Blog Tour & Giveaway: Villere House: C.D. Hussey & Leslie Fear Halloween Blog Tour

by Reviews by Tammy and Kim - Sunday, October 27, 2013

Villere House is one of the most intriguing, roller coaster-like, voodoo performing, and absolutely poetic books of 2013.

Written by C. D. Hussey and Leslie Fear

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College senior, Lottie Boyd, expects to drink too much while on spring break in New Orleans. What she doesn't expect is to be haunted. Or fall in love. But that's exactly what happens.

It starts with strange, vivid dreams about a 19th century widow so desperate to save her sick little girl, she's willing to do anything--even if it involves the black magic of Voodoo. It doesn't end there. Voices, ghost sightings, familiarity with things and places she couldn't possibly know. All leading her to the Villere House of Voodoo and the young Creole owner, Xavier Villere.

Xavier is compelled to help and is drawn to Lottie in a way he's never known, but skepticism of his family's century-old link to Voodoo and the occult keep her at arms length. If he can only come to terms with his heritage, he might be able to help solve the mystery of the widow plaguing Lottie's dreams. And maybe even find love in the process.

Note: Villere House is an adult romance and not suitable for readers under 18.

Excerpt:

Xavier is oh, so, delicious "He immediately pulled her closer, his arm wrapping around the small of her back. His moan of approval was so delicate, so subdued, she couldn't hear it, only feel it as it vibrated her lips."

Our blog was asked to promo Villere House by a fellow blogger friend, and after finishing the book, I am glad we signed on. Villere House is a quick enjoyable read, one that held a sense of mystery and intrigue.

What's not to like about a blurb that entices you with voodoo, New Orleans, ghosts, historical periods, oh and a super-hot hero? Villere has all this and more.

I used to really enjoy paranormal, but as of late not so much. Therefore, I was on the fence when I started this book, since I wasn't sure if I would be able to connect and really immerse myself in it, however the voodoo theme and switch between historical time and present really captivated me. It is definitely different from the angsty NA books I have been reading recently, and not your typical (vampire/wolf) paranormal read. One of the main things I liked about this book is the fact that it leaned more towards the romance genre with a bit of supernatural thrown in. It’s not a beat you over the head type of romance; it’s a subtle build and blend of present mixed within the memories of the past. Xavier and Lottie are fun and delightful, as is their chemistry. To be honest, I wanted to spend less time in the past with Elise and Laurent (not because they weren't essential to the story or enjoyable), and more time in the present with Xavier and his deliciousness; I just couldn't get enough of him. There was just something so sweet and alluring about him. I can say that without a doubt his character made this book for me.

Although the story was engaging and over all enjoyable; I did falter a bit around 30%, having to set the book aside and step away. I will say that the second half of the book flew for me.

Kudos to first time author Leslie Fear; her first venture into the world of writing is a huge success in my book. If I hadn't been told, I would have never known she was a first time author. Leslie's first book is so well written that in my opinion it's better than some seasoned authors. I found it to be very well written. Villere House had an interesting plot line, different from what I normally read; the plot and characters were well developed with depth and personality, and the attention to detail intriguing.

I would most definitely recommend Villere House, and I am looking forward to what the authors have in store for book two. Just an FYI, this book does not end with a cliffhanger.

Thank you, Leslie Fear, for providing me with the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Villere House in exchange for my honest opinion.

During a Spring break trip to New Orleans, Lottie begins having the most vivid and detailed dreams she's ever had. In the dreams, she experiences events as Elise, a 19th century widow. Lottie is a college student visiting New Orleans for Spring Break with a couple girlfriends. Xavier runs his family's Voodoo shop, located in a house that has been part of his family since before the Civil War. The characters meet and both are immediately drawn to the other, though neither can figure out why the draw is so strong. The characters are well written. Actions and reactions feel natural for both, and we learn more about each character, the chemistry between them makes more sense. I am a sucker for books that blend historic plot points with a present day story line, and this one pulled me in from the very beginning. Because of the nature of the dream visions, it had the potential to feel like the present day character was always asleep in order to progress the historical story line, but I didn't get that feeling here. Instead, I found a little bit of humor in the ways Lottie tried to force herself to sleep, and the reactions of Xavier whenever she mentioned unnatural methods of inducing sleep. The historic story line really was a secondary plot more than a driving factor for the main plot. I found myself curious as to what was going to happen next with Elise, and the inclusion of the dreams helped develop the connection between Lottie and New Orleans and Lottie and Xavier. Because I have one of those imaginations that doesn't turn off when I close a book, I have a tendency to stay away from ghost and spirit related paranormal books. Any other paranormal subgenera doesn't give me any note of pause, but ghosts, hauntings, and spirit interaction scares the bejesus out of me. There were some points in this where I was in chills (didn't help that the cat jumped up on my legs in the dark while I was reading one of the first scenes where the spirit speaks to Lottie…darn cat!), but for the most part the spook factor was not over the top. Bottom line: there is enough paranormal activity to keep things interesting, but not enough to scare you silly. (Says a confessed scaredy cat.) Overall, Villere House had a good plot, well written characters, perfect setting, and not over the top scary. A perfect combination for a good, spooky read.

Thank you, Leslie Fear, for providing me with the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Villere House in exchange for my honest opinion.

About the Authors:

Leslie Fear

Facebook/Goodreads/Twitter

Leslie has always been an avid reader and when she began posting reviews, she went back to her roots and started writing again. She is also a singer/musician and was a member of a local group which performed in the Dallas/FT. Worth area in the early '90's.

Leslie lives in Texas with her husband, two great kids and a pug.

C.D. Hussey

Website/Facebook/Goodreads

When not writing, C.D. Hussey enjoys a career as a professional engineer. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, teenage son, and two cats.

Besides exploring the world of Human Vampires, C.D. also enjoys writing fantasy romance.