BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Werewolves Be Damned

I'm excited to be a part of the newest paranormal romance novel by Stacey Kennedy, Werewolves Be Damned (Magic and Mayhem #1). Read on for my review of this cool book, plus a giveaway for a $100 gift card from Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

Werewolves Be Damned (Magic and Mayhem #1), by Stacey Kennedy
Published April 15, 2013
Publisher:  Entangled Publishing
Format: e-book - provided by Entangled Publishing
Genre:  adult, paranormal romance
To Buy:  Amazon  * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * iTunes

Rating:  3.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Nexi Jones—part witch, part guardian, and wannabe kick-ass warrior—can’t throw a punch or conjure the simplest magic. But that doesn’t stop her from hunting the werewolves who slaughtered her human family. She’ll have her revenge, but only if Kyden, the elite guardian, would get the hell out of her way.

Kyden can’t decide if Nexi wants to get herself killed or if she just has no clue what she’s doing. But her father made it clear: keep Nexi safe…or else. Of course, the more Nexi runs toward revenge, the more she needs Kyden’s aid, and as she grows into her power and confidence, so does his desire to protect her. The only problem? She’d rather he dropped dead.

But when a vampire paints a bull’s-eye on Nexi’s back, she’s hard-pressed to deny Kyden and the help he’s offering. Even if it means getting her revenge will be a little bit harder. At least it will still be as sweet.

Werewolves Be Damned had so many things in it that I love in books - a kick-ass heroine, a hot bad boy, werewolves. Even a little bit of the boarding school aspect. Plus, I had a bit of cover love going on too. It's pretty cool, right? 

Let's start with the heroine. Nexi Jones starts out pretty rough around the edges, not having been brought up knowing she had a supernatural bone in her body. Once she's brought online, however, she shapes up pretty quickly. She's got tons of attitude and a desire to learn about what's going on with her abilities. She's not without fear, but I appreciate how she tries to tramp it down in the face of danger. Nexi is a pretty cool chick. And, she's got a pretty hot boyfriend, so... yeah. 

Speaking of the boyfriend, Kyden is my favorite character in Werewolves Be Damned. He never changes. Never waivers. He's brave, has a big chip on his shoulder, and he takes care of those he cares about. It takes him awhile to warm up to Nexi, but when he does, warm doesn't even begin to cover the depths of his emotions and actions for her. I love when big, bad, brave guys get all overprotective when it comes to the women they love. 

The Earthworld and Otherworld aspect of the world that Kennedy has created is both interesting and yet slightly confusing. It wasn't explained too well, and although I think I grasped how it all fit together and worked from context, I'm not entirely sure. 

After an explosive and exciting first chapter, the momentum was kind of lost. Things slowed down for awhile, and I kept waiting for it to pick back up. It did, about halfway through, and then I had a hard time putting it down until it was over. I also had a hard time believing that it would take Nexi only a month to get over the death of the only parents she has ever known, to come to grips with meeting her birth father, to find out there's a whole Otherworld out there, and to find out that she's half guardian (a warrior with supernatural strength and speed), half witch. Sorry, but I don't really buy that. 

Despite those problems I had, I ended up liking Werewolves Be Damned when it was all said and done. Although it doesn't end on a cliffhanger, I am looking forward to the next installment of the Magic and Mayhem series.   

About the Author

Stacey Kennedy is an urban fantasy lover at heart, but she also enjoys losing herself in dark and sensual worlds. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who gave her a happily-ever-after. Together, they have two small children who can always make her smile, and who will never be allowed to read Mommy’s books. If she’s not plugging away at a new story, you’ll find her camping, curling up with the latest flick, or obsessing over Sons of Anarchy and Game of Thrones.

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