Gilmore Girls with Bite!

Helen Bocelli, along with her Goth daughter Ellie, packs up their stuff and heads back home to live with her mother, Helena, in a small town called Troy after leaving her husband. In addition, there is a great welcoming gift for the two - a dead body on the porch on Halloween Night. The site of the dead man does not spook Ellie, but she is more interested in the local boys who live nearby.

     Ellie has a strange dream of a young girl and is shocked to learn the next day that a local girl is missing. Ellie is not like other teenage girls as she knows what goes bump in the night, and in this case, it is a bloodsucking vampire.

    When I read that this book was Gilmore Girls meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I had to review it as I have been watching the Gilmore reruns and I grew up watching Buffy. The three female characters are completely different from the Gilmores, but the quirky fast-paced dialogue is similar. The grandmother Helena is like no grandma I have every seen. She dresses and acts like a woman thirty years younger than her. I thought it was funny how the teenager Ryan was after her. The mother Helen has almost given up on her life and finding love. Now Ellie does remind of Rory Gilmore, except she dresses in Goth and has some supernatural elements to her. Ellie is smart, speaks her mind, and is more mature than most teenagers are.

PUBLISHED BY: Harlequin
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-373-77486-9
Pages: 346
Reviewed by Billy Burgess


*I would like to thank Netgalley and Harlequin for sending me a copy to review.

BY: Jean Barrett
PUBLISHED BY: Harlequin
PUBLISHED IN: 2004
ISBN: 0-373-22804-X
Pages: 249
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Set on a small island off England, ghost hunter Meredith Allen, along with private eye Jackson Hawke, investigates the strange occurrences happening at the Croft Castle. Of course, this castle is your typical haunted castle with secret passages, eerie lights and ghosts.

Jackson is a non-believer of the supernatural and believes that a human is responsible for the strange happenings at the castle. At first, Meredith wants nothing to do with Jackson, but this is a romance novel, so she falls for him. They explore the castle and uncover a dark mystery.

This was an easy fast read for me. One thing that really bothered if Meredith was suppose to be a ghost hunter, why didn’t she have any ghost hunting gizmos with her? The book cover says this is a gothic romance. Beside for being set a castle, I never really got the feeling that this was a gothic novel. Overall, I enjoyed the novel because of its fun characters.

“Jane Slayre” is an update on the classic novel “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte. Jane is an orphan and is living with her relatives, the Reeds - who happen to be bloodsucking vampires. One night, her uncle comes to her as a ghost. He tells her that she is a slayer and there are others like her.

Jane leaves the Reeds’ house and takes a job as a governess of a country estate. She falls in love with her new master, Mr. Rochester - who is keeping a dark secret of his own hidden in the attic.

Jane befriends another slayer, Mr. St. John - who has feelings for her. Before the end of the book, she must confront the Reeds again.

Today, it seems like all the classic novels are getting a zombie makeover. This is this first I have read in this new trend. Werewolves, vampires and zombies occupy this new twist on the classic “Jane Eyre.” The author does a decent job of staying true to the original story, but at the same time adding some fresh to it. Yes, you get to read about Jane fighting the creatures-of-the-night. If you’re a die-hard fan of “Jane Eyre,” you may not care for this version. Since vampires are not popular with today’s teenagers, I hope “Jane Slayre” will inspire them to read Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre.”

Note: I would like to thank Gallery Books for sending me this complimentary copy to review.

Demon Possessed
BY: Stacia Kane
PUBLISHED BY: Pocket Books
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-4391-6761-8
Pages: 321
Ages: Adults
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

The psychic psychologist Megan Chase is back in “Demon Possessed,” the third and final book in the series. A FBI agent is wanting to know what her involvement with Greyson Dante is, and where the rumored demon meeting is going to be located at. Of course, Megan denies everything. The truth - Megan is attending the demon meeting with her demon lover, Greyson.

Greyson is pressuring Megan to join the “family” - to become a full-fledged demon, and he has a few dark secrets kept hidden from her.

Then, things start to go wrong at the meeting, including a minister performing “weekend exorcisms.” To make matters worse, a scary angel wants to kill Megan.

I have never read the first two books in the series, so it took me awhile to figure out what was going on. Megan Chase is a bold fantasy heroine, who doesn’t want to settle down. The book’s weakness is the lack of action, and it’s unnecessary focus on Megan’s emotions. The love scenes between Megan and Greyson are unbelievable. There was no passion, just dread. There are enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. “Demon Possessed” is fast-paced, just falling over three-hundred pages. Fan of the previous books will enjoy the final installment. If you’re new to the series, I would recommend reading the first book so you want be confused as I was.