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Title: Dirty Angels (Dirty Angels Trilogy #1)

Author: Karina Halle

Genre: Dark Romantic Suspense

Release Date: June 15, 2014

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA

Synopsis

For Luisa Chavez, a twenty-three year old former beauty queen, a better life has always been just out of her reach. Sure, she’s had men at her feet since she was a young teenager but she’s never had the one thing she’s craved – security. Having grown up in near poverty, her waitressing job in Cabo San Lucas can barely let her take care of herself, let alone her ailing parents. Every day is another unwanted advance, every day is a struggle to survive.

When Salvador Reyes, the depraved leader of a major Mexican cartel, takes an interest in her, Luisa is presented with an opportunity she can’t afford to pass up. She’ll become Salvador’s wife and exchange her freedom and body for a life of riches – riches she can bestow upon her deserving parents. But Luisa quickly finds out that even the finest wines and jewels can’t undo the ugliness in her marriage, nor the never-ending violence that threatens her every move.

Soon, Luisa is looking for an escape, a way out of the carefully controlled life she’s leading. She finally gets her wish in the worst way possible.

As it is, being the wife of Salvador makes her an ideal target for rival cartels and there’s one particular man who needs Luisa as part of his cartel’s expansion. One particular man whose quest for power has destroyed lives, slit throats and gotten him out of an American prison. One particular man who will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants.

That man is Javier Bernal. And he wants Luisa. He wants to take her, keep her, ruin her.

Unless she ruins him first.

*** *** ***

Excerpt

(unedited, subject to change before publication)

It was a picture of a woman in white strapless wedding dress, very fluffy and extravagant from the waist down. Her hands were clasped demurely at her front, her face caught in a nervous smile. 

She was extremely beautiful but that was to be expected. The country’s most flagrant excuse for a drug kingpin would never marry anyone less than stunning and this woman, Luisa, fit the bill. But despite her body, with her round, perky tits and elegant neck, her long dark hair and classic face, there was another layer to her that immediately got me hard. It was this look in her eyes. They were so pure and soft, giving her radiance that seemed to leap off the page. 

I wanted nothing more than to have her on her knees, have her fix those round, angelic eyes on me and watch as I pin her down and come right into them. I would take her purity and make her see the world for what it really was – a hot, sticky mess at the end of my dick. 

“I bet she’d be a tight little fuck,” Este leered over my shoulder. 

I shot him a disgusted look. “She’s not a whore, Este,” I chided him. 

“Not to you,” he said, as I looked at the next picture of her, now with Salvador at her side. 

“I mean it,” I said, my eyes drawn to her again and again. “No one is touching her. Not you, not Franco.” 

“I give you my promise,” Este said. “But Franco can barely control himself around the whores.” 

“No one is touching her,” I repeated. “She will be our hostage. She is collateral. No one is laying a hand on her.” 

“Except for you, I assume.” 

She almost seemed too good to even touch. I couldn’t wait to break her. “She is very valuable,” I admitted. 

I flipped through a couple of more photographs and grew harder at each one. I wished Este would just fucking leave so I could deal with it. I almost wished Laura was still alive so I could flip her over and come all over her back. I never fucked the women around here, but that didn’t mean I didn’t use them when I needed to. 

“You know,” Este said, his lazy voice starting to grate me. “If Martin had been there close enough to spy on them, close enough to photograph, why didn’t you just get him to put a bullet in Salvador’s head? Especially if Martin was going to die anyway.” 

I eyed him warily, disappointed that he could be so rash. “Because life is a game and we’re all just trading cards. We play the right hand to get ahead.” I studied the smiling, ignorant face of Sal as he stared at his bride. “Death stops the game. It’s too final, too inflexible. Death is viciously stubborn.” 

When Este didn’t say anything I looked up to see a dull gleam in his eyes. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, annoyed at his ineptitude. “What good would killing Salvador do? Right? David Guirez or whoever, anyone, someone, they would step in and take over faster than you can shit after your coffee and nothing will have changed. Look at Travis Raines. The moment he died, I was able to slither on through to the top, to right here, right now.” 

“Only because you killed Travis,” he noted. “More or less.” 

“We killed Travis,” I corrected him. “Anyway, the point is that the dead make lousy deals. If we want the shipping lane, we have to force him to give it to us. Killing him does nothing. Taking his new bride, now that will do something.” 

“You sound so sure,” Este said walking around the desk. 

“I have no reason not to be sure,” I said. “They are newlyweds. He needs her, he wants her. We will get her soon, before he gets bored of her cherry ass. Sal has pride. We all do. It is our weakness. I know that enough about myself to know it about others.” 

He smoothed his hand over the stubble on his chin and gave me a smooth nod. “All right.” 

I stared at a photo of them at the altar, a lavish outdoor ceremony. He was gazing at her with that pride I was talking about. And she was staring at him with a look that was all too familiar to me. 

“She doesn’t love him, though,” I commented, almost to myself. 

“How can you tell?” he said, taking a step closer and peering at the photos again. 

I swallowed uneasily and then shrugged it off. “I just can. She doesn’t.” 

“So is she marrying him for money then?” 

I took the papers and sorted them until they were neat and evenly stacked before slipping them back into the envelope. “Probably. Does it matter?” 

“No. So when do we act?” 

“Soon,” I said, putting the envelope in the first drawer. I knew I’d be taking it out again after he left.

  *** *** ***

About the Author

With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term “Hybrid Author.” Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she’s a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA…whenever possible. Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her husband and rescue pup.

Facebook | Goodreads | Karina‘s Website | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | EIT Website

 

Title: Love, In English

Author: Karina Halle

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 20, 2014

Add to: Goodreads

Purchase links: Amazon / B&N / iTunes / Kobo / Smashwords

Synopsis

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English. 

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada. 

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos. 

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter. 

I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything. 

Until now.Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth. 

*** 

To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.

Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more. 

Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time. 

Something that can never, ever be. 

Or so she thinks.

   

Excerpt

Claudia shrugged and pulled down at her yellow tee. “Not my problem. Eduardo is nice but Ricardo is really nice.”

“How did it happen?” I asked, kinda wanting the sordid details.

She was coy. “The way it usually happens.”

“Did you make the first move?”

Another shrug. “Why not?”

I swear, a shrug and a “why not?” were the Spaniards’ go-to answer for everything.

“Well, then I guess it seems safe—and a little boring now—to tell you that I have a crush on someone.”

Her brows quirked up. “Other than Mateo?”

“What?”

“You are sleeping with Mateo, no?”

“WHAT?!”

“No?”

“No!” I exclaimed, appalled. “Why does everyone keep thinking that?”

“Because you are always together,” she said simply. She took a sip of wine. “The attraction is very obvious. So, I figured you must be sleeping together.”

“He’s married!”

“Yes, but you are not.”

I shook my head adamantly. “It’s wrong. I don’t want to be the other woman. I’ve seen my dad go for the other woman, and I can’t put Mateo’s daughter through that,” I said. “Or his wife,” I quickly added.

“That doesn’t mean that you can’t have feelings for anyone else.”

“Yes, it does mean that.”

“Maybe you are meant to be together.”

“We’re not! There isn’t even a together. We’re just friends. I haven’t done anything about it, and so far my feelings are totally one-sided.”

Claudia got up off the couch and brought a pack of cigarettes out of her front jean pocket. “If you think it is on the one side, you have not seen the way he looks at you.”

She walked over to her small patio table and pulled out a chair. I got up and stormed after her, my nerves dancing excitedly.

“What do you mean, the way he looks at me?” I asked, lowering my voice in case there were people around listening. I felt like bouncing off the walls.

She slid the ashtray toward her as I sat down. “You do not see it. But I do. I think everyone does. He looks at you like…like you’re his favorite food.”

“Favorite food?”

She lit her cigarette. “Yes. You’re like his favorite food in the whole world. He wants to have you, eat you, devour you. He thinks about you all the time, craves you. But he cannot have you for one reason or another. Perhaps you upset his stomach. Maybe he is on a diet, yes? All he wants is a taste, but he cannot even have that. That is how he looks at you.”

I sat there, stunned, as some of her smoke blew in my face. That’s how Mateo looked at me? Like he wanted to eat me? I was pretty sure that’s how I looked at him. Just last night I was contemplating nibbling on his earlobes.

“And yes,” she said, leaning closer to me, a small smile on her lips, “that is also how you look at him.” Great, a mind reader. “But you are more subtle about it. You try not to let everyone know. But, we know.”

“There is nothing to know,” I reminded her, poking the table with my finger for emphasis. “We are not sleeping together. He is married. I have a crush. That is it. The end of the story.”

“A crush?” she questioned. “Vera, I think you’re in love with him.”

No fucking way. Not love. That did not happen with me, not ever and not now.

“You can’t fall in love in a week,” I told her heatedly.

“You can fall in love in a second,” she said with a snap of her fingers. “The heart has no regard for time.”

With that sobering thought, Claudia told me about her ex-boyfriend and how they fell in love at first sight then took the conversation back to Ricardo and their exploits. I envied her so badly right then and there. She could fawn over Ricardo, kiss him, fuck him, and no one would ever bat an eye. It was okay for them to be together. It wasn’t forbidden.

I gulped the rest of the wine and left her apartment, heading back to reception to meet Cristina for my next one-on-one, my mind and heart and hormones all over the place. Lo and behold, Mateo was walking up the path toward me.

He was on the phone, smiling.

His shirt was off and slung over his shoulder, exposing his bare chest, abs, and arms.

Holy fuck.

For a moment, I was sure that time had stopped. Or maybe ever single nerve, cell, vein, bone, muscle in my body just slowed as I took him all in.

From his thick-veined forearms to his sculpted shoulders and broad chest peppered with neatly-trimmed chest hair, to his six-pack abs, he had, by far, the best body I’d ever seen on a man. He kept himself in fine-ass shape, looking more like a young athlete than anything else. He and David Beckham had more in common than I thought, although David’s skin tone wasn’t as mesmerizing. Mateo’s color was amazing, just beautiful, this dark, golden bronze that covered him everywhere. I wanted so badly to just touch him, to lick the sheen of sweat off his skin. I bet he tasted like victory.

And to think this was the man that Claudia said wanted to taste me.

I really, really wanted to believe her.

Meanwhile, I was just standing there like I was melting into a puddle of myself. I clamped my mouth shut as he walked past and I heard him say into the phone, “No, mi tesorito, it was easy, I didn’t injure myself.” He was beaming, talking about the game, to his wife. To his tesorito. And he called their relationship complicated? This was complicated.

He winked at me in acknowledgement, his smile becoming broader. I tried to smile back but it wouldn’t come. I just stared at him, feeling stupid, foolish, and strangely rejected. In a perfect world I may have been his favorite food, but it still wasn’t what he got served every day. I turned around and walked down the hill, my heart feeling like a pincushion.

“Vera!” I heard him call out from behind. I stopped and nervously glanced over my shoulder. He was holding the phone’s receiver to his chest, grinning at me. “I need to ask you your question.”

“What?” I asked, hoping it was quick.

“Who is your favorite Spaniard here?”

Seriously?

And yet I couldn’t lie to him.

“You,” I said, more to myself than to him. Then I turned around and walked away as quickly as I could.

About the Author

With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term "Hybrid Author." Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she's a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA...whenever possible.

Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiance and rescue pup.

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Title: Dirty Angels (Dirty Angels #1)

Author: Karina Halle

Release Date: Spring / Summer 2014

Synopsis

For Luisa Chavez, a twenty-three year old former beauty queen, a better life has always been just out of her reach. Sure, she’s had men at her feet since she was a young teenager but she’s never had the one thing she’s craved – security. Having grown up in near poverty, her waitressing job in Cabo San Lucas can barely let her take care of herself, let alone her ailing parents. Every day is another unwanted advance, every day is a struggle to survive. 

When Salvador Reyes, the depraved leader of a major Mexican cartel, takes an interest in her, Luisa is presented with an opportunity she can’t afford to pass up. She’ll become Salvador’s wife and exchange her freedom and body for a life of riches – riches she can bestow upon her deserving parents. But Luisa quickly finds out that even the finest wines and jewels can’t undo the ugliness in her marriage, nor the never-ending violence that threatens her every move. 

Soon, Luisa is looking for an escape, a way out of the carefully controlled life she’s leading. She finally gets her wish in the worst way possible. 

As it is, being the wife of Salvador makes her an ideal target for rival cartels and there’s one particular man who needs Luisa as part of his cartel’s expansion. One particular man whose quest for power has destroyed lives, slit throats and gotten him out of an American prison. One particular man who will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. 

That man is Javier Bernal. And he wants Luisa. He wants to take her, keep her, ruin her. 

Unless she ruins him first. 

***WARNING*** This book deals with drug cartels and as such it contains a lot of sex and violence and some violent sex. It can get pretty ugly, pretty dark and pretty crazy. There is drug use, abuse, a bit of torture and dubious consent. The hero is not a hero and the villains...well, they're even worse. If this sort of thing bothers you, please do not read. This ain't no cupcake farting unicorn kind of book***

Excerpt

There was a strange moment of silence and I concentrated hard, trying to hear more than the obvious. They were all waiting. Waiting for the order. Waiting for the man in charge to speak. 

He did. 

It came from the left of me. His voice was cool, calm and collected. I didn’t have to see to know who had taken me. The man I’d heard so much about. The man I’d been taught to fear. 

“Gentleman,” he said and I could almost feel his infamous eyes on my body, “remove the bag.” 

There was a rustle and my face was immediately met with cool air that seized my lungs and bright lights that blinded me. I scrunched up my face, afraid to look, to see. Now it was all so real and I wanted to stay in the dark. 

“Who did this?” 

Suddenly cool hands were at my swollen cheek and I flinched. 

“Who did this?” my captor repeated, an edge to his level voice, his cigar-laced breath on my face. 

“Sorry,” Franco mumbled. “It was the only way to quiet her.” 

A heavy pause filled the room like deadweight. Finally the fingers came away from my skin and my body relaxed momentarily. I felt the man stand in front of me, bending over so he was in my face, the spicy scent of tea and tobacco emanating off of him. 

“Look at me Luisa Reyes.” 

Chavez, I thought to myself, I will always be Luisa Chavez. 

“Darling, aren’t you curious to where you are?” 

“My name is Luisa Chavez,” I said. I opened my eyes to see golden ones staring right back at me. It was like looking at an eagle. “And I know where I am. I know who you are. You are Javier Bernal.” 

He raised his brow in amusement and nodded. I’d seen his picture before, on the news. There was only one and that was his mugshot but even in that photo, his eyes made an impression on you. They saw right into your depths and made you question yourself. He was one of the men whom Salvador feared, even though Salvador had more power. He was the one I had been told to watch out for, the supposed reason why I’d always been locked in the compound or escorted by the local police to go shopping. 

And yet here I was, tied to a chair in a cold, leaking basement with nothing in it except five cartel members, a video camera and a knife that lay on top of a stool in front of me. 

All of that for nothing. I could escape Salvador but I could never escape the cartels. 

I had asked for this fate. 

“You know why you’re here,” Javier said with deliberation, straightening up in his sharp black suit. He walked over to the stool, swiping up the knife, and glancing at me over his shoulder. “Don’t you?” 

I could only breathe. I wanted to look at the others, at Este, at Franco, at the two other mystery men, but I was frozen in his gaze like a cow in headlights. 

“What is the knife for?” I asked, my throat painfully dry. 

“You’ll find out after,” he said. “It is for your husband. For your Salvador.” He stepped to the side and waved his arm at the camera. “And this is also for him.” 

He eyed someone over my shoulder and gave a sharp nod. I heard a rip from behind and a piece of duct tape was placed over my mouth. I squirmed helplessly and the lights in the basement dimmed. The men stepped to the side while Javier went behind the video camera. A white light came off the front of it and bathed me in an eerie glow. 

Javier cleared his throat, his face covered in shadow and said loudly, projecting to the camera, “This is Luiza Reyes, former beauty queen of the Baja State and property of Salvador Reyes. Salvador, we have your wife and we have a long list of demands, demands which I know you can meet. I expect full cooperation in this matter, or she dies in the next seven days. If she’s lucky. I’ll give you some time to think about what you’re willing to give up for her. Then we’ll be contacting you. Good bye.” 

The light on the camera switched off but the rest of the room remained dim. 

“I hope your husband checks his emails often. It would be a shame to have to put this on YouTube.” 

There was a smirk on his face at that as he slowly walked toward me, the knife glinting in his hand. His eyes burned through the shadows, then grew somber.

He held up the knife. “I think it’s only going to hurt the first time.” 

My eyes focused on the silver of the blade but the terror inside me grew too strong and my urge to breathe through the duct tape became too difficult. My lungs seized in panic, pulsing dots appeared in my vision. I felt a hand on my collarbone, gripping the edge of my blouse and then everything went black.

About the Author

With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term "Hybrid Author." Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she's a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA...whenever possible. Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiance and rescue pup. Karina is represented by Scott Waxman of the Waxman Leavell Literary Agency.

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My friend Lexie over at Fastidious reader started an ARC Challenge 2013 together with Deniz from Closet Geeks and Slow Mo. The challenge is pretty simple - read and review at least 1, if possible two ARCs a week and it goes on till the end of this year. Since I am literally swamped with ARCs some of which I requested rather foolishly, I have to admit, I decided to join them. 

I have posted two ARC reviews this week:

Crash into You by Katie McGarry which I read a couple of weeks ago and I totally love it and - my review 

The Devil's Reprise by Karina Halle which was also rather good - my review

Next week I will be reviewing Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan and Sempre by J. M. Darhower. I have already finished the books, now I just need to write the reviews. I hope to start reading Castle Hill: A Joss and Braden Novella by Samantha Young and Jagged (Colorado Mountain 5) by Kristen Ashley. 

Title: The Devil's Reprise (Devils #2)

Author: Karina Halle

Date of publication: 29 Oct 2013

Genre: NA Romance / Horror / Paranormal

Author's links:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 3.5 stars

Goodreads Blurb

Given a second chance, music journalist Dawn Emerson and guitarist Sage Knightly are reunited, only to have their lives threatened again by a demonic bargain. The sequel to THE DEVIL’S METAL, from USA Today bestselling author Karina Halle.

When Dawn Emerson got the chance to go on tour with her favorite metal band, Hybrid, she thought she landed the writing gig of the century. But what started off as a dream for the budding music journalist quickly turned into a nightmare that she and guitarist Sage Knightly barely escaped alive.

Now, months after they went their separate ways, Sage invites Dawn to accompany him on his first solo tour across Europe and write about it for Creem Magazine. But like the last tour, nothing is as easy as it seems. Sage is a broken man on the path to self-destruction and Dawn isn’t sure if she’s the right person to save him. And aside from having to pick up the pieces of their burgeoning relationship, they have to negotiate the mysterious new photographer assigned to Dawn’s story, as well as vindictive promoters and demonic groupies they thought they’d never see again.

Because this time, it’s Dawn who made a deal with the devil and the only thing worse than having to uphold a bargain with the prince of darkness is not remembering how you’re supposed to pay it back.

It may be with their souls.

My Review

This is the second and final book in the Devils series by Karina Halle. I really enjoyed the first one and I had very high expectations of this one. They were met and surpassed in some aspects, still I was disappointed with some things.

This book continues the story of Dawn and Sage after they survived the unthinkable. The focused is really on their relationship or rather on their struggles to form a relationship under most unusual circumstances. 

The story is told from the POV both of Sage and Dawn and this we get to see deep into the mind and soul of both of them. We already knew a lot about the inner world of Dawn but here we are taken deep into the head of Sage as well. And it is a dark and turbulent place and at the same it is passionate, intense. There was more than occasion when I slipped making all the wrong choices but ultimately he proved to himself and to Dawn that he was capable of love.

I liked Dawn when she was talking about music and her feelings for Sage, but the deal she supposedly made with the Devil and her fight out of it fell flat for me. Things were too similar to Sage's situation in book one, but they were also fuzzy and unclear, lacking the thrill of the unexpected. We were already familiar with the Jacobs and the demons and their fights were seemed predictable.

A major let down for me was the fact that this book didn't recreate the atmosphere of the music scene of 1970s as well as book one in the series. Reading the story of Sage and Dawn, I often forgot that the events were taking place in the 1970s, they could have easily happened at any other time, to any other rock star. 

Overall, the love story is steamier and more emotionally intense which I really liked. The action portion of the book had stronger elements of horror and more powerful presence of supernatural forces, yet it failed to excite me as much as it did in book one. The story is marked by in-depth portrayal of emotional turmoil and the writing of Ms Halle is as usually brilliantly captivating. This book is a must-read if you have started the series and I believe it will be greatly appreciated by all Ms Halle's fans.

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here are the rules: 

• Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• Be careful not the include spoilers! 

• Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers. 

I have modified them slightly for my Teasers. It will not be two sentences from a random page but two, usually more, sentences from the pages I have read so far that have struck me as most interesting, original or that I just happen to like a lot.

My teaser this week comes from The Devils Reprise by Karina Halle. It is the second and final book in her Devils series. It is a rock/metal music paranormal/horror romance. I loved the first book in the series, The Devil's Metal (my review). This one was also pretty good, more focused on the paranormal elements and the relationship between the characters than the first one, where I felt the emphasis was on the music scene.

It was difficult for me to choose a teaser from this book, so I am offering you two - the first one is from the Prologue and gives you an idea of what's to come in the book, while the second one is a passage on the thrill of live music which I really liked. Enjoy!

"My name is Sage Knightly. One of the few surviving members of the metal band, Hybrid. I'm about to embark on my first solo tour, to be the rock star I was always meant to be. 
But something tells me I'm not coming out of this alive.
And neither is she."

"He'd just put his battered heart on a platter, and we all gobbled it up. We couldn't be sated with anything he could give us; we always wanted more and would always want more, that needy relationship between the consumer and the artist."

The Devil's Reprise - Karina Halle 

When Dawn Emerson got the chance to go on tour with her favorite metal band, Hybrid, she thought she landed the writing gig of the century. But what started off as a dream for the budding music journalist quickly turned into a nightmare that she and guitarist Sage Knightly barely escaped alive.

Now, months after they went their separate ways, Sage invites Dawn to accompany him on his first solo tour across Europe and write about it for Creem Magazine. But like the last tour, nothing is as easy as it seems. Sage is a broken man on the path to self-destruction and Dawn isn’t sure if she’s the right person to save him. And aside from having to pick up the pieces of their burgeoning relationship, they have to negotiate the mysterious new photographer assigned to Dawn’s story, as well as vindictive promoters and demonic groupies they thought they’d never see again.

Because this time, it’s Dawn who made a deal with the devil and the only thing worse than having to uphold a bargain with the prince of darkness is not remembering how you’re supposed to pay it back.

It may be with their souls.

Title: The Devil's Metal (Devils #1)

Author: Karina Halle

Date of publication: 21 Sept 2012

Genre: NA Romance / Horror / Paranormal

Author's links:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Blurb

It’s the summer of 1974 and 21-year old Dawn Emerson has only three things she wants to do: compete one last time in the Ellensburg Rodeo, win back her ex-boyfriend Ryan, and become the best damn music journalist at Central Washington University. But all her plans are left in the dust when she’s contacted by Creem magazine to go on the road with one of her favorite groups, the up-and-coming metal band, Hybrid. 

At first the assignment reads like a dream come true. Not only will Dawn land some much-needed credibility as a female music journalist, but she’ll finally get to experience life from the other side of the stage, and maybe crack the drunken, enigmatic code that is guitarist Sage Knightly. Instead, Dawn finds herself on an aging tour bus filled with ego-maniacs, band politics and a whole lot of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. When monsters start showing up in dressing rooms and some of Sage’s groupies become increasingly strange and dangerous, Dawn discovers the band is not only going places – they’re going straight to Hell. 

And Dawn has a backstage pass.

Author's note: The Devil's Metal is the first book in a two-part New Adult Horror/Paranormal Romance and very (very!) loosely based on the author's exploits as a music journalist. Hell comes in different forms.

Title: On Every Street (The Artists Trilogy #0.5)
Author: Karina Halle
Date of publication: 9 March 2013
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars

This 50K word (100+ pages) novella takes place six years before Sins & Needles. It can be read before or after Sins & Needles and may also be read as a standalone.




This is a prequel to Sins & Needles and tells the story of Ellie and Javier which happened six years before the events in Sins & Needles. It can be read before or after S&N or even as a standalone. I personally read it after S & N (following the order publication) and I think it works best in this way.

I liked On Every Street a lot but as much as S&N. It was written in the same engaging style and it carried the same vibe of raw emotions. Its focus was on issues of love and lust, revenge and forgiveness. I found it rather New Adult in nature, since both Ellie and Javier were very young and were in process of figuring out / accepting who they were. This was especially true for Ellie who made some very difficult choices trying to come to peace with her past and move on.

On the surface this was Javier's story, yet the book told us a lot about Ellie was well. I didn't particularly like who she was with Javier but I can relate to her desire to be with him, hence her acceptance of his ways. What we saw in this book was a much younger, more naive Ellie, just a young girl searching for her place in the world. Her relationship with Javier ultimately led the final loss of innocence for both of them.

The book did show why Javier acted the way he did in S&N but that still didn't endear him to me. Ellie started her relationship with him  for all the wrong reasons and based it on a lie, yet I think what he did to her was unforgivable, there are no excuses for his actions in my mind.

On Every Street is a must read for fans of Sins & Needles since it provides an essential background to the story and shows the Ellie and Javier in a different light, revealing yet another layer of their complex personalities.

PS: Since I am very much Team Camden in this series, one possible reason I didn't enjoy On Every Street as much as S & N is the fact that Camden was not present in it. Just saying :)

Title: Shooting Scars (The Artists Trilogy #2)

Author: Karina Halle

Date of publication: 20 Aug 2013

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary

Author's links:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Blurb

Sometimes the right choice can be the deadliest.

When Ellie Watt made the ultimate sacrifice for Camden McQueen, she never thought it would be easy. But walking away with her ex-lover, Javier Bernal, in order to ensure Camden’s safety has brought a whole new set of dangers. With Javier’s plans for Ellie growing more secretive by the moment, Ellie must find a way to stay ahead of the game before her past swallows her whole.

Meanwhile, Camden’s new life is short-lived. Fueled by revenge and pursued by authorities, he teams up with an unlikely partner in order to save Ellie. But as Camden toes the line between love and retribution, he realizes that in order to get back the woman he loves, he may have to lose himself in the process. He might just turn into the very man he’s hunting.

My Review

Goodreads Blurb

Ellie Watt is used to starting over. The daughter of a grifting team, Ellie spent her childhood being used as a pawn in her parents' latest scam. Now she’s much older, wiser and ready to give her con artist life a rest. But returning to the dry desert town of Palm Valley, California means one more temptation than she bargained for – Camden McQueen. Once known as the high school weirdo, Camden is bigger and badder than the boy he used to be and a talented tattoo artist with his own thriving business. Ellie’s counting on Camden still being in love with her but what she’s not counting on is how easily unrequited love can turn into obsession over time. When Camden discovers Ellie’s plan to con him, he makes her a deal she doesn’t dare refuse, but her freedom comes with a price and it’s one that takes both Ellie and Camden down a dangerous road.

My Review

I started this book back in February but they I put it down for later because I just couldn't get into it. I guess it was just the wrong time for me to read it and when I got back to it a last week I couldn't put it down. I liked it so much that I had to continue with the series right away and that is exactly what I did. You can read my reviews of On Every Street and Shooting Scars later this week.

It is difficult for me to define the genre of this series - it is contemporary, realistic fiction with some hot romance (or is it lust/true love?) and a lot of action scenes. There are some rare books which I see as movies while reading them and Sins and Needles fits right into this category. It would make a great movie - entertaining and thought provoking at the same time, provided it is done right.

It is not dark or twisted book, it is a raw and honest story exploring the boundaries of good and bad. Both Ellie and Camden have their demons to fight with, neither of them is just good or bad, basically they are just people with issues who struggle in a tough world, trying to do right thing for themselves.

I really liked the writing style of Ms Halle. It is succinct and to-the-point which makes it very powerful and emotionally charged. She created complex characters who through their thoughts and actions force the reader to re-think his/her own moral code and values. Neither Ellie, nor Camden are easily lovable, I loved them and hated them, felt sorry for them and appalled by some of the things they did. 

I haven't mentioned Javier who is the third major player in this series. In Sins and Needles he was definitely the bad guy and the author didn't show anything that could redeem him. His story is told in the prequel On Every Street and as can be expected with Ms Halle, things are never just black or white.

It is a very character driven story, yet it is full of plot twists which just keep you reading on, never knowing what will happen next. There is a lot of action packed in it as well which coupled with the characters emotions gives a very realistic and believable feel to the whole story.

I especially liked all the music references Ms Halle included in this book. They add a whole new layer to the story which music lovers, rock fans in particular, will certainly enjoy.

This series is of the addictive you-can't-put-me-down kind, so starting it be ready for a roller coaster of emotions and an urgent need to read the conclusion of the story. The final book, Bold Tricks, will be released on 15 Oct, which just can't come soon enough!

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here are the rules: 

• Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• Be careful not the include spoilers! 

• Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers. 

When Ellie Watt made the ultimate sacrifice for Camden McQueen, she never thought it would be easy. But walking away with her ex-lover, Javier Bernal, in order to ensure Camden’s safety has brought a whole new set of dangers. With Javier’s plans for Ellie growing more secretive by the moment, Ellie must find a way to stay ahead of the game before her past swallows her whole.

Meanwhile, Camden’s new life is short-lived. Fueled by revenge and pursued by authorities, he teams up with an unlikely partner in order to save Ellie. But as Camden toes the line between love and retribution, he realizes that in order to get back the woman he loves, he may have to lose himself in the process. He might just turn into the very man he’s hunting.

Told in dual POV from Camden and Ellie.

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here are the rules: 

• Grab your current read 

• Open to a random page 

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

• Be careful not the include spoilers! 

I have modified them slightly for my Teasers. It will not be two sentences from a random page but two, usually more, sentences from the pages I have read so far that have struck me as most interesting, original or that I just happen to like a lot.

This week I am reading Karina Halle's Sins and Needles (The Artists Trilogy #1). It is a great story - some love, some suspense, some conning and a lot of emotional drama and suffering, all this written with a gripping style. 

Just last week Ms Halle released the second book in the series, Shooting Scars and a prequel, On Every Street, was already published in the spring. The final instalment in the series, Bold Tricks, is coming this fall. I strongly recommend this series for all fans of character-driven emotional stories.

"Do you think because you can't see my scars that they don't exist?That's the trouble with pain, Ellie. If you're lucky, you can wear it for all the world to see. Most people have their pain deep inside, in places no one ever goes. Not until it's too late."

Sins and Needles by Karina Halle

Ellie Watt is used to starting over. The daughter of a grifting team, Ellie spent her childhood being used as a pawn in her parents' latest scam. Now she’s much older, wiser and ready to give her con artist life a rest. But returning to the dry desert town of Palm Valley, California means one more temptation than she bargained for – Camden McQueen. Once known as the high school weirdo, Camden is bigger and badder than the boy he used to be and a talented tattoo artist with his own thriving business. Ellie’s counting on Camden still being in love with her but what she’s not counting on is how easily unrequited love can turn into obsession over time. When Camden discovers Ellie’s plan to con him, he makes her a deal she doesn’t dare refuse, but her freedom comes with a price and it’s one that takes both Ellie and Camden down a dangerous road.