Review For SNARED By Jennifer Estep-5*

Title: Snared

Series: Elemental Assassin #16

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: * * * * *

Publishers: Pocket Books

(Apr 25, 2017)

Paperback: 384 pages

ISBN: 978-1501142277

FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

The sixteenth book in the New York Times bestselling Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series that RT Book Reviews calls, “An extraordinary series…[containing] one of the most intriguing heroines in the genre.”

If you don’t know Gin “the Spider” Blanco, you don’t know dangerous female heroines.
Irony 101—The Spider herself snared in someone else’s web…
Another week, another few clues trickling in about the Circle, the mysterious group that supposedly runs the city’s underworld. Gathering intel on my hidden enemies is a painstaking process, but a more immediate mystery has popped up on my radar: a missing girl.
My search for the girl begins on the mean streets of Ashland, but with all the killers and crooks in this city, I’m not holding out much hope that she’s still alive.
A series of clues leads me down an increasingly dark, dangerous path, and I realize that the missing girl is really just the first thread in this web of evil. As an assassin, I’m used to facing down the worst of the worst, but nothing prepares me for this new, terrifying enemy—one who strikes from the shadows and is determined to make me the next victim.

Elemental Assassin Series
1. Spider's Bite (2010)
2. Web of Lies (2010)
3. Venom (2010)
4. Tangled Threads (2011)
5. Spider's Revenge (2011)
5.5. Thread of Death (2012)
6. By a Thread (2012)
7. Widow's Web (2012)
8. Deadly Sting (2013)
8.5. Kiss of Venom (2013)
8.25. Parlor Tricks (2013)
9. Heart of Venom (2013)
10. The Spider (2013)
11. Poison Promise (2014)
12. Black Widow (2014)
13. Spider's Trap (2015)
14. Bitter Bite (2016)
14.5. Unwanted (2016)
15. Unraveled (2016)
15.5. Nice Guys Bite (2016)
16. Snared (2017)
Parlor tricks (2013) (in Carniepunk)

This is one of my most favorite on-going Urban Fantasies at book number 16. The excitement is always there when I hear that there is another one due for release and I nearly always devour it in one sitting. I think I'm especially fond of the later books as they have a lot more backstory in them. This occurs through Gin's flashbacks. This is a series that must be read in order to appreciate the subtle changes in Gin. The growth that she has made from a vicious assassin to a more caring sister and lover (though still an assassin) has been fun to watch. It's rather like peeling back the layers on an onion. I do wish that there was a bit more involvement with Owen in the story-line rather than just a helping hand in Gin's latest escapade. I know that the books where Finn was more of a major character than a secondary one were much more interesting. If you've not read any of this series and love action packed Urban Fantasy, you are really missing the ride of a lifetime. As a lover of series binge reading or TV watching, I almost wish I had this series in front of me to indulge in.

Book Review of Unraveled by Jennifer Estep- 4 1/2*

Title: Unraveled
                       Series: Elemental Assassin (Book 16)
      Author: Jennifer Estep
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Publishers: Pocket Books (April 25, 2017)                                      
 Paperback: 384 pages
ISBN: 978-1501142277
FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

• 
  

What could go wrong when you’re trying to unravel a decades-old conspiracy? 

As the current queen of the Ashland underworld, you would think that I, Gin Blanco, would know all about some secret society controlling things from behind the scenes. I might be the Spider, the city’s most fearsome assassin, but all my Ice and Stone elemental magic hasn’t done me a lick of good in learning more about “the Circle”. Despite my continued investigations, the trail’s gone as cold as the coming winter.

So when Finnegan Lane, my foster brother, gets word of a surprising inheritance, we figure why not skip town for someplace less dangerous for a few days? That place: Bullet Pointe, a fancy hotel resort complex plus Old West theme park that Finn now owns lock, stock, and barrel. At first, all the struttin’ cowboys and sassy saloon girls are just hokey fun. But add in some shady coincidences and Circle assassins lurking all around, and vacationing becomes wilder—and deadlier—than any of us expected.

Good thing this assassin brought plenty of knives to the gunfight …

This is one of my most favorite on-going Urban Fantasies at book number 16. The excitement is always there when I hear that  there is another one due for release and I nearly always devour it in one sitting. I think I'm especially fond of the later books as they have a lot more backstory in them. This occurs through Gin's flashbacks. This is a series that must be read in order to appreciate the subtle changes in Gin. The growth that she has made from a vicious assassin to a more caring sister and lover (though still an assassin) has been fun to watch. It's rather like peeling back the layers on an onion. I do wish that there was a bit more involvement with Owen in the story-line rather than just a helping hand in Gin's latest escapade. I know that the books where Finn was more of a major character than a secondary one were much more interesting. If you've not read any of this series and love action packed Urban Fantasy, you are really missing the ride of a life time. As a lover of series binge reading or TV watching, I almost wish I had this series in front of me to indulge in.

Elemental Assassin Series

1. Spider's Bite (2010)

2. Web of Lies (2010)

3. Venom (2010)

4. Tangled Threads (2011)

5. Spider's Revenge (2011)

5.5. Thread of Death (2012)

6. By a Thread (2012)

7. Widow's Web (2012)

8. Deadly Sting (2013)

8.5. Kiss of Venom (2013)

8.25. Parlor Tricks (2013)

9. Heart of Venom (2013)

10. The Spider (2013)

11. Poison Promise (2014)

12. Black Widow (2014)

13. Spider's Trap (2015)

14. Bitter Bite (2016)

14.5. Unwanted (2016)

15. Unraveled (2016)

15.5. Nice Guys Bite (2016)

16. Snared (2017)

Parlor tricks (2013) (in Carniepunk)

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.
Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin adult urban fantasy series for Pocket.
Jennifer also writes the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington.
Jennifer has worked as a features writer and page designer for a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper and has more than 10 years of journalism experience. Shes a member of Romance Writers of America, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and other writing groups.
Jennifers books have been featured in Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, Southern LivingJennifers books have been featured in Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, Southern Living, and a variety of other publications.

Review of Spider's Trap by Jennifer Estep 5 *

Title: Spider's Trap
Series: Elemental Assassin #13
Author: Jennifer Estep
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: * * * * *

Publishers: Pocket Books

(July 28, 2015)

Paperback: 372 pages

ISBN: 978-1501105173

FTC Disclosure: Bought copy from Amazon

The next thrilling book in Jennifer Estep’s New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Elemental Assassin series—“an extraordinary series.…One of the most intriguing heroines in the genre” (Romantic Times Book Reviews).

Keep your friends close but your enemies within stabbing distance.
One important lesson I’ve learned in the assassination business is that to be the best you have to roll with the punches. Now that I’m queen of Ashland’s underworld—by default, not by choice—a lot more punches are being thrown my way. But I suppose that’s the price of victory for taking down some of the underworld’s top dogs. Good thing I have my Ice and Stone magic to help me survive my volatile new position. Just when I think things are finally settling down, someone tries to murder me during a hush-hush underworld meeting. But the real surprise is how strangely familiar my shadowy assailant seems to be.
My job is to maintain order among killers, crooks, and thieves, and soon I’m embroiled in a bloody game where the ability to keep secrets could be the greatest superpower of all. My enemies have all sharpened their knives and laid their traps, waiting for me to fall. But this Spider weaves her own webs of death…

As always, a delightful trip with my favorite assassin! I love that Estep is exceptionally talented at keeping this series fresh and entertaining. This series is one of only three that I attempt to read as soon as a new book comes out. I always enjoy when we get glimpses of Gin's earlier life with Fletcher. These glimpses allow us an insight into the circumstances that have made her the way she is. The humor in the storytelling along with the twisty storylines will keep me reading this series for a long time. I have "Bitter Bite" already on my wishlist-due out on Feb 23, 2016.

Elemental Assassin Series

1. Spider's Bite (2010)

2. Web of Lies (2010)

3. Venom (2010)

4. Tangled Threads (2011)

5. Spider's Revenge (2011)

5.5. Thread of Death (2012)

6. By a Thread (2012)

7. Widow's Web (2012)

8. Deadly Sting (2013)

8.5. Kiss of Venom (2013)

8.25. Parlor Tricks (2013)

9. Heart of Venom (2013)

10. The Spider (2013)

11. Poison Promise (2014)

12. Black Widow (2014)

13. Spider's Trap (2015)

14. Bitter Bite (2016)

Parlor tricks (2013) (in Carniepunk)

She's BAAAACK- BLACK WIDOW by Jennifer Estep (Read first Chapter) & Giveaway

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BLACK WIDOW

By: Jennifer Estep

Publisher: Pocket Books

Publication Date: November 25, 2014

Mass Market / Price: $7.99 / ISBN: 9781476774541

There’s nothing worse than a cruel, cunning enemy with time to kill—and my murder to plan. With wicked Fire elemental Mab Monroe long gone, you’d think I could finally catch a break. But someone’s always trying to take me down, either as Gin Blanco or my assassin alter-ago. Now along comes the Spider’s new arch-nemesis, the mysteriously named M. M. Monroe, who is gleefully working overtime to trap me in a sticky web of deceit. 

The thing is, I’m not the only target. I can see through the tangled threads enough to know that every bit of bad luck my friends have been having lately is no accident—and that each unfortunate “coincidence” is just one more arrow drawing ever closer to hitting the real bull’s-eye. Though new to Ashland, this M. M. Monroe is no stranger to irony, trying to get me, an assassin, framed for murder. Yet, as my enemy’s master plan is slowly revealed, I have a sinking feeling that it will take more than my powerful Ice and Stone magic to stop my whole life from going up in flames.

The first chapter of Black Widow can be found here.

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies, Venom, Tangled Threads, Spider’s Revenge, By a Thread, Widow’s Web, Deadly Sting, Heart of Venom, The Spider, Poison Promise, and Black Widow, along with the e-shorts Thread of Death, Parlor Tricks, and Kiss of Venom, are the other titles in her red-hot Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Jennifer is also the author of the Black Blade and Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series and the Bigtime paranormal romance series. For more on Jennifer and her books, visit JenniferEstep.com and @Jennifer_Estep.

There aren't many series that I read as quick as the new book comes out. I'm a binge reader so I tend to buy the new book and put it back to read when I have 3 or 4 in the series to indulge in. Gin however, refuses to lay on the shelf unread. I defy you to attempt this (if you do try, you better be prepared to defend yourself in the middle of the night ). I've yet to start one of these books without reading into the wee hours of the night to finish it. You would think that after 11 books this series would be getting predictable but I still enjoy it as much as ever. I love that the romance and mystery has been doled out in bits and pieces. With each new book you get answers to questions and problems not resolved in the earlier book with yet new problems to tackle. Estep does an excellent job with the world building and never fails to entertain. Her secondary characters are as important as Gin and definitely as entertaining.  I love that she introduces new villains while still building on the history of the older ones. Estep could have so easily closed the series with this book but thankfully Gin will continue to entertain with all her wise cracking and outrageous shenanigans.  

As I was lucky enough to get to read this early thanks to the awesome people at Net Galley, I'm going to give my brand new copy to a lucky reader. I always pre-order the newest Gin book as soon as it is available so enjoy this newest offering from Estep.

Review 0f Poison Promise by Jennifer Estep- 3 1/2*

Title: Poison Promise
Series: Elemental Assassin #11
Author: Jennifer Estep
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Rating: * * * 1/2

Publishers: Pocket Books 

(Jul 22, 2014)

Paperback: 416 pages

ISBN: 978-1476771502

FTC Disclosure: ARC from Net Galley followed by a purchase from Amazon

I specialize in making death wishes come true.
Pop quiz. Which do you think is deadlier: Burn, the nastiest drug ever to hit the mean streets of Ashland, or me, Gin Blanco, the assassin known as the Spider? Answer: Me—because I don’t kill you slowly.

Normally, drug dealers aren’t my department. But I’m turning up the heat on some relentless Burn-pushing thugs who won’t leave my friends alone. Pushers who have my cop sister beside herself with rage, so I’m stepping up to keep her from doing something stupid and getting herself killed. Once I’m in, I’m in, and these folks have picked their poison: the Spider’s venom. But even bad guys have their good days, and sometimes even my Ice and Stone magic isn’t enough. For behind the drug is a vicious vampire with a scientific eye for results. And behind him… trouble like I haven’t seen since I took down my legendary nemesis, Mab Monroe.

You would think that by now that I  would have lost some of the excitement I feel when I see that there is a new Elemental Assassin book out but not a bit. This series continues to pull me in and often keeps me reading way, way into the night. Even though murder is the word of the day, these books have an even flow that makes them an easy one day read. I do feel they are getting a bit repetitive in the action and hope that Estep mixes it up more as they are getting pretty predicable. I miss the twists that I had come to expect from this story and though we get a bit closer to solving the Mab Monroe mystery, it’s not near as exciting as it once was. The characters seemed a bit one dimensional this time around which was really disappointing. They just didn’t have the fire and depth that I have come to expect from Estep.

Elemental Assassin

1. Spider's Bite (2010)

2. Web of Lies (2010)

3. Venom (2010)

4. Tangled Threads (2011)

5. Spider's Revenge (2011)

5.5. Thread of Death (2012)

6. By a Thread (2012)

7. Widow's Web (2012)

8. Deadly Sting (2013)

8.5. Kiss of Venom (2013)

8.25. Parlor Tricks (2013)

9. Heart of Venom (2013)

10. The Spider (2013)

11. Poison Promise (2014)

12. Black Widow (2014)

FREE READ-------"SPIDER'S BITE" - Browse Inside

 If you are one of the few who haven't read this amazing series and want to see what all the excitement is about, check out this link by Simon and Schuster here and read the first seven chapters in the first book  in the amazing series "Elemental Assassin".  Quickly you will realize why we're champing at the bit and counting the hours till Sept 27th and the release of "Spider's Revenge".



My name is Gin, and I kill people."They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South -- when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.

Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way -- good or bad. I may look hot, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction...especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy."

Live Twitter Chat with Jennifer Estep today from 12 PM EST-3PM EST!

Join @simonschuster for a #bookclub discussion as she talks about  Spider's Revenge (on sale 9/27/11), fifth long-awaited book in the Elemental Assassin fantasy series!

As well as the special E-book offer on Spider's Bite, first book in the Elemental Assasin Series. 

Promo ends Sept. 19th http://books.simonandschuster.com/Spider%27s-Bite/Jennifer-Estep/9781439155431

Elemental Assassin

1. Spider's Bite (2010)

2. Web of Lies (2010)

3. Venom (2010)

4. Tangled Threads (2011)

5. Spider's Revenge (2011)

6. By a Thread (2012)

Author Jennifer Estep Release Party and $50.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest LIVE at BittenByBooks!

Join me on 4/26 with author Jennifer Estep for a Release Party, chat and contest at bittenByBooks. This event post goes up in the morning and runs into the evening. Jennifer will start answering questions at 12:00 pm Central Daylight Time. For those visiting from outside of the US, here is the time conversion link. We are in the Chicago time zone:http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/
Jennifer will be talking about her new book release Tangled Threads book four in the Elemental Assassins series.

“I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings.
But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead. Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too. The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling . . . or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead. . . .”


CONTEST INFO: The contest portion of the event runs until 11:59 pm Central on 4/27/11 and is open to readers WORLDWIDE.
Prize: Two Electronic Amazon $25.00 Gift Cards

 
Check out Jennifer Estep’s website and get your questions ready for the event.
http://www.jenniferestep.com/