Ann M. Noser

Emma is a painfully shy college student, living in the dorms with no real friends. She has acquaintances but nobody that she is really close to. She believes that she is "boring" or at least as boring as you can be while having the ability to se dead people!
When she blames herself for the death of a boy she has a crush on, she is willing to give her own life to bring him back. Not knowing how to use her new found abilities causes things to go a bit haywire but as it turns out maybe things work out the way they are meant to.
This was a very enjoyable book and I am glad to see it is the first of a series because I will definitely be looking for more! This was part fun, part spooky ghost whisperer type adventure and I loved it. Though it is categorized as young adult I know plenty of 40somethings, myself included who can enjoy a good story without the typical vulgarity and explicit sex that would be found in books geared towards an older audience. 5 out of 5 stars from me.

I received a complimentary copy for review
… (mer)

In this captivating sequel to How To Date Dead Guys (The Witch's Handbook #1) we find Emma pretty much where we left her at the end of the first book. Though she is now a bit wiser and a lot stronger, which is a good thing because she is facing some much bigger challenges than she did in the first book. I don't want to spoil it for you if you have not yet read book 1 (which you really should.) I will just say that this is the further adventures of Emma and her friends, though this book is much darker than the first. Emma is dealing with some seriously evil entities this time but her sarcastic wit still makes it a fun read.

I received a complimentary copy for review.… (mer)

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

I would really recommend reading this only after reading How To Date Dead Guys (the first book in Under the Blood Moon) first, not only because it will explain a lot but also a lot of the characters will make another appearance. This review contains some minor spoilers for the first book.

Officer Walker now in on Emma's secret, the real trouble is only starting. As Emma no longer just can rewatch the past, but also relive it. When she's asked to help investigate some murders, things get out of hand, quickly.

I'm not sure about this one. While I still quite enjoyed it, it was a bit less than in the first novel. There were a few things that I had trouble believing, mostly the way Officer Walker is using Emma to solve the crimes. Even besides that it is obviously not standard procedure, I thought he was an idiot for not seeing that it had this kind of effect on Emma, even if she was trying to hide it.

Although I liked to see some of the characters from last book return, I didn't really buy the story and I'm undecided whether I liked it or not. The writing was much the same as the previous book, making it a quick read (Oh, I've read 35% already!) kind of book that's perfect when you need something light.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!… (mer)

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

I admit I picked up this book mostly because I thought it would be a funny read, not because I was looking for a necromancing guide. Also, I read Ann M. Noser's previous book Dead Girl Running last year.

When Emma and her drunk crush Mike go swimming in a river, Mike drowns. Emma, feeling guilty and newly in possession of a witch's spell book, decides to bring him back from the dead. However, with Mike, she also brings back a couple of other guys who've got some unfinished business.

It took me some time to get into the story. I quite liked the main character from the start, she's the shy kind of person who prefers to stay inside with friends over going out. The one time she decides to act out of character things go terribly wrong and from there, although she grows as a person, her actions are becoming less and less rational.

I won't spoil too much about the different guys Emma brings back but at a certain time it did get a bit old for me. I remember thinking: yet another one? Will it ever end?

Some things were a bit weird, like everyone sharing the same body and looking the same to everyone except Emma. I see how it facilitated the plot, but it didn't make a lot of sense to me. But all in all, a very nice, quick read and I'm certainly looking forward to the next novel in which will be trying to ditch dead guys...

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!… (mer)