Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Binding The Shadows (Arcadia Bell #3) Jenn Bennett Published: May 28, 2013 (Pocket Books) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Purchased Reviewed by: Krista Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars In Kindling the Moon Jenn Bennett created a standout urban fantasy heroine in Arcadia Bell. The sequels have only cemented Bennett as a must read on my instant buy list. From page one of Binding the... 
The Glass God (Magicals Anonymous #2) Kate Griffin Published: July 9, 2013 (Orbit) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Provided by publisher in exchange for honest review Reviewed by: Mary Rating (out of 5): 5 stars Sharon is just a normal shaman running a support group for paranormals who have difficulty coping with everyday city life. She works for the Midnight Mayor, a position that... 
The Cursed (The League of the Black Swan #1) Alyssa Day Published: May 7, 2013 (Berkley) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: Purchased Reviewed by: Candace Rating (out of 5): 4 stars Authors are risk takers. They finish off a series and begin another with their fanbase expecting something just as intriguing as the series and characters that made them become dedicated fans to begin with.... 
Blurred (Kissed by Death #2) Tara A. Fuller Published: July 2, 2013 (Entangled Teen) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: Provided by the publisher for an honest review Reviewed by: Amanda Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars Cash has had a hard life so far, and after the fire that destroyed his best friend’s house, it gets even worse. He doesn’t like Finn, Emma’s new boyfriend, so he avoids her.... 
A Note from Chelsea / VBC: All the suggested poolside reading lists we see online point to cheeky contemporary novels or lighthearted romps. Well, at VBC we know there are plenty of books featuring paranormal elements, badass heroines and sexy heroes that are perfect for reading out under the sun. So, of course, we’ve decided to do our own Beach Reads picks. Each Friday for the next several weeks, we’ll... 
Autumn (Dog Days #1) Sierra Dean Published: June 11, 2013 (Sierra Dean) Purchase at: Amazon Review Source: Provided by author in exchange for honest review Reviewed by: Amy Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars Eloise “Lou” Whittaker doesn’t want to move to Poisonfoot, Texas, but after her father’s death, Lou and her mother, short on funds, have nowhere else to go except back to her father’s hometown to live with... 
The Beautiful and the Cursed (Dispossessed #1) Page Morgan Published: May 14, 2013 (Delacorte Press) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Purchased Reviewed by: Krista Rating (out of 5): 2.5 stars When I read the inside book flap of Page Morgan’s The Beautiful and the Cursed I thought the book had a lot of potential: Victorian Paris, pretty dresses, and les Grotesques (gargoyles).... 
Sea Change S.M. Wheeler Published: June 18, 2013 (Tor) Purchase at: Book Depository and Amazon Review Source: Provided by publisher for honest review Reviewed by: Amanda Rating (out of 5): 4 stars Lilly’s life hasn’t been easy. She realized as a young girl that her parents didn’t love each other, and what love they might have felt for her wasn’t terribly strong. Drawn to the ocean, she befriends a kraken... 
Pamela Palmer’s next Feral Warriors novel brings the heat, folks. All of the warriors will be in danger of losing their immortality and Wulfe’s happily ever after will be hard fought. Wulfe Untamed doesn’t release until Jan. 28, 2014, but we managed to snag an excerpt for you now. Along with the cover reveal (look below). No need to thank us. Heh. Also, Wulfe Untamed is already up for pre-order at Amazon.... 
Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson #5) Darynda Jones Published: July 9, 2013 (St. Martin’s Press) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: Provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Jo Rating (out of 5): 5 stars Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it may contain spoilers for previous books in the series. If you haven’t started it yet, here’s our... 
