Dates from Hell

Short Stories from Hell

by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong

She thought her date was out of this world.
Actually, he was not of this world…

We've all been on bad dates, nightmare dates, dreadful experiences that turned out to be uniquely memorable in the very worst way. But at least our partners for these detestable evenings were more or less… human!

Now Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, and Lori Handeland—four of the very best writers currently exploring the dangerous seduction of the supernatural—offer up dating disasters (and unexpected delights) of a completely different sort: dark, wicked, paranormally sensual assignations with werewolves, demon lovers, and the romantically challenged undead. Sexy, witty, chilling, and altogether remarkable, here is proof positive that some love matches are made someplace other than heaven.

1. Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil (The Hollows #2.5) by Kim Harrison - Ivy and vampire Art are partners on homicide case for Inderland Security.

2. The Claire Switch Project by Lynsay Sands - Claire, new shapeshifter, accepts dates for school reunion with crush Kyle and his sister Jill.

3. Chaotic (Otherworld Stories #5.2) by Kelley Armstrong - Half-demon Hope is sent to museum gala by mentor Tristan to catch werewolf thief Karl Marsten.

4. Dead Man Dating by Lori Handeland - On their first date, Kit goes too far with Eric, shot by bystander Chavez, then wakes to no blood, no body.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Anthologies, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Vampires

404 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 28, 2006

About the author

Kim Harrison is best known as the author of the New York Times #1 best selling Hollows series, but she has written more than urban fantasy and has published over two-dozen books spanning the gamut from young adult, thriller, several anthologies, and has scripted two original graphic novels. She has also published traditional fantasy under the name Dawn Cook. Kim is currently working on a new Hollows book between other, non related, urban fantasy projects.
Kim reaches out to her audience at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KimHarrisons...
Instagram
https://instagram.com/kim_harrison_au...
and her blog http://kimharrison.wordpress.com/

other pseudonyms: Dawn Cook

Reviews

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this one and put it down almost two years ago. I was distinctly disturbed by Ivy's backstory (from the Rachel Morgan books by Kim Harrison), featured in Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil. It was not at all what I'd call a romance. Her relationships with the men in this story were dark, tangled, and unsettling. It's good to have some perspective on Ivy, but I'm afraid I don't have a good opinion of her character right now. Maybe that was the point, and we will see her evolve as she spends more time around the more innocent and sweeter Rachel. This was a beautifully written, but dark, dark story. Kim Harrison is one heck of a writer and she pulls you into the stories that she spins. I'm not into dark and sexual so much, and this story has that edge to it, hence I was a bit turned off. I did love the banshee part. Very cool! Four stars for the quality of the story, even though this one disturbed me.

Attempt #2 Went much better as I finished the Lynsay Sands story. I actually enjoyed The Claire Switch Project, and I didn't expect to like it. I thought it was going to be way too light and fluffy and annoying as Claire used her power to deceive the man she was in love with. Thankfully I was wrong. It just goes to show that you need to be in the mood to read certain books. This reminded me of a screwball comedy from the 80s (which I love). Claire has a unique ability that her friend manipulates her into exploiting to get a little revenge against the jerk who dumped her. Her scientist colleague, Kyle, is the man she's been in love with for over ten years, but afraid to say anything. Well, he asks her out on a date the very night she has to pretend to be her friends famous date (Brad Cruise, get it?). Hilarity and confusion ensues. It was cute and fun, so I ended up giving this one 3.5 stars.

Kelley Armstrong's Chaotic was interesting. The heroine is Hope, a half-chaos demon/half-human. She gets a high from chaotic/violent events that she has tried to channel into helping people working for the Interracial Council. She's on a mundane date (but on the lookout for anything unusual) and she ends up catching jewel-thief and somewhat rogue werewolf, Karl. It turns out that the people that she works for are gunning for Karl in the worse way, although he's not on the wrong side. They are. This reminded me of those beloved 80s action movies I watched too many of, even though I was probably too young for them. I have to admit that the first person didn't really seem to fit the story that well. I think third person would have gone over better. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. Heck, I'm an easy sell with the werewolf theme, and the on-the-run theme combined. I also liked Hope's unique ability (if you can call it that) I look forward to reading Private Demon to further explore Hope and Karl. Four stars.

My favorite, hands down, was Dead Man Dating by Lori Handeland. It was so interesting and unique. Kit is a woman who is being relentlessly hunted by a demon who's looking for a very particular type of woman. Not too many of them found in the modern world, especially in the big city. Thankfully there is a rogue demon hunter (sorry, not Wesley Wyndham-Price) here to save her. Chavez is one sexy demon hunter. I loved the aspect of good versus evil, and finding out how to kill this demon that is gunning for Kit. I firmly believe that Ms. Handeland was inspired by Constantine, and I'm not complaining, since I love that movie and the idea of the comic book it's inspired by (I haven't read them yet, but I will). Being the complete folklore/supernatural nerd that I am, I ate this story up like Mexican food (my favorite). This was such a great story, and it flowed very well, hence the five star rating. Here I am hoping that it ties into the Doomsday Chronicles series that Ms. Handeland has out (which is in the you know what). Sign me up to read about these warriors fighting against the apocalypse.

I am so glad I gave this anthology another chance. I have to thank Mel for inspiring me with her love of Karl Marsten. It really turned out to be a great read, and makes this girl who doesn't date that much pretty happy that she didn't go on any of these dates from hell (Sorry. I can't resist a bad pun).

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading this one just for the Hollows 2.5 story by Kim Harrison, and I'm pretty glad I read it in order.

Yes, it might take place before the first book in the series, but it DOES give us a lot of insight into Ivy and her pretty horrible Living Vampire life before she teamed up with Rachel and it absolutely gives us a good look inside her head.

So far, the books have tended to stay well clear of that, and for good reason. It ups the tension.

However, now that we ARE in Ivy's head, it frees us to humanize her and it spins everything else in a brand new direction. So, I likey. :)

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last two stories in this anthology really made this book. Though I like Kim Harrison's writing, her first published short story included here was kind of dry, though Kelley Armstrong's story really rocked. I've included individual reviews for each story below.

Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison
Read 08-Jun – 09-Jun-2006
This is Ivy's story, before she meets Rachel and Jenks and starts Vampiric Charms. We learn a lot more about what makes Ivy tick, and how she comes to her decision to live blood-free as a living vampire. I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as the full-length novels because I missed having Rachel and Jenks too, but still, I appreciate this story for what it is... a deeper look into Ivy's life pre-Rachel. :)
Rating: 6 stars

The Claire Switch Project by Lynsay Sands
Read 06-Feb-2007
Ugh, I should've known I wasn't going to like this one right from the first paragraph. The first sentence actually proclaimed, "A bunny," and I thought yay!! But then it turns out two of the main characters, Kyle and Claire, are running doing experiments and testing on the poor little bunny. And oh boy, I've got a wicked rant I can go on about animal testing, but since it's not really relevant to this review, sufficed to say that it's a wicked peeve of mine that hits a deep nerve.

From there, we just have more cutesy, stupid characters who think nothing of hiding the truth from their friends and people they care about. Another pet peeve, one I can usually live with, but when a huge premise of the story is based upon such deception and lying, it angers me even more!

I wonder why I kept on reading then... well, it was a short story and I was determined to finish it. And I did laugh at one or two parts. Had I not already read a full-length novel by this author, Single White Vampire, which I fairly enjoyed, I'd probably think twice about reading anything from this author if I were to base it only on this short story. I give it a few points not for the story, but because the author herself is a halfway decent writer, and that at least does come across here.
Rating: 4 stars

Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong
Read 18-Feb – 19-Feb-2007
Hope is a tabloid reporter and "supposed agent" for the Interracial Council. As a Half-Demon, she's got skills that enable her detect chaotic events, past or present. While attending a museum gala, she meets up with charming werewolf and jewel thief, Karl Marsten, whom we've met in previous novels. And chaos rules!!

This was an excellent story! Kelley really knows how to write a short story and make it as action-packed and exciting as her full-length novels. In this novella, we're introduced to a new character, Hope, a half-demon journalist, whom I'm hoping will appear again in future books or novellas. Since Karl Marsten seems to be romantically interested in her, this may be a good possibility.
Rating: 9 stars

Dead Man Dating by Lori Handeland
Read 23-Feb-2007
Kit has been saving herself for marriage and true love, so what could be better than a dating agency named, remarkably, TrueLove.com. Little did she realize that her "date" would actually be a demon from hell, and that her "knight in shining armor" would appear to save her mortal soul?

Kit is startled when the rogue demon hunter Chavez manages to extinguish her date in the alley right before her very eyes. But it turns out he's not really dead—or is already dead, I should say—and the demon, part incubus and part Rakshasas, continues to stalk her and attempt to seduce her. For only her virginity can save him. And finding a virgin in this day and age is so rare!

With the help of Chavez, they're able to exploit the demon's weakness and bring about his destruction. But as they're told by Satan himself, the end of the world is near, and these new demons that he's made and unleased on the world are here to bring about Armageddon. The story leaves off here, as Kit and Chavez have decided to work together, brain and brawn so to speak, to defeat this evil before it's too late.

This story was actually quite good. I hadn't yet read anything else by Handeland, though I've got the first 6 books of her Nightcreature series here waiting for me to find the right time to start on them. So now that I've whet my appetite with this short story, I'm quite looking forward to them.
Rating: 8 stars

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dates from Hell is an anthology with 4 short stories. Frankly, only the Kim Harrison and Kelly Armstrong story are worth buying the book. I'll give a short review of them all:

Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison 4 stars

Ivy Tamwood is an investigator for Inderland Services and -however hard she tries- she can't escape her own nature or vampire politics.
This is a story about Ivy and told from Ivy's POV. It's a good way to better get to know the ever mysterious Ivy Tamwood, although after finishing the story I can't say I'm all the wiser.
The story can’t be called PNR. It's a sad story about murder, torture and love.
The story is well written but quite 'heavy' and it's packed with information, so I can't imagine it being interesting for people who haven't read the Hollows series.
Still: it was really well written and I' liked seeing the Hollows world through different eyes than Rachel's. And dare I say: Kisten was cuter with Ivy.

The Claire Switch Project by Lynsay Sands 1 star

Claire gets hit by a laser beam which turns her into a shape shifter. She uses her powers to turn her high school reunion into a double date fiasco.
Oh. My. God. This was so terrible I couldn't even finish it. And I always finish everything however much I hate it!
It felt like it was written by a 12-year old for 12 year olds. Horrible!
I have never read anything by Lynsay Sands, but if this story is indicative, I'll never will.

Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong 5 stars

Hope is a half human half chaos demon tabloid reporter who works for the Interracial Council. At a charity ball she bumps into werewolf Karl Marsten and things become chaotic.
This was a great story. It was well written, exciting, engaging and fun (Hope is really funny). And it made me fall in love with Karl Marsten. Karl Marsten: the perpetually sly, egocentric, tricky werewolf loner who's never to be trusted. The dialogue between him and Hope was wonderful and it immediately made me want to read two other Armstrong books which has them featured.

Dead Man Dating by Lori Handeland 2,5 stars

Kit, who usually never dates and is a virgin, suddenly has men lined up who want her. And they want more from her then just a date.
This story started out good. Kit was funny, Chavez was mysterious, the plot was entertaining. But halfway through it seemed the writer ran out of time and had her 15-year old cousin finish the story. It got really simplistic and sappy. Truly a waste because of the nice start.

So any of you who are thinking of buying Dates From Hell: REALLY think about it. Especially since the Armstrong story
is available separately. All in all it was one good story, one great story, one bad story and one awful story put together. 2,5 stars

[AH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthologies are always hit or miss for me. It is rare that I like all the stories or am able to finish the entire book, especially when the authors are new to me. Dates From Hell is not one of those anthologies. I loved the stories.

Dates From Hell has stories by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, and Lori Handeland. Two authors that were familiar to me, and two authors that I had not yet read. Each story explores dating in the paranormal/supernatural world.

Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison
This story takes place immediately before Dead Witch Walking and introduces Ivy and Kisten, living vampires. Ivy is struggling with her job and a boss that holds a promotion over her head for a price. Kisten is Ivy's love interest. Kisten is a little flat in this story. Ivy is portrayed with both vulnerability and ingenuity as she plans revenge against her boss. 4/5 stars

The Claire Switch Project by Lynsay Sands
This is a very cute story about a girl who becomes a lab experiment by mistake. The result? She is able to shape shift into any person merely by looking a photo. A very sweet look at love and a fun twist at the end. 3.5/5 stars

Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong
Clearly, my absolute favorite story in this book. This story introduces Hope Adams and Karl Marsten. Hope is a half demon who thrives on chaos. Karl is a werewolf that specializes in jewelry theft. I never really enjoyed Hope's stories in Personal Demon; Hope was never one of my favorites. I really liked this story. It was action packed, it kept me on the edge of my seat, and it had a lot of sexual tension between the main characters. 5/5 stars

Dead Man Dating by Lori Handeland
Here's a good reason not to look for dates on the internet: Poor Kit - Her dates keep wanting to suck the life out of her through sex. As one of the few remaining virgins in New York City, Kit is a target for a demon and Chavez the demon hunter must protect her. I liked this story. Kit is one normal girl. She wears glasses and doesn't have a perfect figure. She has a normal job and she doesn't like it. Her protector, Chavez is mysterious but is attracted to her because she is well read. 3.5/5 stars

This anthology was a fun read. I got to enjoy two stories by Kim Harrison and Kelley Armstrong where I got some background into their characters. I hope to start reading other books by Lynsey Sands and Lori Handeland.

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am using 3-star rating here liberally, because I actually read only 1 story out of 4 - Kelley Armstrong's novella "Chaotic." Having been burned by many anthologies, nowadays I only bother to read short stories written by the authors I know and respect. Kelley, again, didn't let me down.

"Chaotic" is one of those Armstrong's stories which will be interesting to both existing fans of her "Women of the Otherworld" series and readers new to her writing. Unlike stories in "Men of the Otherworld" anthology, "Chaotic" doesn't just fill in the blanks or explores the events whose outcome we already know from reading her novels. It introduces a completely new character and a very well realized tale with fresh mythology and excellent back stories. (In this respect "Chaotic" reminded me of another well done novella of Armstrong's - "Twilight" about a vampire Cassandra.)

Hope Adams is a tabloid journalist and a half-demon who feeds on chaos around her. During one of her assignments she encounters another supernatural - a jewel thief Karl Marsten who we know from "Bitten." The two get caught up in a criminal case and, of course, a mutual attraction develops.

The story is engaging and witty and sexy, basically, an example of what a paranormal novella should be.

I was thoroughly intrigued by Hope and her strange abilities and can't wait to read more about her and see how her relationship with Karl develops. Thankfully, "Personal Demon" covers it all and is already out.

[Zwart Raafje · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second story was the best 5 ⭐ for this one
The rest was...okay

[Esra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hikayelerin ait olduğu ana serileri okusam belki çok daha anlamlı olabilirdi!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are supposed to be themed stories that center around dating and most do just that. The authors are all really good at their craft and give stories that keep you reading about their respective ladies. The characters in all the stories are very well represented and make you want to find out more about them. I had only read one author in this anthology prior to this and will be taking a look at some of their other work.

3 stars, "Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil" by Kim Harrison. This is about Ivy Tamwood with only a passing mention of Rachel, who is usually the main character in the stories. This does not seem to have anything to really do with the title other than they talk about a date. The story is alright but rather bland. Ivy before she found her humanity. Ivy wants to move up but does not appreciate what she is expected to do for that promotion.

4 stars, "The Claire Switch Project" by Lynsay Sands. The dating theme is definitely present in this story. Claire works in a lab doing the grunt work for two scientists, one a friend who helped her get the job. Because one of these guys is eager to move on in their research she ends up with an ability that they never saw as a possibility. Love the ending!

4.5 stars, "Chaotic" by Kelly Armstrong. I like the characters here, they are all personable even the bad guy has his own brand of charm. Hope is a half-demon who has issues with dating and gets set up by her mother on a blind date. Hope thrives on chaos, it is her power from her demon father. On her date, she runs into some bad things and a bad guy who piques her interest.

4.5 stars, "Dead Man Walking" by Lori Handeland. This final story is almost a cautionary tale though amusing in a lot of ways. Kit does not think of herself as attractive and goes on a date she found online. What she ends up with is a demon pursuing her and a demon killer coming to her rescue.

All of the stories are enjoyable and I liked all the females who inhabit these worlds. A fun read.

[🌟Star🌟 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only enjoyed half the stories in Dates from Hell. My favorites were Lynsay Sands and Lori Handeland.

[Logan Capizzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how her spin off books explore the side characters more.

[Eahrran · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was easily the worst book I have read in my life, I hated absolutely everything about it. I am not going into detail, because I am neither in the mood to waste my time writing it nor to rant.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dates From Hell like the other book of the Short Stories from Hell series was awesome. Like the others of this series I've read it was to sample the authors of these short stories: Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, and Lori Handeland-- and I loved what I read.

Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison was the first story in the book and although it wasn't my favourite in the Dates From Hell book, I still very much enjoyed it. Especially the ending/the last couple chapters. Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil was enjoyable, interesting, and funny. The story was all good (and evil), all around and for Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil I'd give it 4 stars.

The Claire Switch Project by Lynsay Sands was the second story in the book and I think this story was my favourite in this Dates From Hell book. The Claire Switch Project was super funny, sweetly and hotly romantic, very very enjoyable and interesting. It's not the sort of date/school reunion I'd want to be in but heck, I love the story so I give The Claire Switch Project 5.1 stars. (And I just might read more of Lynsay Sands' stuff.)

Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong was the third story in the book and it was definitely on the dangerous-action-interesting level. I almost have no words to describe this except four: "Pure hot and awesomeness". So I give this story 4.9 stars.

Dead Man Dating by Lori Handeland was the fourth and final story in the Dates From Hell book. I understood the story and I could easily follow it, plus it was an exciting story to read. Dead Man Dating was funny, romantic (at points), interesting and a few other things... I give this story 4.5 stars.

I hope to read another Short Stories from Hell book soon. Also I definitely recommend this book to people who are a fan of the paranormal, self-growth, bit of romance, for those with some with--let's call it--a weird sense of humor and for those people trying to find new authors they may like to read/get a feel for first.

[Bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 4 story anthology with very good stories.

"Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil" by Kim Harrison is the story of Ivy and Kirsten before they met Rachel. Ivy is being pressured by her boss Art (a vampire jerk) and how she deals with him is downright funny; it also explains why she wound up as a runner for Interland Security.
4 stars

"The Claire Switch Project" by Lynsay Sands Clare and Kyle are old high school buddies (now grad students) working on a molecular destabilizer. She is zapped by another researcher who wants to speed up human trials, and finds that as a result she can change her appearance to that of anyone else. This hasn't blown the plot that’s about what happens at her high school reunion. The disaster is quite funny and about as complete as could be expected. Several good surprises as well and it was nice to read a funny story after Ivy’s intense one.
4 stars

"Chaotic" by Kelly Armstrong Hope is a half demon who can sense chaotic forces. She is working for the Interracial Council running down supernatural bad guys. She senses a heist at a museum fund raiser and meets Marsten a werewolf, that’s when the surprises start. Some humour and an excellent plot. It’s nice not to have the protagonists jump each other’s bones in a short. The characters are compelling and interesting, i loved reading about them and the way they connected.
5 stars

"Dead Man Dating" by Lori Handeland is one of the more original stories I have come across in a while. Kit is a bored literary agent and has demon troubles (this is a little rocky technically as the author is confusing members of the descending hierarchy with demons, but hey it’s a fantasy) and demon hunter Chavez comes to the rescue. Good characters, interesting plot. One brief erotic scene but that’s central to the plot. Overall an excellent read.
5 stars.

While these stores are short all are excellent for the genre and overall the book deserves 4 stars.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology of four short stories that you'll hope you never have to experience on a date!

Series
"Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil" (Hollows, 0.5 although Harrison claims it as 2.5)
"Chaotic" (Women of the Otherworld, 5.2)

The Stories
Kim Harrison's "Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil" is a prequel to Harrison's paranormal Hollow series and provides a good bit of background as to Ivy's thoughts and feelings which lead to her encounter with Rachel as well as her relationships with Kisten and Picardy.

Lynsay Sands' "Claire Switch Project" is a fun read of two souls who have loved each other for years finally taking that step but in a truly unusual way as the girl of Kyle's dreams does a double-date with his sister at their class reunion. A satisfying one-two punch to the class bitch and her Lothario date.

Kelley Armstrong's "Chaotic" provides the background on how Hope and Karl meet up. Hope thinks the interracial council has hired her chaos-demon powers to help the supernaturals but it all goes wrong when she's set on the trail of Karl Marsten, werewolf jewel thief (think of a shapeshifting Cary Grant).

Lori Handeland's "Dead Man Dating" was my least favorite of the four and pits a demon hunter, Chavez, against an unsuccessful book agent, Kit, whom demons will not leave alone. Ah, the perils of online dating…

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic Premise: 4 UF/PR stories by 4different authors, all loosely tied to the idea of dating and the paranormal.

Story #1- Kim Harrison's contribution and the reason I picked up the book in the first place. A good, solid story. It had a full, interesting plot, and it tied in to the Hollows series I've devoured very closely. Actually, it was quite good that I read this story when I did, just after finishing White Witch, Black Curse, because it ties very closely to that book- it explains all of the backstory regarding Ivy and the banshee, and how Ivy came to be Rache;s partner in the first place. A good read, all in all. The tie to the theme of the book was really loose, though.

Story #2- Utter dreck. Cliched plot and characters. Absolutely no surprises. Dragged the book's rating down an entire star.

Stories #3 & 4- Interesting. I don't know if these authors have series themselves that continue to feature the characters in the stories, but I'm intrigued enough to do a quick check of my local libraries database to see if I can get hold of them. Am I going to go out of my way? No. But I'll look and see...

[Layla Smith]

"The Kim Harrison story was really bad. I don't if it because I haven't read any of her books, but I felt really confused by her world. It took me a minute to even kind of understand what her character was. I was not impressed by that character at all. She seemed very whiny, and my life is woe without really trying to change anything about it. I was very disappointed, especially after reading her short story in Prom Nights from Hell, because that one was very entertaining.

Lynsay Sands' story was great. I fdound the characters funny and likable. The situration she put them into was great. After this story I might try some of her other books.

Kelley Armstrong's story was the reason I got the book in the first place. I am a big fan of her Otherwold series, and this story did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the banter between Hope and Karl.

Lori Handeland's story was entertaing. The characters were interesting enough and engaging enough, but I has not inspired me to want to read more from her."

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have realized that I didn't like Kim Harrison enough to pick up a book that specifically said in the title it was going to be about dating (and thus 'romance'). Bleh. Don't bother getting this unless that's the genre you enjoy.

Harrison's story was ok. It was interesting to see a story from one of the other character's point of view...in this case, Ivy before she hooked up with Rachel (the main character in her series).

Sands was juvenile & poorly written. Sciency science!! makes a hot scientist! into a shapechanger. Oh, and the hunky nerdy science! guy (her best friends' brother) unbeknownst to her also got zapped. Dumb hijinks ensue...since it's the night of their HS reunion dance...they fall in love, blah blah blah.

Kelley Armstrong's had some potential. A half-demon that's been mislead into working for the bad guys until a werewolf she stalks & catches opens her eyes to her real situation. Intriguing enough for me to look her up & give her a try.

Lori Handeland somehow made a story about demon hunters & Satan unimaginative & boring. No thanks.

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Hollows 2.5

3 stars

Ivy POV. Gives insight into her and Kisten's relationship that is continually hinted at in the books. AND this is the novella to read if you've ever been DYING to know what it was that made Art the vamp that Piscary gave Kist to so damn mad. Heads-up, it was Ivy, not Kist that did it, so that explains her reaction after that whole mess came to light.

If you (like me) aren't a big Ivy fan, and are looking for a way to better understand her/like her more, this probably won't do it. At least it didn't for me. I just can't relate to her. Given how well Harrison consistently gives depth to her characters, I take full responsibility for this one. Ivy has lots of depth. I just have absolutely nothing in common with her. Oh well. There are plenty of other fabulous characters for me to love in The Hollows. And I do.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like these books with multiple authors as they let you dip your feet into new pools without much commitment. I have since read many Kelley Armstrong and Kim Harrison books and have a pile of Lyndsay Sands waiting for me to read. I wouldn't mind reading Lori Handeland books too. I need to see what else she has written and put her on my list.

Anyway - I really enjoyed this book and am tempted to read it again now that I have read quite a few of the Kelley Armstrong Women of the Otherworld books.

[✿~Danielle~✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

1 Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison - Ivy and vampire Art are partners on homicide case for Inderland Security.

2 The Claire Switch Project by Lynsay Sands - Claire, new shapeshifter, accepts dates for school reunion with crush Kyle and his sister Jill.

3 Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong - Half-demon Hope is sent to museum gala by mentor Tristan to catch werewolf thief Mateson.

4 Dead Man Dating by Lori Handeland - On their first date, Kit goes too far with Eric, shot by bystander Chávez, then wakes to no blood, no body.

[P๏€cɨℓią* L · Rating 2 out of 5]

finished "Chaotic". So now I know how Hopes and Karl met.

[Selen · Rating 4 out of 5]

İlk ve sonuncu hikayeler güzeldi. İkinci hikaye daha çok bilim kurguydu ve bu kitaba uymamıştı. üçüncüsünde çok kafam karıştı birazda saçma geldi.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hollows # 2.5 (Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil)

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start:)

[Bookaholic Confessions · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hola a todxs!⠀⠀
⠀
Como parte de mi lectura de la saga Hollows de Kim Harrison y mi TOC que no me permite leer libros en un orden distinto al de publicación, estuve leyendo esta antología llamada Dates From Hell, donde la autora escribió un cuento situado en la mencioda saga. Además, como no iba a leer un solo cuento y dejar el libro, continué con el resto y de paso conocí algunas autoras que nunca había leído.⠀⠀
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El libro se compone de cuatro cuentos largos - 100 pgs aprox cada uno - del género fantasía urbana y con ciertos tintes de romance. Saben que no soy mucho del romance, pero dado que me encantan las historias de vampiros, demonios, etc. quise leerlos igual y porque no, salir un poco de mi zona de confort.⠀⠀
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El balance de las historias fue positivo. Si bien en algunas se abusa un poco de los cliché, en general se trata el romance de manera bastante realista, y si bien el amor o el sexo son importantes en el desarrollo, el nudo central de las historias fue por otros lados más relacionado con los elementos de fantasía, aportando variedad y haciendo que los cuentos sean mas interesantes.⠀⠀
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Por último, les comparto un pequeño resumen de cada una de las historias en caso de que les interese indagar un poco más sobre ellas y sus autoras. En el futuro, definivamente voy a leer alguna de las sagas de Kelley Armstrong porque su cuento me gustó mucho y me atrapó desde el primer momento.⠀⠀
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📍Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil, de Kim Harrison. Se situa en la saga Hollows y nos cuenta la historia de Ivy - vampira - previo a conocer a Rachel. La historia me gustó mucho y conecta muy bien con el Libro 1. No obstante, el inicio me aburrió un poco porque habla mucho sobre la relación amorosa de Ivy con Kisten.⠀⠀
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📍The Claire Switch Project, de Lynsay Sands. El libro arranca con un projecto de laboratorio donde por error la protagonista se convierte en una shapeshifter (como Mystique en Marvel 😋). El tema me pareció original pero después, la trama fue tan forzada y tan llena de clichés romanticos que me aburrió totalmente.⠀⠀
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Sigue abajo 👇

📍Chaotic, de Kelley Amstrong. Como les dije, me encantó esta autora. La protagonista es un medio demonio que puede presentir el riesgo - tanto para ella como para otros. La organización para la cual trabaja la envía a capturar a un ladrón hombre-lobo. Super interesante la historia y los cambios que se van produciendo a lo largo de la misma, mucha acción mezclada con tensión sexual.⠀⠀
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📍Dead Man Dating, de Lori Handeland. Kit es perseguida por un demonio que tiene la habilidad de persuadir a las personas para tener sexo y así alimentarse. Chavez, es un cazador de demonios que buscará ayudarla a escaapar. Si bien esta historia me entretuvo, se juega mucho con la dominación y el sexo, y la verdad eso no me terminó de cerrar.

Espero que hayan disfrutado de la reseña y le den oportunidad a alguna de las autoras mencionadas, principalmente a Kim y a Kelley que realmente disfruté muchísimo.⠀

[Christi Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dates Gone Wrong

Title: Dates From Hell
Authors: Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, Lori Handeland
Format: ebook
Genre: paranormal romance
Standalone: yes’s all books can be read as a standalone.
4/4

I’ve had this collection for a while but finally got around to reading it. I like that the stories are shorter but still complete stories.

I also discovered three new-to-me authors. Fun

Undead in the Garden by Kim Harrison
Part of a Series; Book 2.5 in The Hollows series
POV: Ivy
Steam Level: toasty The blood lust (emphasis on the lust) is real
4/5

It’s been a whiles since I’ve read any of the books in this series. Any a while I mean since 2014 when I had t started writing g reviews regularly. Whoops. Anyway I didn’t have to remember much in order to get into this story and remember the world they are based in. This book is a standalone which is nice and according to the reading order it’s book 2.5. In this story Ivy, a living vampire? Works a job she hates in the homicide department with a boss, an undead vampire, she hates. She’s expected to sleep with him to move up in her career. Kim Harrison plays with lust and manipulation with Ivy fighting her nature. The end is so very satisfying and not what I expected.

Book 2: The Claire Switch Project by Lynsay Sands
Part of a Series; I don’t think so
POV: Claire
Steam Level: slow burn to warm
4/5

I have heard about Lynsey Sands but hace never read her. When one of Claire’s research partners decides to use her in a human test subject in their clinical trials, Kyle, her boss and long time crush insists she come home with him to monitor her safety. When Claire and Jill, Claire’s best friend and Kyle’s twin figure out that the clinical trial actually did work hijinks ensure with Claire going on a double date from hell.

Book 3: Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong
Part of a Series: Book 5,2 in the Otherworld Stories
POV: Hope
Steam Level: minimal
4/5

Hope is a half-demon and on her first date that her mom set up. A first date that is awful but not terrible enough to leave. However hope also feeds on chaos both past and present. When she follows a chias trail she gets more than she expected. Things go sideways even further from there and you don’t know who to trust. Excellent reas. I think I may checking out more of Kelley Armstrong.

Book 4: Bead Man Dating by Lori Handeland
Part of a Series: I don’t think so
POV: Kit
Steam Level: slow burn some heat but not much
4/5

This is the first book I’ve read by Lori Handeland. It was fun. Kit is on a first date with a guy who’s great. Too great. When he gets a bit handsy in an alley things get wired when he’s shot and then disappeared. When Kit chases down the sexy stranger with shot him and starts asking questions he takes her home to protect her. I enjoyed the subtle humor but the heroine’s self-esteem needs to improve. I liked that she’s smart but wasn’t find if her constant self-depreciation comments.

[Beth The Vampire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology contains four short stories, so I will be rating each individually and then taking the average for the overall rating.

Undead In the Garden of Good and Evil - Kim Harrison - 3.5 Stars
I am a fan of Kim Harrison’s ‘The Hollows’ series, and enjoyed the opportunity to focus on one of the most interesting characters in the series; Ivy. Ivy is a vampire that works for the homicide squad of Interland Secuirty, and this story is a prequel to the first book in the series ‘Dead Witch Walking’ and shows how Ivy came to meet our protagonist witch Rachel. The plot is quite hard to summarise because there are elements that mean something to those that had read the series that others may miss, but it revolves around the master vampire who runs a pizza shop, Ivy giving her blood to an undead vampire that she despises, and Ivy’s inner turmoil over her bloodlust and how she is not able to find love as it always comes back to the blood that she both wants and needs. This is made all the more poignant for readers of the series after what happens in the second book ‘The Good, The Bad, and the Undead,’ as Ivy is forced to make a choice with huge ramifications.

This short story appears to make more sense if you are actually familiar with the story, mainly to just make the whole world a bit more understandable, as well as the vampire lore. There are living and undead vampires, and while this short story tries to make the distinction clear for the uninitiated, the reader would definitely benefit from reading at least the first two books in the series first. I was surprised at how dark this story was but to be invited into Ivy’s world for the first time I would have been disappointed if it had not been. I enjoyed it, although short, and thought that it gave some great insight into Ivy.

The Claire Switch Project – Lynsay Sands – 0.5 Stars
I’m sorry, but this story was so awful I literally could not finish it. I skipped the last few pages because I knew what was going to happen and it was so tired and predictable that I couldn’t bare to actually read it. So this story focuses around Claire, who is a lab assistant, and she is purposefully given an experimental dose of radiation or something that gives her the ability to shift shape. So what better way to use it than to change into the shape of an a-list movie star and take your best friend to her school reunion to get back at her ex-boyfriend and the girl that was a bitch to her in high school. Groan. If I was Claire I would be too busy freaking out, wondering if there was going to be any damage done, and how to stop it, rather than going out on a date with her incredibly selfish friend. What makes the situation more tedious is the fact that Claire’s best friend’s brother finally asked her out to the same reunion, so Claire is forced to go back and forth between the two caught between following her heart and helping her friend.

It was not well written, and very bland. The whole premise could have gone in such a better direction, but takes such a simple and clichéd turn. Of course Claire’s date is going to figure it out, and he loves her so he is not going to treat her like an experiment. And oh, by the way, this shifting may be impacting on Claire’s molecular form and could reduce her to nothing but a pile of goo. But at least we got back at that head cheerleader bitch. It’s not even just a little bit of fun, it’s tired and predictable the whole way through, and so infuriating, because I’m sitting reading it wondering if anyone is actually going to do something to actually help Claire instead of continually exploit her. I’m proud of myself that I ended up only skipping the last chapter when I was unable to pull myself further anymore, but in retrospect, I should maybe have given up sooner.

Chaotic – Kelley Armstrong – 4 stars
This is how you write a short story! This story had a compelling plot, interesting characters, blood and gore, sex, and, most importantly, chaos. Hope works (or thinks she works) for the Interracial council, and she also happens to be a half demon with a very special talent; she can detect chaos. So Hope is on a date with a boring, self-absorbed guy, and they end up at a museum fundraiser where Hope just happens to spy a robbery taking place by the very handsome Karl Marsden. Following her nose for chaos, she manages to apprehend him, but nothing is at it seems, for Hope is in the middle of a personal vendetta between Marsden and her boss, and she just happens to be collateral damage.

I love the idea that Hope is able to detect traces of chaos and follow them, and this is how she detects that Marsden is a supernatural like her, but not just any supernatural; a werewolf. The chemistry between them starts straight away and keeps you interested throughout the story as he tears Hope’s life apart and then tries to put it back together again. There are references to characters from The Women Of The Otherworld series, with the cabals playing a role towards the end. I would not recommend reading this story unless you had an understanding of the wider world the author is playing with here. While Hope is a new character, so she doesn’t have ties to the others for now, but there are references to the werewolf pack, Paige and Lucas, as well as the Interracial council, that the casual reader wouldn’t really understand unless having read at least the first four books in the series.

The writing is superb, simple and yet engaging, the description fantastic, and the story is compelling and satisfying. It has a beginning, middle, and end, with a lot of danger and chaos happening in between, and you known you’ve read a good story when you’re upset that it ended. I know that the readers meet up with Hope again in upcoming books in the Otherworld series, and I look forward to getting to know Hope a little bit more and to see what happened to her life after Karl Marsden decided to storm into it.

Dead Man Dating - Lori Handeland - 3.5 stars
This short story took quite an interesting turn, and I was actually quite surprised, especially from where it started. Kit is a publisher who decides that she is tired of being alone and goes on a dating site, and that is where she meets Eric. On their very first date he tries to kill her, but she is saved by Chavez, the mysterious demon hunter. Finding it hard to believe that there are actually demons in her world, why this one in particular wants her, Kit works with Chavez to find what this demon is, why they can't kill it, and what makes her so special. This story ends up delving into demonic possession, the spirit world, satan himself, and the upcoming apocalypse. When the novel started out it just seemed to be another simple story about a simple girl and a bunch of attractive men, but it ended up being more than that.

The writing was actually really good, and it was different to the other stories in that there was a lot more dialogue. The characters of Kit and Chavez were both really well done, despite the fact that this was a shorter story than the others in this collection. Even the minor characters who were only in a chapter or two were really intriguing and well used. I kind of wanted to see what would happen afterwards, but I like where it left off. I think this was the second best story in the anthology and since I haven't read anything by Lori Handeland before, I am actually interested to read some of her novels.

[☂ · Rating 3 out of 5]

❤❤❤

This story compilation tells the tales of some of the worst dates you can imagine and a few, really are. It's mild on sex but not on innuendo, varying degrees of romance. Kim Harrison's story is loaded with information about Ivy Tamwood, and though I haven't read the Hallows series, I doubt you learn a great deal more about Ivy while reading this. Lynsay Sands story is humors and light, without being fluffy and offers a sweet romance. Kelly Armstrong takes you through a wild night with a magnetic were and an intriguing half demon who I hope I get to meet again later in her Otherworld series. And Lori Handeland's warns readers about dating the undead. All good stories but the Harrison story is likely more fun if you're already a Hallows fan.

Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

❤❤

There's simply too much I don't understand about the world Ivy lives in and comes from to allow me to enjoy this story. I get the sexual tension in bucketloads, I get that somehow she's very messed up, but it was so menacing that I couldn't be sure if I should hate or like Ivy, Art, Piscary or Kisten. They seemed very bad to and for one another. I read Holidays are Hell, my only other exposure to the Hallows so I'm quite clueless, and remain so. Although I'm intrigued by these stories I don't think they'll have enough of what I like to read (generous amounts of romance) to sustain me through an 11 books series, which is the conclusion I came to after reading Rachel Morgan's origins in the above mentioned anthology. In respect to this story though it absolutely fits the book title.

The Claire Switch Project by Lynsay Sands

❤❤❤¾

I enjoyed this story bunches. I read Jill's short story from Holidays are Hell first, which is out of order, and I didn't care for it. It was just a bit too goofy but I don't think you need to have read this one first to understand it -- though but I'd recommend it. This story was just a perfect mix of paranormal, romance, wit and a great premise. Claire and Kyle are very likeable scientist who work together in a lab. Jill is Kyle's twin and Claire's best friend. When Claire is hit by a molecular destabilizing beam, that has previous turned test animals to goo or allowed them to camouflage themselves, she and Jill discover her shape shifting abilities and decide to make use of them at their high school reunion. Jill has just been dumped so she begs Claire to masquerade as Hollywood celeb Brad Cruise and be her date. Claire reluctantly agrees. Then Kyle asks her to be his date too and she can't say no to the man she's had a crush on since age 12. So she plans to spend the evening shifting back and forth. It's a lot of fun and packed with surprises. Kyle's news at the end was a surprise, even though I knew already from Jill's story, and the epilogue was really cute. Great little story.


Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong

❤❤❤¾

Another good story from a brilliant author. This story offers some wonderful moments between a hero and heroine who definitely have an attraction but don't actually take it to the next level. Ugh, I so wanted it to go to that next level. It reminded me of when I read Bitten. There were some amazing scenes between the hero and heroine. I'm talking butterflies in the belly, jaw dropping, tingly all over scenes and I loved them so, so much that I was disappointed when they were interrupted or not as frequent as I hoped. I just wanted page after page of the couple, who needed a plot. But Armstrong has a such a talent for writing clever, enchanting and charming characters who stay with you long after a book is finished and she backs it up with abundant plot. Whether in YA or more adult oriented fiction, she's simply one of the best at this.

In this story we meet werewolf Karl Marsten, who is a character from Bitten, but I don't remember him. It's been many moons since I read the book though. This little story about Karl and Hope escaping a vengeful rogue wizard was good but the couples magnetism decided me on starting up the Women of the Otherworld series again. I had stopped simply because, like the Hallows series, I didn't think the romance would sustain me through more than a dozen books. I need romance and a good bit of it but I am reminded just how good Kelly is at not only creating these compelling worlds but writing gripping plots and deliciously enticing characters.

Dead Man Dating by Lori Handeland

❤❤❤

Using www♡truelove♡com, literary agent Kit (Mara Naomi Elizabeth) Morelli arranges a date with gorgeous surgeon, Eric Leaventhall. Kit knows she's short and dumpy and while not a ugly, she's no one's bombshell. So she assumes Eric has either outgrown all men's desire to 'bang supermodels' or he lives by the awful saying "all women being the same in the dark." That one really is awful. Almost instantly, Kit feels connected to Eric, like he's the One. She even agrees to take him back to her apartment within minutes. They barely even make it to the alley before he's trying to undress her and she's oddly willing, well until Chavez shows up and shoots her date in the head.

I couldn't wait to see where this story would go. Chavez is enigmatic and the kind of hero I'd love to read more about. Kit is spunky and sarcastic and was a lot of fun. I had a difficult gauging Chavez's emotions and reactions a few times and I think it's because he was simply so mysterious. I kept trying to remember to read Kit's dialogue with sarcasm and when I didn't I felt a little unsure about her reactions as well. But the overall story, some of the small details and the attraction were really great stuff. The last few pages were a bit rushed and dramatic but a lot of stories end that way. I was hopeful from the beginning that this one would be great and it ended up being good. I was happy enough and was glad to meet Chavez.