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Book Review: MacRieve (Immortals After Dark #13) by Kresley Cole

8/29/2014

Synopsis:

A Beast In Torment

Uilleam MacRieve believed he’d laid to rest the ghosts of his boyhood. But when a brutal torture revives those ancient agonies and destroys his Lykae instinct, the proud Scot craves the oblivion of death. Until he finds her—a young human so full of spirit and courage that she pulls him back from the brink.

A Beauty In Chains

Seized for the auction block, Chloe Todd is forced to enter a terrifying new world of monsters and lore as a bound slave. When offered up to creatures of the dark, she fears she won’t last the night. Until she’s claimed by him—a tormented immortal with heartbreaking eyes, whose touch sets her blood on fire.

A Full Moon On The Rise

With enemies circling, MacRieve spirits Chloe away to the isolated Highland keep of his youth. But once he takes her to his bed, his sensual mate becomes something more than human, evoking his savage past and testing his sanity. On the cusp of the full moon, can he conquer his worst nightmare to save Chloe . . . from himself?

Review:

Anyone who is a fan of the IAD series has their favorite male, or at least favorite faction, and I am no different. While I can admit to having at least one book boyfriend in each faction, I’ve alway loved the Lykae. I mean what’s not to love about uber alpha males who love to play and tease? Bowen has typically been my absolute fav but I’ve been waiting a long time for one of the twins aka Hot and Hotter, to get their own books and Ms. Cole doesn’t disappoint and I may have to change who my favorite Lykae is.

Uilleam/Will/MacRieve, on the outside, appears to be like any other Lykae: Proud, strong, dominant and sexy as hell, but on the inside he is all twisted up with guilt and anger over what had happened to him and his family when he was youth. Chloe is human who has her entire future planned out until a wrench is thrown in it that she could never have imagined. I loved both Will and Chloe and if I had a chance would love to be friends with them because even at their lowest points, which there were many, they found the strength to move on. I also loved that Chloe didn’t back down from a challenge, she had her moments of doubt, but she worked it out. Will’s backstory broke my heart, but I still wanted to Gibbs smack him as he stumbled along with Chloe.

As I said, Ms. Cole does not disappoint. She gives us a great heart wrenching story, on both sides of the coin, while adding in her own special brand of humor and as always keeping us in touch with the characters we’ve come to know and love, while doing a wonderful job at bringing in new ones for us to enjoy.

Favorite line: MacRieve about Nix from Chapter 2: ‘She turned to face him, giving him the full view of her crazy.

Review: "Watch Over Me" by Tara Sivec

8/29/2014

Synopsis:

Addison Snow is your typical teenager. She has a family that loves her, friends that make her laugh, and she's wrapped up in the excitement of graduating high school and going off to college to pursue her dream of becoming an author. When her mother, who also happens to be Addison's best friend, dies unexpectedly, her world comes to a crashing halt.
Death changes everyone...
To make the pain go away, Addison and her father travel down separate, dark paths. She chooses to end her grief forever, while he drowns his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle. How do you learn to live again when the most important person in your life is gone?
Addison struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. Instead of getting back to being the carefree teenager she once was, she's stuck handling all of the responsibilities that should have been her father's. She has no time to grieve, no time for emotions, and no time for happiness...until Zander Reinhardt walks in. All it takes is one little handwritten note on a napkin to kick-start her back to life and help her realize that maybe there's more to that life than pain.
But can it really be that simple? Can she really trust this man who makes her feel alive again for the first time in a year?

Review:

This book touches upon many of things that are hidden within. Just like Robin Williams passing away due to internal pain no one else saw. No one saw but him. Addison made me realize that her inner struggle is something we all as people, go through one way or another. Being it depression, death, anxiety, or just plain life becoming too much to deal with. We all fight with something that tries to bring us to the breaking point. Sometimes it does.
Addison had her breaking point. Losing her family, to death and alcohol. Family and friends making her feel abandoned as they went back to their lives. Leaving her adrift, she reaches the point she can’t go on anymore. She tries to commit suicide. But fails and has to face life with help in the most unlikely ways.
Running her mother’s bakery, and going to counseling weekly. Addison feels like she was going through the motions of living. Keeping a cynical protective shell around her.
When Addison meets Zander you are rooting for the guy. He is like a bright ray of sunshine that Addison is afraid to let in. Slow to open up to him, she eventually does. Now I won’t give the book away, just know that when you read this book to have a tissue nearby.
I always feel like if we can face and deal with the inner battle, being help from friends, counselors, family, or strangers. A person who can be there to listen or just sit with you and hold your hand until you can breathe again, until angst lets loose of you enough so you can function.
I have personally went through bumps and snags mentally and physically in life. I related to this book when it came to believing without a doubt there is always an angel watching over you, holding you up when you fall. Being there when you needed them most.
Tara writes this book from the heart, it makes you see there is a lot to live for.
Yourself.
You just have to find that.
Thank you Tara for writing again a great book!
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call 911 or contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-73-TALK orhttp://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaraSivec.authorpage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaraSivec
Web Page: http://www.tarasivec.com/

Review: A Beautiful Prisonby Jenika Snow

8/29/2014

Synopsis:

WARNING/Please note: While this is considered a Dark Erotic Novella due to the content, it is not a "hardcore" story. There are very disturbing scenes/graphic content such as: S/m, dub-con, kidnapping, drugging, and violence.
She was his. Irrevocably. Undeniably.
Ruby Jacobson just wanted a new life, but it seemed fate had a twisted way of giving it to her. She was taken from her bed and sold like an object. Death is a far better outcome. Or so she thought.
Gavin Darris has always desired the darker pleasures in life. Not one to have to purchase his playthings, he needs a female that will bend to his will, and derive pleasure from it, too. He sees Ruby, one of the many females for sale, and he wants her like he has never wanted anything else before. She has a fire in her eyes, and a determination not to yield. She'll be a fighter, and exactly what he is looking for. Making her submit will be almost as pleasurable as finally sating the darkness inside of him.
He is ruthless in what he wants, and what he wants is her.
The dark desires Ruby has felt inside of her are about to be tempted in the most horrifying of ways. She should hate Gavin, and fear everything he represents, but she also can't deny that her body aches for his touch. He tells her she is his, that he owns every part of her, and everything inside of her knows that is the truth.
Ruby is faced with the ultimate decision: escape to gain her freedom, or stay with Gavin, the monster whose delicious punishment makes her yearn for more.
Both are frightening.

Review:

Running away from her horrible existence, Ruby soon finds herself dumped in a nightmare and then with a man who scares the hell out of her and yet intrigues her. Gavin has the world at his fingertips. Anything he wants he can have with the exception of a woman who openly and honestly shares in his proclivities until he lays eyes on Ruby.
I’m having a difficult time putting into words my feelings about this novella. On the one hand I liked it. I’ve never read the author before nor much dark erotica, but I enjoyed the unconventional path Ruby and Gavin took to get to their HEA and I am one that will suspend reality and go with the story the author is weaving. On the other hand I feel like there could have been more, I understand that this is a novella so there is only so much an author can do, and the scenes we were gifted with were done well, but there is a part of me that still feels like I’m missing out on something. We get bits and pieces of the puzzle but at the end it doesn’t feel like it’s enough for me to say “Okay, I get why they are together.”

Webpage: http://www.jenikasnow.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenika.sow
Blogger: http://www.jenikas.blogspot.com/

Book Review: Nobody (Men of the White Sandy: Book 3) by Sarah M. Anderson

8/28/2014

Synopsis:

Nobody Bodine came from a nobody and will always be a nobody. He can disappear into the shadows—no one can see him if he doesn’t want them to. He exists on the edge, in neither the white man’s world nor the tribe’s, dispensing vigilante justice when he sees fit. There’s no other place for a man like him in this world.

Until Melinda Mitchell shows up on the rez. From the first moment he lays eyes on her, he can tell there’s something different about her. For starters, she’s not afraid of him. She asks where his scars came from, and why he has so many. But more than that, she sees him. For the first time in his life, Nobody feels like a somebody in her eyes.

Melinda has come west to run the new day care on the White Sandy Reservation. She’s intrigued by this strange man and his tattered skin, and when she discovers that he’s a self-appointed guardian angel for the boy in her care, she realizes that there’s more to Nobody than meets the eyes. But how far will he go to keep the boy safe? And will she be able to draw him into the light?

Review:

After reading the first two books, Mystic Cowboy and Masked Cowboy, to say that I was curious about Nobody Bodine is an understatement. How can one not be intrigued by a man who people don’t see, either because they choose not to or are unable to, who speaks little, has a menacing countenance but always seems to appear to help when one is in a jam? So I was thrilled to find out that he had gotten his own book and was not disappointed.
Nobody’s past is filled with fear, pain and loneliness. He doesn’t know the meaning of love or friendship so he sticks to the shadows and does what good he can in his own special way. Melinda is in White Sandy to head the new daycare center while staying with her sister Madeline and her husband Rebel licking her wounds from another relationship gone down the tubes. And when the two of them meet, total opposites in more ways than one, their worlds get rocked to their cores. They each have to learn to trust in each other and while it is difficult, for so many reasons, they work through it all. I love how we learn about Nobody’s past and get inside his head, which is a lot because speaking isn’t something he enjoys, and see how he thinks, especially when Melinda does things that go against how most people react to him. And Melinda is a true firecracker, she doesn’t give up on Nobody, she treats him with a firm, yet gentle hand and helps him to see that he is so much more than a nobody.
I enjoyed reading the story as a whole and being able to get caught up with characters from the first two books. Also, what I admire about this series is how Ms. Anderson doesn’t over glorify life on the rez, nor does she hide the ugliness from the reader. She makes it real with a good balance of the good and bad, while adding a nice, healthy dose of Native American mysticism to the mix.

Webpage: http://www.sarahmanderson.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-M-Anderson-Author/190913297595486

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahMAnderson1

Book Review: Dark Skye (Immortals After Dark #14) by Kresley Cole

8/28/2014

Synopsis:

ETERNAL OBSESSION

As a boy, Thronos, prince of Skye Hall, loved Lanthe, a mischievous Sorceri girl who made him question everything about his Vrekener clan. But when the two got caught in the middle of their families’ war, tragedy struck, leaving Thronos and Lanthe bitter enemies. Though centuries have passed, nothing can cool his seething need for the beautiful enchantress who scarred his body—and left an even deeper impression on his soul.

ENDLESS YEARNING

Lanthe, a once-formidable sorceress struggling to reclaim her gifts, searches for love and acceptance with all the wrong immortal suitors. But she’s never forgotten Thronos, the magnificent silver-eyed boy who protected her until she was ripped from the shelter of his arms. One harrowing night changed everything between them. Now he’s a notorious warlord with a blood vendetta against Lanthe, hunting her relentlessly.

CAN THE HEAT OF DESIRE BURN BRIGHTER THAN VENGEANCE?

With their families locked in conflict and battles raging all around them, will Thronos and Lanthe succumb to the brutal chaos that threatens everything they cherish? Or will the fragile bond they formed so long ago spark a passion strong enough to withstand even the darkest doubts?

Review:

I may have said to a certain friend that I wasn’t as fangirl crazy about this particular book ~ please keep in mind that it was said AFTER reading MacRieve and I have a tinsy winsy obsession with the Lykae and really, really wanted Munro’s book next. I mean seriously? Who wouldn’t want more of Hot and Hotter? ~ but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t want to read Dark Skye, nor do I think any less of it because Kresley Cole hit another one out of the park.
Melanthe, Sorceri Queen of Persuasion, and Thronos, Vrekener Prince of Skye Hall have been enemies for centuries, and Thronos and his bretheren have spent much of that time chasing after not only Melanthe, but all Sorceri, and now Thronos has finally caught his prey and isn’t about to let her go.
As I said Ms. Cole hit this one out of the park. Not only does she give us Lanthe and Thronos’ back story, which at times is heartbreaking, their current story, but also weaves in bits and pieces of the characters we’ve come to know and love all the while giving us glimpses of what’s to come all without feeling absolutely overwhelmed with all the knowledge being thrown at you. And of course all of this is done with her signature snarky humor that every IAD fan has come to expect from her books.
I loved how Lanthe held her ground with Thronos, not letting him walk all over her as well as verbalizing how she felt about his treatment. She didn’t hold back. She knew who she was, knew she wasn’t a bad person at heart, though she is Sorceri through and through, and didn’t deserve to made to feel bad about anything she had experienced. And then there is Thronos. He started out as bit of an obsessive psycho type, understatement I know, but finding out why and then seeing how he evolves is really does change your mind about him and in the end you can’t help but love him, especially with how he shows Lanthe that she is truly his.

Webpage: http://kresleycole.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kresleycole
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KresleyCole

Review: Love is a Battlefield (DreamMakers #2) by Vivian Arend

8/28/2014

Synopsis:

Years ago it was far easier for Jack Hunter to keep his hands off his best friend’s little sister. Before they’d signed up and done a couple tours of duty, Pepper Wilson had been nothing more than an annoying tag-along brat. Only now that he’s back for good and working to make DreamMakers a success, Pepper’s home from college and determined to push his every button.

Review:

Jack Hunter had always seen Pepper Wilson as the annoying, combative little sister of his best friend, Parker Wilson, growing up, and even when he started to look at her as more than just his best friends little sister he pushed those thoughts to the side because of the complications that it could bring into his friendship with Parker, who isn’t only his best friend but brother in all ways except blood. But now that she is back in town for good and he’s had the opportunity to look past being the annoying little sister he never wanted, Jack decides it’s time to let go and see if there can be more between them.
It was fun to watch as Jack and Pepper’s story unfolded. Jack, despite being wholly alpha male, is also a pretty laid back, observant kind of guy and as he starts to really see and understand why Pepper acts and reacts in the way she does to her brother’s over protectiveness as well as how she views life he finds that she is so much more than he originally thought her to be. Pepper is a firecracker of a woman who has been trying since birth to get people to see that she can take care of herself. There were times where I thought she was being overly dramatic, but at the same time couldn’t fault her for it.
Being able to catch up with Parker, Lynn, Dean and the oh so unique Suz as well as meeting some new faces to the series helped move the story and series along and made for a very enjoyable read.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElleKennedy
Webpage: http://www.ellekennedy.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ElleKennedy

Book Review: Rusty Nailed (Cocktail Book 2) by Alice Clayton

8/28/2014

Synopsis:
In this sequel to Wallbanger, the second book in the Cocktail series, fan favorites Caroline and Simon negotiate the rollercoaster of their new relationship while house-sitting in San Francisco.

Playing house was never so much fun—or so confusing. With her boss on her honeymoon, Caroline’s working crazy long hours to keep the interior design company running—especially since she’s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel on Sausalito. So with her hotshot photographer boyfriend gallivanting all over the world for his job, she and Simon are heavy-duty into “absence makes the heart grow fonder” mode. Neither has any complaints about the great reunion sex, though! Then Simon decides he’s tired of so much travelling, and he’s suddenly home more. A lot more. And wanting Caroline home more, too. Though their friends’ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort their relationship out. Neither wants “out of sight, out of mind,” but can they create their own happy mid-ground cliché?

Review:

Rusty Nailed is the continuation of Simon and Caroline’s (aka Wallbanger and Nightie Girl) story and we find them settled into a nice rhythm in their relationship and while I didn’t find it as laugh out loud funny as Wallbanger and a little slow in some aspects, I still enjoy seeing Simon and Caroline’s relationship grow, as well as the others around them. Simon is still travelling the world doing his photography thing while Caroline continues to excel at her job with Jillian Designs, but then a wrench is thrown into their idyllic relationship that has them both looking at who they are and who they want to be, apart as well as together.
Simon confronts the demons from his past, and while difficult, they give him the kick in the ass that he needs to finally figure out what he wants his future to be. Caroline is faced with dealing with her present situation and working out if what she’d always thought she wanted is right for her. Both Simon and Caroline are still the fun, quirky and outspoken characters from Wallbanger, but grow up just a little bit more. Do they still have their disagreements? Of course! But that’s what makes them, them and they way they navigate their way out of them shows that they are truly meant for each other.
Mimi, Ryan, Sophia and Neil are still apart of their lives and add in their own antics that keep both Simon and Caroline on their toes all the while reinforcing what a great relationship they have. And then there is Clive. He still steals all the scenes he’s in and is as lovable as ever. For a cat.

Webpage: http://aliceclayton.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3379564.Alice_Clayton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAliceClayton

Book Review: Wilder’s Mate (Book 1 Bloodhounds) by Moira Rogers

8/28/2014

Synopsis:
Wilder Harding is a bloodhound, created by the Guild to hunt down and kill vampires on America’s frontier. His enhanced abilities come with a high price: on the full moon, he becomes capable of savagery beyond telling, while the new moon brings a sexual hunger that borders on madness.

Rescuing a weapons inventor from undead kidnappers is just another assignment, though one with an added complication–keeping his hands off the man’s pretty young apprentice, who insists on tagging along.

At odds with polite society, Satira’s only constant has been the aging weapons inventor who treats her like a daughter. She isn’t going to trust Wilder with Nathaniel’s life, not when the Guild might decide the old man isn’t worth saving. Besides, if there’s one thing she’s learned, it’s that brains are more important than brawn.

As the search stretches far longer than Wilder planned, he finds himself fighting against time. If Satira is still at his side when the new moon comes, nothing will stop him from claiming her. Worse, she seems all too willing. If their passion unlocks the beast inside, no one will be safe. Not even the man they’re fighting to save.

Review:
I find myself in a debate over how to rate this book. I liked it. The world looks to be an interesting one: Wild West with a touch, at least in this book, of Steampunk where vampires exist and the government has found a way to engineer a species called Bloodhounds, humans who have been changed into hunters of vampires. Totally my kind of world and I think the author(s) did a great job of showing it to me, so for that alone I want to see what else this series has to offer.

The problem I had was with Wilder and Satira. It isn’t that I don’t like them, in fact I think they are good characters, but I wanted more. Yes we find out about their pasts, their insecurities, what they see/want for their future and the sex was pretty damn hot, but I couldn’t and still can’t shake the feeling that something’s missing. That there has to be more when it comes to both of them, separately and together. Hopefully the next books in the series will round them out more more me.

Overall I think this book does a good job introducing you to the series as well as set the reader up for future story lines.

Webpage: http://moirarogers.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMoiraRogers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mostlybree

Review: Blood Games (Chicagoland Vampires #10)by Chloe Neill

8/28/2014

Synopsis:

While Merit didn't choose to become a vampire or Sentinel of Cadogan House, she vowed to fight for her House and its Master, and she’s managed to forge strong alliances with powerful supernaturals across Chicago. But even though Merit has had wild adventures, this may be her deadliest yet...

A killer is stalking Chicago, preying on humans and leaving his victims with magical souvenirs. The CPD hasn’t been able to track the assailant, and as the body count rises, the city is running out of options. Vampires and humans aren't on great terms, but murder makes for strange bedfellows. Can Merit find the killer before she becomes a target?

Review:

Just as things appear to settle down, at least as much as they can when you’re the Sentinel of a house that has not only broken away from the main governing body for vampires and the Master of your house has set down a challenge to take over that governing body, a murder occurs that appears to have a supernatural bent and Merit is asked to help out.
I remember the day I found this series and while I had no intention of buying another book, I picked it up and have been in love with the series ever since. I love the humor and snark and this book does not disappoint. The other aspect that I love is bearing witness to Merit’s growth, not only as a vampire but as a person. She is not the same Merit we met in Some Girls Bite, which in the timeline of series was not that long ago. She’s taken all that she has experienced and learned from it all. Of course there are some areas of her life that she’s still working on, like dealing with her own family, but some things take more time to deal with.
Then there is MEthan. Merit’s relationship with Ethan will never be easy, and it gets tested once more in this book, but as with Merit, their relationship grows. They learn to trust in each other as well as to understand when they need to step back just a little, even if it goes against what they really want to do.
And of course there are the Ombuddies, Mallory aka Honorary Ombuddy, Lindsey, Jonah and Luc, as well as the rest of the cast of characters that surround Merit, who keep her on her toes and help get her through the crazy that continues to pop up in her life.
There were quite a few surprises in this book for me, things that I didn't see coming and I applaud Ms. Neill for those surprises and can’t wait to read the next addition to the series.

Webpage: http://www.chloeneill.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorchloeneill
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chloeneill