Diaries of an Urban Panther [Kindle Edition]

Amanda Arista (Author)

Book Description

Violet Jordan Rule #1 of being a superhero: No tights.

Dear Diary,

By now you know I'm hardly a normal girl. Last night I woke up naked in an alley after fighting off some werewolves. All in a day's work, I guess. I thought I was dealing pretty well with the whole werepanther thing: the training, the apocalyptic prophecies. And the hot guy following me around, protecting me at every turn, is definitely a bonus. I'm even starting to become accustomed to the bloodshed and the violence—and that's what scares me. What will tomorrow bring…

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Amanda Arista was born in Illinois, grew up in Corpus Christi, and lives in Dallas, but her heart lies in London. Good thing she loves to travel. The summer after second grade, she read every book in the young adult section of the library, so she started making up her own stories and hasn't stopped. She has a husband who fights crime, one dog who thinks he's a real boy, and another who might be a fruit bat in disguise. When not writing, Amanda often dreams of co-opening an evil bakery and selling despicable desserts. She spends her weekends writing at coffee shops, practicing for the day that caffeine intake becomes an Olympic sport, and plotting character demises with fellow writers Wolvarez, Killer Cupcake, and Keith (names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent).

Product Details

• File Size: 703 KB
• Print Length: 426 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0062114743
• Publisher: Avon Impulse (July 5, 2011)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0053JAG1Q
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,143 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Read July 27, 2011

By LAS Reviewer

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Romantic paranormal suspense readers are in for a tasty treat. I was simply wowed by the great world building, fascinating and convoluted characters and a many leveled plot that had me wide-eyed with appreciation through most, if not all, of this book by a new-to-me author.

Ms. Arista has presented me with a new addiction and it's all because she created an awesome heroine named Violet Jordan. One of the things that painted a vivid picture in my mind about the heroine was her self-references to Star Wars. I giggled and snickered but I got the point, and it played well into the dynamics of her character and her relationship with one of the important secondary characters, her best friend, Jenna. Violet is the focus of the tale and it's told in her point of view. Everything I learned about the rules of engagement was gleaned when she figured things out, or when they were revealed on a need to know basis. Just like in real life, nothing is made easy or clean or without cost and that certainly applies to this story. The price is oftentimes high but with every scary or horrible thing that happens, I watched Violet grow stronger, her purpose solidify and her self esteem soar. Sure, it gets battered and smacked around a bit but that's par for the course for a supernatural Xena on a mission. I enjoyed that whole process of her coming to terms that she even has a mission - she's a scary movie writer for goodness sakes, not a heroine. But ultimately, that is what Violet is; a heroine with a heart.

The hero of the story is Charles Garrett, a/k/a Chaz. Oh, does he ever have a chip on his shoulder. He's the classic mystery guy who comes to her rescue whether Violet wants him to or not. He's not even sure why he's involved until later on in the book. Even the good guys aren't given all the facts, which of course compromises how effective they are at the job they're sent to do. I am still not exactly sure about all the things that Chaz can do because I think the author only shared enough of what makes the hero tick to get him through this story alive and with Violet learning to trust him. There is so much more to this man that I am totally sucked into rooting for him and am enamored of his many talents. He's a fighter, a cook, a domestic god and a heck of a kisser. He's also lonely, with vengeance tormenting his heart. The best thing that ever happened to him was Violet, even when she drives him crazy and exasperates him no end.

There is plenty of humor sprinkled throughout this story as well as other secondary characters that give the tale flavor and substance. Each one plays a role in helping Violet learn about herself and glean important information that will affect her future. Some are good and some are bad and some secondary characters are icky nasty. Ms. Arista even threw me a curve ball with one of the bad guys. It was shocking and very well written. I never suspected a thing and when it was revealed, I was just has miffed as Violet was. Okay, perhaps not as strong as that. I mean, the heroine lived the tale so it personally made her fur stand on end whereas I could only commiserate with what she must have been feeling. The author did a wonderful job in getting me to care and connect with her characters, can you tell?

One thing of note, this story sounds like it is the first of many. It has a happily for now ending because Violet and Chaz really had to work up to their big moment of purrs and lovey dovey revelations. In the process of reading Diaries of an Urban Panther, a reader will see both characters fight the attraction because they both felt it had no future. By the time the story winds down, after exciting confrontations, double-crosses and fiendish claw action, the hero and heroine could finally take a breather and admit to what was in their hearts. However, it's tempered with a few down to earth concerns that slowed the passionate pace their bodies were clamoring for. I liked how it ended, soft, with seductive promises of a future worth waiting, and perhaps fighting, for. What's it going to take to give a full green light to their love? Maybe I'll find out in the next book.

Diaries of an Urban Panther shows promise of being the next powerhouse series that readers will devour with avid devotion. The world building is incredible, with so many possibilities to explore and characters yet to reveal why they are really in Violet's life. This book should resonate with readers of the Kitty Norville series because both of them have a strong leading lady who engages the imagination and keeps readers riveted by the romance blossoming and maturing in each book. I expect no less for Violet and I can't wait. I am completely hooked on the potential fire between Chaz and Violet, and what role the heroine will end up playing in the shifter communities. The story is gripping, surprising, energetic and exciting. I was entertained and involved from the first moment the heroine saved the little boy and I couldn't put the book down. I give Diaries of an Urban Panther high marks for being an awesome reading experience. Thank you for the new reading addiction, Ms. Arista!

Origianlly posted at The Long and Short of It Romance Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Story: Book 1 of a Trilogy February 24, 2013

By Douglas C. Meeks TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Reading Order:
Diaries of an Urban Panther(Book #1)
Claws and Effect: A Diaries of an Urban Panther Novel (Book #2)
Nine Lives of an Urban Panther (Diaries of an Urban Panther) (Book #3)
"First Dates Are Hell" from Vampires Gone Wild (Supernatural Underground) ( 1 of 4 stories)

NOTE: This review covers the story of the whole trilogy without any spoilers (I hope) since this is really one long exceptionally good story.

Violet is hardly normal, she has went from being a script-writer for horror movies to being a shapeshifter but there is something special about Violet, something that an old prophesy says will help all of the shapshifters in Dallas have a better life .... If she lives that long and overcomes more problems than you could list with Excel.

This series was a bit of a surprise since I had the first 2 books buried in my "to-be-read" stack of books for over a year and that is where they would still be if I had not been given a copy of Vampires Gone Wild to review and in that anthology the best story was one called "First Dates Are Hell" which was very good and it came from the Urban Panther series (actually in the timeline it was after the trilogy of books).

So after enjoying that story I grabbed the books I had, bought #3 and started reading and was totally hooked into this story, I am not sure if the author was writing a trilogy when she wrote Diaries of an Urban Panther but these 3 books have to be read together to really get the full impact (who wants to read 1 book of the Lord of the Rings?) and while each book has an ending of sorts the real story that threads through all of them is the one that ends in the last book of this trilogy.

While I do not want to give away too much of the story, I can say it was one of the best reading experiences I have had in several months, but while I am extolling this series greatness I need to point out that if you are OCD about editing then book 2 may pose some problems since her editor must have jumped ship during the writing/publication of Claws and Effects (book #2) but I was still able to enjoy it and continue on but be forewarned.

The ending of the main story arc threading through all the books coming to an epic end in book 3 and one of the best endings I have seen in awhile to be honest. The characters were fleshed out very well, Violet was an awesome heroine and her humor was what made reading this series a much more pleasurable task.

Let me just say that as a full time reviewer as a hobby, I get dozens of free books every month and I went and BOUGHT all of these books after reading the story in Vampires Gone Wild and in spite of some bad editing and stumbles along the way, this story was so good I could care less. I give it 5 Stars not because it is an awesome piece of writing but because it was the best story I have read in a long time AND I liked the way it made me feel when it ended. You don't get many of those type stories.

My hope is that she may come back to this series (although blogs have said it was over) since I loved it but the ending was good enough I can live with this being all these is, get these books and enjoy a great story and ignore any stumbles along the way to an awesome ending. The story in Vampires Gone Wild was just a bonus to close a loop on one of the characters and it was done exceptionally.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Diaries of an Urban Panther is a quirky fun romp. September 8, 2011

By M. Nix

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Violet Jordan writes scary movies by day she never expected her life to become one. After Violet is attacked by a werepanther outside her home, her life spirals into that of a science fiction plot. However, the side effects of becoming a werepanther herself don't actually seem so bad. Super speed? Check. Super hearing? Check. Super smelling? Not her favorite. Super hottie guardian? Check! Chaz was sent to watch over Violet because there is something very special about her. Violet may be the only person capable of saving the world. Suddenly all those fairy tales her mother told her before bed don't seem so far-fetched. Perhaps her mom was preparing Violet for her future the only way she knew how. Can Violet figure out her powers and how to save the world before it's too late?

Diaries of an Urban Panther is a quirky fun romp. Violet is a sassy and hysterically funny heroine. Violet and Chaz have plenty of fiery chemistry. I like the plot and the humor in Diaries of an Urban Panther but there are a few things that I didn't like. There are places where I felt like the conversation or situation just ended and then picked up someplace totally different. It felt choppy. I love the lively banter between Violet and Chaz but it took forever for them to actually do anything about their feelings. I kept thinking if someone doesn't make a move soon I'm going to scream. Overall, I enjoyed Diaries of an Urban Panther.

Miranda
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed