Anthology. 3.88 stars1. Painted Love by Rob Thurman. Surprise hero. I think the most surprising I've read. Couldn't figure out at first why he was a witness to so much. ***1/2
2. Three Lives of Lydia by Delilah Dawson. Lydia awakens in a world that she doesn't want to leave. Good story. ****
3. The Demon Barker of Wheat Street by Kevin Hearne. Smart alec dog reminded me of [b:You Slay Me|50750|You Slay Me (Aisling Grey Guardian, #1)|Katie MacAlister|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1310496976s/50750.jpg|3142] series. Next! No stars because couldn't/didn't finish. This rating will not be added in the average rating computation. :)
4. The Sweeter the Juice by Mark Henry. I had just read a story that didn't do anything for me and came to this story with low expectations. this story was wonderful! Love the characters. In fact, I think the author could play up the characters into a full length novel if he kept a lot of the humor from the beginning of the story. This is a whole new set of people in an apocalyptic genre setting that I don't think has been fully explored yet (I've seen glimpses but this would be a great stand alone subgroup). I plan on reading more by this author. *****
5. The Werewife by Jaye Wells. Marital discord with a twist. The ending was good. ***
6. The Cold Girl by Rachel Caine. Story about a psycho killer and his girlfriend who is trying to get away. Another good story. ***1/2
7. A Duet with Darkness by Allison Pang. "Pride goeth before a fall" or something like that. ***
8. Recession of the Divine by Hillary Jacques. These characters, gods and goddesses, are not my favorite but this story was enjoyable. ***1/2
9. Parlor of Tricks by Jennifer Estep. Gin and her sister visit a carnival and like all the other books this story isn't full of fun and games - (get it, wink-wink). ***
10. Freak House by Kelly Meding. The beginning of a paranormal police force. Good story. I would be interested in reading this as a series. ***1/2
11. The Inside Man by Nicole Peeler. I love this author's books and this story was right up there with evil clowns! *****
12. A Chance in Hell by Jackie Kessler. Enjoyed this one, especially the beginning. ***1/2
13. Hell's Menagerie by Kelly Gay. Great, great story about Charlie's daughter. So good! *****
14. Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid and the Open Sea by Seanan McGuire. Usually this author's stories are sad and this is no exception. Loved it! *****
