Stacey O'Neale

With a name like Van Helsing, you automatically start looking for things that seem familiar...like her name (Mina), her parents (Lucy and Jonathan), and the ties to the supernatural (self explanatory). What you don't know to look for are the uniquely original characters (Kiera...I ADORE her!), the hunky shouldn't-be-heartthrobs (umm...take your pick...shifter or vampire?), and the bit...I mean, witches with a chip on their shoulders...not to mention the story that goes beyond simply another supernaturally laced romance. There is trouble brewing among the factions, and while someone obviously wanted the Van Helsings fingered in the wrong doing, you simply can't ignore that the underlying someone's and their plans are SO MUCH BIGGER than that. With tension spreading like lightning through a stormy sky, Mina will need all her wits, all her talent, all her learned skills, and all her newly forged connections (even if she was attempting to suffer her three years lone ranger style) if she even hopes to clear her name, let alone save their worlds as they know them, and perhaps improve them.

If you're a Young Adult fan who loves a healthy dose of "paranormal activity" (watch out for that Wiccan festival!), and a plot that twists and turns every time you think you've got it all figured out, this is totally the book for you!


**ebook received for review; opinions are my own… (mere)

When I first heard of this book I thought it was a retelling of Disney's Sleeping Beauty. How wrong was I - I mean yeah there's a sleeping curse but that's it in my opinion. Which makes this book great, as its not just another "Sleeping Beauty" story.

This book is a great read, it has witches, wolves and vampires and boy was I surprised with the latter two.
Aurora the main character is a blood witch and has to go on a mission to save not only her land but her coven too. Along the way there's surprises, love interests and betyal.
I was surprised with the sacrifice Aurora had to make but in the end not all is as it seems.
I really enjoyed reading Cursed Beauty. I loved the characters and would love to read more about Darrick… (mere)

There is trouble in the supernatural world of shifters, vampires and witches and Mina Van Helsing is stuck in the middle. As a Reaper, a direct descendant of the Van Helsing himself, Mina has trained her entire life to police the supernatural beings who break the pacts agreed upon long ago. On a mission gone wrong, Mina is captured and injured. She wakes up with no recollection of the past few weeks except for strange fragments. There is video evidence however of Mina killing two vampires without cause and for this, Mina must be punished. Mina's parents know there is something bigger at play and have Mina sentenced to Van Helsing Academy, a rehabilitation center for wayward supernatural beings. Mina's sentence is not just punishment, she is directed to find out the secret plot that framed her for the vampire deaths and might begin a war between the factions.
Van Helsing Academy is a fun and exciting paranormal romance. Mina's character is gracious, smart and not afraid to go against the status quo. I really liked the idea of the Van Helsing Academy and that there were supernatural beings all around. The plot was intense with multiple factions, secrets and intrigues. The characters were all distinct. I loved Kiera, her friendship and willingness to open up to Mina allowed Mina to realize that not all was well at the Academy and that supernatural beings were not the stereotypes that she believed. Mina's open-mindedness helps her to see that all is not right at the Academy and that all that she was told may not be true. Cassius, the vampire prince and the other vampires were sleek, sexy and secretive. The shifters and Sacha, the Alpha were strong, courageous and handsome. The romance took a while to build, but felt right. There were definitely some great steamy sections that put this book more in the New Adult category. The ending brings together many revelations and a lot of action with a cliff hanger. I will be diving into the next book as soon as it comes out.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.… (mere)

Before I say anything about the insides of this book, I want to say that I love the cover. It's really aesthetically pleasing, and the colours work well together. I think it would make a beautiful addition to my bookshelf, if I ever get a paper copy. That being said, the story was equally beautiful. Following a sixteen year old fire elemental from the fire court, kind of like fae and an elemental magic user all rolled into one. Rowan is next in line to the fire court's throne, and surprisingly his hateful mother is handing down the crown early. This will change his life forever, as we see in this story.

Check out my full review here!

https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com/2019/07/12/the-shadow-prince-mortal...… (mere)