hesitant at this point to do so. This was a free e-book, so you kind of get what you paid for. The book/story wasn't bad, I did end up enjoying it, it just took a while to get there. It could have used a little more development and backstory at the beginning so you could get a feel for the author's style of writing and a better idea of the characters and how they related to each other. I would recommend if you enjoy witch, supernatural, or fairy-type of stories.

Rest for the Wicked
Claire Wiche Chronicles #1
Paranormal 13 … 4th book
Continuing through the Paranormal 13 book which includes 13 full-length paranormal stories by different authors; I have read and reviewed the first story, Darkangel from The Witches of Cleopatra Hill series by Christine Pope and am trying to read each story in the Paranormal 13 book. I liked the first book so much that I bought and read the next two books in the series immediately afterwards, before I continued on to the next stories in Paranormal 13. I read a little of the next two stories in the book but they were aimed at a younger audience than what I prefer to read since they are about high school kids so I decided to skip to the fourth book in the book.
The fourth book, Rest for the Wicked by Cate Dean is the first book in the Claire Wiche Chronicle series. I was pleased to see that is was aimed for an older audience or at least wasn’t about high school students.
The book starts out with a psychotic woman with some sort of magical powers terrorizing a brother and sister. She kills the sister and puts some kind of spell on the brother, Eric, which makes him obsessed with wanting to kill Claire Wiche who the psycho woman, Natasha, has programmed into his mind, making him believe she was responsible for his sister’s death even though he actually saw Natasha kill her.
Claire Wiche owns and operates a Wicca shop in a small coastal town in California. She is a witch but obviously has some secret that she is hiding, making me wonder if she is something other than a witch but the author doesn’t come right out and say it. She has a friend, Annie, who has magical powers also but she has not learned to use them yet.
Eric shows up across the street from Claire’s shop but there is some sort of festival happening in the town which makes it hard for him to just go in and kill Claire. He ends up going to a pub nearby and runs into Annie who tries to help him because she thinks he is drunk. She sticks him in a cab and sends him to his motel.
Another man shows up at the shop. Claire recognizes him as a Jinn and tells him to leave her alone because she doesn’t trust Jinns. Because I am an avid paranormal romance reader, I know what a Jinn is. I have seen it spelled various ways but if someone wasn’t aware what a Jinn is, they would kind of be lost because the author doesn’t go into much detail. Come to think of it, the whole story isn’t very detailed. I think the author just assumes everyone knows what all the different types of demons and mythological creatures are and leaves it at that. My knowledge of Jinns is limited but in other stories they are usually powerful demons or creatures who are beautiful and use trickery, kind of like genies do. This Jinn, Marcos, did seem to attract women but he seemed honest and willing to help Claire.
I didn’t really connect with any of the characters except maybe Marcos because the author doesn’t go into much detail about any of them. Most of the book is conversation between the characters and the author doesn’t go very deep into their emotions so I just didn’t get a connection to anyone.
The book was just okay for me. It ended on a cliff-hanger like the first story in the book did…hmmm…I wonder if that is a pattern but I don’t really know since I didn’t read the second and third stories in the book. Unlike the first book where I wanted to know what happened so I read the next book in the series, I won’t be reading the next book in this series.

www.paranormalromanceslut.com

wow, Finished it in one setting.

Good ending to the series.

Ending did not seem possible. Story was a little slow and boring.

I really love time travel books, and I really enjoyed this.

FROM AMAZON: Elizabeth Barritt fought hard to put her childhood behind her. Now she has the chance to move forward, to reach out for a new future.

And she does - right into Jackson Kane's path. He is a time traveler, from the future, and on the hunt for a rogue agent.

Their attraction is immediate, unexpected - and for Kane, an unwanted distraction. When he is injured protecting Elizabeth, she makes a decision that will change both of their lives. She takes him home.

Once Kane is healed, he goes after the agent. But his journey back to war-torn London takes a sideways turn, forcing Elizabeth to make another choice. She follows him into the past, to help him stop one man from changing their future.

Just completed book one, Final Hours, and have ordered the entire series (Love in time): Final hours; First breath; Loving Kane; Second chances; as Kindle eBooks.

Book one was very well done and left you wanting more - hope the series delivers as well.

Titles included: 1/ Final Hours; 2/ First Breath (loc 2936); 3/ Loving Kane )loc. 5796); 3/ Second chances (loc. 6287); Excerpt from No Greater Love. (loc. 9583).

I didn't care enough about the characters. The romantic involvement felt rather fake. The best part was the appearance of the ghost at the very end.

Merry and Bright, a Christmas anthology from the Nocturne Falls Kindle world.

9 short holiday novellas by the same authors and storylines in the Nocturne Falls Kindle world.
Several of the stories revisit couples from previous stories in the kindle world. Christmas celebrations that include heart and misty eyes. To fully appreciate these short stories, you should read the associated Kindle world books by each author. It can be read as a standalone but you won’t appreciate the relationships.
My two favorite first:

The Meddlesome Misadventures of Merry and Bright by Alethea Kontis
A young adult beginning of friendship, pranks and magic. To adulthood and life. This author is becoming one of my favorites. A short quote from the book: “She brightened up again, like sunshine on snow”.

Magic’s Frost by Sela Carson
A new romance. A bit of humor. Fun and flirty. A slightly older couple. Adorable.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Alien by Fiona Roarke
The next chapter in “aliens come to Nocturne Falls”, revisit with one of the couples.

The Wizard’s Mistletoe Magic by Jax Cassidy
Fae, attraction, memories and finding a lost love.

The Dragon’s Christmas Mayham by Kira Nyte
Dragons trying to create a Christmas experience while their mates keep their own secrets.

The Mistletoe Misshap by Wynter Daniels
A romance ended because of family pressure. Hope restarts it. I liked this short romance. He wants to protect her and what says love more than that?

The Psychic Says I Do by Candace Colt
A wedding or two for the Falcon brothers.

The Sorcerer’s Christmas Miracle by Cate Dean

The Witch’s Snow Globe Wish by Larissa Emerald
A mis-delivered letter reconnects a couple for a second chance at love.

Excellent cosy mystery with good characterizations, fine imagery, and a solid plot with twists. But the ghost thing felt like a contrived add on required by the publisher. And the romantic aspect was fine until the end where it kind of felt like someone else patched it in. But don't let my irritation stop anyone from reading this enjoyable escape!
Lukas Arnold was the perfect choice for narrator with his smooth cadence and easy to listen to voice.

The Doctor Falls for Her Gargoyle by Cate Dean

From the Kindle World of Kristen Painter, this is a story that takes place in Nocturne Falls, the town that celebrates Halloween year round so that paranormals can live openly.

Instant engagement. I liked the characters immediately and felt their pain, empathy and embarrassment. Yes, very average and standard feelings everyone shares at times. These are not the perfect people. It's the working class. And it's us.

Minor detail. A lot of interaction with Lidia, the neighbor that's not wholly explained. To read more of that background, read The Witch Rescues Her Werewolf, which is Cate Dean's first Nocturne Falls Universe kindle world book.

Excerpt:
“She glanced up at him—and her heart skipped. With his dark blonde hair falling over one eye, and the sheepish grin, he looked like an oversized teenager. A gorgeous, incredibly sexy, oversized teenager.
“I need to know everything in order to help you. Got it?”
“Got it, Doc. Is the lecture over?” Humor edged the question, so she knew he was teasing her.
“For now. Go and make an appointment.”
“Thank you.” He paused next to her, and laid one hand on her shoulder. “I mean it. I’ve been more than a little freaked since this happened.”
“I can imagine.” She sounded remarkably normal, considering her heart threatened to pound right out of her chest.
Endless seconds later, Elias let go of her and walked out. Sophie managed to make it to the chair next to the door before her knees gave out on her.
“Heaven help me,” she whispered.
Her hands shook as she lowered his file to her lap. She had an idea that any contact might affect her; she had not been prepared for the absolute need that roared through her the moment his hand touched her shoulder.
How was she supposed to function around him, when he set her off with a simple touch?”
Excerpt From: Dean, Cate. “The Doctor Falls For Her Gargoyle.” Pentam Press

"3 out of 5 stars. A very intriguing beginning to Ms. Dean's The Blackbourne Legacy Series. At first Katelin's meeting and quick relationship with Lord Rutledge (Devan) kind of reminded me a bit of Beauty and the Beast, because both heroine's have a bit of inventorish fathers and they get involved with social pariahs, as it just made since. Yet, what I was pleasantly surprised about was how in-depth this story was for it being a prequel to the series. It definitely gets the reader interested as to what will be thrown at them next. However, other then a mention of a possible ghost I didn't see where this was a paranormal, sci-fi, or fantasy book so it'll be interesting to see how that fits in as this series progresses. In addition, I cannot wait to see how Devan comes back into Katelin's life, as it seems like they could make a good couple together. =0)"

I read this short story as a part of "Love Is..." Check out my full review and teaser from this short story will be included (along with OVER FORTY more teasers): http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2014/09/made-grade-love-is-by-40-autho...

To read more of/about my reviews go to: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com

Claire Wiche has a secret and someone is ready to exploit it. You can't rely on family to help you when your family is your worst enemy.

During the local magic festival, Claire and her best friend, Annie, are busy with their customers when a couple of strangers show up. Neither is who they claim to be, but both turn out to be important to rescuing the world from the latest crisis in the Wiche family.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a story about revenge, betrayal, and redemption.

This was a good collection. I probably wouldn't have picked up these books. I found several new authors and some series or books I would love to read in the future. I also can cross several books off my list as they are not for me.

This was a really good book. I actually can't wait to read the rest. I couldn't stop turning pages!

I overall liked it all. the action, the awesomeness, and the just plain scary!!! I like the part when Alex finds (view spoiler). Just saying something to the author: you should've put in something about them making an antidote. I can't wait for the next book!!!!!!!! Make it fast! -Catherine

I'm an old 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' fan from when Daughter #1 was a young adult, so whenever I come across a book that's got many of the same elements, I do this little happy dance before passing the book along to Daughter #2 and #3.

[*Yes ... I'm talking censorship. I censor what I allow my YA kids to read.*]

Alex Finch: Monster Hunter is a fast read that will suck you right into the storyline of a Junior in high school who finds herself smack dab into a strange little Paranormalville. In this installment of the story (I do hope there will be another?), Alex gets attacked (view spoiler). Thus starts a death defying race to figure out the town's sordid secrets, who is a paranormal, and which can be trusted versus which ones are homicidal.

Unlike many (unfortunate) stories these days where supernatural creatures are romanticized, these monsters are monsters, even when the monster is one of the good guys in their supernatural form. These paranormal creatures share the Jekyl/Hyde lack of control of the origin-stories of these paranormal creatures, and even the good paranormal creatures do not sparkle!

Another nice element is that while Alex is wary of involving her parents in her troubles, it turns out her parents (especially her father) are really cool (though she still gets grounded). It's nice to see a book where the kid realizes they can go to their parents for help (and it's believable) and the parent actually does help without sloughing off their concerns. And there are other 'stereotypes' that turn out not to be so stereotypical after all.

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. The book has been passed down to Daughter #2, and when she is done, Daughter #3 is champing at the full moon to read it. I would feel comfortable allowing ANY young adult (age 13-17) to read this book. While there are violent animal attacks, there is little gore and the horror element, while present, is not overstated.

I received this book for free in exchange for a fair review.

A Howling Good 5-Stars

Fast paced, well written and unique. I did find the start a bit stuttering, as you are thrown right into action that only lulls slightly at a few places in the book. I am normally not a fan of such intense writing styles/stories, but Cate pulls it off really well. I would certainly recommend this read to friends.