*This title will be released on September 20, 2011*

Title: If I Die Author: Rachel Vincent Series: Soul Screamers #5 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Young Adult Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (September 20, 2011) ISBN-10: 0373210329 ISBN-13: 978-0373210329 Sexual Content: Kissing.  Scenes of sensuality. References to sex. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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*This title will be released on January 1, 2011*

Title: My Soul to Steal Author: Rachel Vincent Series: Soul Screamers #4 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Reading level: Young Adult Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Harlequin Date Published: January 1, 2011 ISBN-10: 0373210272 ISBN-13: 978-0373210275 Review Copy Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail

Book Description

YOU WANT MY SOUL AND MY BOYFRIEND?

Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can’t just pretend nothing happened. But “complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn’t just an ordinary girl. She’s a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people’s fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn’t above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

I DON’T THINK SO.

 Review

I remember saying that Rachel Vincent was brave for the places she took her characters in the last Soul Screamers book, but that was nothing compared to what she’s done to them in MY SOUL TO STEAL.

Sabine.  Obviously we’re not supposed to like Nash’s ex-girlfriend who shows up and starts trying to pick things back up where they left off, but Rachel Vincent might have taken it a bit too far.  I wanted to reach into the book and physically beat her!  She’s a psycho, vindictive, vengeful, manipulative slutbag.  I’m getting angry again just thinking about her.  Anyone who showed her the slightest compassion--and I mean anyone--got knocked down a peg in my estimation.  Think Lila from season two of Dexter.

And really, did Kaylee and Nash need any more problems with their relationship after what happened in MY SOUL TO KEEP?  Apparently so, because Sabine worms her way into the middle of things like a parasite.  Emotions run high for everyone and the fallout proves to be just as big.  And I don’t just mean for the characters.

When I start a series and invest myself in new characters, I start to build certain expectations.  Who will end up with who, who will become a villain, who will be redeemed etc.  I had very clear expectation going into MY SOUL TO STEAL, and I should have known after MY SOUL TO KEEP that Rachel Vincent never does what I expect.  There’s a big, huge, ginormous thing that happens in this book, or rather starts to happen, that I initially felt so betrayed by that part of me didn’t want to finish the book.  I did of course, and I’m amazed at how quickly I started to warm up to the idea of what’s to come.

Nothing is set in stone for this series.  Rachel will probably surprise me again in the next book, IF I DIE, but that’s part of what makes this series so exciting.  The last two books have been shocking, but they’ve also been my favorites.  Can’t wait.

Sexual Content: Kissing.  Lots of references to sex.

My Rating:

4/5
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.

Previous books in the series:

1. Reaper (prequel)
2. My Soul to Lose (prequel)
3. My Soul to Take
4. My Soul to Save
5. My Soul to Keep

Also reviewed by:

• BookHounds
• Lala Land
• Vampire Book Club

Title: Reaper Author: Rachel Vincent Series: Soul Screamers prequel Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Publisher: Harlequin Teen Date Published: December 1, 2010 ISBN: 1426875754 FREE DOWNLOAD! Review Copy Source: Free Download Reviewed by: Abigail

Book Description

Tod Hudson was a typical teenager. He liked girls, sports, food and tolerated his younger brother, Nash. In fact, he had his whole life in front of him--and due to his bean sidhe heritage, it was going to be a very long life indeed. And then the car accident occurred.

Suddenly Tod's future wasn't so sure, and he had to make a choice. Life... Death... or something Between....

An ebook exclusive Soul Screamers series novella.

 Review

Honestly, this is not the Tod story I was hoping for, at least not all of it.

REAPER tells the story of Tod’s last day alive, his recruitment by the Reapers, and his first few days on the job, so to speak.  It is fun seeing the relationship between Nash and Tod while they are both alive, and finally learn the details about how Tod died.  Plus there is an interesting twist at the very end that I’m betting will come into play in the future. 

Free is free, and it’s fantastic that Rachel keeps releasing these free novellas, but my big disappointment is that after waiting this long to get inside Tod’s head, he doesn’t answer the questions I’ve been dying to know. REAPER doesn’t go on long enough for Tod to see Kaylee.  I know he likes her, there have been too many hints for him to only think of her as Nash’s girlfriend, but I was really hoping to learn how much.  I hope that maybe Rachel is planning on writing more from Tod’s perspective, because this taste isn’t enough. 

I would recommend not reading REAPER until after you’ve read MY SOUL TO STEAL as I think the introduction to Nash’s ex-girlfriend and their relationship is better swallowed in the past tense.  In REAPER, it’s more then a little unsettling to see Nash all Bonnie and Clyde with her.  More so if you haven’t seen what happens in MY SOUL TO STEAL.  My suggestion is to download REAPER now while it’s free and read it after MSTS releases on January 1st. 

Sexual Content: Kissing.  References to sex.

My Rating:

3/5
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

Previous books in the series:

1. My Soul to Lose

2. My Soul to Take

3. My Soul to Save

4. My Soul to Keep

Also reviewed by:

• Tez Says
• a GREAT read

Book Description

It was supposed to be a fun day, shopping at the mall with her best friend. Then the panic attack started and Kaylee Cavanaugh finds herself screaming, unable to stop. Her secret fears are exposed, and it's the worst day of her life....Until she wakes up in the psychiatric unit.

She tries to convince everyone she's fine - despite the shadows she sees forming around another patient and the urge to scream that comes burbling up again and again.

Everyone thinks she's crazy. Everyone except Lydia, that is. Another patient with some special abilities....

A digital-only prequel to Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series.

From the Author

My Soul To Lose is a free online novella--NOT a full length novel--intended to give readers a taste of my writing and a glimpse at the Soul Screamers world. It was written after I'd already completed the third full-length novel, but chronologically, it takes place before My Soul To Take, the first book in the series. You don't have to have read any of the rest of the series to understand this novella, nor do you have to read it first to understand the actual novels. (added by author)

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Prequel in The Soul Screamers Series

Review:
MY SOUL TO LOSE is a prequel to the Soul Screamers series (read my reviews of My Soul to Take & My Soul to Save). It tells the story of what happened to Kaylee during the week she spent in the psychiatric unit referenced in My Soul to Take.

Nash makes a brief appearance early on, but that's it. And there aren't any other romantic interests for Kaylee in MY SOUL TO LOSE either. Most of this short story revolves around her enduring the many indignities of being committed. There is also a mystery introduced with the character and fellow patient Lydia that I’m hoping will be further explained in future books.

You have a couple different choices when it comes to this story. And both of them are free! You can read the ebook version on an eReader (or even your computer), or you can download the audiobook from Audible.com and listen to it on your MP3 player. I choose the latter since I don't yet own an eReader and I really don't enjoy reading on my laptop.

As an audiobook, and I'm a huge audiobook fan--they're an insomniac's best friend--MY SOUL TO LOSE is pretty good. The narrator is not great, but not distractingly bad a la the narrator for the Twilight Saga. You can listen to a sample before downloading if your worried. The story is short, only 1 hour and 48 mins. But it provided the perfect little visit back to the folklore infused Soul Screamers universe.

This isn't a perfect series, but all the Soul books, including this prequel, have all been light and fun reads. My Soul to Keep is due out on June 1, 2010. I'm already eager for another good scream.

Sexual Content: References to sex

My Rating (out of 5):
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

Click HERE to download the free audiobook

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Product Details

• AUDIOBOOK
• My Soul To Lose
• UNABRIDGED
• By Rachel Vincent
• Narrated by Amanda Ronconi
• Length: 1 hour and 48 min
• Release Date: 07-08-09

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Disagree with my review?  Contact me your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review

Book Description

When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can't possibly understand.

Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk….

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Review:
I think its safe to reveal some of the details about Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamer’s universe for this review, but if you haven’t read My Soul to Take yet, then beware of spoilers from this point on.

As she discovered in My Soul to Take, Kaylee Cavanaugh is a banshee or bean sidhe. A soul screamer straight out of Irish folklore. In MY SOUL TO SAVE, Kaylee has been reunited with her long absent father (also a bean sidhe) and is struggling to adapt to the sudden parental authority in her life and all that goes with it: curfews, family dinners, and most notably no more alone time with her smoking hot boyfriend Nash (yep, he’s a bean sidhe too). 

We get a lot more information about the Soul Screamers universe in MY SOUL TO SAVE, including visiting the Netherworld, bargaining with soul stealing demons, fending off junkie gremlins, and dealing with all levels of Grim Reapers. Best of all, some of Tod’s history is revealed.

But overall, MY SOUL TO SAVE felt very superficial.  The plot about Disney-esque pop princess Addy who sold her soul for fame and fortune fell completely flat for me.  Rachel Vincent did her best to paint Addy as a pathetic character worthy of sympathy, but I didn’t feel it.  And Tod’s feelings for her actually made me like him less.  I’m still hoping he’ll make a play for Kaylee and give us an interesting love triangle for My Soul to Keep. 

I still like this series as a whole.  Kaylee and Nash are the real draw for me, and the reason I’ll be reading My Soul to Keep when is releases on June 1, 2010.   But I’ll also be hoping for a more mature plotline too, not to mention likeable supporting characters. 

Sexual Content: (YA titles receive a more thorough breakdown) References to sex, a scene of mild sensuality, kissing. 

My Rating (out of 5):
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

Click HERE to read an excerpt of MY SOUL TO SAVE

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (December 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373210043
• ISBN-13: 978-0373210046