ARC Review: Jessica Rules the Dark Side (Jessica #2) by Beth Fantaskey

Synopsis: It’s one thing to find out you’re a vampire princess. It’s a whole other thing to actually rule. Newly married Jessica Packwood is having a hard enough time feeling regal with her husband, Lucius, at her side. But when evidence in the murder of a powerful elder points to Lucius, sending him into solitary confinement, Jessica is suddenly on her own. Determined to clear her husband’s name, Jessica launches into a full-scale investigation, but hallucinations and nightmares of betrayal keep getting in her way. Jessica knows that with no blood to drink, Lucius’s time is running out. Can she figure out who the real killer is—and whom she can trust—before it’s too late?

Review
Plot: I'm glad I had the pleasure of getting the chance to read this before it comes out. I fell in love with the previous installment and couldn't wait to read this one. The second installment follows Jessica after she has just married Lucius and getting into the swing of becoming a ruler. Jessica is still not used to being a ruler and relies on Lucius to make commands since he's used to it. But, after an elder is murdered and Lucius is blamed, it is left to Jessica to uncover the real murderer and why they would frame Lucius. Along with Jessica's troubles, we get to follow her best friend, Mindy, and her love affair with Raniero and her suspicions of Jessica's cousin. The different POVs did worry me but after reading them, I love each one. There was never one that I got bored with, plus the male POVs (Lucius and Raniero) were very funny to read.

Characters: Jessica - Jessica is one of my favorite characters. She's very strong and brave, but she isn't used to being in the position she's in now. She wants to be the wife Lucius deserves and slowly molds herself into that role, not only because she needs to but because that's what she's destined to.
Mindy - Mindy is a breath of fresh air since her biggest troubles are trying to win back the vampire she lost. She goes to see Jessica in her time of need and tries to support her while Lucius is in confinement. Mindy is a very strong character in herself and I feel like there is more to her story.

Cover: I love how the covers of the series are cohesive to one another. One depicting Jessica's innocence and the other showing Jessica fall into her position as a royal. The cover is very beautiful and sums up a few key points in the story.

Overall Rating: I have to give this book a three out of four. I thought the book was a great conclusion on Jessica's story and maybe a spin-off for Mindy. The book gave a nice journey for Jessica to see that she does deserve to be a royal and she can be one. I loved the POVs between the four characters and the surprise twist of who the actual murderer was. I would recommend any vampire or romance fans to read this series; it has a great balance of romance and action/drama.

Peace and Fangs,
Alisha

ARC Review: Blood Ties (Blood Coven #6) by Mari Mancusi

Synopsis: The final battle is brewing between Vampires and Slayers. But for Sunny McDonald, the true war is being fought over her heart.

Though now officially back in the arms of her vampire boyfriend Magnus, Sunny finds she still can't forget the gentle mortal Jayden who once saved her life. And when the darkness threatens to steal his humanity, Sunny finds herself with a choice. Stay true to Magnus and the Blood Coven or defy them in a desperate attempt to save Jayden’s soul.

Meanwhile, the Blood Coven is gearing up for its toughest fight yet--going head to head with a splinter group of Slayer Inc who's regrouping in Tokyo, Japan, still determined to take over the world. In dark blood bars and hidden temples, it'll be Vampires vs. Slayers in a showdown that could cost Sunny not only her heart...but also her very life. Source

 

Review

Plot: I had to skip the fifth book to read this one since it didn't come in on time. But, I didn't really need to read the fifth one to understand this book's plot. Mancusi elegantly went over some details of the previous book, so that people like me weren't as lost. I think the plot was the right way to break off from the last installment and move forward to the next one. It follows Sunny and goes through her love triangle along with her trying to save Jayden's life. She took a lot more risks, which was weird because I would only expect from Rayne.

 

However, I loved the romance aspects of the book. Sunny is truly conflicted. You have a handsome and intelligent vampire boyfriend and then the sweetest and bravest guy. Even I couldn't decide who she should be with, sometimes I was rooting for Magnus and other times I was pulling for Jayden.

 

I think the only thing that bothered me about this book was the slang. I love Sunny and her POV, but I was getting tired of the Valley Girl talk. I'm a teenager and I hate that kind of talk. I'm not trying to be too hard since Mancusi switches between two twins, you should try to make them as opposite as possible since their personalities are, but it was hard to get over the slang. And, because of the slang, when she was trying to speak to elder vampires or to her centuries old boyfriend, it seemed a little juvenile and it was hard to think Magnus could bear it, let alone talk like that himself.

 

Characters: Sunny - I love Sunny! She's coming into her own as the books progress. The life she wanted isn't in reach anymore and she's aware of that. So, she'll do anything to adapt to the life she has now. After reading BT, I'm not sure whether or not she'll ever want to be part vampire like her sister.

Magnus - How can I describe him? I guess I have mixed feelings towards him. Sometimes he puts Sunny into account and does so much for her. But, he doesn't treat her like an equal. Slowly, he does start to see what he was doing and wants to fix it.

Jayden - He will always have a special part in my heart. I loved everything he said and did. He was never shy about telling Sunny how he felt and what he wanted with her, even after being turned down. I hope Jayden is in future books and the fire rages on between him and Sunny.

Cover: I like the cover. It is very simple, but pretty. I can't say much without giving away a lot of the plot, but the church windows are a nice touch. It does represent a good chunk of the book. And, I'm also guessing that the girl is Sunny by the blonde hair.

Overall Rating: I'm giving this book a three out of four. I had to take a nail polish away for the slang. I will say to please go read this book and the series. I feel like Mancusi does an incredible job with making a world of traditional vampires in truly modern times and creating romances with modern teens and centuries old vamps.

Peace and Fangs,

Alisha