Flight

So if you read my last blog you know I raved about Alyssa Rose Ivy’s book in Midnight Kiss Box set. I went looking for another of her books and I found this! 
Flight #1 in the Crescent Chronicles
It was your typical New Adult Paranormal Romance, but that’s ok with me.
The story line was about a girl who needed to get away for the summer before starting college. So she decided to go and work at her fathers hotel up in New Orleans. While she is there… guess what!! She meets a boy, who happens with be like a walking chocolate bar with super powers.
But can she trust him?
Naw, probably not.

It was a really, really easy and captivating read. While the main character was maybe a little frustrating at time, she did have her strong points. The story was typical, but maybe a little dramatically unrealistic. Some major events fell  a bit short of being convincing. But that’s A-Okay, I still really liked it and am in the process of reading the next in the series called ‘Focus’.
I have to say I don’t entirely know where the series is going to go. There is some obvious tension that is building up, but I have no idea if it will fizzle in the name of romance, or whether it will take it to the next level… lets read and find out!

I would suggest this to those who love a N.O romance. I felt it was a little more YA than NA which I saw it listed as, but there you go. I’ll let you guys decide on that. I would suggest it for those YA obsessed more than NA readers.
I didn’t find very full on in the paranormal side of life, which is good if you just want a light PN read.
Good, solid, light read.
and for .86c on amazon, why not?

Rating: 

ARC: Midnight Kiss

There are so many wonderful books based in New Orleans and this is no exception. This is a collection of four dynamic and individual stories, with one running theme… Halloween and New Orleans!
These are four individual stories, however they do come with a much loved formula.
Girl is at a cross-roads in life and finds adventure on Halloween, in New Orleans, which naturally involves a trip to Midnight Cauldron to see an authentic, one-of-a-kind, big busted witch!
And of course you have to meet the man of your dreams, who just happens to be so sexy he may in fact be the devil himself. Just joking, he is probably an angel, vampire?
Does is matter?
The main thing is you get to fall in love!!
[Four times with four guys]

You would think it would get old, wouldn’t you?
I mean, how many countless times have we read the same old romance story, and how many countless hours to we  spent roaming the french quarter of downtown New Orleans?
But every time I pick up a book that starts with a girl, ends with a boy and at some point has a bar fight on Bourbon street.. I am really.freaking.excited!
I have been there.
I have done that.
and every time I just want to go back.
and do it again. and again. and again.
Its old, but it doesn’t get old!
I can’t get enough of New Orleans and paranormal romance, especially if there is a full moon and Halloween is howling.
The combo is deliciously divine with an edge of dangerous, a tasty treat and lets face it… there really is no better way to spend a day!

So was is in store for you in New Orleans today….?

Sarra Cannon After Midnight

Peachville fans hold onto your pants this one is awesome!! I am hoping its the brilliant start of a new series. It’s all action from the start, an intriguing and captivating story, and you just wanna chuck a tantrum at the end because there isn’t a second book to read IMMEDIATELY.

Blurb:
“From the outside, Becca Goldberg looks like any normal freshman girl at Tulane, but she’s been keeping a terrible secret. She’s really Allison Moore–a young witch from Peachville hiding out from an evil coven of witches known as the Order of Shadows. She thinks she is safe until an unexpected accident occurs. Now, she only has until midnight on Halloween until her identity is discovered.
She must turn to the hottest, most elusive guy on campus for help. Will he help save her? Or will her life come crashing down around her after midnight?”

Rating: 

Juliana Haygert- The Midnight Test

A story for those who love unconventional girls, reclusive guys and of course ghosts and witches. It was a quick and easy read. Lots of potential in the characters and story! I’ll be keeping my eye out for book 2!
Didn’t grip me from the very start, but I was definitely keen for more by the end.

Blurb:
“Being the weakest witch of her generation, nineteen-year-old Hazel is convinced she’s supposed to live a normal, human life–except for the occasional ghost hunting. When Hazel moves to New Orleans, the most powerful witch coven in the world grants her a chance to join them, but only if she passes a dangerous test on Halloween night. Everything is going fine until mysterious Sean steps in Hazel’s way, putting her entire test at risk.
Will she be able to ace the test and keep them both alive at the same time?”

Rating: 

Alyssa Rose Ivy- Seduction’s Kiss

Wowowowowow… okay. Have never read any of Alyssa Rose Ivy’s books but immediately went out a brought one of her books. I loved her style of writing. Her characters. Her ability to compress heaps of story and detail into the page.
This was a fantastic read. Maybe a little slow at the start but Ooooo… by the end… one word. A-Mazing.

Loved it.
Couldn’t ask for more… expect maybe a second book? 😀

Blurb:
“Never agree to a road trip to New Orleans with your roommate. At least not when your roommate is dragging you along while she reconnects with an ex boyfriend. Possible consequences of failing to take my advice:
1) Unknowingly going out with a vampire stripper.
2) Getting kidnapped by said vampire’s nest mates.
3) Falling head over heels for your winged hero.
Believe it or not number 3 is the worst one, especially when no one believes you that he exists.”

Rating: 

Jennifer Snyder- Kiss of Awakening

This has a lot of great things in it. The females are fun, the male is cool-calm-and-collected, also kinda sexy, the story has got all the right junk in all the right places.
BUT the writing of it was a little, noooott sooo good, IMO. I found she tried to jam pack sentences with information that wasn’t necessary and there were conversations that happened that were irrelevant.
But great story line and the writing got better towards the end.
I personally didn’t find this book as strong as the others, however that doesn’t mean you wont!

Blurb:
“With one kiss, everything will change…
When a mysterious letter arrives from her estranged mother, twenty-one year old Kenna Blake and her best friend, Bree, make a trip to New Orleans hoping for a little Halloween fun and to get away. The mystifying Crescent City has something else in store for her though.
Cryptic messages, a hot tour guide, and a new sense Kenna can’t seem to explain are just the beginning of this eye opening trip. Will Kenna accept what awakens within her or will she crumble under its reality?“

Rating:.5

Thank you to Sarra Cannon for the ARC copy which I received in exchange for a review.
I had so much fun reading this box set and I recommend it to all romance lovers. It’s a really treat which some hidden gems.
It is also super great value: BUY HERE

Hope you liked my review, if you didn don’t forget to subscribe!

and if you need me I’ll be down at Cafe Du Monde

One serve of chicory coffee and beignets please!
😉

ARC: Shadow Burns

Book: Shadow Burns
Author: SM Reine
Series: Preternatural Affairs, 4#
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal.
Rating:
Blurb:
“When more than a dozen people die at a retirement home, the official story is carbon monoxide poisoning. Cèsar Hawke is convinced the reason is less mundane and more infernal. But that’s his job. As an agent working for the Office of Preternatural Affairs, he’s always looking for supernatural answers to deadly questions.
Isobel Stonecrow agrees to help him find the truth. With her powers of necrocognition, she can speak to the dead and get the real story.
But when they return to the crime scene, they find a lot more than cadavers. They find a nightmare that they can’t escape—a nightmare from Isobel’s past, which even she can’t completely remember thanks to the contract that signed away her soul.
Cèsar will have to disinter Isobel’s secrets to save her. He’ll learn who Isobel used to be, what she’s done, and the price she paid…no matter how deadly the knowledge might be.”

---

 

SO every time I read SM Reine I have to just obsess over how much I just adore her and how I think the whole world just needs to read all of her books! I got this book as an ARC and I am really behind on reviewing is as it has already been out a week or so 😥
BUT I have good reason.. I just had to read the rest of the series first!
This series has been on my TBR for ages but I have been swamped by other books.
Lame, but true.
However now that I am on SM Reine’s ARC list (YAY!) I needed to read allllll the books. So I did.
Anyway, about this book.

Well obviously it’s freaking awesome. AND you should read it. AND there isn’t much to it.
Here is the link: BUY ME!

…
You need more than that?? hmm

One of the great things about SM. R. book is her characters.
Always her character.
[Elise+James*Swoon*]
and you will have a ball reading the characters in Shadow Burns and the preternatural series. She delves further and further into the characters in every book, making them more complex and creating more depth.
Making you fall in love ^_-
Meow..
We got to find out a lot more about Isobel in this book! She is a necrocognition (cool huh) but that’s not all and if I told you more, I’d have to kill you.
But seriously, we explore her past and get to find out a lot more about her talents. It’s completely… wow..
Our beloved sexy Cesar goes into crisis mode, unsure about….. well… everything. It’s a bit of  mind ****

And I have to say, as I haven’t yet reviewed the others in this series, but I loved the tone of Cesar’s character. I am very used to James and Able or Seth as the lead males, and they were quite similar in tone in some ways. I found Cesar a world apart from them and it was great to see diversity in her writing. But like always, all her characters are just *kisses fingers* perfection.
Fritz- his boss, who is like I don’t even know. Not on this planet.
Suzi- who is his partner and total bad ass with attitude to boot.

The action is never far away. True to her style its packed with blood, guts and a lotta demons… plus everything that goes bump in the night.
And the action start right from the start!

Urban Fantasy… is there a better place to be? No.
There is just so much that happens, I can’t even tell you. Just trust me.
Like mind blown.
So many this revealed.

I can’t say any more.

SM.R. really has a flair for the drama.
And not the sissy drama- the fly by the seat of your pants kind.
The rip your emotions out and leave you a panting, sweating mess on the floor of your bedroom.
Don’t believe a book could do all that to you and still have you begging like an oxygen deprived person?
Well…. read this, I dare you.
😉

I received this in return for an honest review and I honestly loved it.

ARC: Choices…?

Book: Choices
Author: Viola Rivard
Series: Running with Alphas, #3
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance.
Rating: 

Blurb:
“Taylor isn’t sure what the rules are to their polyamorous arrangement, but Hale isn’t letting his new female talk her way out of his bed. Now that he’s had a taste of Taylor, he can’t think of anything but having her in every way possible.

While Hale is chasing after Taylor, Alder delves deeper into the Whiteriver conflict, finding out that his brother isn’t as innocent as he claims…”

Readers should be 18+ and comfortable with menage romance & profanity.
This is not a standalone book.

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..Love you | Hate you..

So this is the third entry of this serial. I have to say not a great deal happened in terms of events. Taylor, Alder and Hale’s relationship became more complicated as things heated up between the three of them.
Hale discovered he had feelings toward Taylor and to his surprise wanted a future with her. Made complicated by the bargain he had struck with Alder which pretty much meant he only had claims to her body. Or in other word he wasn’t allowed an emotional relationship with her.
Taylor spent the novel confused about how she would love two men she barely knew and struggled to come to terms with Alder wanting kids.
Alder remained fairly consistent through the book.

The misdeed that Hale had committed wasn’t as shocking as I thought it would be. It was actually rather smart and stealthy, and all round good business. I had presumed it was going to be a sexual misdeed but it wasn’t anything close to that, which I found a little disappointing after growing so close to Hale in the last entry, I had thought the author was going to chuck us a curve ball and turn our emotions of us, but it didn’t pan out that way.

One thing about this serial that I am seriously not digging is that Alder and Hale are brothers and they are sharing and have group sex with the same girl.
I’m not being close minded here- threesomes are cool, everyone agrees, everyone loves reading about them, blah blah blah….  But a threesome with your siblings, it just feels wrong you know?
and the fact that they are enjoying watching each other do the dirty feels even worse. THEY ARE BROTHERS =s
Someone explain this fetish to me….
Personally I just didn’t dig it… obviously a lot of people are rocking it though because it’s getting 4/5** ratings on GR and Amz, so if you have a secret incest fetish hit it up boys and girls.

I felt there wasn’t a great deal to say about this installment. It was a bit of a bridging entry for me, laying down the foundations for the events to come, but nothing really happening right then and there, which it why I only gave it three stars.
It wasn’t exciting or enthralling enough for a four star and the writing wasn’t crafted enough for five stars.
However, I really enjoying reading this serial despite this entry being average and the brother thing which is why I rated it a three stars.

I would recommend this series to those who don’t have a lot of time to read, but like to read a bit here and there. These entries come out every two weeks or so and are roughly 100 pages long, so good for those going a few stops on PT.

Thank you to Viola Rivard for gifting me this novel in exchange for an honest review. 

ARC: Misbehavyour language!

Book: Misbehavior
Author: Kathryn Kelly
Series: Death Dwellers MC, #3
Genre: contemporary Erotic Romance.
Rating:
Blurb: 

“Matthew “Val” Taylor, the Road Captain in the club, was introduced to sex at an early age. Saved from the streets by the club’s Enforcer and President years ago, Val now lives for women and the open road. Until the night the only woman he’s ever loved is almost killed. Val determines to change his ways and be the man Zoann Donovan should have and the father their son deserves.
Zoann has loved Val for a long time. Violence and bitter betrayal forces her to ignore her feelings and distance herself not only from the sexy RC, but her beloved brother, too. Until she discovers the truth. Can Zoann ever be forgiven for all the pain she’s caused? Will Val overcome his own demons and have a future with her and their son? Who will survive in an MC filled with lust and revenge, love and hate?

Warning: This is a tale of rape, murders, deception, heartache, lies, and infidelity. The road to redemption is a tumultuous struggle where only the strong survive and justice is served…Outlaw-style. “

---

Great freaking blurb right?
I was like”okay, this is going to be intense!” and in some ways it way. Buuuut it’s kind of a tall blurb for a basic story.

I really, really struggled with this novel. I picked it up and the blurb was really good, the preface was really good and then I got the prologue and was like ????
I could barely understand the language.
I’ll cut the author some slack here only because I am not a biker and I am no gangster, I am in all consideration quite straight and narrow. But these guys make swear words the bread and butter of the sentence. For the life of me I didn’t understand. I had to do a lot of re-reading and interpreting to get the hang of it, but hey, if you speak biker already you’ll be right at home!
However, I did get used to the language and now speak fluent biker.
Yay! I’ll put it on my resume, shall I?

I had no idea this book was part of a series when I got it. I picked it up from the ARC group on Goodreads- liked the blurb, asked for a copy, end of story. So I was really surprised to find out not two minutes ago that this was the third book in the collection. This may or may not be why some things didn’t make sense or why some relationships were never explained.
The later was a big concern of mine. We had a 10 year time jump in this book and a lot went unexplained. I now know that these relationships have their own book! Who knew!?
Tale of the story? Do an internet search on the book/start from the start of a series!
So I am going to take a leap of faith and say that this book was kinda lacking information only because I didn’t read the books prior. Here is to hoping?

When I got this copy I wasn’t told whether or not it was the final draft or if it still needed edits done. However I will review it based on what I received, and I received a manuscript that need a lot of editing. As I said, some sentences were just incorrect, there was spelling errors and some grammar errors. It was a bit all over the place and I personally would not have wanted to publish the copy I received.
Pretty much if you’re a knit picker, this book will probably drive you nuts!

I found the setting that was created very interesting, only because I hadn’t read anything like it, however the storyline itself was a bit wishy-washy. I forced myself to read until 10% before I could give up, thankfully it started to pick up around 9% and I decided to plough through. It really lulled in the middle of the book though and the character were having the same arguments over and over and over and over and over and over again and they always resulted in the same outcome (until the very end). Again, thankfully it picked at towards the end of the novel.
I also found that all the character were kind of just the same, but with a different appearance. They were solid and interesting characters but everyone had the same issues only varying slightly and everyone dealt with their issues the same way- which was to not do anything and just ‘get over it’ or ‘deal with it’ which none of them did. At first I was like fair enough, kind of make sense in their world, but it was really grating after the first 200 pages and unbearable by the next. I found it left no room for character development for the majority of the book. The characters only changed when they were threatened with the loss of the other, but their change wasn’t a fundamental change. They stayed exactly the same, they just decided to admit their feelings, which we already knew and the character already kind of knew, so it wasn’t exciting or in any way entertaining.

As far as an erotica romance novel goes, it didn’t make me excited or swoon or sexually aroused. I was far from being in love with the character and I didn’t even care whether the character felling in love or found someone completely different. The sex wasn’t anything to write home about and the erotic side of the romance was about at vanilla as you get. So with my experience with erotica romance novel, I would have to say it fell very far short.

Overall I felt it was poorly written and didn’t offer much to the reader. The character and setting while interesting was let down by a mediocre and repetitive story line.
It would have helped reading the first two novels before hand and probably would have explained the holes in the story line, however if they are anything like this book I wont be bothering.
But…. Hurray for learning to talk like a biker though, right!?
It’s the small things that count guys.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Author Interview: Shannon A. Thompson

…………………………WITH SHANNON A. THOMPSON

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So… Who is she? 

“I’m a 23-year-old author, avid reader, and a habitual chatterbox. In 2007, I was 16 when I published my first YA dystopian novel, November Snow. In 2012, In 2013, I signed The Timely Death Trilogy with AEC Stellar Publishing, Inc. After releasing the first installment, my young-adult, paranormal romance became Goodreads Book of the Month. Since then, two of my short stories have appeared in various anthologies and my poem was featured in a Norwegian magazine. Writing is what I do, and I love it more and more everyday.

Outside of my publications, I graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing. After working for my publisher as a Social Media Marketing Manager, I became the C.O.O. While most define a C.O.O. as the Chief Operating Officer, my fellow AEC author, Ryan Attard, redefined it as the Cognitive Operations Overlord. I think I prefer his creative definition.”

---

 

…So Tell Us..

So I was asked by Shannon to do a book review on her book ‘Minutes Before Sunset’. It is a part of the Timely Death Trilogy and an awesome read. So I wanted obviously to get some insight into the book. So can you tell us where the idea for Minutes Before Sunset came from?
Most of my novels are inspired by dreams. As a kid, I suffered from night terrors – meaning, I couldn’t tell the difference between my dreams and reality. Even after I woke up, the visions would be there, and I didn’t grow out of them. The Timely Death Trilogy is based off of a series of dreams I had in my teenage years of a boy coming to visit me at night. I actually shared an excerpt from my diary on my website: http://shannonathompson.com/2013/11/15/my-dream-goodreads-extras/

Tell us about your two main characters Eric and Jessica. Where did they come from? Were they inspired by people in your life?
I never purposely base characters off of real people in my life, and The Timely Death Trilogy is actually a good example of that. I cannot think of anyone in my life that represents either one of them, yet they have distinct personalities that I’ve fallen in love with. Jessica is stubborn, but she’s also a very caring person, and she worries more than she admits. Eric has some of the same qualities, but he’s more torn up than anything else. I like bringing them together because I think that’s when they are finally calm.

Have you always lived in Kansas and did you draw inspiration from Kansas to create the town where MBS is set?
Actually, I’ve moved over fifteen times in my life. I’ve lived in Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Kansas, but – yes – I’m currently in Kansas, and I did set MBS in Kansas as well. I feel like most novels take place in bigger cities – like NYC and Chicago – and I wanted to give a voice to smaller towns. Just because they are small doesn’t mean magic cannot happen there.

..The Start..

 

Personally, I was never that great at English especially at school, which is why I find it hilarious that I write a review blog. I was always drawn to things like theater, music, hands on stuff.  Can you tell us what were you like in school? Were you always good an English/reading/writing stories? or was it a passion that developed later?
I can admit this: When I was in high school, I was known for skipping school a lot, but I really wanted to work, and I still managed to get good grades and enjoy school activities such as tennis. This is going to sound like a contradiction, but I am very passionate about learning, so I found school incredibly frustrating since we couldn’t learn or focus on what we wanted to. College was better in some aspects. I’ve always been passionate about English, though, and those classes and courses were some of my favorites.

What was the first book you read that impacted you?
 “Go, Dog. Go!” by P.D. Eastman is the very first book I remember obsessing over, but The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne was the first series I couldn’t get enough of. It showed how magic could happen to anyone, but – more importantly – it showed how anyone could handle and discover magic, even young children.

Did it shape the way you write now?
I write paranormal and fantasy novels with romance aspects, so I definitely enjoy diving into an alternate reality. But I grew up around those genres. My mother especially loved science-fiction and romance, so she always had Star Trek or a cheesy novel in her hands. I remember how I stared at the covers even before I could read.

 

..Being an Author..

Do write full-time? or is a part-time job?
I write fulltime, but I also work for my publisher – AEC Stellar Publishing, Inc. I started off as an author, but when they saw how interested I was in the publication process, they decided to hire me as a social media marketer.

Most of us have no idea about what an author’s life looks like. Can you tell us what a typical day in a writers life looks like?
I can’t speak for all authors, but I can describe my life: I write, and I write a lot, and when I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing. I generally get up, drink coffee, work for AEC, write, and then go to bed to repeat the next day. I am almost always on my laptop.

When you write do you plan out the book/series before hand or are you a spontaneous writer?
My writing process is rather strange. I like to describe it as writing a screenplay before I turn it into a novel, so by the time I write a novel, I have almost everything planned out, including symbols and foreshadowing. But I like to think of writing like a road trip – you have a beginning, an end, and places in the middle you want to visit, but you might take spontaneous detours.

Was there a time when you didn’t think you’d be an author?
Actually, yes. After my very first publication, a publisher extorted my work, and I was forced to take November Snow off of the market. It was crushing. I never stopped writing, and I don’t think I ever will, but I did stop publishing for seven years.

What is the hardest thing about being a writer?
Reminding yourself of how important your love for writing is when you feel like your love won’t be enough to get you through the difficult days. For instance, at some point after publication, you fall in love with your readers so much that you have moments where you struggle to stay true to your work because you want to satisfy your readers, but you have to step back and remind yourself that being true to the story is why you have readers in the first place. This can be difficult when you know a certain part of the story won’t be enjoyable for your readers that you love, especially since you know they will not only scrutinize your novel for it, but you as well.

What is your ultimate goal as an author?
I want to inspire – whether that means inspiring writers to follow their dreams or to inspire readers to imagine news worlds, I only want to inspire

 

..Some Advice..

What would be some good advice you would give to new authors just starting out?
My personal mantra is “write with passion; succeed with self-discipline.” It takes a lot of love and determination to move forward. I’ve sacrificed a lot of Friday nights out with friends to write novels, but that’s because I love it. That doesn’t mean those sacrifices are for everyone, but it is a good representation of how much work also goes into the novel, even after you’ve written it.

Marketing a book is a tricky thing. Reviews and interviews help create interest in an authors books. Has this method been successful for you?
I believe so! Readers are the most important friends an author can have, and I encourage authors to make as many friends as possible

You have been quite successful so far in your career. Do you think your time studying creative writing helped you become successful? Or do you think you would have been successful regardless of studying a Degree?I’m very grateful for my opportunity to attend the University of Kansas, and I do believe the courses and the professors taught me a lot that allowed me to grow as a writer. That being said, I was published before I went to college, so I don’t think anyone has to go to school in order to become a writer. Read a lot. Write a lot. Share your work and consider all advice you receive. Repeat.

..Fun Facts..

Do you have any bad habits?
Oh, too many. I’m a coffee addict, and I bite my nails. Gross, I know.

What was the happiest time in your life?
Anytime I am traveling, I am unbelievably happy.

Have you ever been in love?
Shucks. I’d say so. But I feel like love is a very intimate thing, so that’s all I will say about that.

What is your greatest struggle right now?
I have difficult days – where chasing the dream seems more like a risk than anything else – but I try to step away and relax before I lose my mind. Generally, that is my poetry-writing time.

If you could relive the last 10 years of your life what would you do differently?
I’m a rather superstitious person, so I don’t think I would change anything out of the fear that the result might be worse. I believe things happen for a reason, and it is our job to make the best of those things.

First job?
I was a hostess at a sport’s bar.

What is your ultimate goal as a human being?
I want to help and encourage and enlighten and affect the world around me in the most positive way possible.

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BIG thank you to Shannon for answering all my questions and getting me to do this interview and book review.
I had so much reading your book and working with you.
For those of you who haven’t read my review ‘Minutes Before Sunset’ here is a link:
https://bonnievbrown.wordpress.com/2014/09/13/minutes-before-sunset/
It was a great read, and I am looking forward to getting into Book 2.
Soooo if you like it, head on over to her website/amazon/facebook and grab one of her books and see what she it up to!

 

If you wish to follow Shannon’s blog or discover more of her books head over to: Www.shannonathompson.com

 

If you enjoyed my interview and book review, please hit follow and subscribe for more!

Minutes Before Sunset

Book: Minutes Before Sunset
Author: Shannon A. Thompson
Series: The Timely Death , #1
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance
Rating: 

Blurb:

“Eric Welborn isn’t completely human, but he isn’t the only shade in the small Midwest town of Hayworth. With one year left before his eighteenth birthday, Eric is destined to win a long-raging war for his kind. But then she happens. In the middle of the night, Eric meets a nameless shade, and she’s powerful—too powerful—and his beliefs are altered. The Dark has lied to him, and he’s determined to figure out exactly what lies were told, even if the secrets protect his survival.

Jessica Taylor moves to Hayworth, and her only goal is to find more information on her deceased biological family. Her adoptive parents agree to help on one condition: perfect grades. And Jessica is distraught when she’s assigned as Eric’s class partner. He won’t help, let alone talk to her, but she’s determined to change him—even if it means revealing everything he’s strived to hide.”

..Review It..

This was a book I slowly fell in love with. When I first picked it up, I wasn’t instantly hooked on it but as the pages ticked by I realized I was falling further and further in love with the story and characters. Until it became one of those books that you think, ‘okay, just a few more pages before work…….’. Then you look up at the clock and realize your already supposed to be at work and your still in your jammies… reading the book…
~Oops~
It’s one of those books.

The characters didn’t instantly draw me into them. It took me a while to get their personalities and see where they were coming from. But once you get there, you see the creativeness and individuality of both Eric and Jessica.
The story is split into Erics POV and Jessicas POV and was very easy to follow. If you struggle with this format- don’t stress- the character names are at the top of every chapter which makes it very user-friendly.
…..If you are having issues, seriously just read the chapter names.

The plot line was very enjoyable. I especially liked the end which set up the next book [Seconds Before Sunrise] perfectly and I am very intrigued by the direction it is taking.
It was a bit of a mash-up story in some ways, as it had similar character and plot themes as some other big stories in the fantasy/paranormal/romance genres. Ie. Harry Potter, Twilight, Imdalind, Lux.
I thought there was a good level of suspense to the plot, I never quite knew what direction the story was going to go in [apart from the obvious blossoming romance.]. I really enjoyed the fact that it kept me guessing and took me in some unexpected directions.

There were something I would have like to have learnt more about which I think would have enhanced the story and characters more. A felt there was a lot of background information left out. Especially in regards to ‘the shades and the lights’.
I also thought seeing some comparisons between Eric and other shade his age would have given us some context to the extent of his power. He came across fairly weak for someone who needs to save the world. It also would have helped us understand Jessica powers and how significant they were. I felt we were told a little too much, and not ever shown.

I really liked watching the characters together. Their dynamic was really interesting. But I did feel that they kind of fell in love rather awkwardly. One second they were friends and then they kind of weren’t, and suddenly they can’t live without each other?
I would have like to watch them fall in love and really have experienced the moments of affection more.

One thing I was really unclear on and am still uncertain of is, if finding out that Jessica was Eric’s mystery shade is supposed to be a plot twist. I presumed from the moment we met the illusive shade that, that was Jessica. But when Eric realized it was her, I wondered if it was supposed to be a revolutionary moment for the reader as well as the character? If so, then I think it needed to be more subtle. If not, then I didn’t really feel the drama behind Eric’s revelation. Wouldn’t you be slightly freaked if you suddenly found out you were in love with your science partner and you didn’t even realize?

Something that doesn’t often get kudos on book reviews are the secondary characters! In this book the secondary characters were just as good as the mains. I really loved watching their interplay and I have a sneaky suspicion we will be seeing much more of them in the next book.
But.. I’ll have to read and see!!

I feel like I have said some critical things about this book, but I honestly really, really, loved, loved, loved this read. It’s a solid 4**** book from me and I would recommend it to those of you who love these genres of books.
It fast pace, full of action and entertainment. I read it super fast as it was very hard to put down.
Strongly suggest adding this to your TBR list.

I would also love to say a big warm thank you to the lovely Shannon A. Thompson for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you want to get to know more about this wonderfully talented author, I’ll be publishing an interview with her tomorrow!
Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it.
& don’t forget to hit follow/subscribe if you want to be notified about tomorrows interview.
YAY!

Book haul & EXCITING NEWS!

I had a crappy kind of day… so I brought some books and thought I’d share them with you! ❤
I also have some really exciting new which I’ll tell you first!!

Ready for it?

I was contact the other day from a lovely author, Shannon A. Thompson, asking if I could do a book review and an interview with her!
Annnnd of course I said yes!

So who is Shannon A. Thompson?
She is a 23 year old author. Publishing her first book when she was 16 and a few years later she signed The Timely Death Trilogy with AEC Stellar Publishing, Inc. Shortly after its release it hit Goodreads ‘Book of the Month’ in the YA and paranormal romance genres. 
Pretty awesome? I think so. 
and did I mention she is 23…? 

So this is the book I been asked to review and I shall release my review of this tomorrow! Which is Saturday for all of my Australian followers and like Friday night? for the Americas? I think? I have no idea..
and I will release the interview shortly after that.
Make sure you hit follow so you can read about this!

BUT I wanted to give you the heads up to know this was happening, so STAY TUNED!

Book: Minutes Before Sunset, Book #1 in The Timely Death Triology.

So crap day = buying books.
Retail therapy.
Bookworm ed.

I should also say these books were all recommended to me via other bloggers reviews- So, THANKS!

Book: Irreparable
Author: Amanda Lanclos
Amazon Rating: 4.6/5 stars

In one day your life can go from awesome to total shit and for me it’s going to change forever. Who am I? My name is PFC Jameson Carter, and I am a United States Marine, or I was until a bomb detonated and took half of me with it. The only thing that kept me alive was the woman I had waiting back for me at home.
How do you go from being a complete person to being half of something? For me, I have help, but how can I be anything more than half of what I used to be? Then when the one person you count on, the person you lived for leaves you how do you react?
For Samantha Blalock life is easy, she helps repair people like me, the people who lose limbs. Something isn’t the same though, she’s changed. See I’ve known Samantha for years. She’s hiding something. Can we help each other through these trying times in our lives? Or does the fact remain that we are both irreparable?

Book: Kiss of Broken Glass
Author: Medeleine Kuderick
Goodreads Rating: 3.9 rating

Madeleine Kuderick’s gripping debut is a darkly beautiful and lyrical novel in verse, perfect for fans of Sonya Sones and Laurie Halse Anderson. Kiss of Broken Glass pulses with emotion and lingers long after the last page.

In the next seventy-two hours, Kenna may lose everything—her friends, her freedom, and maybe even herself. One kiss of the blade was all it took to get her sent to the psych ward for seventy-two hours. There she will face her addiction to cutting, though the outcome is far from certain.

When fifteen-year-old Kenna is found cutting herself in the school bathroom, she is sent to a facility for mandatory psychiatric watch. There, Kenna meets other kids like her—her roommate, Donya, who’s there for her fifth time; the birdlike Skylar; and Jag, a boy cute enough to make her forget her problems . . . for a moment.

 

 

 

 

Book: A Broken Us
Author: Amy Daws
Release date: 23/9/2014

Finley’s picture-perfect world gets pummeled when she gets a hard dose of reality from her doctor that changes everything.

Crippled with the fear of how Brody, her scandalously sexy, college sweetheart, will react, Finley does the only thing she can think of—she runs. She hops on an international flight to London, leaving behind her home, her family, her job, and Brody.

Desperate to find new dreams, Finley immerses herself in London with a surge of new people and experiences. The only problem is…her heart is still back home…with Brody.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book: Crazy from the Heat
Author: Mercy Celeste
Amazon Rating: 3.8/5 stars

Life is like high school.
For Grey Talbot teaching high school history was a choice. When a gorgeous blond punk of a kid walks into his class with attitude to spare, Grey fears his choice might just be his undoing.

High school kids kept getting younger and Paul Gaines stayed the same. Moving from one city narcotics unit to the next, his youthful looks and slender body made him a perfect undercover cop for the job.

Meeting the professor wasn’t part of the deal. The man was smart sexy and off limits even if he was younger than Paul.

For Grey getting involved with one of his students, even if that student wore a badge meant playing with fire. Fire that could burn them both.
Warning: This is a Mercy Celeste book. Proceed with caution. Contents are hot!

 

 

 

 

So that’s is was I got. They got some good reviews, so I hope I like them whenever I get the chance to read them!

These are quite different from my usual reads, so it should be interesting for me and my reviewers!
If you have read any of these books?
or did you buy anything today?

What does your shelf look like?

ARC: Honesty

Book: Honesty
Author: Viola Rivards
Series: Running with Alphas
Genre: Paranormal, New Adult
Rating: 
I received an Advanced Readers Copy [ARC] of this book in exchange for a review. 

I have been following Viola Rivard’s works since her debut serial Claimed by the Alpha and there has been some promising moments in her series. But I have always found there were things that just let the books down, (visit archives for previous reviews).
HOWEVER….

This is totally not the case for this series. Violas Rivards writing, story line and characters developments have really improved in this series and I am loving it! The story line is captivating and we are really seeing some insight into her characters unlike we have seen before.
I found the lengths of both Trust and Honesty to be perfect. The slightly longer length I felt enabled us to see further into the characters and explore the story to greater depths, unlike other installments in previous serials.
I found because of this I have been drawn into this story much more and making you desperately want the next book!

The story:

“Hale isn’t even remotely interested in Taylor—at least that’s what he keeps telling her. But that doesn’t explain why he keeps turning up everywhere she goes and why he can’t seem to keep his hands off her.

As Taylor struggles to maintain her new relationship with Alder, Hale threatens to drive a wedge between them. But is it because he wants her gone, or because he wants her for himself? “

In this book we got to know our characters more. We are slowly finding out more about Taylor and I am very intrigued about her past and her family situation. Also about her heart condition and what it will mean for her living in the wild. Will she reject her heart? Is she in danger?
I really loved exploring Hale’s character [Alders twin brother]. He is wild and uncouth, sexually driven, protective and a trouble maker. The complete opposite of his brother, Alder, who is kind and courteous, an all round good guy.
Alder is tame, where Hale is all animal.
Hale’s character sucked us in. Definitely make me secretly hope Taylor falls for him.
But we have yet to see Hale’s true colours!

I am genuinely really excited to see what happens in the next chapter of this series. The series is similar to her previous serials but the character are so much hotter and more developed, and the story is so much more captivating than previous books.
I can see this ending up being a really good  series, so I encourage you to all get on board and check out this series!
(Book #1- Trust, Book#2- Honesty)

Book #3 to be release on the 25th of September.

Warning: This book contains ménage romance and profanity. Due to sexual content, it is not recommended for readers under the age of 18.

I would also like to thank Viola Rivards for giving me a copy of this book.

Hunted

Book: Hunted
Author: Megg Jensen
Series: Dragonland, Book 2
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 

Blurb:

“The fog that trapped the people of Hutton’s Bridge for eighty years has disappeared, but now so have the villagers.

Fearing the worst, Tressa and Bastian must navigate a new and dangerous world in search of their people. Among their allies are a healer, a warrior, and even a dragon—but their enemies are far greater.

Hutton’s Bridge has long protected a powerful secret, one the dragonlords will kill to control. As the realms rise, Tressa and Bastian risk everything to save their people, until one must make the ultimate sacrifice”

Review:

Sooooo last week I posted about the first book in this amazing series, Hidden, and if you read it you know I raved on about it. AND I am happy to announce that this book is as good, if not better.
The second book is a continuation of Tressa and Bastian story and is split into character POV chapters. The swapping POV worked very well adding a depth and roundness to the characters and story. It’s very clearly marked which characters POV you are read from and leaves little room for confusion.

The story is based around Tressa and Bastians quest to find their fellow villagers who have mysteriously disappeared from their village. Throughout this fast paced page turner, Tressa and Bastian face many trials, together and apart. There is a heap of action of course and some very well written and clear fight scenes. (Hurrah!)

As we discovered in the previous book, Tressa feelings towards Bastian are wavering. In this novel her quest to find her people drives her even further away from Bastian and into Jerretts waiting arms…. But who will she choose!? bam bam baaaam..! (you can find out if you buy this book)
I loved the way Megg Jensen worked the romance into this novel. It is there but doesn’t dominate. Just enough to intrigue.

Whilst Tressa is traveling through new lands with Jarrett, Bastian is stuck in limbo unsure about what to do and who to trust. He is adjusting to this new life and nothing seem simple. He is at times desperate to go back to the old way before the fog fell.
This character development is interesting because its more like a his is devolving. In the last novel he was more progressive in his thinking, wanting to escape this fog village and free his people. Explore the lands. In this novel he is a bit more hesitant and at times just wanted to go back to his old life. To something ‘normal’.

The world Megg Jensen has created it really creative. It reminds me a bit of Game of Thrones with its geography… and dragons!
There is still a lot of unanswered questions and I have no idea where this series is going and how its going to end. This is one of the best things about this novel. It twists and turns and goes places I couldn’t predict. Just as I start thinking that I know what’s going to happen it completely changes again.
It’s an exciting book with something for everyone!
Read it!

And as always…