Forsaken By The Others (H+W Investigations #5) Review

Forsaken By The Others (H+W Investigations #5)

Jess Haines

Publisher: Kensignton

E-Arc Courtesy of Netgalley & Kensignton

The Others–vampires, werewolves, things that go chomp in the night–don’t just live in nightmares anymore. They’ve joined with he mortal world. And for private investigator Shiarra Waynest, that means mayhem…
Have a one night stand with a vampire, and you can end up paying for it for eternity. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, an expert on the Others, knows that better than most. Yet here she is, waking up beside charismatic vamp Alec Royce with an aching head…and neck. Luckily, Shia has the perfect excuse for getting out of town–namely, a couple of irate East Coast werewolf packs who’d like to turn her into a chew toy. On Royce’s suggestion, Shia temporarily relocates to Los Angeles. But something is rotten–literally–in the state of California, where local vampires are being attacked by zombies. Who could be powerful enough to control them–and reckless enough to target the immortal? Following the trail will lead Shia to a terrifying truth, and to an ancient enemy with a personal grudge... 

After her isolation in Stalking The Others, it is nice to see Shia back with her best friend Sara and have that relationship as the central one for this story. Bad news for Royce fans as after a couple of intriguing scenes near the beginning where Royce and Shia discuss their changing relationship he isn’t present again. Shia and Sara get shipped off to LA while Royce deals with the problems in New York (this annoyed me as it seems like Shia is running away again and letting others sort out her mess rather than standing up and take responsibility herself for her own mistakes). However, once in LA Sara and Shia are asked to investigate zombies that seem to be ripping vampires apart…

There are some good and bad elements to this book. I’ll start with the positive – the relocation was a nice change of pace (even if I hated the reason for it!) as was the introduction of new characters. In a town where they don’t know anyone, the girls quickly manage to find themselves involved with the local white-hats, a were-pack that hates vampires, a crazy would-be king vampire as well as hordes of zombies.  It was nice to see Shia doing some investigating for once – something which does happen a lot considering the title of the series. However, I found myself getting annoyed with one aspect of the story…Shia’s revolving changes in attitudes. That girl can’t seem to stick to a decision! One minute she wants to avoid the necromancer at all costs, then demanding favours from him. Then she wants sanctuary with the white-hats but refuses to allow them to hurt anyone (com’on girl – they are vigilantes!). It seems like Shia is constantly changing her mind of what to do and while this isn’t exactly new territory for her as a character, this is the first time it seriously bugged me. 

Apart from the lightning quick changes in attitudes, this was an enjoyable romp with some pleasantly distracting UF. Beware, it ends on a massive cliff-hanger that will have you think the last couple of chapters are missing from your edition! The next book in the series promises to be a big game changer for Shia…hopefully she figures out what she want by then! 

Recommended for fans of Chloe Neill and Rachel Vincent. 7 out of 10

Stalking The Others (H&W Invtesigations #4) Review

Stalking The Others (H&W Investigations #4)

Jess Haines

Publisher: Kensignton

Vampires, werewolves, mages–the Others are very real, and wreaking havoc in Shiarra Waynest’s life. But now, she’s returning the favor…
Once, she was one of the good guys–or as close as a New York P.I. can get. Then Shiarra Waynest was drawn into the world of the Others. Every faction has its own loyalties and agenda. And Shia’s recent betrayal by her ex-boyfriend means that she may be on the verge of becoming a rogue werewolf at the next full moon. Of course, with all the threats against her, Shia’s not sure she’ll live long enough to find out. The enigmatic vampire Royce wants her back in his clutches, as do two powerful werewolf packs, along with the police. Instead of going into hiding, Shia is enlisting the aid of her enchanted hunter’s belt and every dirty P.I. trick she knows. If she’s going down, she’ll take out as many of her enemies as she can–and hope that in the process, she keeps whatever humanity she has left...

After the shocking end of Deceived By The Others, Stalking picks up pretty much straight away with Shiarra cutting herself off from her friends and allies in order to protect them. She finds herself keeping company with the white-hat vigilantes who hate all Others and working with them to track down her ex-Chaz and his pack. One thing you can’t say about this book is that it’s slow moving! I basically took a deep breathe at the beginning and that carried me through the whole book! 

I loved getting to know more about Shiarra’s belt and it’s history as well as the effects it has on her as she continues to use it. Shiarra get very pro-active for the first time in hunting those that wronged her. She is fuelled by revenge and with a ticking clock, the pace is very fast and just sweeps you up. This is a different side to Shiarra than we’ve seen before as she rejects anything resembling a normal life and is separated from friends and families, having to rely on herself much more. I liked that growth in the character as her continued exposure to Others should have helped her deal with her fear more. She stops thinking about the future so much.  

I did miss some of the lighter elements of the previous books a both Sara and Arnold are MIA, but it was good to see Shiarra on her own, making mistakes. I loved getting to know the White-hats better. There are plenty of action scenes for those who love fights while Shiarra’s relationships with Chaz and Royce both change for good. This was a very exciting read and I managed to finish it very quickly – and has made me anxious for Forsaken By The Others which has just been released! Fast, action-packed and a developing character – this is Urban fantasy that I can heartily recommend. 

Recommended for fans of Chloe Neill and Nancy Holzner. 8 out of 10

Deceived By The Others Reviews

Deceived By The Others (H+W Investigations #3)

- Jess Haines

Publisher: Kensington Publishing Group

They're here, and they're real. . .werewolves, vampires, mages, and other creatures of the night. For New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest, taking care of Others business started out as a way to stay solvent. But now business is getting very, very complicated. . .
Shiarra's relationship with sexy werewolf Chaz may be somewhat unconventional. Still, after a few bumps, Shia is finally ready to get serious. That means meeting family—or in this case, bringing Chaz's entire werewolf pack along for a rollicking full-moon weekend in the Catskills. Soon after they arrive, threatening notes appear, warning Chaz to go home. Then their cabin is ransacked. Shia starts digging to find out whether it's the work of upstart teenaged werewolves or something more sinister. Yet as rumors about her vampire connections arouse the pack's hostility, Shia has to contend with other dangers. Not just from an adversary about to make his fatal intentions known, but from a threat that's even closer than she knows...

Shia has come a long way since her initial days of prejudice and revulsion at the Others. She’s still a long way from completely embracing them but has learnt to accept that not all of them are evil. Her boyfriend, Chaz for example, as he is also an alpha werewolf. In order to better understand him, she has agreed to go away for the weekend of the full moon with him and his pack in the woods. She is even thinking about signing a contract with him…however, the weekend doesn’t work out to be quite the romantic, lazy weekend they were both hoping for. There is dissent in the pack ranks and someone else seems to stalking the pack and Shia in particular…

After a couple of books dancing around the subject, Shia and Chaz’s relationship is put front and foremost in this story. This is perhaps the most emotional story so far as Shia finally allows herself to commit to Chaz. I have to confess I wasn’t that keen on Chaz in the first book, Hunted By The Others but I got to understand a bit more why Shia liked him in Taken By The Others. Here I felt like I was put through a full roller-coaster of emotions and I now have no idea how I feel! I really don’t want to discuss any spoilers, but let me say that a lot of different elements build up this plot – and some will have far reaching consequences for the series. The story starts slow before moving to the woods and introducing Chaz’s pack, the Sunstrikers. It was interesting to see Shia away from the city, away from Royce and her friends and standing up for herself with the pack.

There’s not a lot of action as such – this is very much about decisions and taking responsibility for them, but there are a couple of exciting moments that will get your heart beating. I liked a lot of the new characters introduced and Shia’s return to the city. However, the behaviour of some of the characters will have wanting to through the book out the window! (But don’t do that as you’ll miss the next bit!) I really hope this means that Shia can start to truly grow up and evolve – as I can’t help thinking she needs to face her problems more and stop hiding away from anything that involves the Others. She is witty and when backed into a corner, strong and defiant. I just wish she could be like that more often.

Overall, this is a good read and I would definitely be keen on reading Stalking The Others pretty soon (one advantage to being so late to read this book is that there is no long wait for the next in the series!). This is a fun series and one that I am glad I’ve continued with!

Recommended for fans of Patricia Briggs and Allison Pang. 8 out of 10

Taken By The Others Review

Taken By The Others (H+W Investigations 2)

-       Jess Haines

Kindle Book

Once, New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest's most pressing problem was keeping her agency afloat. Now she's dealing with two dangerous, seductive vampires who have been enemies for centuries. The only thing Max Carlyle and Alec Royce agree on is that they both want Shia - for very different reasons. Max is determined to destroy Shia for killing his progeny, while Royce's interest is a lot more personal. That's not sitting well with Shia's werewolf boyfriend, Chaz. As the feud between Max and Royce gets ever more deadly, a powerful vampire-hunting faction is urging Shia to join their side. Shia has always believed vamps were the bad guys, but she's discovering unexpected shades of grey that are about to redefine her friends, her loyalties - and even her desires.

This is my second visit to H+W Investigations and I think I had even more fun this time. Shia has overcome some of her prejudices about the Others – particularly regarding the werewolves and mages thanks to her boyfriend Chaz and her friend Arnold. But Vampires still scare her - especially one of the eldest in town, Royce who she has been avoiding. However, a new vampire arrives in town and Shia may have to face the devil she knows to avoid becoming further entangled with the Others.

What I like about Shia is that she is learning, but she still isn’t quite in control. She still makes mistakes. Her defence of Chaz in this book shows how much she has grown since the first book – and really made me feel like she was invested in the relationship. Although, her connection with Royce means it isn’t smooth sailing on the romance front – and to be honest I’m not sure either man is right for her – but there is some great romantic tension – and what series doesn’t a good love triangle! There wasn’t enough Arnold and Sara here for me – although I liked the introduction of Devon and some of the other vampires.

There is a lot of racing around, trying to figure out what happens next, but the climatic showdown is fantastic with great action and heart stopping moments – and some issues which will make the next book interesting. Overall, this is a great read and an entertaining and amusing addition to the Urban Fantasy genre!

Recommended for fans of Patricia Briggs and Nicole Peeler. 8 out of 10.

Hunted By The Others Review

Hunted By The Others (H&W Investigations 1)

-       Jess Haines

Kindle Books

Shiarra Waynest's detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm - if it doesn't kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York's most powerful vampires. As soon as Shiarra meets sexy, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend - a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing - and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren't always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil - whether she likes it or not...

This was one of the first books I knew I would have read while on holiday – partly because my copy has been sitting on my TBR pile for a long time, but mostly because I had heard so many positive things about this series so I was looking forward to meeting Shiarra and friends. And I think I’ve made some new friends! J

Shiarra doesn’t get involved with The Others – werewolves, vampires and mages who came out after the terrorist attacks on 911. She avoids them out of fear and ignorance and is happy to pretend they don’t exist for the most part – until one case leads her straight into the lion’s den as it were. There is a big mixture of Others involved and I loved the way they integrated themselves into the world – especially the contracts that are needed for them to be involved with regular humans.

This is a quick paced, fun Urban Fantasy. I loved some of the characters especially Sarah and Arnold who were hilarious! I also like the stake belt Shiarra receives – sure there’s some history behind that we still have to find. Royce is an intriguing character – and I’m curious about what will happen between them next! It’s not perfect – there is a lot of exposition explaining the world (necessary in a first book in a series) and Shiarra seems to be talked into things rather quickly. Her change of mind about her boyfriend, Chaz is rather sudden and I didn’t really understand the relationship between them – it felt a little forced to me. Overall though this is a good start to the series and I’m really looking forward to next two instalment – both of which I have waiting for me to start soon! J

Recommended for fans of Carrie Vaughn and Jaye Wells. 7 out of 10.