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Showing posts with label 4 Star Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4 Star Review. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

4 Star Book Review | Hidden Heat by Carla Swafford

HIDDEN HEAT (Brothers of Mayhem #1)
by Carla Swafford
Published: February 16th, 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Erotica, MC
Provided by publisher via NetGalley for Review
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Google Play
FOLLOW the Tour: Tasty Book Tours
Sizzling with passion and suspense, perfect for fans of Joanna Wylde and Julie Ann Walker, the Brothers of Mayhem series revs up as a headstrong beauty faces off against an outlaw motorcycle club—and falls for the bad boy she never saw coming.

Cassidy Ryder refuses to be intimidated by anyone, even the hell-raising, hard-drinking Brothers of Mayhem. The daughter of their former president, she’s not above smashing a few heads to keep her teenage brother safe. But when Cassidy’s big mouth gets her in trouble, the only thing that saves her is some quick thinking from the Brothers’ bartender. He’s commanding and strong, and as smooth as the whiskey he pours: the ultimate temptation for a girl who swore she’d never be a biker’s plaything.

But Thorn Savalas is no ordinary biker. He’s a cop, and he’s worked too hard earning the Brothers’ trust to blow his cover over a female—even one who rocks a pair of jeans like Cassidy. The only way to protect her is by claiming she’s his old lady. Trouble is, Thorn can’t just pretend. He wants Cassidy, and every scorching touch tells him she feels the same. But acting on their hottest fantasies could leave them both exposed . . . even if nothing else has ever felt so real.


In Hidden Heat, Cassidy is trying to save her younger brother from the same destructive life their parent's lead in the Brothers of Mayhem MC. Thorn is working undercover to bring down the entire MC and their illegal operation smuggling motorcycle parts. When Cassidy takes it too far and gets on the bad side of  Stonewall, the club's president, Thorn steps in and saves her by claiming her as his old lady. As they begin to trust each other, Thorn lets Cassidy in on the operation by making her his CI. He'll do anything to protect her from Stonewall. Neither of them expected to fall in love along the way.

This book was different from any of the other MC romances I've read. While most MC romances focus on the MC and the people within it, Hidden Heat shows two people trying to break free of it. The actual club in Hidden Heat wasn't like any of the other's I've read about. The others seemed more like families. The women, specifically the old ladies, and children were respected and protected. In this book, the women in the MC were treated terribly and the children even more so. The Brothers of Mayhem MC seemed more like a group of men who were only together for their own gain and no one else's. Whereas in the others I've read, they all worked together for what was best for the entire club and the people in it. I think I prefer the kind of MC's that are more family-based, even if they still do illegal things like the Brothers of Mayhem. I liked how Hidden Heat focused more on this undercover cop who has infiltrated the club in an effort to bring it down. We get to see all the planning that goes into that kind of operation. At first, Cassidy seems like a liability to the operation, but when Thorn sees how desperately she wants to save her brother and see the club destroyed, she becomes a great strength to him, even though she still causes some problems. I just really liked this different angle in an MC romance.

As I mentioned, Thorn is an undercover cop in the Brothers of Mayhem MC. But he is also a part of the Savalas criminal family. Although he went the straight and narrow way, his connections to such a family give him an advantage in his undercover work. He has a younger brother named Wolf, who I thought was adorable and at times I felt sorry for him. He really just wants to know that his brother cares about him. Wolf really doesn't seems like a bad guy at all. I'd love to see a brotherly scene between Thorn and Wolf. Cassidy is the daughter of the Brothers of Mayhem's founding president and the foster daughter of their founding vice president. She and her brother Storm never had a good life growing up and that has led her to make come pretty bad choices, but now she's trying to keep her brother from making the same mistakes that she did. Storm is on the cusp of turning 18 and being eligible to become a prospect in the club. He doesn't like his sister nagging him about the club and he especially doesn't like it when he sees her with Thorn. They are both very head-strong people and are constantly butting heads. Then there's Stonewall, the Skull and president of the Brothers of Mayhem. He's a disgusting old man who has been wanting inside Cassidy's pants since she was a young teen. He finds ways to make things difficult for her and Thorn and he even uses Cassidy to get Thorn to do as he wants. Stonewall is a man who only cares about his own wants and needs, no matter what they are.

I liked how the story switched between Cassidy's point of view and Thorn's. We really get the whole story with this set up. I also enjoyed this different take on an MC romance, having one of the main characters as an undercover cop. Thorn is a character that you can really get behind and root for. And for Cassidy you really just want to see her have a better life, with Thorn of course. Everyone loves a happy ending. There is a happily ever after for them, but it definitely doesn't come easy. There are some surprises in store for them and some sacrifices. Stonewall, while I hated his guts, was a very good villain in this story. I really want to read Storm's story, There seems to be more going on than Cassidy or anyone else, including us the readers, realize.  I want to know what's been going through Storm's head. All in all, Hidden Heat has everything you could want in a story. A new take on most other MC romances, characters you root for, a villain you can't help but hate, scenes that leave you wondering what else could possibly happen next, and characters you want to know more about in the future books in the series.


Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Carla Swafford loves romance novels, action/adventure movies, and men, and her books reflect that. She’s married to her high school sweetheart and lives in Alabama.




Saturday, February 13, 2016

4 Star Book Review | Perfekt Control by S.T. Bende

PERFEKT CONTROL (The Ære Saga #2)
by S.T. Bende
Published: February 9th, 2016
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Mythology
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords
Rule the realms.

Brynn Aksel is a valkyrie—a battle goddess tasked with protecting both the God of War and the future of Asgard. She fends off giants and dark elves with an iron fist, a glossy smile, and no less than perfekt control. She’s focused one-hundred-percent on rising through the valkyrie ranks, and not at all on her lifelong crush on Henrik Andersson—the one guy in all the realms who could be her undoing.

Henrik serves as War’s other bodyguard, and he’s too focused on protecting their shared charge to realize that Brynn’s a girl. When an unprecedented surge of darkness abducts the Goddess of Love, Brynn’s already-steely focus is singularly directed on her new assignment—accompany Henrik to recover the realms’ source of light before the cosmos descends into chaos.

While battling demons, dragons, and the not-quite-dead, it becomes clear that immortality does not equal invincibility. And when Hel herself puts a hit on Brynn, the valkyrie has to decide if staying in control is worth losing everything . . . or if it’s time to rule the realms.


In Perfekt Control, Freya Norse Goddess of Love, is kidnapped to lure Tyr into a trap. Odin orders Brynn and Henrik to search the realms for any sign or clue to her whereabouts. With the Goddess of Love missing, the realms being without love will fill with darkness. Brynn knows better than anyone what happens when Love is gone from the realms. Between searching for Freya, pushing back painful memories from her past, and trying to control her feelings for Henrik, Brynn has her work cut out for her. The forces of darkness are poised to attack and Brynn will need her perfekt control to get the job done.

In this second book in the Aere Saga, we get to learn more about Brynn and Henrik, more about the different Realms, more about the super-brain that is Brynnrik and the tech that they create. With Freya missing from the light realms, the dark realms are gaining more power and some strange changes are happening in each species. But what really took center stage was Brynn's battle within herself. There are so many things coming at her at once that her perfekt control is slipping, which isn't good within a Valkyrie.

I really enjoyed the more indepth look into the world the Aere Saga. Incidentally, I liked the description for Helheim the most. At the center, Helheim is the most dark and terrible of the dark realms, but it's descibed as incredibly beautiful, more like what you'd expect a light realm to be described. It makes me think about how so much evil can be hidden behind something beautiful. I loved the dilemma that Brynn had concerning her feelings for Henrik and how they conflicted with her Valkyrie oath. And I loved how their HEA happened. I wasn't expecting it to come about the way that it did. I also really enjoyed the Brynnrik moments. I think that only one who might understand half of what they were saying is Mia, since she helps them develope some of their tech. Oh, and I liked how we saw more of Elsa and her healing abilities. I think that was a really good set up for her story in Perfekt Balance. This latest addition to the Aere Saga really developes the world of this series, while also giving us more insight into Brynn and Henrik.

When we met Brynn in Perfekt Order, she was always upbeat and energetic. But for reason you'll find while reading Perfekt Control, Brynn isn't as happy and bouncy as she usually is. I'd even go so far to say that Mia seemed more energetic than Brynn in this book. Being a Valkyrie under the command of the Goddess of Love, Brynn has a lot that she needs to work out and she needs to choose whether she'll let her fear rule or if she'll let her love rule. Henrik is the other half of the Brynnrik super-brain and the object of Brynn's affection. I loved seeing more of Henrik. He's just as charming as he was in the first book and we even see this really sweet side to him, not to mention a more sexy side to him. I also really liked how competitive he is with Mia concerning their cooking. Brynn and Henrik make a perfekt team. They think the same and fight well together, which make them the perfekt bodyguards for Tyr.

So all in all, S.T. Bende has done a great job in expanding the world of the Aere Saga and has given us in depth descriptions of the realms and their people. Also the way that we are show how Elsa heals is a great set up for the next book, Perfekt Balance. It's also really nice that Tyr and Mia's story continues in this book and I liked how there's this kind of foreshadowing of Mia's possible future with them. While Perfekt Order set up the Aere Saga, Perfekt Control expands it outside of the Midgard realm and into the bigger universe. I have a feeling that some really amazing things are going to be happening in the future books in the series.


Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter | Amazon | Wattpad

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, S.T. Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of McVities cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the books of The Elsker Saga and The Ære Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile and that one day, waffles will be considered a health food.

Find S.T. on Twitter @stbende, her website (www.stbende.com), or send her an e-mail. While you're at it, introduce yourself to @UllMyhr and @TyrFredriksen -- when they’re not saving the cosmos from dark elves, they love meeting new friends . . . especially the human kind.

Want to connect with fellow Norse god fans? S.T.'s readers have created a Facebook group! Head over to the RagnaRockstars page to chat with other readers, talk with S.T., and get access to exclusive content... including Ull POVs and sneak peeks at upcoming Ære Saga books!

TUR is currently available for FREE to newsletter subscribers!

Skål, y’all!



Friday, January 1, 2016

4 Star Book Review | My Heart Is Yours by Amanda Leigh

MY HEART IS YOURS
by Amanda Leigh
Published: June 10th, 2015
Genres: Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | IndieBound | The Book Depository
Samantha Marie Ramsden has three brothers. Craig, John and Matt. When tragedy strikes their family, Craig takes on the task of becoming his siblings legal guardian. It’s hard enough being someone’s guardian, but when you’ve only recently entered adulthood yourself it’s almost impossible to know where to draw the line between sibling and ‘parent’.

This is made even harder on him when Sam starts to get close to a long time friend, Jason. It looks like their friendship could turn into something more. An idea that Craig has never been too happy with. Spanning six years, My Heart is Yours explores family, friendship, love and much more. As well as asking the question: Would you defy family for love?


In My Heart is Yours, Samantha has had to deal with the loss of two sets of parents, but she's always had the support of her overprotective brothers and their best friends. When she falls in love with Jason, one of their childhood friends, it causes tension between Sam and her oldest brother Craig, who doesn't approve of the pairing. With the help and support of John, Matt, Shawn and Chris, Sam and Jason find the strength to fight for their love. My Heart is Yours is a story of pain and loss, family and friendship, and ultimately love and happiness.

Even though in the beginning of the book we learn the horrible and tragic things this group of young people have suffered, the most overwhelming thing in this book is the love that they have for each other. If I had to sum up in one word what this book was about, it would be LOVE. Love in the midst of tragedy, love in the midst of hardship, love in the midst of adversity, love with family, love with friends, and love within love. My Heart is Yours, spans six years, shows us the strength that love can bring to you, even in the hardest times of your life. It's a truly beautiful story.

Sam is a truly admirable character. She has seen a lot of tragedy in her life, losing two sets of parents in horrible ways. But through all of this, Sam has remained strong. Even though she suffers from horrific nightmares and painful migraines, she doesn't let that stop her from living life and loving deeply. But she has been left with the fear of losing anyone else she loves. Of their three friends, Shawn, Chris, and Jason, Sam has always been the closest to Jason, them being the same age and both being the shy kids they were. So its understandable that the love they have for each other would grow to more than the love between best friends.

Jason suffered a similar childhood to Sam's so they understand each other on a level that the others can't and form a really strong bond. Everyone around them had noticed the feelings they had for each other before they did, which Craig was never happy about, and the level of anticipation that they all had for Sam and Jason to finally realize and get together was both funny and cute. And then there's the fact that Sam and Jason are both shy people, so whenever they were teased about their relationship they would both blush, which was so adorable. Seriously, Sam and Jason are the cutest couple ever.

I really loved Sam's close relationship with her brother John. She loves all three of her brothers, but she was always the closest to John. He is very understanding and he's always there for Sam, no matter what. He supports her relationship with Jason 100 percent and was even looking forward to them being together. Though Craig is protective of Sam in a more parental way, being her legal guardian, John seems to be even more protective of her than any of them. He's always the first there for her, the first one by her side, and the first ready to kick the butt of anyone who hurts her. Who could ask for a better big brother? I absolutely loved John.

As I said before, Amanda Leigh has written a beautiful story and I couldn't help but love the characters. There were just a couple formatting and editing issues I had. The story spans six years and is written in three parts: Part One is from ages 16-18, Part Two is from ages 18-20, and Part Three is from ages 20-21. Then the epilogue takes place twenty years into the future. The entire story takes place in the 1960's, which was interesting, although I didn't really get an overall feel for the time except for a few places where it talked about historical events of that time. Also, I'm used to reading books that are written in first person which I prefer, so reading My Heart is Yours in third person made it a bit difficult for me to tell from who's point of view to story was currently being told from. Some POV transitions were very clear, but there were some that left me guessing. But even with these couple issues, I absolutely loved this book and if Amanda Leigh ever decides to come back to these characters and write another story, I am so there.




PROLOGUE

Five and a half year old Samantha slept in her white threadbare sheets. Tonight the wind was coming through particularly strong from the cracks in the wooden boards on her window. Her small body shivered.

The door creaked open and her mother entered. Sam had the same blonde hair as her mother. Her eyes were her own though. Changing from blue, to grey, to blue-grey, to green or any combination of these colors seemingly simultaneously. Sandra’s hand approached her daughter’s shoulder and she shook her roughly awake. The clock on the wall read three o’ clock in the morning. Sam rubbed her eyes. “Come on!” Her mother said as she looked over her shoulder. “Get out of bed, now!” She grabbed a hammer from the toolbox they kept in Sam’s room, went to the boarded up window and started tearing the boards to the floor. Wood splintered through the air. “Go on.” She gestured to the window. “Get out. Go.”

Sam hesitated for half a second then climbed through. She knew she couldn’t ask questions. She got into trouble when she asked questions.

Sandra wiggled through the window; she cursed aloud as the glass cut her shoulder.

“Don’t try to run away from me!” The hoarse shout came from behind them. Sam’s father. Sam knew what it meant when he was like this.

Sandra pushed Sam into the car, ran to the other side and jumped in. “Mommy.” Sam said as they went speeding past houses. “What’s wrong?”

“If you must know, your father’s more drunk than usual. He has a gun and he says he’s gonna kill us. Satisfied?” Sam’s eyes widened as she looked in the rearview mirror. There was a car right on their tail. Sam stretched in the front seat to see who it was; she recognized the face of her father. “Mommy!” She yelled. Her mother ignored her. “The only reason I’m taking you with me is cuz as a single parent with no job I might get some money from the government.” “Mommy!” She yelled again. “Otherwise I’d just let him kill you.” The car stopped, jolted forward and stopped again. “Damn it. We’re out of gas.” Sam’s mom muttered. Sirens wailed in the background.

Beside them, Sam heard the screech of tires. Blonde hair hit Sam’s face as she turned her head toward the noise. In the car beside them her father scooted across the front seats; his eyes wild with rage. A flash of black came from behind him. Sandra frantically tried to get the car started. Too late. An arm shot out around her neck; holding her fast. Her husband held the shiny black gun to her head and before Sam could scream from the sound, the trigger boomed and her mother’s body slumped over on the steering wheel. Deep red blood gushed out of her head forming a pool on the floor.

Before Sam climbed out of the car window, her father’s eyes met hers. There was nothing there. No sorrow, no fear, no pain, no love. Nothing.


Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | TSU | Tumblr | YouTube

Amanda Leigh graduated with a BA in English and Communications and a double minor in Psychology and Creative Writing. During college, she worked on the literary magazine and loved every minute of it. She adores cats and has one named Sawyer - named after one of her favorite characters in Lost. Amanda enjoys reading, writing avidly in a journal, writing poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction, cooking, listening to music, singing, swimming and art - particularly photography. Amanda is a bit of a chocoholic and is slightly obsessed with office supplies. She has many ideas for stories so keep an eye out for more work from her. ​







Tuesday, December 22, 2015

4 Star Book Review | The Asgardians by S.T. Bende

SUPERNATURAL CHRONICLES: THE ASGARDIANS (Dynamis in New Orleans #9)
by S.T. Bende
Published: December 21st, 2015
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Mythology
Provided by Author for Review
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | GooglePlay
Inga Andersson just can’t catch a break. She’s supposed to be enjoying a ski week in beautiful Åre, Sweden, with her immortal-assassin husband. Instead, she and Gunnar are trapped inside a bizarre scavenger hunt, unraveling an incomprehensible riddle at the bequest of a mysterious being known only as The One. And if Inga and Gunnar don’t decipher the puzzle and deliver a mythological relic to a New Orleans graveyard within three days, they’ll be ejected from the Norse pantheon, stripped of their immortality, and cast as the solitary line of defense against the onslaught of frost giants and Helbeasts ready to bring about Midgard’s fall. What started as a party game has become a lethal challenge with irreparable consequences, not only for Inga, but for the god she loves . . . and the realm she adores.

Let the hunt begin.

The Asgardians is a standalone crossover novella set within both the Elsker and Ære Universe. It features The Elsker Saga’s Gunnar & Inga, AND The Ære Saga’s Henrik & Brynn!


Inga and Gunnar are enjoying a ski week vacation with Henrik and Brynn in Åre, Sweden, when their fun is interrupted by a message from the Norns. An unprecedented amount of dark energy has begun to surround Midgard and the Bifrost has been closed indefinitely. With the Bifrost closed, and their return to Asgard impossible, they will become mortal without Idunn's apples. To save Midgard and open the Bifrost, the Norns are sending these four Asgardian warriors on a scavenger hunt for an item that will prevent the darkness from taking over Midgard. They must find this item and take it to New Orleans, if they fail the Bifrost will be closed forever and Midgard will fall into darkness.

Supernatural Chronicles: The Asgardians is Book 9 in the serial series Dynamis in New Orleans. Each book has a supernatural race searching for an item that they need to deliver to New Orleans in order to save themselves and the world. The Asgardians takes characters Inga and Gunnar from S.T. Bende's Elsker Saga and Henrik and Brynn from her Ære Saga. Aside from the scavenger hunt part of the story, I also liked how Inga's past was incorporated into this story. Someone she loved dearly was killed and she wants revenge. I liked how well this second part of the story was interwoven into the main Dynamis story. It really brings all the stories together nicely.

I like the concept of all the stories in the Dynamis in New Orleans serial series and it was exciting getting another story in S.T. Bende's Norse worlds. Although you don't need to, I wish that I had read the previous 8 books in the Dynamis Serial to get the whole story. While this is a great addition to the Elsker and Ære Sagas, I really do think that it would be best to read the other Supernatural Chronicles if you want to understand the entire Dynamis story. I think this might have been why I wasn't able to give The Asgardians a five star rating. I felt like I was missing parts of the whole.

I absolutely loved seeing the two most outgoing and fun-loving couples in the Elsker and Ære Sagas in one book. Well, kind of a couple in Brynn and Henrik's case. In their respective series, these characters lighten the otherwise seriousness of the story. Because of this, The Asgardians was a more light and fun story than the others in the Elsker and Ære Sagas. I especially liked how during the fight scenes, while there's a serious reason for them fighting, they are able to have fun while doing it. Basically what I'm saying is that because of these characters personalities, this book was a fun and entertaining experience, even with the seriousness of the reason behind the events that happen.

S.T. Bende has a beautiful way of writing a story. Everything flows together so perfectly and that really allows the world to come to life and the characters personalities to shine. The only thing about this book that I think could have been changed is making Chapter 1 a prologue. Because the events in Chapter 1 happen six years before the events in Chapter 2, it felt more like an introductory prologue than the first chapter of a book. Otherwise, I really found no other problems with The Asgardians. It was a fun read and a great addition to S.T. Bende's Norse worlds.


Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | RagnaRockstars | Amazon | Wattpad | Newsletter

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, S.T. Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of McVities cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the books of The Elsker Saga and The Ære Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile, and she dreams of skiing on Jotunheim and Hoth.

Find S.T. on Twitter @stbende, her website (www.stbende.com), or send her an e-mail. While you're at it, introduce yourself to @UllMyhr and @TyrFredriksen—when they’re not saving the cosmos from dark elves, they love meeting new friends . . . especially the human kind.

Want to connect with fellow Norse god fans? S.T.'s readers have created a Facebook group! Head over to the RagnaRockstars page to chat with other readers, talk with S.T., and get access to exclusive content . . . including Ull POVs and sneak peeks at upcoming Ære Saga books!

TUR is currently available for FREE to newsletter subscribers!

Skål, y’all!



Monday, September 7, 2015

4 Star Book Review | The Reaper’s Kiss by Abigail Baker‏ | Giveaway

THE REAPER'S KISS (Deathmark #1)
by Abigail Baker
Published: August 24th, 2015
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
Provided by Publisher via NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon
Drop-dead gorgeous…and fatal.

Ollie Dormier's tattoos are deadly. She is a Scrivener—an employee for Death—and her skull tattoos mark her clients for their demise. She does her job, and she stays out of trouble. But when her hands start to burn hot and fierce, and her control goes leaping out the window, all hell breaks loose. Ollie is showing the early signs of being a Master...demonstrating power that is forbidden.

That power is exactly what Reaper Brent Hume is counting on. A hot, scruffy rebel, who does marvelous and terrifying things to Ollie's insides. Now he needs Ollie's help—and her skills—to overthrow the evil and corrupt Head Reaper. That is, if he can figure out a way to keep this hot-handed girl cool...and keep his hands off.



Cover Review:

The cover to The Reaper's Kiss really shows a good depiction of Ollie. The model has the dreads in her hair and we are even shown Ollie's Deathmark, which is shown on her arm. I really like this cover.

Book Review:

Olivia "Ollie" Iris Dormier is a Scrivener, an agent of Death who marks humans for death. She's a tattooist who Marks those that ask for skull tattoos. Once the Deathmark is complete it signals to that human's Grim Reaper that it's time for him/her to ferry that soul to the other side. But when Ollie starts showing signs of being a Master Scrivener, Head Reaper Marin sends one of his Eidolon Reaper Chad - a Reaper of Reapers and Scriveners - to catch her in the act. 

Marin is a tyrannical leader, punishing those of his people who do anything he doesn't like to banishment in Erebus - or Hell. But there's a rebellion working against him, and when Chad forces Ollie to place her Deathmark on her best friend Eve, it's the last straw. With the help of Brent, a "lumbersexual" Reaper who is part of the rebellion, Ollie takes the fight straight to Marin.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. The Reaper's Kiss is really imaginative. Who knew that Reaper's got high on sugar? Even the small things make this story interesting. I loved the whole rebellion and the fight against the Head Reaper. No one like a tyrannical leader who only cares about himself. The history about the Scrivener Purge was interesting and lets us know why Marin has it out for Ollie. All of the supporting characters has a lot of life and uniqueness to them. 

Then there's Brent. He's a Eidolon Reaper who used to be second-in-command to Marin, but he joined the rebellion. He's one of the strongest Reapers in Styx and he has a secret that could endanger Ollie's life. But that doesn't stop them from falling in love with each other. While I felt that there could have been a bit more romance to solidify their relationship a bit more, everything that they've faced together and survived still brings their strong bond together. I loved Brent and Ollie so much. 

Rating:

I gave The Reaper's Kiss a 4 STAR rating. I loved this unique take on the business of Death. "Death doesn't like bartering." We see this very clearly as the story goes along. I loved seeing Ollie become a leader in her own right and stand up for what's best not only for herself but also the people of Styx. I would have liked a bit more romancy-like moments between Ollie and Brent, but their strong connection is still brought forth in a way that makes sense. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, especially after that awesome ending.


After raiding Lethe, the underground lair of the Head Reaper, Brent and I convened around a piping hot radiator in my livingroom. The temptation to sit on it and warm my buns was there, but I resisted. What was impossible to resist was standing side by side with Brent without touching. And the more we sought warmth, the closer we became. Too soon we were all but hugging in effort to regain our body heat.

Had he suggested removing our clothes, I would not have partaken. I would have liked to know what the rebel Brent Hume was like in the bedroom, but not right before Lethe, in Lethe, or after Lethe, and certainly not standing over a radiator, shivering ourselves silly.

My clicking teeth slowed as the radiator, and Brent’s body heat, melted a layer of ice on my clothing. “Did you... you get the Reaper’s name?”

He pulled down the collar of his shirt to expose a white notecard inside a plastic bag—the prize from Lethe. A name was scribbled on it, but from what I could see the writing had bled. Brent noticed a second after me.

“Mother fucker,” he groused. “The ink got wet.”

“Of course it did.” It was too much energy to roll my eyes. For now, I needed heat. Lots and lots of heat.

He held the baggie up to the overhead light. “I see a name. Baird.”

“Is that a last name or first? Is it a male or female? Who is it?” My shivering worsened my panic, which in turn worsened my shivering. “We did this all for nothing, didn’t we? Didn’t we?”

“Good Hades, calm down, Scrivener.” He turned from me when I tried to get a peek at the name through the soggy baggie. Not one to take such an obvious cue to give him space, I went for it, using my own shivering to launch into the air. Quick as he was, he underestimated my determination. The baggie was in my hands before my feet touched the floor. Being short and swift was a fine offense against tall and slow.

“Hey!” he barked.

“It says Baird. It’s a last name.” I ducked when he reach around my shoulders, thwarting his effort to retrieve the baggy. “But I can’t read the first name. No knowing if it is a guy or gal.”

“Give it back.” Brent refused to continue reaching for the prize, as if little ol’ Olivia outplaying him was a front to his ego.

“I don’t know a Baird,” I said.

“Neither do I. This means I can’t just look the Reaper up and distract him or her like I had planned.”

“So I was right?” I dropped my arms to my sides as we faced each other, Brent looking as bewildered and broken as I felt.

“Seems so.”

I sighed to keep from breaking into tears. My shoulders and head felt heavy. The couch seemed a great place to throw myself down and let my emotions pour out. I would’ve found out, if Brent did rush at me and grab the baggie. There was only a small glimpse of his wicked smile before we found ourselves entangled, both vying for the prize. A moment after, I found out what it would be like to collapse onto the couch, only with the Eidolon, too, falling over top of me. The springs of the IKEA beast cringed from our weight.

Thoughts of Eve and the name Baird flitted away in exchange for one very real thing hovering above me.

I grew tense but hopeful when his eyes turned to my lips. I knew what that meant. Every woman did. However selfish and grossly out of place it was, I was okay with one kiss, more curious than frightened to discover what it is like to kiss an Eidolon who could drain my life. Perhaps my motivation was to ridicule Fate by kissing the lips of Death himself. Or maybe I was cold, tired, and downright horny.


Author Links: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter

Abigail Baker shares her home with a Siamese cat endearingly named “The Other Cat” and two rescued mutts with mundane human names that people think are cute. In addition to writing about rebellious heroines, she enjoys hiking, discovering craft beers, baking the perfect vanilla bean cupcake, and rock climbing (going as far as scaling 800 vertical feet to the summit of Devil’s Tower National Monument in 2013).

Abigail won first place in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s 2010 Colorado Gold Writing Contest for Romance for THE BLOODSUCKER and first place in RWA’s Golden Network’s 2011 Golden Pen in Paranormal Romance for TATTOO OF YOUR NAME ACROSS MY SOUL (now THE REAPER’S KISS, Deathmark Book One). She regularly blogs about life observances, lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains, and can be easily found hiking any of Colorado’s best trails.


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Friday, July 31, 2015

4 Star Book Review | Honor Bound by Ann Gimpel

HONOR BOUND (GenTech Rebellion #2)
by Ann Gimpel
Published: June 9th, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Military, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense
Provided by Bewitching Book Tours for Review
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes
We have to trust to fight side by side, but love’s so unexpected—and so irresistible —it trumps everything.

Honor takes a huge chance and flees her compound one wintry night. A genetically altered woman, she has no memories from before her kin staged a rebellion seven years before. Because of her enhanced physiology, she finds a home working for the CIA alongside four other women just like her. There are still plenty of rules, but they’re different, and she’s figuring out how to blend in.

Milton Reins burns through women and marriages. After the third one implodes, he swears off hunting for a replacement. Running the CIA is a more than fulltime job. There’s no time for anything else in his life, which is fine until Honor comes along. Training in the gym throws their bodies together and makes him remember the feel of a woman in his arms. Milton aches for her, but she’s a freak—the CIA term for test tube humans designed by scientists.

Honor wants Milton with every bone in her body, but it’s a terrible idea, especially after she delves into his head and sees his ambivalence toward her kind. Need drives them together, but their differences create roadblocks every step of the way. Fueled by anger and fear, she shuts him out. So what if the sex was great, she’s done.

Or is she?


Cover Review:

I really like the cover for Honor Bound. I love that it looks like they've got each other's backs. The colors compliment each other. The only negative I have for this cover is that they way the woman is holding the gun looks a little strange.

Book Review:

The stakes are higher in Honor Bound! The teams are training and getting ready to hit more of the compounds when, out of the blue, high activity is detected for all locations but one. The compound nearest them. What they find there is both horrifying and hopeful.

Honor is one of the genetically altered human women that escaped their compound in the first book, Winning Glory. In Honor Bound, Honor finds her own love in Milton, the leader of the CIA. But it's not easy for either of them. Honor doesn't have much experience  and knows even less about human behavior and relationships. Milton has had three failed marriages and he's build a wall around himself that's almost impossible to get through. Add to that all of their differences, the extreme danger, sexual tension, and meddling friends, and things between Honor and Milton get complicated really fast. But there is a happy ending for these two that really made my heart light, especially after a certain life and death situation that had me on the edge of my seat.

The teams get two new recruits when they hit the first compound in the beginning of the book. Nameless Ones, Frank and Tony, both geneticists, claim amnesty. They chafe a little with the new command structure, but they are instrumental in the saving of one of Honor's friends, Charity. This helps set up the foundation for Charity's book.

With Frank and Tony's arrival into the fold, we also learn that the V4 are taking over all the compounds, but they are unstable. Their genetic material is being compromised. And that's not a good thing. At all. Having ticking time bombs leading an army of enhanced humans has positives and negatives, but I have a feeling that nothing good is going to come of it.

I have loved reading Glory and Honor's books and I can't wait to read more about Charity next!

Rating:

I gave Honor Bound a 4 STAR rating. I loved reading about Honor and Milton. They were able to beat very bad odds and love each other with their entire hearts. I loved the new addition of Frank and Tony. Learning a bit about their life as Nameless Ones was interesting. And the fight against the "freaks" is getting even more dangerous!


Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | 
Amazon

Ann Gimpel is a mountaineer at heart. Recently retired from a long career as a psychologist, she remembers many hours at her desk where her body may have been stuck inside four walls, but her soul was planning yet one more trip to the backcountry. Around the turn of the last century (that would be 2000, not 1900!), she managed to finagle moving to the Eastern Sierra, a mecca for those in love with the mountains. It was during long backcountry treks that Ann’s writing evolved. Unlike some who see the backcountry as an excuse to drag friends and relatives along, Ann prefers solitude. Stories always ran around in her head on those journeys, sometimes as a hedge against abject terror when challenging conditions made her fear for her life, sometimes for company. Eventually, she returned from a trip and sat down at the computer. Three months later, a five hundred page novel emerged. Oh, it wasn’t very good, but it was a beginning. And, she learned a lot between writing that novel and its sequel.

Around that time, a friend of hers suggested she try her hand at short stories. It didn’t take long before that first story found its way into print and they’ve been accepted pretty regularly since then. One of Ann’s passions has always been ecology, so her tales often have a green twist.

In addition to writing, Ann enjoys wilderness photography. She lugs pounds of camera equipment in her backpack to distant locales every year. A standing joke is that over ten percent of her pack weight is camera gear which means someone else has to carry the food! That someone is her husband. They’ve shared a life together for a very long time. Children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out their family.


Saturday, June 6, 2015

4 Star Book Review | Exposure by Morgan & Jennifer Locklear

EXPOSURE
by Morgan & Jennifer Locklear
Published: June 3rd, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Provided by Author for Review
Purchase: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★★☆
Publicist Shaunna Noble is no stranger to the ego-filled dysfunction of Hollywood's elite, but is she ready for her two biggest clients to turn into her worst nightmare?

Kyle Petersen and Michelle Cooper are Hollywood royalty, everyone's favorite celebrity couple, but while on location filming their new summer blockbuster, Kyle ambushes his wife with divorce papers and orders Shaunna to destroy Michelle in the media. Unwilling to comply, Shaunna spectacularly and publicly quits her job, humiliating Kyle in the process.

David Quinn, a struggling actor cast alongside the A-listers, is caught in the crossfire. When pictures surface of David and Michelle out on the town, media and fans rush to crown them Hollywood's new hot couple. Kyle explodes, tensions boil over, and everyone's lives and careers are thrown into jeopardy.

So what's a publicist to do? Especially when Shaunna finds herself falling in love with the sexy and talented David. Can she put out fires on the set while keeping the flames burning in the bedroom?

Love, lies and passion. What happens when the naked truth is exposed?


Cover Review: 

The cover of Exposure is really simple, with a black background and reel of film negatives. What I really like is the scenes on the film negatives. They are scenes from the book. So even though it's simple, it shows a good portion of the story.

Book Review:

Kyle Peterson and Michelle Cooper are the It Couple in Hollywood, but not all is well between them. While on the set of a Sci-Fi thriller that they both star in, Kyle has Michelle served with divorce papers. As the tension between them escalates, their publicist Shaunna and young struggling actor David, get caught in the middle. Shaunna and David's budding romance is put in jeopardy, and Michelle's reputation is put on the line, as Kyle becomes more and more vindictive. But as Michelle, Shaunna, and David become closer to fight against Kyle's attacks, it's Kyle who had better watch out.

Most of Exposure takes place on the set of Sling Shot, a Sci-Fi thriller that they are working on. Kyle and Michelle are the leads and David has a smaller but no less important role in the movie. Shaunna is Michelle and Kyle's publicist. Michelle and Kyle's marriage was already rocky, but when he read in her journal that she was planning to divorce him, he took the initiative and served her with divorce papers first, hoping it would be better for his image and destroy hers. 

Things really escalate when Kyle demands that Shaunna spin the story in his favor, but Shaunna is outraged and won't ruin her best friend's career. Besides, Kyle always treated her like garbage, so her loyalty was always with Michelle. David is smitten with Shaunna the first time he sees her, and when Kyle has her arrested, he's determined to be there for her. David gets drawn further into the mess of Michelle and Kyle's divorce, when Michelle pretends that she's involved with David to stick it to Kyle. As events play out and they return home, Kyle becomes more vengeful and vindictive, but all this has made Michelle, Shaunna and David a close-knit group of friend and they have powerful allies to take Kyle down.   

Kyle is a character that I hated right away. He is the definition of a prick. He really disgusted me. I loved Michelle. Through everything, she was dignified and really held her own. Shaunna was the best. She loves Michelle and will do anything to protect her best friend from Kyle, even sacrifice her own happiness. David is the calmest and most understanding guy, and Michelle and Shaunna rely on him a lot. Their friend, Nathan, who was also the director of the Sling Shot movie, seems like this laid back guy, but when he finds out about the abuse Kyle has been doing to Michelle, he takes matters into his own handle, literally. Nathan is very protective of those he considers friends. Michelle, Shaunna, David and Nathan - along with a few other powerful friends - really make up a winning team to take Kyle down a few - okay, a lot - of pegs.

While there was a lot of nastiness with the divorce and all the power-plays, there was some really good romance in Exposure too. Shaunna and David grow closer with each new attack brought against them, and even when it seemed like they'd never be able to be together publicly, their love for each other never diminished but grew stronger. I really admired how they handled the situations thrown at them and never backed down from a fight. I see Shaunna and David having a forever kind of love. Michelle even found a new love interest in Sly, a man who works for her lawyer. Their beginnings were so darn cute. Sly is an old fashion kind of guy and Michelle is so shy, I just could help but smile whenever they were together. So darn cute!

Rating:

I gave Exposure a 4 STAR rating. Love and friendship prevailed in this book and the Prick was put in his place. A more than happy ending for our heroes. I loved this book and I'd actually really love to read another Hollywood-type story like this one. Really I'd love to read a book about Nathan. He was one of my favorite characters and I'd love to know more about him. It just seems like there could be a whole lot more to tell in this book world.



Morgan and Jennifer Locklear met in 1989 as teenagers and became high school sweethearts. They have been married since 1995 and live in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States with their two children, a son and daughter.

Although both enjoyed creative writing in their youth, they have only been working as a writing team since 2010. Since then they have created a dozen full-length and short stories together.

Jennifer has been employed in fundraising and development for a non-profit organization since 2000. She also enjoys participating in charitable activities, both locally and online. In her (limited) free time she is an avid reader.

Morgan has been employed in the hospitality industry since 1998. He has been active in the local performing arts community since childhood with many acting and directing credits to his name. He is also a musician and songwriter and has recorded 6 albums.


Friday, May 1, 2015

4 Star Book Review | RIDE: Awakening by A.C. James

RIDE: AWAKENING (Puca Mates #1)
by A.C. James
Published: April 29th, 2015
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy
Provided by Maxwell Author Services for Review
Purchase: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★★☆
*** This a not a full-length book. This novella is part one of a serial romance.***

Felicity Forrest has the perfect job as an investigative blogger for Everyday Supernatural. This curvy girl gets sent to the Aran Islands to find out whether a púca shape shifter is responsible for the strange accidents haunting a construction site.

Niall O’Leary is tall, broody, and totally alpha. His mission is to discover why the veil between the human world and the Realm has lifted. And as the Chieftain’s son he must find a mate or his twin will be promised to a stallion he despises. He has a duty to his family, his clan, and a need for offspring. Otherwise the púca could become nothing more than folklore.

Passion and frustration ignite when a curvy human female tempts his inner stallion like no other. There’s only one problem... She just got out of a relationship that left her broken hearted. Is she ready for a second chance at love?

Reader Note: This book is for those who are 18+. It contains explicit language, sexual situations, and one helluva cliffhanger. However, if you like curvy shifter romance, a stallion who can’t resist his curvy woman, and a dash of humor, then this is the story for you. Please read these installments in order. Enjoy!


Cover Review:

I'm going to be completely honest when I say that it wasn't the cover that drew me to this book. The cover is quite plain, but the story is what really intrigued me. So don't let the cover sway you in not giving this book a shot. You won't be disappointed.

Book Review:

Felicity Forrest is still recovering from a nasty breakup six months prior. She and her best friend Cyn are planning to celebrate Cyn's 25th birthday when Felicity gets a call from her boss with an assignment. Felicity is a paranormal investigator and blogger for Everyday Supernatural. There are reports of a Puca haunting on Inis Mor, one of Ireland's Aran Islands. So Felicity takes Cyn with her on her new assignment.

The veil has been lifted and the Puca have been awakened. Niall O'Leary, the son of the clan chieftain is sent beyond the veil to discover why the veil has lifted before it's appointed time and to find himself a mate. The puca species is mostly male, so breeding is needed to keep them from fading into myth, but Niall doesn't want any part of it. What he wasn't expecting to find during his mission was Felicity. His stallion is immediately enamoured with her, but Niall isn't giving in that easily.

Puca are shapeshifters that take the form of horses, rabbits and goats. They always have black fur and glowing eyes, and they can bring good luck or mischief. This case seems to be mischievous. This was my first time reading a book with horse shifters, so this was definitely a new and interesting experience.

Felicity and Niall don't have a very good start in this first book. The fact that Felicity is still hurting from her breakup months earlier, makes her resistant to let anyone else in. And Niall is holding back by the skin of his teeth because he doesn't want a mate. I really didn't like that he compelled Felicity to ride him in his stallion form, so I feel he kind of deserved what Felicity dealt him. But there were also signs that she may be his true mate, so that could brings some really interesting developments in the future.

Ride: Awakening has great world and character development for a serial. A lot of the serials I've read haven't had much in the way of these developments, so I was really happy that this book was different. It was so well done that it was almost like reading a very short full-length novel. This world is so rich and full and complex, and the characters are complicated and alive and different.

Rating: 

I gave Ride: Awakening a 4 STAR rating. The world and character development for this book is amazing for it being a serial. I really enjoyed the depth of both. With the way this book ended, I really want to know what's going to happen with Felicity and Niall next. That was one killer cliffhanger. I have a feeling that things are going to get really interesting.


Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author A.C. James writes paranormal romance and erotica, including Eternal Ever After which was featured in the bestselling Spice Box anthology. She pounds out sexy scenes at her keyboard where romance is laced with horror in hot stories of vampires and bad boy werewolves. Her stories feature strong heroines and alpha heroes, with plenty of action, twists, and turns that will keep you turning pages. A.C. resides in northeast Pennsylvania where she entertains her husband with her imaginative yarns and quirky sense of humor. She spends her time drinking large vats of coffee while taming two toddlers by day and writing by night. Recovering video game beta tester and tech geek who grew-up going to cons and watching SmackDown. There's probably some cosplay pictures around somewhere of her dressed up as Bloodberry from Saber Marionette J. Just don't tell anyone.



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