I wanted to like this book - and I did for the most part. If I could have given it 2.5 stars I would. The problem I have with giving more stars is it just felt so formulaic at times. Good guy with tragic past/unavailable emotions? Check. Vampires who are not as bad as they first seem (even if it is just being an ass and not a deadly monster)? Check. Love triangle with the two hot guys in the book? Check. Snarky side kicks? Check. "I'm just a girl" heroine who discovers inner strength? Check.

Too many tics in the boxes without enough unique features (the bad guys were probably the best part) to raise it above the rest. I admit it - I'm getting jaded when it comes to urban fantasy. ( )

I really do love these books. I like the fact that they aren't just books about some chick trying to decided if she wants to be with one guy or another. There is a real story going on with the main character and her job. There is a love interest in the story that I think is great, but there is so much more to the story. ( )

Well, this showed up in a cozy mystery to-be-published list, and it's DEFINITELY not a cozy!! Having said that, it's a great read. It's graphic in a Buffy-the-vampire-slayer kind of way and humorous in a dry way. Great characters, and a solid story line. I look forward to the next book! ( )

see the full review at http://kapitanbuch.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/mind-over-monsters/

It’s a pretty average book, all things considered. The world-building is solid, although lacking in depth and with some elements completely unresolved It’s never explained why some people have abilities, or why Beatrice was recruited with no background or criminal record (like the rest of the FREAKS squad seem to have). Sure, they’re a secret organization with special talents, but why does the entire squad have to live in a mansion together? Why can’t she just say “I joined the FBI” instead of lying to her friends and family… does her cover story really need a cover story?
The characters were similar… They were well crafted, but they didn’t seem all that original. There seemed little to differentiate them from other characters in the genre. Beatrice was the somehow effectual untrained investigator, Will was the stodgy federal agent and moody werewolf, Oliver was the charming and deadly vampire. The others FREAKS squad members were bit players, and only moderately important to the story.
To be honest, the “love triangle” that Beatrice is caught in between Will and Oliver is cliched. It really doesn’t add to the story, and makes Beatrice seem even more indecisive (which is one of the most annoying qualities in a character. There seems to be no reason for the indecisiveness, but rather just a way to bring sexual harassment to the workplace).

So really, an average book. There’s clearly going to be a sequel, and I’ll probably read it, hoping some of my unresolved questions will be answered. (and hoping the love triangle is dropped to see the relationship between Beatrice and Will develop into something… Because I will stop reading if Beatrice hooks up with Oliver.) ( )

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This paranormal mystery starts off a little slow but then picks up for an enjoyable ending.

Opening Sentence: I was surprised to find that a man who wore a three-thousand-dollar suit was staying at the Comfort Inn.

The Review:

Beatrice Alexander is a psychokinetic. She can move objects with her mind. The bigger the object, the more it takes out of her. So when she saves her student from being run over by lifting a Hummer over them, she spends several days in the hospital. Her brother confronts her at the hospital, saying that she is a freak and it upsets her enough that she inadvertently almost kills him (although how she almost kills him isn’t really explained). News of her exploits reaches the ears of the FBI and she is confronted by the leader of a special unit called the F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad with a job offer and a way to help her control her gift.

After training, Beatrice moves to Kansas where the team is stationed. The rest of her team is an eclectic bunch: werewolf, vampire, teleporter, medium, pyrokinetic and psychometric. Beatrice barely has time to get to know her new teammates when they are sent out on a mission. Two people in Colorado have been found ripped apart and it’s up to Beatrice and her team to find out who is causing these murders. In the process of trying to solve these murders, Beatrice fights her feelings for Will, the werewolf and Oliver, the vampire. Beatrice misses her old life in San Diego, but she’s never had more fun when she is trying to solve the case. As the story moves along, Beatrice discovers she has other talents as well as being able to move objects. These new talents actually scare her teammates but ultimately they help in the end.

Beatrice is really the girl next door type just with strange powers. She has kept mainly to herself so no one would find out about her powers. She has unintentionally levitated objects when she is mad or has nightmares. She is a likable character. She is not woe-is-me about her powers. She never complains. She does what she can to fill her new role. She is a little freaked out about learning that these strange creatures are real but she doesn’t dwell on it. She believes she isn’t brave but when it comes down to it, she definitely steps up to save the day. I really did like Beatrice. She is a character that I definitely would read about again.

Mind Over Monsters does start off a little slow, but the pacing was enough to keep me hooked. The real action doesn’t really kick in until about 100 pages in and Bette the machete doesn’t show up for quite a while, but when she does, Beatrice really does kick butt. I enjoyed the world that Jennifer Harlow creates for Beatrice; it is really easy to follow.

Mind Over Monsters is only told from Beatrice’s point of view. Her character does grow as the story goes along, but there really isn’t any depth to the supporting characters. She has a crush on Will but she really spends more time with Oliver and even though he is really cocky, I’m rooting for that relationship more.

This series has the potential to be a really good. Since the foundation of the world has been laid down, I hope the next book focuses on the relationships with the characters more. I couldn’t find anything on the next book except for the excerpt at the end of the book, no title name or release date, but I am actually looking forward to reading it.

Notable Scene:

My hand moves for the gun beside me, but I’m not quick enough. I blink and his snout is inches from my face, teeth bared, his paws on either side of me, straddling me. He breathes in short bursts right beside my face, his hot breath smelling of rotten flesh. My eyes water and it takes all my willpower not to let them become full-fledged tears. He’s going to eat me.

I try to pick him up, but the concussion must have impaired my psychokinesis. Go to Plan B. My hand begins inching toward the gun again. Werewolf Will’s eyes move from my face, to the gun, then back to me. He responds with a low menacing growl, complete with more teeth. My hand shifts back to the ground, and the noise stops. I’m out of ideas. I can’t think over my pounding heart. Seconds tick away like hours as neither of us budges. His green eyes study my face as if it was a piece of fine art. How can his eyes be so human when the rest . . . There’s no anger in those eyes. No malice. Just sadness. “Will?” I whisper. His lips move into a snarl as his snout moves closer. My eyes close and my breath literally stops. This is it. Please just let it be quick.

But instead of teeth on my face, a soft, wet something moves up my cheek. My eyes fly open. We’re face to face until he moves to my other cheek, licking from jaw to eye. Oh. My. God. This is too frigging bizarre. He returns to my other cheek, caressing it with his tongue. I must taste good. Or this is a werewolf French kiss. As if that wasn’t creepy enough, his snout tenderly muzzles where he just licked. This is not how I imagined our first kiss. “Um, Will?” I whisper.

A F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigation Series:

1. Mind Over Monsters

FTC Advisory: Midnight Ink provided me with a copy of Mind Over Monsters. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )