Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
From VBC’s Chelsea: We’ve covered the best books of 2013, but we’re ready to look forward here at VBC. There are so many wonderful reads waiting for us in 2014. To help you get excited for new books, we’re going to post our reviewers’ most anticipated 2014 books. Add your favorites in the comments. Mary picked fun urban fantasy and more than one epic read. (See Amy’s, Krista’s and Amanda’s picks.) MARY’S... 
Dark Wolf Running (Bloodrunners #5) Rhyannon Byrd Published: December 1, 2013 (Harlequin Nocturne) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Mary Rating (out of 5): 3 stars Dark Wolf Running starts with Elise serving as a bridesmaid at her brother’s wedding. Wyatt has had his eye on her for a while now. Being a shifter, it was... 
Kinked (Elder Races #6) Thea Harrison Published: November 5, 2013 (Berkley) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Purchased Reviewed by: Mary Rating (out of 5): 5 stars Note: While this review is spoiler-free, it will reference events in earlier books. If you haven’t started the series yet, please check out our review of Dragon Bound. At the end of Lord’s Fall, the elves were decimated but... 
Vampire Games (Otherworlder Enforcement Agency #4) Tiffany Allee Published: October 28, 2013 (Entangled) Purchase at: Amazon Review Source: Provided by author in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Mary Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars Beatrice has a very valuable gift. She can touch objects and read the emotions and memories of people associated with them. While this is helpful when working a case for... 
The Heavens Rise Christopher Rice Published: October 15, 2013 (Gallery Books) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Mary Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars Before Katrina hit New Orleans, Nikki Delongpre got hit with her own personal hurricane. Marshall Ferriot, rich, smart, and psychotic, set his sights on her and went to... 
My Big Fat Demon Slayer Wedding (A Biker Witches Mystery #5) Angie Fox Published: June 28, 2013 (Angie Fox) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Mary Rating (out of 5): 3 stars Lizzy is a demon slayer, part angel, and is backed up by a badass gang of geriatric biker witches. She is also being hunted by the Earl of... 
Soul of Fire (Portals #2) Laura Anne Gilman Published: September 24, 2013 (Harlequin Luna) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Mary Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars When Jan rescued her boyfriend Tyler from Under the Hill, the Elves gave her a very specific timeline for when they could come through the portals and invade our... 
The Accidental Werewolf (The Accidentals #1) Dakota Cassidy Published: Feb. 5, 2008 (Berkley) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Purchased Reviewed by: Mary Rating (out of 5): 4 stars Marty Andrews had just made ‘Lavender’ at Bobbie-Sue Cosmetics and thought she was on her way to earning her sky blue convertible. Door-to-door cosmetics may not be the most glamorous career out there, but... 
Twilight Hunter (Execution Underground #1) Kait Ballenger Published: August 27, 2013 (Harlequin) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Mary Rating (out of 5): 4 stars Jace was a member of the Execution Underground, a group devoted to policing the supernatural community. Each member had a specialty and Jace’s was... 
The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) Maggie Stiefvater Published: Sept. 18, 2012 (Scholastic Press) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Purchased Reviewed by: Mary Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars Blue is just a normal girl living in a small town, who is destined to kill her true love when she kisses him. This seems almost normal when you live in a house full of psychics and get to witness their... 
