Review: Shiver Anthology

SHIVER Anthology

October 13, 2014
Genres include: New Adult, Adult, Paranormal, Erotica, and lots of Comedy

The sassy ladies of sexy Romantic Comedy serve up some spooky and spicy Halloween fun:

Bewitched by Daisy Prescott
A crush. A love spell. What could go wrong?

Better The Devil You Know by Belle Aurora 
When you know, you know.

Mystery, Matzo Balls, and Moxie by Z.B. Heller
A mystery weekend gets steamy and stuffed... with food.

Spandex is for Superheroes by Ruth Clampett
Beware of the terror of your Halloween costume not fitting.

A Halloween Hook-up by Jennie Marts
A sexy physic and a private eye solve a ghostly murder.

Macabre Magic by L.H. Cosway
Halloween, a bet, one spooky magic trick.

Candy, Dentures, and Way Too Much Spandex by R.S. Grey
He stole my heart in between gyrating geriatrics.

Peckers by Liv Morris
A hot cop with handcuffs and a dimpled smile can be frighteningly sexy.

One Little Bite by C.C. Wood
Even the big, bad wolf can fall in love.

Double Dare by Penny Reid
Never play truth or dare with identical twins.

Red Rum by Ashley Pullo
Trick o' treat, a girl to meet, blood sangria wicked sweet.

Lights Out by Jodie Beau
A single mom, a single dad, a common enemy. Will their feelings come to light on Halloween?

Nightmare in Night Court by N.M. Silber 
When lusty lawyers meet creepy criminals.

100% of the proceeds go to St. Jude's Children's hospital!

This is a great anthology full of 4 to 5 Star reads. Great stories and supporting a great cause. Now I'd only read books from two of these authors previously, so I was quite excited about reading more from them. I wasn't sure how things would go with the new-to-me authors, but I was pleased with how much I enjoyed their stories, and look forward to reading more from them in the future. Here are my individual reviews:

Authors I'd Previously Read:

Double Dare by Penny Reid

I loved it! It was awesome! It had just enough storyline for an entertaining novella full of sweet and sexy, but also just the right amount of temptation to make me want more, more, more. Hello, Duane! Way to heat things up, Mr. Reserved Twin. Though not so reserved all the time, are you buddy? The story beyond Double Dare is going to be fun. Can't wait for Truth or Beard!! I'm already in love with the Winston brothers from Beauty and the Mustache, so I am beyond excited to read their upcoming series, starting with Duane. If this is your first Penny Reid experience, trust me, if you like this, you'll want to read everything else she writes.

Nightmare in Night Court by N.M. Silber

I loved it. I didn't realize how much I've missed Gabrielle and Braden, They are so adorable. Between their courtroom hijinks and their off-the-charts chemistry, they are such a blast to read about. Plus, the Night Court situations are funny and quirky and perfect for a novella on Halloween night. This is great for anyone who has never read an N.M. Silber book, to get a taste of her humor and writing style. It's also great for fans like me who love this series and are excited for more in the future as Silber continues to write in this series. Can you say "baby"?!

Authors I Hadn't Read Before:

Bewitched by Daisy Prescott
This was very cute! With two adorable college co-eds, a secret crush, a best friend with an interesting hobby, and a sprinkle of magic all around, and we get a sweet, magical love story. I really liked Madison and Andrew, and how they were written. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Better The Devil You Know by Belle Aurora 
Now this was truly a sweet story. The set-up that we know the couple yet also know there's an unknown factor to their relationship was very fun. I liked that we got to know them in an out-of-sequence sort of way. But Bastian and Emma were adorable with the perfect amount of mystery, and I loved them.

Mystery, Matzo Balls, and Moxie by Z.B. Heller
I'd not read Moxie's previous book, but in this little story she is something else. Moxie and her friends are full of spunk and crassness. The situations in this one were funny and awkward, and had some sexy times to boot. I don't know if Moxie's other book is for me, but she is certainly entertaining.

Spandex is for Superheroes by Ruth Clampett
This was a cute story about Nathan and Brooke hosting a Superhero Halloween Party. I was not familiar with their previous book, giving all the background to how they got together, but I still found Nathan and Brooke to be a great couple. Plus, spandex humor is always welcome, and very funny.

A Halloween Hook-up by Jennie Marts
I liked the whole opposites attract aspect of Finn and Zia's story. They were interesting characters and had just enough backstory to give a fullness to their story. They were sexy, fun, and intriguing. Then add in a mystery and some kooky friends, and this one was great. I'm looking forward to checking out the rest of this series.

Candy, Dentures, and Way Too Much Spandex by R.S. Grey
Ruby's story was pretty adorable. She's just the right amount of awkward and cute to make a fun story. I loved the 20-something girl with an 80-something year old best friend. Especially when that best friend has a cute, sweet grandson. Ruby and Sawyer were great. Add in a nursing home murder mystery party and you get a lot more fun.

Peckers by Liv Morris
Trish, the girl forced to return home, and Thomas, the cop who never left. I enjoyed their story, their attraction, and a bit of small town sweetness thrown in. The "Peckers" party was very funny. And ultimately, I just liked Thomas and Trish and liked their story. Too bad there wasn't more.

One Little Bite by C.C. Wood
I love a good paranormal story, and this one just pulled me right in. Ricki and Calder are hot! This one is very steamy. I loved the tension between Ricki and Calder, but nearly had a fit when it came to an end. This one sets the stage for their future book, so be prepared to be sucked in. But being my first C.C. Wood experience, I immediately bought the first book to this series, and look forward to diving more into this world.

Red Rum by Ashley Pullo
This story was a bit odd, with a strange mix of story tidbits. Spending a few hours with Chris was certainly entertaining. The situations he got into were a hoot. Chris and his friends were fun and appealing, which leads to the fact that there is more to their stories. I felt like this story was a bit complete but also left me wanting more.

Lights Out by Jodie Beau
So I wasn't sure about the direction of this one at first, but once I got into it I loved it. Cora and Ben's second chance book was a great combination of touching, cute, sweet, funny, and romantic. I loved getting to know this couple and the special connection they had. I could have read an entire book about them.
 
Macabre Magic by L.H. Cosway
I'm holding onto this one because I have the book the characters in this story come from, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. But I am very much looking forward to it!
 

 

100% of the proceeds go to St. Jude's Children's hospital!