I found this an interesting read. Prom Nights From Hell is actually a collection of shorts stories, each written by a different author. Basically, horror, supernatural, high school stuff, vampires and demons, that kind of stuff.

 

Yes, I am aware that Stephanie Meyer is one of the authors on this list. So what. I've actually never read Twilight or a single book by her so this was interesting for me. I've written a separate review for each story.

 

The Exterminator's Daughter by Meg Cabot

 

This felt like a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfic. Mary is a vampire hunter, and her best friend has fallen into the hypnotic clutches of a vampire. A vampire who also happens to be Dracula's son. Um yes, you read that right: this teenage girl is a vampire hunter who has to take down Dracula's son. It's really silly. But I thought it pretty funny and it's not supposed to be serious. A bit of romance along the way too and it was rather enjoyable.

 

The Corsage by Lauren Myracle

 

Ever heard of The Monkey's Paw? Yeah, it's in a similar vein: be careful what you wish for. Unlike the other stories, this one was rather serious and had consequences happen and a bit of tragedy. Still...I didn't feel like it was done very well. It kinda ended a bit awkwardly, too. I just ended up feeling sorry for the character which did die because he meant well.

 

Madison Avery And The Dim Reaper by Kim Harrison

 

Oh, I really liked this one!! Madison is at prom, being ditched by her date, and meets the boy of her dreams who happens to be a GRIM REAPER who promptly kills her. And she dies. And then...it's a bit complicated to explain, but there are Black Reapers and White Reapers as well as Grim Reapers, and they have to save her from being annihilated. Oh, and she gains some magical powers or something...and gets a guardian angel. I liked it, it had a great sense of adventure. My only problem was that it was a short story so it was rather open-ended but otherwise I liked the atmosphere.

 

Kiss And Tell by Michelle Jaffe

 

This story begins with the main character dying. Then it goes back in time. Actually, this story is quite unique, though a little bit weird. The main character has superpowers. I don't freaking know how or why. Neither does she because she can't remember the last 10 years or some shit. But she has to use her powers to save this little girl (a girl who won't stop kissing as many boys as possible! see what I mean? It's so weird) who is apparently a prophet...or something...which is never confirmed. She apologises everytime she knocks out a bad guy. Lots of action and I really enjoyed it!! Felt a bit awkward sometimes but the protagonist was written pretty well.

 

Hell On Earth by Stephanie Meyer

 

Oho, I'm reading my first Stephanie Meyer novel!!...and it's not half bad. Basically, unpleasant things are happening at prom - not dead people or anything, just jealousy and dates cheating on other dates, people getting into fights, LOTS of drama. Yup. Turns out that a couple of demons are mixing things up to cause as much misery as possible because they benefit from that. I found it sketchy at first but I really enjoyed how this one ended. Maybe because I'm a sucked for the angel x demon pairing. But yeah it felt a little different.

 

And that's that. I didn't really dislike any of the stories, they were all pretty great and good fun to read. If you like vampires or demons, a supernatural atmosphere, possible female protagonists kicking ass and a generous dose of comedy then I'm sure this would be enjoyable.

I love Sports Romance. I just love a hero or heroine who is really really good at something. 

 

I love capable heroines who aren't afraid to punch someone in the face. 

 

I use to be a competive speed skater. 

 

Thus, I love Roller Derby and if I can get it in a Romance Novel--Joy is Mine!

 

Here are some Romances with Roller Derby! My lists are never in any particular order. 

 

1.  The Mane Squeeze by Shelly Laurenston

 

Growing up on the tough Philly streets, Gwen O'Neill knows how to fend for herself. But what is she supposed to do with a nice, suburban Jersey boy who has a tendency to turn into a massive Grizzly? Despite his menacing growl and four-inch claws, Gwen finds Lachlan "Lock" MacRyrie cute and really sweet. He actually watches out for her, and unlike the rest of her out-of-control family, manages not to morbidly embarrass her. Too bad cats don't believe in forever.

 

At nearly seven feet tall, Lock is used to people responding to him in two ways: screaming or running away. Gwen--half lioness, half tigress, all kick-ass--does neither. She's sexy beyond belief and smart as hell, but she's so busy protecting her family and friends that she's forgetting about her own safety. Lock probably shouldn't get involved, but he can't simply walk away. Not when Gwen means absolutely everything to him.

 

2. Falling Hard by Megan Sparks

 

When Annie moves from London to a small town in the midwest, she struggles to fit in. She gets off to a bad start when she makes an enemy of her school's queen bee, Kelsey. But she discovers a new passion, the exciting sport of roller derby, and makes friends with the cool and quirky girls on her team, the Liberty Belles. She also meets Jesse, the friendly boy who works at the roller rink, and Tyler, a cute, all-American sports star.

 

3. Found by You by Victoria H. Smith

 

He’s noticed by everyone… 

Griffin Chandler. 

He’s captain of our college’s basketball team. I swear to God I’ve already seen him in a Nike ad, and he’s one of the top picks when he goes pro following our spring graduation. 

His life is on display for the world. Both his accomplishments and demons there for judgment. 

I’m a girl who likes to play roller derby from, of all places, Wisconsin. My own demons better concealed. And one day… 

He notices me. 

Found by You is a new adult contemporary romance. 

 

4. Love and Skate: Books 1-5, The Complete Series by Lila Felix

 

On the rink she’s tough, she’s a leader, she’s fast and she’s the epitome of a rebellious girl. But Nellie’s been hurt, only once, but it was enough to make her look at life through different eyes and off the rink she’s a timid girl who loves with no pretenses. 
A long time ago Owen Black was betrayed by the girl he thought he loved and the guy he called his best friend. The anguish set off a domino effect of negativity in his life and he never has fully recovered. He meets Nellie Forrester and thinks he can let it go for her.  
But how can you love someone when the wounds from your past are still wide open?

 

5. The Derby Girl by Tamara Morgan

 

Roller derby girl Gretchen "Honey Badger" Badgerton lives in the moment, no apologies. Like every woman in Pleasant Park with a pulse, she finds Dr. Jared Fine irresistible, but she's taken by surprise when her unattainable new neighbor asks her out.

On paper, Jared is the perfect man: gorgeous, wealthy and charitable. But his golden image is just that, and opening an upstate practice is a welcome chance to start a new life. When Gretchen stops to help him with a flat tire, he's intrigued by her feisty attitude—and her sexy body art. There's something refreshing about being with a take-charge woman who doesn't expect him to be anything but himself.

 

Though Gretchen is hesitant to shatter Jared's "bad girl" illusion of her, she has to face facts: she's fallen for the good doctor. She's used to putting everyone else's needs before hers, but as their relationship heats up, can she handle having someone take care of her for a change?

 

6. Derby Girl by Shauna Cross

 

 

n this exciting collection of paranormal tales, best-selling authors Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), Kim Harrison (Once Dead, Twice Shy), Meg Cabot (How to Be Popular), Lauren Myracle (ttyl), and Michele Jaffe (Bad Kitty) take prom mishaps to a whole new level—a truly hellish level. Wardrobe malfunctions and two left feet don't hold a candle to discovering your date is the Grim Reaper—and he isn't here to tell you how hot you look.

From angels fighting demons to a twisted take on getting what you wish for, these five stories will entertain better than any DJ in a bad tux can. No corsage or limo rental necessary. Just good, creepy fun.

 

10. Demon Derby by Carrie Harris

 

Casey kicked cancer’s ass. Now a demon wants to kick hers. . . .

Casey hates being known as the girl who survived cancer. She wants people to treat her like her old self, fearless and strong. And after a creepy encounter with a crazy guy in an alley, Casey is all about reclaiming her power.

So when she has a chance to try out for the Apocalypsies roller derby team, she jumps on it. Being a derby girl would prove that she doesn’t need anybody’s pity. It doesn’t hurt that Michael, the team manager, is almost unnaturally hot. Which makes sense when Casey finds out that he’s not human.

Michael’s got a secret: he trains demon hunters. That crazy guy in the alley? Demon. And the fact that Casey went head to head with evil and lived makes her a threat to demonkind. Casey thought she’d already fought and won the battle of her lifetime. But it’s only beginning. . . .
 

 

Did I miss one? Let me know!

 

Vote on my Goodreads list: Jam: Roller Derby in Romance Novels 

None of these really stood out for me. Several of them actually felt like chapters and/or novellas that were offshoots of established series. It does look like this is true for one of them, but oddly enough not even the one I had the most problems with. There were a lot of endings that didn't end so much as...stop.

 

The Exterminator's Daughter had an storyline that could have been fascinating, but said storyline was unfortunately not the plot of the story and things ended before any of the interesting stuff was handled.

 

The Corsage was The Monkey's Paw (which did genuinely scare me), but updated with a very bratty protagonist and also not scary. Although it was not the worst story in the book and was well-written enough, it was probably the biggest disappointment for me because I had such high expectations given the source material. It did at least have a conclusion in the correct place.

 

Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper felt a bit like a fever dream, but not necessarily in a bad way? This actually does have a novel following it, so further explanation on some of the zany ideas presented regarding reapers is at least forthcoming. The main character was kind of an idiot, but I do hope that there may be some kind of character arc where she figures that out.

 

Kiss and Tell was what happens when Heroes meets the Bloodlines series, maybe? I don't regret reading it, but I didn't really get the allure.

 

Hell on Earth I did not finish. I would be ashamed of myself, but I did skim through the rest of it and decided it just wasn't worth it. It had lost me before I had read five pages.

 

Short stories are more difficult than novels, but I was hoping for a lot more from this anthology.

 

 

a lot of the stories in this book followed the same basic tone: an admittedly bland main character/antagonist lead the way into some more-than-slightly predictable plotlines, most of which were only very loosely relevant to an actual prom, including them only in mention and/or passing. overall, they were all alright, with only a couple of them truly jumping out at me and even then, they didn't jump out at me in the right way - quite a few of these stories felt like the first few chapters of a book or a prequel or something. nonetheless, (almost) everything in this collection was inoffensive and perfect for a noncommittal, late night, right before bed read.

i finished this about a week ago and none of the stories really stick out to me anymore, at least not in any positive light, so don't mind if this review is a little sparse on the details.

now, let's get to business.

the exterminator's daughter by meg cabot ★★☆☆☆
this one was... okay. it would've been decent as a full-length book i think, because it wouldn't have had to crush itself into just a few chapters and totally forego any chance for good characterization, logical relationships, or even a plot worth following.

the main character wasn't very interesting, because she was fairly typical for a girl in a supernatural/paranormal romance book, complete with a dead mother and an ache to avenge her. however, contrary to that, her mom's story was actually pretty interesting, and i definitely would've liked to see that subplot explored a little bit more. in fact, her mother's story might have just been a better read overall. much like the rest of the stories included in this anthology, it felt like the beginning of a book, if not an entire series.

the one thing that i will give this story is that it was a nice big middle finger to cliches when she wound up with the typical boy-next-door character, adam instead of the super hot vampire rival, so it has that going for it. meg cabot's writing itself is easy to read along with and sink into, too -- i just wish i'd had more to sink into.

the corsage by lauren miracle ★☆☆☆☆
this was easily the most disappointing story in the book. as a fan of the whole monkey's paw concept and just about anything that involves wishes gone wrong, i was actually excited to read it! so imagine how sad it made me that it was so... dull, first of all. the main character was vapid and useless, and her love interest was little more than a glorified "nice guy" who, in a way, deserved what he got because she was being a spoiled twat and he should've asked someone who wouldn't demand a "grand gesture" before they had even gone on a date.

not to mention, this was almost... offensive to me. i hate the whole "well i like him but i'm the girl so i have to wait for him to make a move obviously!! girls can't come onto boys!! that's weird!! i don't understand i've done so much wHY DOESN'T HE LOVE ME YET?!??!?!" trope that's unfortunately common in quite a few ya romance books, particularly ones with supernatural beings surrounding a dreadfully human heroine.

this main character was irritating, bratty, and even her sudden turn (or whatever you want to call it when she decided that wishing for her mangled ass love interest to come back without bothering to specify that, hey, maybe he should be put back together again was a good idea) was sudden and didn't have any actual reason to it. it was a childish, desperate move and the realization that she didn't want him without so much as seeing him first (or thinking to, perhaps, use the monkey's paw to fix his fucking busted up body instead of being so ungrateful and dragging this poor dude along for his entire life and then his death only to decide she was gonna have to pass) came a bit too quickly for my taste too.

i haven't read anything else by lauren myracle, and i have to say that i hope not everything she writes is so shallow and absolutely pointless. the writing itself in this story was decent, but i was so irritated by the characterization/"plot" that i didn't notice it too much, sorry.

these might get kind of out of order from here on but hey, hey -- i can't help the way i am, disorganized and nowhere near my copy of this so i can't just peek at the table of contents.

hell on earth by stephanie meyer ☆☆☆☆☆
nicely put, this was a contrived, mind-numbing 40 pages of time that i'll never get back. but that's not quite enough to say now, is it?

the first thing that i want to put out is a disclaimer that i actually do not mind stephanie meyer's writing. some of her passages were very, very aesthetically pleasing but the problem is that she only elaborates beautifully on things that... do not fucking matter in the slightest, such as the dress that a girl is wearing, or the color of the walls or anything at all other than legitimate personality and depth. the way that she describes things that actually matter is, more often than not, clunky and... for a lack of a better word, contrived. she delivers facts through unnaturally written dialogue that doesn't sound like a way that even the oldest of demons would actually speak, or she bumrushes and smashes them all into one thick, run-on sentence of a paragraph so she can carry on about the color of this angel's eyes or the dress this idiotic demon is wearing.

while i understand that the female lead of this story was a demon so she was supposed to be evil and overall unlikeable, did she have to be so fucking insufferable? and this trite about demons getting caught in an angel's web unless they're told to go to hell because oh my god true love oh my god is just... sickening.

this entire thing was fucking sickening. i wish i could unread it.

kiss and tell by michelle jaffe ☆☆☆☆☆
i want to give this a review but honestly i don't even remember it? all i do remember is a whiny main character who was drab and prudent but that was secretly a good thing and then this whiny little bitch of a side character who was kissing all of the boys all the time to show how.. . . .. . . ?? who the fuck knows. she just kissed everyone, and talked too much, and generally grated my last nerve. the main dude was annoying as shit too. the only upside to this stupid story (as i remember) is that it wasn't focused on romance so much as female friendship, or female circle quirks or whatever the fuck was going on. spare yourself.

madison avery & the dim reaper by kim harrison ★★★★☆
so if you've been wondering how the fuck this book wound up with three stars when i hated almost all of it, worry not, because i am about to tell you. this, this little gem that made all of my suffering worthwhile, or at least tolerable. madison annoyed the hell out of me on the first page, i will admit that, and she continued to do so for about the first ten and i was totally like wHAT ARE YOU DOING DON'T GET IN HIS CAR but then she learned for herself what being dumb and childish gets you so, you know, it worked itself out. and that was pleasing. the characters that she met were all intriguing in their own way, with each one leaving me curious and wanting to know more about them, and she actually managed to develop in this tiny little taste of her life that i was afforded and (especially given her company in this anthology) that was impressive to me.

i found myself upset partway through that this was going to end, that i wouldn't get to see what happened because the reapers concept is downright interesting to me. the ending was shaky at best but once i found out that this was the beginning to a series, it made perfect sense, and i cannot wait to read the rest of the series!! like i said before, it almost made up for the rest of this, and i would recommend picking this up (and quickly turning to this story and closing it right after you finish) based on this alone.

I felt very conflicted about this book. I thought the beginning was brilliant. I loved the mystery, was dying to get to the end.

And then the end came. I honestly did not see it coming. But that's because it was really RANDOM. I'm not gonna lie, I really didn't like it. I just don't understand the person's motive, or rather, the lack of a motive. Am I supposed to believe that the person is just crazy? I don't get it.

I felt that toward the end, the author just kept introducing all these new suspects by making perfectly nice characters either really douchey or creepy. Take Scott, for instance. And David. And Ollie. They all seemed pretty decent at first, but then the author turned them into either a creep or an asshole. It was annoying. The author ruined these characters by making them totally unlikable. 

And the thing that annoyed me the most is how little Bonnie's death is included in the story. I was thinking that Bonnie's murder and Jane's near murder were by the same person, but then it had nothing to do with it. Bonnie's murder was never solved and I REALLY hope there is a sequel about that. I want some closure for Bonnie; I kinda liked her.

Jane herself I really liked, and I have to admit I LOVED Kate. I really wish there was more about Kate. She was a very interesting character.

Overall, it wasn't bad and I do recommend it, but I was hoping it would be amazing. And IMO, it just wasn't.