Lost & Found In Fiction: August 2013

Saturday, August 31, 2013

ARC Review: The Demon's Desire by Kendra Leigh Castle

Title: The Demon's Desire (Hearts of the Fallen, #2)
Author: Kendra Leigh Castle
Publisher: Entangled Covet
Publication Date: August 26, 2013

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

From Goodreads:

He’s as dark and dangerous as the storms he once commanded…and she can’t get him out of her heart. Dru has spent two thousand years fighting to keep the people of Terra Noctem safe. In all that time, she's only opened her heart to one man, with disastrous results. But when her city takes in a group of renegade Fallen, she finds herself drawn to the brooding and tormented Meresin, despite the fact that he seems to be the least redeemable of them all. When his instability hits a breaking point, Meresin’s only chance at survival is a perilous journey into a place from which few ever return. What he never expected was that confronting his demons would mean risking not only his future, but Dru's as well...and that one stubborn vampire might give him back not just hope…but his heart.

My Thoughts:

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. As you can see by my rating I really liked this book. Yep. Hence the 4 stars. I had reviewed on Goodreads Demon's Song, the first in this series and I was impressed. And I was definitely excited to get the second book in the series and see what other kind of mischief this band of Fallen Angels, humans, vampires and other supernaturals could get into.

In the first book we get a glimpse of hard nosed, angry, electrifying Meresin and the woman who seemed to annoy him to no end, Dru. Well, you know what they say when a guy pushes away a girl or acts mean, right? Of course he was doing it because the woman drove him crazy, making him feel things he hadn't felt in a long, long, long, time. And Dru couldn't deny the draw she felt to Meresin. Something was wrong. She knew it. She felt it. Hell, she and the rest of the inhabitants of their secret city were witnessing his downward spiral. And it was then that Uriel and Levi stepped in, giving Meresin am ultimatum: deal with his "condition" and confront his "maker", or die. Neither options was one Meresin wanted. After all, both could kill him and likely would. But he agreed anyways. As much as one could agree when given such a choice.

But what Meresin didn't count on was Dru. And what he never expected was her sacrifice for him. What she did for him changed everything. It jumpstarted his mission and in a sense, his heart. The journey we see these two take, while also taking a trip through Purgatory, was as sweet as can be when they have snarling, angry demons and the devil himself, Lucifer, after them. But their love for each other grew, even in a place where nothing grew. And it was this contrast that I found so fascinating. In a land where nothing was really alive, where there was no sun, moon, stars, or ocean; where the world was gray and lacked even basic atmospheric qualities like weather, Dru and Meresin finally found each other. And after thousands of years of struggle, torture, heartache and loneliness (among other things) Meresin had his breakthrough.

And I admit, when the climax was happening, with Lucifer and the rest of his demon horde bearing down on them, I was a bit nervous as to how it was all going to work out. The suspense was done well and the author was able to draw out the fear of Dru, a vampire who had fought for thousands of years and still survived, but still felt the edges of death closing in when she faced down the King of Hell himself. (Though how awesome was it that she totally was willing to go down in a fight, grabbing daggers and ready to go up against Lucifer. Righteous! \o/ ) But more important, the author conveyed the fear of Meresin, a warrior angel who'd been through Hell, literally, and back, and yet in that moment feared he could lose everything he ever needed; everything he ever wanted. I also found that this book definitely packed more of an emotional punch for me than the first in this series. And oh! I almost forgot, the sexy times? There aren't a lot, really only one in fact. But it was worth it. It was sweet, hot, tender and I was so happy for Meresin! I won't spoil the surprise but let's just say that I hadn't seen that twist coming, but given who Meresin is and his tragic story, it totally made sense.

The author presents an intriguing world, marrying the various supernatural creatures we've come to expect in PNR and then adding in the fight between dark and light, good and evil, heaven and hell. It's this, and the love between the main characters, that makes me want to continue to read stories set in this world. The world building and mythos of the Fallen and the fight between Heaven and Hell is just phenomenally written. And each book has left me with more questions and I love that! Don't worry. I'm not talking about the kind of questions that involve a cliffhanger. There isn't one of those. (I despise those myself!) But instead the questions surround the other Fallen and the world they're living in. Will the Fallen all find redemption? Will they each find love and given a soul? And what of the vow between the vampire king, Justin, and the Fallen. Will they be able to keep the peace and find a home, and happiness, in the secret, underground city? I certainly hope so!

Here are the purchase/info links:

So have you picked up this series yet or this book? What did you think? Do you like the idea of Angels as heroes and/or heroines? Sound off in the comments!

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Thursday, August 29, 2013

ARC Review-The Awakening: Liam by Abby Niles

Title-The Awakening: Liam
Author: Abby Niles
Publisher: Entangled Covet
Publication Date: August 26, 2013

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

From Goodreads:

Shifter, Liam Doyle knows Hell. At least he believed he did. The night he feels his mate die, he learns how very wrong he was. Nothing he’d struggled with since Ava’s rejection compares to the emptiness that fills his soul by her death. Lost in his grief, he’s taken by surprise and drugged. When he wakes, everything changes. Nothing is what it seems, and someone is dead set on making him pay.

When Ava Michaels is taken captive, she’s thrust into a dark and terrifying world along with the man she was forced to leave behind. While being near Liam again is heartbreaking, the motive behind her kidnapping is gradually revealed. The more she learns, the more she worries Liam isn’t the man she believed him to be. He has enemies willing to do anything to extract their revenge. Can their love survive a crazy man’s vengeance?

My Thoughts:

Oh Liam. Not only do you have one of my favorite names, but you're emotional baggage, broken heart, and love for your mate despite her rejection had me swooning throughout your story. I wanted to just hold him and tell him over and over that it would be all better. And I'm not being dramatic. I'm being serious.

We learned about Liam and Ava, and their totally messed up relationship in The Awakening: Aidan. (You can find my Goodreads review of the first in this series HERE.) I knew going in this was going to be an emotional roller-coaster and I was very anxious to find out just what the heck was going on with Ava. Why did she dsert Liam? What made her push him away and throw him into the awful emotional state he had been in the first book, a state that was so bad Aidan had to find a shifter therapist to get him out of it, or at the very least, get him through it?

Well, we find out all in this book. Strike that. We find out all about Liam and Ava in this book. We don't find out the answers to all my questions (like what is up with Britton and Val?! I am so intrigued by those two!) but Liam and Ava, and their story, comes to a head, and then a resolution that I was supremely happy about. There were also some seriously hot moments that not only kept the tension going between the hero and heroine, but also increased the tension with the conflict. I, like Ava, never knew if the big baddie was watching or not and that suspense added to the likeability of the book, for me.

What about the downsides? Well, there was one big one that had me slightly frustrated. The prolonged miscommunication on Ava's part and her refusal to ask Liam for help or tell him what was going on, really grated on my nerves. Lack of communication is not one of my fave romance novel tropes. Or at least, not when it's dragged on for a fair bit of the book. I understand that there had to be a reason for Ava to have rejected Liam but I just feel like it went on for a bit too long. I was also disappointed to see Emma leave Ava's house. I was hoping that Liam and she would have a scene, where he saw she had grown up and was doing better, as opposed to when he and Ava had been together before and Emma had been rebelling like it was an Olympic sport.

One of the plus sides of this book is the introduction of additional secondary characters to this world. Like I mentioned earlier Britton has me intrigued and I'd love to learn more about his story and why he is suffering a 20 year sentence. (I think it was hinted it, or mentioned in passing. So I know why, I just don't know everything that happened. Britton had to have a reason right?!) Anyways, the end of this book left me feeling satisfied about the state of Liam and Ava for the most part, and I did enjoy seeing Aidan and Jaylin again. He intrigues me. Hopefully we see more of the secondary characters in the future though I'm not entirely certain if this series will be continuing or not. *fingers crossed that it does*

All in all this was an enjoyable paranormal romance by an author with a strong voice and strong writing skills. This is the second in the series and the second of her books that I've read and so far, her storytelling and style have been consistent. Scratch that. Sorta. Because I actually think her storytelling in this book was improved from the first in the series.

So what about you? Have you read this series yet? What did you think? Do you like books with shifters as main characters? What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments!

Here are the purchase/info links:

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

ARC Review: Dead Sexy Dragon by Lolita Lopez

Title: Dead Sexy Dragon
Author: Lolita Lopez
Publisher: Forever Yours
Publication Date: August 6, 2013

My Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars

From Goodreads:

The last thing dragon shifter Stig Wyvern needs is his dead friend’s kid sister showing up on his doorstep. He’s just minutes away from entering a mating phase. Sharing his isolated house with the young woman he’s desperately lusted after for quite some time is a recipe for disaster.

But Cora Cardenas has nowhere else to go. She’s in deep trouble with some really nasty people and Stig is the only one who can protect her. That he’s deliciously sexy and makes her tingle with the simplest of smiles is just a bonus.

Cora quickly realizes Stig is hiding something from her. To make matters worse, she’s plagued with breathtakingly naughty dreams starring a shadowed lover who bears a startling resemblance to her host. And just what the hell is going on down in the basement at night?

Stig needs to get Cora out of his house but his inner beast has other ideas. He’s found his mate and she’s not going anywhere...

My Thoughts:

I know I've said this before, but put simply, I love dragon shifters. I don't know why, but something about combining the mythos of the dragons-fierce, strong, creatures-and shifters -who are just awesome in general- just makes me incredibly happy.

This is a short work, a novella, that took me a couple hours to read. There isn't much back-story about the main characters, however, there is enough to learn that Cora and Stig have a history and are connected via Cora's deceased brother. Cora runs to Stig when she's having issues with her bakery. Most of the action takes place at Stig's home (and lair, heeheehee) and the surrounding area. We learn about Stig, his history, just how old he is, and the Order that he fights for. There isn't much interaction between people, or dragons, other than Stif and Cora, which is good since, for a novella it works. The story centers on the main couple, their conflicts (emotional and otherwise) and their connection. We do get a quick glimpse of other dragons towards the end, learn a bit more about the creatures and their history, and just enough information to give us an HEA.

I will note that, the story about Cora being entangled into criminal activity and the later "twist" with regard to that (and the connection to Stig and the dragons) seemed to not mesh very well. It kind of came out of the blue and by the time of the twist I had actually forgotten why Cora had gone to Stig in the first place. (I blame the sexy times. They were distracting, in a totally delicious way.) However, this issue for me wasn't enough to detract from the fact that we had a dragon shifter people who finally found his mate!! And it wouldn't be right if I didn't mention the sexy times between Cora and Stig. Really there isn't much to say other than this author can right one hella hot sex scene. And the "dream" sequences?! *fans self* But it went beyond the physical between these two. And I loved how alpha Stig was while at the same time seeing to Cora and making sure she was alright. I mean, finding out the man you've been in love with for 6 years could throw any girl for a loop.

As I said, this is a novella so it's short and unlike many, the story the author presents fits into this format. Although I think the story would have benefited even more from a longer format, this works nonetheless. And again, who cares about how long it is when the hero is a freaking dragon?! The second book in this series, Red Hot Dragon, is due to be released October 1, 2013 and I am looking forward to reading more about Griffin. (The blurb sounds amazing!) And it also, at least according to Goodreads, seems to be about 30 pages longer or so. I love novellas, but the more story the better, right?!

Have you read this novella? What did you think? What are your thoughts on hot former marines who happen to also be dragons? Yummy, no?! Let me know in the comments!

Purchase/Info Links:

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Sunday, August 25, 2013

The Sunday Post [7]

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. From Kimba's website, "this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. This is your news post, so personalize it! Include as much as you want or as little. Be creative, it can be a vlog or just a showcase of your goodies."

It's been a busy freaking month. Holy heck! I start teaching writing classes next week at the local college again (in addition to my other job, which I usually call the "evil day job") so things on the blog were quieter than usual as I ran around trying to get myself together. It was a nice break though and I needed it to reset, make a plan and get organized. I admit I was a bit overwhelmed at times this month, which I blame on the wedding shower, several birthdays, unexpected visitors and two unexpected projects at work, but I made it. This week I hope to be back to my regularly scheduled programming when it comes to writing and blogging, and everything else too. I hope.

But let's get down to business, shall we? Here's what's been happening on the blog, and beyond, this past week:

Books Read/Reviewed Last Week:

Elite (Eagle Elite, #1) by Rachel Van Dyken: I received this as an ARC and I liked it enough to add the second in the series to my TBR.

Deceiving The Witch Next Door by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez: this was also an ARC and a sweet read. The author has set up what looks to be a series; at least, I hope that's the case! Also, the heroine's name rocks.

The Awakening: Aiden by Abby Niles: Shifters, YAY!!!

Sacrifice of Passion by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez: This is the first book in the Deadly Legends series. I had read the second as an ARC, not realizing there was a book before it. (They both work as stand alones though!) Once I read the ARC, I had to run out and purchase this book and I am so glad I did.

What I'm Reading/Coming Up on the Blog

I have to look through my ARCs and the books in my TBR to make a plan for the week but tentatively I'll be reading and/or reviewing (or preparing the reviews, depending on release dates) the following:

Dead Sexy Dragon by Lolita Lopez
In His Command by Rie Warren
Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson
The Awakening: Liam by Abby Niles
The Companions by R.A. Salvatore
The Demon's Song by Kendra Leigh Castle

Yeah. It's going to be a busy week. But who needs sleep?!

Stacking The Shelves

I behaved this week. Kind of. Sorta...Okay, not really. You can check out my haul HERE.

ARC AUGUST

I'm participating in this challenge to decrease the amount of ARCs I have and get my butt in gear with reviews. You can check out the details HERE. In terms of progress, here is how I'm doing so far:

I haven't met my goal yet. I had wanted to read 11 ARCs. I've read 5. I still have 6 days left but that would mean a book a day and I don't know if I can do that given my schedule this week. I'll try my best but no guarantees. On the upside though, getting through 5 ARCs is nothing to sneeze at. At least I've made a dent in the pile. It's a small one, but a dent nonetheless.

ROW80

I have revamped my goals for the last month of ROW80, Round 3, as well as adjusted the blog schedule. My goals is to be consistent with both writing and blogging (specifically with book reviews) since I really love doing that. It combines my love of writing and reading, and well, it's just fun for me. And that's what blogging is all about right?! So here's the plan for the remainder of the round:

Write one hour a day on a WiP, whether on a draft, outlining, planning, or revising
Post my ROW80 update on Wednesday: this will be the last post where ROW80 is a part of the Sunday Post. Or that's the plan anyways. I will be doing a quick update on Wednesdays instead. This will also break up the posts on the blog from being all book reviews and book related memes. I like a little variety in my life. :)
Finish revisions of Wanted
Post a minimum of 2 complete book reviews each week, here or on Goodreads
Post the Stacking the Shelves and Sunday Post memes every week, either separately or combined
And for this week only: send the dreaded email I don't want to send for the evil day job. I can't say much about the subject of this but bottom line is, it's a task I'm dreading. I've got to just suck it up and do it though. I'm determined to get this task done and off my desk this week. It's been haunting me for a month.

It seems like a lot to take on but with classes starting I've revamped my entire work, writing and blog schedule and put everything in my calendar so I can (1) not forget about blog posts or forget do my writing by the end of the day and (2) stay on top of things at both of my jobs so I don't fall behind, get frustrated, and give up. Consistency in writing, blogging and at work is key to keeping me sane this semester.

I can do this. *fingers crossed*

How's your week been? Any interesting books caught your eye or added to your TBR pile? Reviewed any books lately that surprised you or you were disappointed in? What about your writing goals? Have you hit them yet? Let me know how your're doing in the comments and have a great week!

Friday, August 23, 2013

Stacking the Shelves [6]

This meme was started by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. The link is to the official launch page that explains what Stacking the Shelves is all about and where to sign up. Basically, it's a weekly meme where you post what you've bought, borrowed, and/or read, throughout the week. To quote Tynga, "you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!"

So, I've been MIA a couple weeks with my StS posts. The bridal shower I had to throw last weekend (and the prep the week before) had a lot to do with that. Also, I've been asked to teach three writing classes this semester at the local community college so I've been rushing around to get things together for that too. I've been teaching for awhile so I should have everything together by now but the college adopted a new textbook for the class so a lot of my time has been spent getting all that together.

Anyways, I have been buying books since my last post. Well of course I have. I can't not buy books. LOL It didn't help that I went back to the library and found more books at the summer sale they're having. I think the Library Ladies find me amusing at this point given the amount of books I've been hauling out of there. I also have found about 50 books of my own which I'll never read again that I'll be donating today. So I've basically bought a bunch and will give a bunch back. Hopefully other library patrons will enjoy my old books!

So here's this week's haul (and note: the links will take you to either Goodreads or Amazon):

BOUGHT

Forever and a Day (Lucky Harbor) was only 1.99 Friday when I purchased this. (The price was the same at Amazon and Barnes & Noble). The boxed set was 99 cents.

I also bought the actual books of the Maya Banks McCabe Trilogy. This is one of my favorite series of all time and I am constantly borrowing it from the library. Well, Barnes and Noble is having a "buy 2 get 1 free sale" on certain books and this entire series was on sale. So yep, I snapped it up for my book shelf. Last week I also grabbed the next three books in Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series:

I love buy 2 get 1 free sales.

FOR REVIEW

None. I've got so many ARCs to read I just cannot request anymore right now.

LIBRARY

Welp, this week I bought 37 books, all in good shape, all for a quarter. Don't worry, I'm not going to make you suffer through an entire list of the books. However, if you want to check them, you can see them on my "paperback" shelf on Goodreads. Just sort it by date, if you want to look real quick. :)

FREEBIES

This book is free at Amazon (click on the cover to get to Amazon) and Barnes & Noble. I used to have this in paperback but it fell apart. I love this author and this book.

So that's it for me. What did you bring in this week? Happy reading and have a great week!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

ARC Review: Deceiving the Witch Next Door by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez

Title: Deceiving the Witch Next Door
Author: Melissa Bourbon Ramirez
Publisher: Entangled Covet
Publication Date: July 20, 2012

My Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

From Goodreads:

Down-on-her-luck witch Storie Bell never thought the biggest threat to her future would be Reid Malone, the very man she’d run from years before. After striking it rich in Texas shale, he’s back in town, and he seems hell-bent on getting in the way of her bookstore’s grand opening. A witch trying to blend in in a small southern town is hard enough, but now he’s seriously testing her strict No Kissing Mortal Men policy. But even witches don’t have a spell for that.

Reid knows there’s much more to Storie than meets the eye. But right now he has only one mission: to infiltrate her shop so he can snatch the elusive secret ingredient to his father’s million-dollar moonshine recipe. Once he does, he can go back to the city and get out of his small hometown, a place in which he has no future.

But as the days go by, he can’t help falling for Storie in every way…and every encounter brings him closer to finding out what happens when you try to deceive a witch.

My Thoughts:

The main character's name is what hooked me with this book. Both of them actually. Storie Rae Bell and Reid Malone. If I ever have kids I might have to name the girl Storie. I love it that freaking much.

Anyways, back to the review. Our heroine, Storie, returns to the small town she had lived with her dad to open up a book store/cafe. She had left some years ago and the town folks had some suspicions about her being a witch. They didn't shun her, exactly, but they definitely were suspicious. And curious. Reid however, the man who ran the bar next door with his dad, wasn't suspicious. No, he just had the strong desire to get into her pants. Something he hadn't done during their last encounter years ago. But Reid has ulterior motives and though these are explained via a bit of back-story, I wish there had been "more" to it. We only got a few glimpses of Reid's dad (who for some reason I pictured like the really old guy on Moonshiners!) and I would have loved to see his interactions with Storie. Especially since it was alluded to that Jigg and Storie's dad had been friends. Or at least, spent lots of time together when her dad went to the bar.

The steam factor in the book was moderate and tastefully done. Reid and Storie had some serious sexual tension going on and I liked how the author was able to capitalize on that as the the book moved forward. The author also explored the tension that Reid felt, being attracted to Storie and yet, at the same time, trying to do "right" by hi father. The only downside I saw with this was that I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Jigg and his father-their interactions, dialogue, even his father's reaction to Storie and the eventual hooking up of her and his son.

Oh, something else that I thought was awesome? I didn't figure out what the "secret ingredient" was (the one Reid was looking for) and was pleasantly surprised by that. Sometimes I'm able to figure out the mystery too soon and it ruins the book for me. Of course, looking back I'm all "I sooooo should have seen that!". Not much catches me off guard anymore and I kinda like that feeling. :) I did however know who the woman in the beginning of the book was right off the bat. I don't think that was supposed to be a surprise though.

I was going to give this book three stars, meaning I liked it and will definitely be seeking out more from this author and series. But the final few twists in this book made me up the rating by half. The author does a great job setting up what I hope will be future books in this series. I already think I know who the couples will be, but obviously this is just my Nancy Drew like senses going all tingly. Or is that Spiderman? Whatever. Anyways, I think I have an idea and hope I am right!

Here are the purchase links:

Deceiving the Witch Next Door (Entangled Covet) at Amazon
Deceiving the Witch Next Door at BN
Deceiving the Witch Next Door at Goodreads

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

ARC Review: Elite (Eagle Elite, #1) by Rachel Van Dyken

Title: Elite (Eagle Elite, #1)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: July 9, 2013

My Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars

From Goodreads:

For Tracey Rooks, life with her grandparents on a Wyoming farm has always been simple. But after her grandmother's death, Tracey is all her grandfather has. So when Eagle Elite University announces its annual scholarship lottery, Tracey jumps at the opportunity to secure their future and enters. She isn't expecting much-but then she wins. And life as she knows it will never be same . . .

The students at Eagle Elite are unlike any she's ever met . . . and they refuse to make things easy for her. There's Nixon, gorgeous, irresistible, and leader of a group that everyone fears: The Elect. Their rules are simple. 1. Do not touch The Elect. 2. Do not look at The Elect. 3. Do not speak to The Elect. No matter how hard she tries to stay away, The Elect are always around her and it isn't long until she finds out the reason why they keep their friends close and their enemies even closer. She just didn't realize she was the enemy -- until it was too late.

My Thoughts:

Alright, first things first. This is a series. Instead of an HEA and based on the preview chapter, this ends with a HFN. I really hope this doesn't get drawn out. As most of you know, I hate cliffhangers. Especially relationship cliffhangers. And though this doesn't end with a cliffy, it does end with that feeling of, "uh oh, things look like they could go very, very wrong."

Now, all that being said, you'd think I disliked the book, right? Well, you'd be wrong. I liked it. It had this great Romeo and Juliet feel to it that I loved (without the suicide of course) and reminded me a lot of the Vampire Academy books which I absolutely freaking loved.

Let's chat about our main characters, shall we? Tracey Rooks get into this all exclusive college by, allegedly, writing a stellar essay. It's made clear that Tracey is the school's charity case. Oh yeah, she is not liked. One thing that drove me up a wall was when Tracey actually believed Nixon was a jerk, when he had freaking just talked to her and explained what he was going to have to do. She got all pissed and depressed and I literally wanted to smack her in the face. I mean, "hello?! The guy just told you what he was going to do and now you're ready to give up?! Get a clue!" And yes, I was talking to my Nook. But I couldn't help it, it was frustrating. Don't judge me!

Nixon. He might be the youngest alphahole I've ever read. He was such a jerk. Such a major, freaking jerk! At first I couldn't believe he was the hero, but then, as the story unfolded, it all came together. There was a method to his alphahole-ness (definitely not a word, but you get the idea!) He was, in his own way, doing what he had to do to protect his woman. What neither he nor Tracey realized until a pivotal point in the book is that they share a history. Nixon was a perfect blend of protective, broken, hot hero and I love him. Almost as much as I love Dimitri from the Vampire Academy series and so that's a lot!

Moving on to...Chase. *sighs* What can I say about him? He's the one thrown into the middle and based on the preview for the second book, is going to cause Nixon and Tracey trouble. I want to like him, cause he's hot and well, he;s Chase. But just knowing what his role is in the book and the "part" he will play, I can't. In fact, I loathe him. (I dislike drawn out love triangles just about as much as I dislike cliffhangers.)

The rest of the secondary characters were interesting and I look forward to reading more about them. Phoenix, though, seriously, someone, i.e. Nixon, should have shot him. What a lying, assaulting, jack ass. I hate him, like loads. And lastly, once or twice I felt the narrative was disjointed or didn't quite fit. I was confused about Tracey's grandfather and it just didn't seem right he was lying to her the whole time. And also, the hate between him and Nixon over their shared family history just didn't ring true. I would have preferred to see them as a united front for Tracey's sake. He also just happened to show up out of the blue which was, in a word, odd. But none of that was enough to distract me from the book or stop me from wanting to read more.

Elect, the second in the Eagle Elite series is scheduled to debut December 10, 2013. That's seems like a long time from now but I can be patient. I think. I really am looking forward to it and hope we get some final resolution between Nixon and Tracey. They're meant to be!

Here are the links for info and/or to purchase:

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Sunday, August 11, 2013

The Sunday Post [6]: Little Progress and a Necessary Break

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. From Kimba's website, "this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. This is your news post, so personalize it! Include as much as you want or as little. Be creative, it can be a vlog or just a showcase of your goodies."

I always try to have a plan, especially when I have weeks (or in this case, a month) where I'm swamped with work, reading, writing, family duties, and well, trying to have a personal life. This month that plan hasn't seemed to work so well for me. Oh, I'm getting things done. But I've had to sacrifice sleep and sanity to do it. Thankfully, Saturday will be the end of this month from hell and I can get back to some normalcy. I hope.

On the upside, things at work are going well. Or, going better than they were in the beginning of the year anyways. I've also been managing to pay off some bills (yay!) and stick to my budget (double yay!). I'm slowly making headway on my website and hope to have that up and running soon. Getting familiar with WordPress has been interesting, to say the least, but once I find a background I like, I think it will be launch time. Maybe by September 1, or at the latest, the middle of September. The organizer in me wants to be sure I understand what I'm doing before I launch so yeah, maybe mid September is a better goal post for this!

But on to the here and now, this week's review of all things reading, reviewing and writing related with some miscellany thrown in between for good measure.

BOOKS READ/REVIEWED:

Facade by Nyrae Dawn

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski

Both of these made me ball my eyes out, for different reasons, but yeah, I was a sobbing mess by the end of them. I keep my reviews spoiler free for the most part so check them out if you're looking for a new adult book to read.

I also finished Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie and I fell in love with the hero in that book. And the heroine too. It was heart-warming, sweet and just what I needed after the angst of the other two I read this week. This was a just for fun book, and one I needed to finish so I could return it to the library. I don't plan on reviewing this for the blog though I think I could write pages and pages on how deeply this book impacted me. The banter was great, the plot was interesting and not in any way over the top and the author had me connecting to the heroine in such a meaningful way that even days later I can't stop thinking about it. I might have to break down and buy this one so I can have it for re-read purposes.

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING:

I have way too much to focus on this week so reading will be far down the list for me, sadly. So other than finishing comments on my CP's book, I don't have much to read this week on my reading list. It's a short list in fact (only two books I think) and on top is Curse of Passion by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez.

STACKING THE SHELVES:

I didn't get to post my week's intake yesterday because I was up at the crack of dawn so I could get to Syracuse for the day. I had to go yesterday to do a final check of the venue and make sure we had everything.

I did get some ARCs this week though, four to be exact, though some of these don't have to be reviewed until later in the month or September so I have time. Thankfully.

Safe in His Arms by Renee Jones
Dead Sexy Dragon by Lolita Lopez
In His Command by Rie Warren
Last Chance Summer by Hope Ramsay

I also bought two of Lauren Dane's books, Giving Chase and Taking Chase, and Rock Hard by Olivia Cunning. I bought these only because I had great coupon offers from Kobo and could not pass them up. I'm a sucker for a sale.

ARC August:

You can check out the details HERE but basically I'm participating in this challenge to decrease the amount of ARCs I have and get my butt in gear with reviews. (Ironic since, I'm trying to decrease the pile of ARCs and yet I got more this week. I don't even think I can explain that. LOL) Anyways, you can check out my goals for the month, HERE. In terms of progress, here is how I'm doing so far:

This week I read three of the ARCs and finished (and posted) two of the reviews (see above for the links!). I will finish the third review and post it sometime this week.

ROW80:

Well, let's just call the week a big ole fail on the writing front, shall we? I don't like making excuses, I really don't. But honestly, with maid of honor duties for this shower I have had to devote my time to getting that done. So the only writing I've gotten in is for the party games templates, emails to the rest of the birdesmaids, and to-do lists. As I said earlier, after the 17th of August life will calm down and at that point I plan to reassess my ROW80 goals and move forward. But until then I'm taking a break from my goals. I'll call it a vacation though I doubt it will be very relaxing!

AROUND THE WEB:

A great post about "blah-ging": dealing with the case of the blahs while blogging and some tips on how to get out of it.

The best blog ever when it comes to books, bookshelves, libraries and everything that is books and reading! Gah! It's heaven! I found heaven, people! And you can find it too by clicking HERE.

Who doesn't like Cookie Monster?! Having grown up with the Muppets and Sesame Street I have a lot of love for them. Heck, I still have my Kermit the Frog stuffed animal I got when I was 4. Yeah, I know, it's crazy, but I can't throw out Kermit!! Anyways, check out Cookie Monster and his song about self control HERE. (And thanks to @Katiebabs for tweeting this! She comes up with some of the best links ever.)

This is an older link (July 2012) but seriously, these are adorable and make me smile, laugh and some I even get a bit teary eyed over. In fact, I may or may not have been crying when I read #10. So check out The 50 Cutest Things That Ever Happened and don't blame me if you need tissues.

And finally, @smexys_sidekick tweeted this quote from Tina Fey which I re-tweeted because seriously, it's Truth: “It is impressively arrogant to conclude that just because you don’t like something, it is empirically not good." ― Tina Fey I love this quote. I need it billboard size.

So that's it for me this week. Between work, where I have a ton of deadlines to meet including one which will keep me tied to my desk Monday and Tuesday all damn day, and until next week's festivities are over I won't be around all that much. I'm even skipping my monthly book club. Can you believe that?! Instead I'll be home, drinking copious amounts of wine and making enough chicken riggies for 50 people. (If you're from central New York or have been here, you likely know what those are. :D ) I hope everyone has a great week and see you next Sunday!

Friday, August 9, 2013

ARC Review: The Edge of Never (The Edge of Never, #1) by J.A. Redmerski

Title: The Edge of Never (The Edge of Never, #1)
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: March 12, 2013

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

From Goodreads:

Sometimes life takes you off course . . .

THE EDGE OF NEVER

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett thought she knew exactly where her life was going. But after a wild night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she shocks everyone-including herself-when she decides to leave the only life she's ever known and set out on her own. Grabbing her purse and her cell phone, Camryn boards a Greyhound bus ready to find herself. Instead, she finds Andrew Parrish.

Sexy and exciting, Andrew lives life like there is no tomorrow. He persuades Camryn to do things she never thought she would and shows her how to give in to her deepest, most forbidden desires. Soon he becomes the center of her daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But there is more to Andrew than Camryn realizes. Will his secret push them inseparably together-or destroy them forever?
Due to sexual content and language, this book is recommended for 17+ – Adult Contemporary Women’s – New Adult Fiction

My Thoughts:

Oh my freaking god. These new adult titles I've been reading are killing me lately. I can't read one without ending up a sobbing mess by the end. I mean, really?! Does there have to be so much beautiful angst? My tear ducts are going to dry up and I'm going to have nothing left. Is it me maybe? Does anyone else get all weepy and cry gigantic ugly tears while reading these NA books? Are they all like this? Because if they are I need to invest in the Johnson and Johnson company. I mean for god's sake I just can't handle these body wreaking sobs anymore!

Alright. Rant over. For now. Back to the review.

So yeah, as you can tell this book got to me. It was angsty, oh yea it was angsty. Both hero and heroine had baggage and were going through some major emotional trauma. However, unlike many other books I've read, our main characters didn't dance around too much. Sure, they weren't exactly open and honest for awhile about how they felt about each other, but even so, it was one of those situations where they each seemed to know how the other felt, but both were too chicken shit to say anything. But this didn't mean there were other guys or gals getting in the way. This was a roadtrip and they met other people, but they were focused on each other even before they were together-together. And I loved that. (Sometimes the waffling back and forth and miscommunication in romance novels irks the hell outta me. I sometimes want to scream "enough already!" at my Nook. Thankfully, it didn't come to this with The Edge of Never.)

One of my favorite parts of this entire book was how the author brought these two together. Their time together on the road was beautiful. I loved how Andrew wanted to show Cam how to live. I also loved how he made her try new things, taking her out of her comfort zone and showing her it was okay to take a risk. Even if that risk was with her heart. There time in New Orleans was my favorite. Well, and the time they watched the rain. Oh, and when they were in Wafflehouse. And when Andrew beat the crap out the guy in the bathroom. Oh and in the bar too. And, oh wait, when...

I need to stop with the favorite parts or else I'll end up revealing everything. And besides, I think at this point you get the idea. The bottom line is, the author brought their road trip to life and made me want to hop onto a Greyhound and see where the road took me. (Though, I then remembered how cramped they were and how sick I used to get whenever I had to ride those things from Utica, New York to my aunt's house in Long Island -all while listening to my NKOTB tapes- and that fantasy crumbled really fast. Reality is definitely not as fun as that which we find in books.)

Now. I need to mention the end. Or, let's say the last 50 pages or so. I did not see that coming. Not until Andrew was talking to his mother did everything click into place and I had an "oh shit" moment. At that point I didn't know whether to keep reading or bang my Nook against my face until I lost consciousness. I didn't want to read the rest. I didn't want to see what I thought would happen, happen. But I also couldn't look away. I was a deer in the headlights and the car was driving right for me, and all I could do was stare.

When the truth came out, when Andrew spoke with his mom and everything clicked for me, that was also around the point when I started to cry. And it wasn't dainty, quiet tears with the occasional sniffle. Nope. It was the painful kind that you feel throughout your whole body. It wasn't pretty and by the end I looked like a hot mess with my mascara running all over the place and my hair standing on end from me yanking at it, berating the author for letting me get invested in these characters just to rip it all away. So.Not.Fair.

But thank god for the end; that is got turned around and didn't end the way I had convinced myself it would. Beause I would have been seriously pissed if it had. So when things turned, the tears weren't so ugly and painful and painful anymore. Nope, by then they were quiet, happy sobs while I grinned like an idiot.

Having said all the good about this book I do want to touch on a couple of issues I had. As you can see this was 3.5 stars. I liked it. I more than liked it in fact. But a couple things had me hanging back from a full 4 stars.

First, there were a few errors (editing) here and there, but nothing too extreme to distract me. It was more the teacher part of me that caught a couple things that had me cringing. It jarred me out of the story once or twice, but nothing serious. The only reason I bring it up is because I was surprised to see them in a GCP book. Usually their editing is spot on. The second issue I had deals with the resolution. Don't get me wrong. I loved the ending and wouldn't want it to end any other way. But given what had happened and how we got to the end (and the severity of, well, everything!) it felt kind of rushed. One minute it was near tragedy, and the next, time jump. I wish there had been more time in between; more narrative of that point in both Cam and Andrew's life. Sure, it would have required another fifteen boxes of tissues but it wouldn't have felt like the ending was slapped together.

Other than that, I really enjoyed this read. And I have to say, usually reading in present tense grates on my nerves, but in this case it was done so well it didn't bother me at all. Now I'm going to read something funny and sweet with way less angst and definitely far fewer tears. I need a break. And then maybe I'll grab the second in this series, though by the blurb, that looks to be a freaking doozy too. *sighs at the inevitable*

Here are some purchase and info links: The Edge of Never via Amazon / The Edge of Never via BN / The Edge of Never at Goodreads

*I received this ARC from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Book Review: Facade (Games, #2) by Nyrae Dawn

Title: Facade (Games, #2)
Author: Nyrae Dawn
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: July 2, 2013

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

From Goodreads:

Can love save them?

After her father commits a crime that shatters her family, eighteen-year-old Delaney Cross is tired of pretending everything is alright. Packing up her car, she sets out to find the people her father hurt. Her search leads her to places she's never been--and into the arms of Adrian Westfall.

To the outside world, Adrian is a sexy, charming ladies man. But his playboy persona is just an act. Secretly his soul is tortured by a memory too painful to share. Only Delaney seems to see through his façade to the real man underneath. And for the first time in his life, Adrian feels he can begin to open up about his past.

Together, Adrian and Delaney share a passionate, carefree love they never expected to find. Yet both still harbor their own secrets. When the dark truth is finally revealed, will it bring them closer together, or tear them apart forever?

My Thoughts:

I was really skeptical that the author could pull off Adrian as a hero. After reading Charade I just could not see how he could be anything but a pot smoking player who partied all the time. I mean really, how could anyone turn Adrian Westfall, of all characters, into a hero?

After finishing this book, I can safely say that Ms. Dawn did it.

And I liked that she didn't hide Adrian's past. She made it clear that he had that past; the past of a guy who partied, smoked too much pot, drank way too much and wanted women for one thing, sex. There was no way that Adrian could just suddenly be some perfect hero after all that. And he wasn't. Adrian continued to make mistakes in this book. He continued to be a clueless ass at times. But he also had a damn good reason to be.

And that reason shattered me.

There aren't too many books that I can say this about. Most books I read and sure there is some angst and in some cases I might even shed some tears. But this. Oh this was so different. By the time the climax occurred in the book and what had been building throughout the narrative exploded I was already near tears. But when the truth came out, a truth that even I did not see coming, I was left sobbing. And not quiet tears. No. These were ugly tears and it actually hurt.

Not only was the story that touching and poignant that I couldn't control my emotions, it also brought home that everyone grieves in different ways and that sometimes people nearly destroy themselves before they finally see the light and climb out of that hole. And sadly, there are times, people don't climb out at all. We all have experienced it, or will. Grief is something none of us can escape. And in both Charade and now Facade, Ms. Dawn explores how love can be the antidote for that pain, if we let it. In Facade I wasn't prepared for the truth that Adrian let Laney, in on. The truth that had been keeping him locked inside himself for four long years. I was so shocked it broke me, and like Laney, I wanted to throw up. Losing someone the way Adrian did is hard for anyone. But losing someone who was connected to Adrian the way Ash was, well that is just is unfathomable and terrifying, both at the same time.

I cannot say this enough but of the NA books I've read so far, this author is by far one of the best that I've read. And in actuality, she has climbed up onto the top of my favorite author list, without regard to genre. her writing, her voice, the development of these characters and the narrative in which they live, is truly fantastic. The third book is due out in January of 2014 and I will be snapping that up to find out if Maddox finds his happily ever after.

If you want a book that is well written and has a complete story that will touch your very heart and soul, I recommend checking out this series. You don't have to read the first one (the about Cheyenne and Colt) but it's just as good as this. And yeah, I cried in that one too. But it was a different kind of crying in Charade. In this book the tears weren't for the inevitable happening. No, in this one, it was for the senseless loss that Adrian suffered and how badly I wanted to fix it all for him.

Have you read this book or the first in the series, Charade? What did you think of the heart shattering truth we find out from Adrian? Were you as surprised as I was? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on this book and/or series.

Here are the purchase and info links for the book: Facade (The Games Series) via Amazon /
Facade (The Games Series) via BN / Facade (The Games Series) at Goodreads

*I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Monday, August 5, 2013

ARC August: Setting Goals to Tackle My Pile of ARCs

ARC August is a challenge for all of us reviwers out there who may have gotten a little bit behind in reading ARCs. Or, perhaps a lot behind. Don't worry. I won't judge. As Ocativa says on the ARC August post, "type up a post just saying you’re participating then add your link in the linky below! The post can be as detailed (how many ARC’s you have, etc.) or as simple as you want just make sure your mention this post so other people can join!"

And what does one get at the end of ARC August? Well, for one, the knowledge that your ARC to-be-read pile is smaller. And for two, the chance to win a $20 dollar gift card via Read, Sleep, Repeat.

So I'm joining up and this is my goal for the month:

Read and prepare reviews for 11 books and schedule for posting in either August or September, depending on release date.

This goal, or set of goals rather, should ensure that I stay up to date with the ARCs I have to read and review and also that I not only read, but actually prepare the posts. The latter is the hardest part for me. It shouldn't be, since I make notes and highlights and all that while reading, but it is. My hope is that the ARC August Challenge will help me get on top of that! (Note: not all of these are ARCs. Some are earlier books in a series that I have the current book in ARC format for. By reading the ARC and preparing the review,, VOILA! My ARC pile decreases!)

Here is a sampling, but not all, of the books and ARCs I will be reading this month with the reviews *hopefully" going up in the months of August and September (again, depends on the release dates):

So, are you participating in ARC August? What are your goals for the months. Or do you want to join in? Click HERE to go to the post that explains the rules and don't forget to include the link to your goal post on that page!

Sunday, August 4, 2013

The Sunday Post [5]: Reading, Writing, Reviewing & Veronica Mars!!

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. From Kimba's website, "this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. This is your news post, so personalize it! Include as much as you want or as little. Be creative, it can be a vlog or just a showcase of your goodies."

HEY YOU GUYS...... (Said in the best voice imitation I can muster a la Goonies):

VERONICA MARS IS BACK!

I want to give a one fingered salute to all those "Suits" in the TV industry who cancelled the show way back in the day and thought there would never be life after the TV show. They clearly didn't realize the amazing, fantasical phenomenon show this was, and is. So, for all your trailer watching pleasure, here it is, a sneak peak for the movie (that I will probably see 5 times, at least, when it comes to theatres):

I am so seriously stoked for this movie I cannot even begin to explain it. This show, for me, brought back all the awesomeness that was Nancy Drew, Fear Street, the Christopher Pike books and everything that is awesome from my 80s/90s childhood, rolled it into one big pile, and then morphed it to meet the culture and reality of the 00s. Yes, it is that good. And also, Logan is my future husband. Just sayin'.

Alright, and now that I have done my fan-girling for the day, on to everything else I did this week: