Tag Archive | Romance

REVIEW: Hazel’s Promise by Emily Larkin

Oct25

Hazel’s Promise by Emily Larkin

Series: The Fey Quartet #2

Read: September 1-14, 2016

Format: Print Book

My Book Rating: 4.5 Stars

Genre: Fantasy Romance

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

A lighthearted and magical tale of adventure, true love, and disguises.

Hazel Miller gave her heart to a man who went off to earn his fortune, but he’s been gone longer than she thought he would. A lot longer.

Dressed as a boy, Hazel sets out to find her lover, but the roads of Medieval England are fraught with peril. When a ragged stranger risks his life to protect her, how can she refuse his company?

Hazel’s quest is about to get complicated—and at its end, she may discover that her true love isn’t the man she has waited ten years for.

This is Hazel’s tale.

REVIEW

I received a free copy of this book via Goodreads First Reads.

 

At only 74 pages, I had some reservations about this novella. I often find that authors can’t develop realistic characters that the reader can understand and identify with. That was not the case with Hazel’s promise.

On his way back to the isolated village in which he lives, Tam passes a young man on his way out. Upon second glance, he realizes the young man is actually a young woman in disguise. Despite longing to arrive home, he turns his cart around and follows her.

The young woman is Hazel, who has just received a wish granted by the faeries. When she was just a young girl she fell hard for a nam named Drewet. He promised to come back for her, once he’d made his fortune away from their little village in Dapple Valley. But Drewet never came back. Using her faeries wish, Hazel is able to locate him and sets off to find him. This is when she meets Tam.

Tam proclaims himself Hazel’s chaperone and accompanies her the rest of the way to Drewet. Along the way they get to know one another and their chemistry is hard to deny. As predicted, by the end of the book Hazel has given up on Drewet and realizes she’s fallen in love with Tam.

I liked the characters in this story. Tam is kind and chivalrous. He isn’t described as being exceedingly good looking, but that doesn’t matter to Hazel because his personality shines. Meanwhile Hazel is quite pretty, at least in the eyes of Tam. She’s also headstrong and determined. When she makes a promise, she keeps it. She’s loyal to a fault and a little naive.

The charming way in which this book is written, it feels like it’s aimed at a younger audience, however some of the content is definitely not. It’s by no means erotica, but there are a couple spicy scenes.

In the end, this little story left me with a smile. I would gladly read the rest of this quartet. And at only 99 cents a pop, I may just do that.


Get the Truthsong here:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

~ Add to Goodreads ~

QUOTES

 

“The debt you owe is much smaller than you think, Hazel Miller…” The smile became speculative. “I slew your dragons; I would be content with a kiss.”

 

“I’d rather live in a one-roomed cottage with you than a manor house with any other man.”

 

REVIEW: Friday Night Brides by Samantha Chase

Aug12

Friday Night Brides by Samantha Chase

Read: May 9 – August 1, 2016

Format: ARC Ebook (Kindle)

My Book Rating: 4 Stars

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

Friday Night Brides is the story of four best friends. For the past 20 years they have modeled wedding fashions in a bridal show every Friday night. Now in their mid-twenties, we get to follow their (mis)adventures in love.

I love that this story followed four different main characters and the author did a great job weaving their individual stories into one cohesive book, and in making them stand out as their own person.

Hailey’s mom owns Enchanted Bridal, the whole reason for the Friday Night Brides existence. She’s in lust with the perfect Logan, who has never shown even an inkling of returning the attraction, and can’t stand Jackson, the long haired, tattooed bad boy who models in the shows as well.

Becca always falls for the wrong guy. She has self esteem issues because she doesn’t have the slim figures of her friends. When she meets Max though, her luck seems to turn around.

Angie doesn’t really have a filter, she tells it how it is. When her ex comes back into her life, she has to decide if she can forgive him and try again.

And finally, Ella: she and her boyfriend Dylan have been together since middle school. With their wedding looming before them, and growing out of control thanks to their families, she’s beginning to doubt being with just one man EVER.

The only reason this book took me so long to read is because I started reading too many at once. Once I dedicated myself to finishing this book toward the end of July I sped through it. I needed to know what was going to happen with each of the women. And I was not disappointed. This book reads like a drama on The CW – in a good way!

I wish I could say that one couples story was more interesting than another, but I loved them all. I would say Ella’s probably resonated with me most because she’s marrying the man she’s been with since forever. I also married my high school boyfriend and have experienced some of her same feelings about wonder what, if anything, she/I missed out on by not dating other people. As far as character growth, I feel like Hailey grew the most as a person.

If you’re looking for a fun contemporary romance that’s a little different than others, this is it for you. I was honestly afraid at first it might read like chic-lit, but thankfully it does not! (At least not the chic-lit I’ve read in the past!)

 

Get The Book

Amazon | Nook | iBooks

~ Add to Goodreads ~

QUOTES

 Okay, I was so engrossed in this book I only highlighted one passage because it spoke to me!

“You want to know how I see us? I see us as people who work hard and are planning for our future. While everyone else is running around—or sleeping around—we’re committed to each other. We’re not pissing away our money at bars and clubs. … You’re looking around and thinking ‘look at all we’re missing’ and acting like it’s a bad thing. I’m looking at the same people and thinking about it all with relief! You know what, El? I bet if you asked any of them they’d all rather be us!”

 

REVIEW: Just Say Maybe by Tracy March

May12

GUESS WHAT! In 3 hours I’m meeting my fav author – Richelle Mead!!!

To keep me occupied until then, I’m posting this review for your enjoyment. (I’ve been putting off writing it for a few days now. Along with another review.)

BOOK DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:

Award-winning author Tracy March follows up Should’ve Said No (“Wonderfully quirky . . . a pleasure to read!”—Laura Drewry) with this enchanting novel set in Thistle Bend, Colorado, a magical place where old wrongs are righted, and adventure leads to true love.

Real estate lawyer Holly Birdsong’s hike in the Rockies takes an unexpected turn when a smokin’-hot stranger tumbles off his bike and into her path. Turns out he’s purchasing the abandoned Lodge at Wild Rose Ridge, and Holly agrees to take him on as a client—despite her family’s traumatic history with the previous owner, who shamelessly abused the town’s goodwill at every turn. But when their professional relationship turns personal, Holly must reconcile the past with her hopes for the future.

Adding the rustic lodge to his portfolio of adventure properties isn’t just a business decision for Bryce Bennett. The rugged mountains also offer a killer setting for his extreme-sports camps for at-risk teens. What’s not in the blueprints is finding a kindred spirit in his irresistible lawyer, even if she seems apprehensive about getting involved in the deal. Bryce’s plan to ease her mind just might work, as long as no one discovers his secret. Yet he can’t stand hiding the truth from the woman who makes him want to build something permanent: a happily ever after.

REVIEW

Just Say Maybe by Tracy March

Series: Thistle Bend #2

Read: May 2016

Format: ARC Ebook (Kindle)

My Book Rating: 3 Stars

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

Last September I had the privilege of reading Should’ve Said No, book 1 in Tracy March’s Thistle Bend series. I was impressed with a romance novel full of likable characters and a mystery to boot!

I was excited when Just Say Maybe appeared on NetGalley because why wouldn’t I want to follow up that fabulous 4-star book 1 with the sequel?

Well, I think I liked book 1 so much that I was let down by book 2. While book 1 featured the mystery as the center plot, this one is very much romance centric. Sure, Holly says she doesn’t want to be with Bryce if he’s not going to stay, but it was barely an obstacle. There was a misunderstanding and jumping to conclusions that had me rolling my eyes as well.

I did like the characters, they were interesting and believable. The hotel storyline was somewhat interesting, but I would have liked this book more if that was the central story, and not the romance.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I like the romances to be built around the plot. If that makes sense. And this book felt like the plot was built around the romance.

I think those who like traditional contemporary romances will enjoy this book. I’ll probably read book 3 as well, but I doubt it will live up to book 1.

GET THE BOOK:

AMAZON  |  B&N  |  GOODREADS

REVIEW: Who I Am With You by Missy Fleming

May1

Who I Am With You by Missy Fleming

Read: April 24-26, 2016

Format: ARC Ebook

My Book Rating: 5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 

BLURB FROM GOODREADS:
After witnessing the devastating events of September 11th firsthand, Olivia Van den Berg turned to drugs in hopes of burying the horrifying memory of her parents’ deaths. Nine years later, she’s sober and back in New York for the first time to visit her dying grandmother. With no other heirs, the family business will fall on Olivia’s shoulders, but is she strong enough take her rightful place at the head of a multi-million dollar corporation?

Duncan McMurray is a FDNY firefighter and a hopeless mess. He lost so much that fateful day – his family, his department brothers, his will to live. Years later he’s still struggling to come to terms with his survivor’s guilt and he does it with any substance he can get his hands on. One thought keeps him going … the girl with the chestnut hair he saved as hell crashed down around him, the only proof he wasn’t a complete failure.

A strange encounter reunites Olivia and Duncan once again and the two feel an instant connection. As Olivia falls in love with the man from her past, doors to her future begin to open and she must decide which path to follow. Who I Am With You is a story of love, fear, addiction and coming to terms with who you are and who you are supposed to be.

MY REVIEW:

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

Who I Am With You is not a typical romance novel, it’s far more.

Olivia and Duncan are both broken people. It’s been 9 years since the Twin Towers fell on September 11th and both are still dealing with the trauma of being at ground zero. Olivia was meeting her parents, who were in the second tower. Duncan was a firefighter, rescuing people from the towers. On that tragic day, Duncan saved Olivia.

In the nine years since the towers fell, Olivia ran away to California, abandoning her responsibilities as the heir to her families company, and turned to a life of hard drugs to numb the pain of her PTSD. Clean and sober (for the 2nd or 3rd time — I can’t remember which) for a little over 10 months now, Olivia is forced to face her past and return to NYC when she learns her grandmother, the only relative she has left, is dying of cancer and doesn’t have long to live.

Duncan has remained a NYC firefighter, dealing with his own PTSD and survivors guilt with prescription drugs and a hero complex, taking chances on the job he shouldn’t. His actions in the years since 9/11 have distanced him from his family, he’s now separated from his wife and doesn’t spend much time with his two children.

But when Olivia has dinner with her BFF and Duncan walks in, everything changes. He’s never left her mind, nor she his. They never thought they’d see one another again. It was like fate, like they were meant to meet again. And so they begin a relationship. But is it healthy for Olivia to be with a man who is still so angry and broken, when she’s doing so well on her path to sobriety? Will he lead her astray, into yet another relapse? Or perhaps, can she save him, just like he saved her all those years ago?

This story is so beautifully written. I’ve been a fan of Missy Fleming for years now and I’m always so excited to read her next book. Her teen Savannah Shadows series is toward the top of my all time favorite books, so when she offered me a chance to read this book I jumped.

This book has a beautiful love story with twists and turns along the way. There’s sadness and joy, grief and anger. I don’t recommend reading most of this book in public. I cried more than once. Anyone personally affected by 9/11 will probably have trouble as well. It’s obvious the author did a lot of research. I felt like I was at the base of the towers, watching the aftermath. I felt the dust and ash on my skin as I read the words, I felt Olivia’s fear and pain.

I can’t recommend this book enough. So, go grab it. It’s currently free on Kindle Unlimited, or only $1.99 to buy. That’s a steal.

GET THE BOOK

AMAZON KINDLE  |  GOODREADS

 

‘Second Chance For Love’ Release day!

Apr26

I’ve been bombarding my social media followers with news of my latest release, but I’ve neglected my poor (or lucky?) blog followers!

That’s right, it’s release day! (Woohoo!)

Second Chance For Love is an anthology I almost didn’t write a story for. The deadline was approaching and I had no ideas. Then, BAM! An idea popped into my head. I’m not sure what I was thinking about, but I suddenly had this idea of a woman in a Hollywood marriage walking in on her husband with the nanny. Not only has she been betrayed by her life partner, but now how could she ever trust another nanny? The solution was the Manny.

Here’s a little about each of the stories, then I’ll give you an excerpt from my story, Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now.

Second Chance for Love

Who says love doesn’t come around again?

Seven stories of single parents finding love for the second time

 

The Ticket to Her Heart by D. G. Driver

Dalton Jones is a traffic cop who feels guilty about giving a speeding ticket to a beautiful single mom. With his teenage daughter’s help, he finds a way to meet the woman again, and they fall for each other. Only, he’s neglected to tell her who he really is.

The Perfect Beginning by Nancy Pennick

Tracy DeMarco hasn’t been on a date with a man in five years. She has a child to raise and a job she likes. Her daughter says she needs to get a life. Tracy thought hers was fine until a vampire shows up on her doorstep one Halloween night.

A Love for Michelle by Tara Fox Hall

Left by her boyfriend on the same night she lost her job, Michelle isn’t looking for love when she runs into Max and his two children while sledding. In a few short months, the new couple is inseparable. Then Michelle realizes she’s pregnant with her ex’s child. Will Max love her enough to accept a baby that isn’t his?

The Price of Silence by Katie Stephens

Even though Maggie and Rob are divorced, neither can deny the love they still have for each other. As they wonder why their marriage failed, Maggie’s artistic agent is determined to have her. Grant befriends her children in a bid to make her his wife, but will Rob stand aside and allow another man to take his children … and his soulmate?

Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now by Caroline Andrus

Celebrity photographer Rebecca thought her life was perfect, until she walked in on her husband and the nanny—in bed. A drunk phone call later, she’s managed to snag the most sought after male nanny in Los Angeles. Months later, at her best friends urging, she dives back into the dating pool, but will she end up with Mr. Right Now, or will she realize Mr. Right is already at home with her kids?

For the Love of a Horse by Daisy White

Single mum Ali has done everything she can to forget the past, but when a new love is threatened by a freak horse riding accident, she is forced to face her memories. Can she find the courage to take her second chance for love?

Unexpected Match Maker by JT Adeline

Peyton Geoffrey never thought she needed another dad, until her mom’s past boyfriend, Tate Langston, entered her life. Will Peyton be able to get this surly man to understand how important he is to others, and get him and her mom together again?

 

 

 

 

Excerpt from Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now by Caroline Andrus

 

“Well,” he said. “Have a good time on your date tonight.”

“Thanks,” she said, her gaze falling on the floor before meeting his once more. “Have a good time… hanging out here.”

He laughed. “I’ve got a tablet full of books to read.”

“Do you read a lot?” she asked as she began putting her earrings in.

“Any chance I get.”

“Is that why you’re single? Too lost in your books?”

It was his turn to study the floor. “Maybe. I guess the timing just hasn’t been right.”

“That’s too bad. If there’s anything I can do, as far as timing goes I mean—”

He cut her off. “Thanks, but I don’t think so.”

“Well, if you change your mind…” she trailed off. “Oh shoot!” She stared at the floor. “I dropped the darn back to my earring.”

She dropped to her hands and knees on the floor, searching for the tiny metal piece. Simon quickly joined her, his hands working across the plush cream colored carpet beneath them.

“Aha!” he cried triumphantly, his hand in a tight fist shot into the air.

“Thank you.” Her voice was a breath as she reached her hand out, palm open. Simon set the earring back gently on her palm, then with his other hand, closed her fingers around it.

“You’re welcome,” he said, his amber eyes staring deep into her blue ones.

There was a knock at the door and Rebecca started at the sound. She smiled apologetically and let him help her to her feet. As she turned her back on him to answer the door, Simon said something that caused her to turn back.

“Ollie is right. You really do look beautiful.”

She blushed and smiled at the floor. “Thank you.”

Turning, she quickly popped the earring back into place and made her way to the door. She opened it and found Lucas Labelle standing there, flashing his movie star smile.

Selfie with my print copy of the book!

So there you have it, Second Chance For Love.

Let me tell you, I’ve read all the stories. They’re all good, and they’re all different. If you’re a reader who likes a sweet, clean romance, this is the book for you. Who knows, you may find your new favorite author! (Could it be me??? j/k … or am I?)

You can download the book for FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited (or you can purchase the book) from Amazon here: Amazon.com

If you’re not ready to commit yet, I encourage you to add to your Goodreads Shelf here: Goodreads.com

And if you’re more of a paperback kinda reader, we’ve got you covered here: Lulu.com

 

REVIEW: Tiger Lily by Wende Dikec

Apr18

Tiger Lily by Wende Dikec

Read: March 8 – April 17, 2016

Format: Print Book (Goodreads First To Read WIN)

My Book Rating: 3.5 Stars

Genre: YA – paranormal

 

I won a signed copy of this book from the Goodreads First Reads program.

 

First, I have to get this out of the way. When I saw this book on the list of giveaways, I had no clue its as a YA. For whatever reason, this cover doesn’t look YA for me. The cover is very dark and serious IMO, and the book is more light and comedic, though it does address some serious subjects. That said, I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that it WAS in fact teen fiction, because that’s primarily what I read.

The basic premise of this story is a teen girl named Lily crashes her car and dies for a few minutes. Upon being resuscitated, she realizes she’s now plagued by their weird blobby things. They follow her everywhere and are super distracting. Soon after, with the help of Zoe, a psychic medium goth from her school, she realizes they’re ghosts that have come back with her from the Other Side. There’s another presence, that of a really hot teen boy named Nick. She’s sure he’s a ghost, but he claims he’s not dead. He doesn’t look like the other ghost blobs, so what is he? Things are just starting to get weird for her.

Lily was a tough character for me to warm up to. She’s very prissy and OCD. She hordes hand sanitizer like it’s going out of style and likes things prim and proper. The story starts out with her being stupid and crashing her car because she’s staring at the polish on her fingernails instead of watching the road. (It was a really terrible color on her, or so she claims.)

I did eventually warm up to Lily, by about 30% in I was kind of liking her. By the end I did really like her. So, that was kind of cool, going from not really caring about her to actually feeling strong emotions over what she’s going through.

Actually, I think the author did a really good job with all of the characters. At first they appear one way, but then as you get to know them, you realize that there are layers beneath them that make them the way they are. Lily is OCD and perfect because her baby sister died at 3 months old and her parents have never been able to move on, even after 9 years. Afraid to step on any toes, she overcompensates by trying to be perfect. Then there’s Zoe, the goth girl from school who can see the ghosts. Lily always thought she was a super weird freak, but she soon realizes that Zoe is not only super nice, but also sort of insecure. Her parents don’t really seem to care, so perhaps she dresses in the goth style in order to get attention.

Rating this book was really hard. It started off with me not being so keen on the book, we were thrown instantly into the action and I almost felt like I was missing something. Then as it went on, I warmed up to the characters and the plot. But then it would drag for a while and I didn’t feel that “I NEED TO READ” feeling after putting the book down until the very end. I did read the last 45% of the book (some 80 pages) over the course of about 2 hours just because A. I wanted to be done reading this book, and B. There was suddenly a lot of action and I HAD to know what would happen next. If there had been more of that during the beginning/middle of the book, this would have been a 4-5 star read.

In the end, I was left with warm and tingly feelings, so when forced to choose a solid star rating, I will round up to a 4.

(I really liked Nick. I want to read more books with guys like Nick.)

REVIEW: The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

Apr8

ALERT: One day only – December 7, 2016 – This book is on sale EVERYWHERE for only $1.99!

Check it out on Kindle here: http://amzn.to/2gbq2Bq

All images borrowed from Richelle Mead’s Facebook fan page!

I’m skipping Friday Favorites today in lieu of posting my review of my favorite author, Richelle Mead’s, latest release, The Glittering Court. It’s all good though, because this book has instantly become one of my favorites!

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

Series: The Glittering Court #1

Read: April 5 – 7, 2016

Format: Ebook (Kindle)

My Book Rating: 5 Stars

Genre: YA Romance

 

This book! Be still my heart, this book!

Okay, so I’ll be honest, from the books description, I wasn’t sure I was going to like The Glittering Court. All of the comparisons to The Selection had me weary, because I really didn’t like that book very much. The early reviews weren’t looking all that good either. (But really, they were mostly complaining that this is labeled a fantasy, when it’s really not. It’s a fantasy world, but contains no fantasy elements like magic or dragons.) But you know what? I took a leap and preordered. On April 5, release day, I dove right in and ended up staying up until two am the night of April 7th finishing. #WorthIt

 

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! Never again will I ever doubt Richelle Mead’s storytelling abilities. I will read anything and everything she writes.

 

If the TV shows Reign and When Calls The Heart had a baby, it would be The Glittering Court.

When the young Countess of Rothford is forced into an engagement with her “itchy” cousin, she panics. Taking a risky leap, she assumes the identity of her maid, Adelaide, and takes her place in The Glittering Court. The Glittering Court is basically a finishing school for young women of the lower castes. For a year they are trained to behave like noble women, and eventually are to be sent to the overseas to Adoria to wed the wealthy men who have made their fortunes in the new world.

The first half of the book takes place in the finishing school of The Glittering Court. Adelaide makes friends with her roommates, Tamsin and Mira, and ends up with an enemy in mean girl Clara. You’d think this school would be easy for her, considering she already excels at everything they’re teaching. However, in order to keep her true identity a secret, she has to purposely fail to avoid attention, which is sometimes easier said than done.

Along the way, the only person who knows her true identity is Cedric, the son of the man who co-owns The Glittering Court. Their relationship is tenuous at first, if she is caught they’ll both be in trouble. Big trouble. But along the way they become friends as well as partners in crime. Adelaide and Cedric partake in some not so legal activities, but as a reader I couldn’t help rooting for them, hoping they’d pull it off!

The second half of the book takes place in Adoria, the new world. Think of it as the wild frontier of America. Everything is new and dusty, men are staking their claim of land in search of gold, and taming the wild frontier.

As much as I love everything about the nobility, it was the second half of the book that won me over. Seeing Adelaide so out of her element in Adoria was great. And Cedric, poor pampered Cedric, such a good sport with where life leads him!

 

“Don’t you know that I’d lie with you in groves, under the light of the moon? That I’d defy the laws of gods and men for you?”

 

The romance was the best part of this book. It’s obvious from the beginning that Adelaide and Cedric are meant to be. I spent the whole book with my fingers crossed, hoping they could find a way to be together.

And the ending! Oh my, the ending! I can’t say much, except it opens the doors for the next book(s?) in this series, which I’ve heard will follow Adelaide’s friends.

 

“You need to stop this. Stop . . . Um, being a heretic.”

“It’s not something I can just stop being. It’s part of me.”

“They could kill you if you’re caught!”

 

Richelle also explores many themes in the book, weaving them seamlessly into a beautiful story I couldn’t put down. There’s the yearning for true love, and changing your fate to make your own destiny; religious persecution; friendship and betrayal; she even touches lightly on same-sex relationships.

Something that is very common in books these days, especially YA, is to end on a cliffhanger and keep the audience waiting for the next book. This book could have ended any number of times, but it didn’t. Richelle Mead chose to keep the story going until the actual end of Adelaide’s adventure. Having that true ending helped (a bit) with my P.B.D. (Post Book Depression) upon finishing.

 

This book is 100% worth the read. So much so that even though I already purchased the Kindle edition, I’m going to be buying the hardback as well to have Richelle sign when she’s in town next month.

REVIEW: Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Feb27

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
Series: Age of X #1
Read: February 11-26, 2016
Format: Ebook (library)
My Book Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: Sci-Fi / Fantasy Romance

‘The truth is, when you banish gods from the world, they eventually come back—with a vengeance. Humans can’t stay away from gods, and gods can’t stay away from humans.’

First of all, the only two reasons it took me so long (15 days) to read this book is because:
1. It’s a beast! 462 pages long!
2. I’m trying this thing where I don’t stare at a screen right before bed, so I read an ACTUAL book before bed instead of ebooks. (I broke that rule the last two days because I could not put this book down!)

Alright, now that that’s out of the way, I’m going to write this review in a slightly different manner, addressing the 5 W’s first, because this is a really complex book. It wasn’t hard to follow, but it was very heavy with (necessary) information. In true Richelle Mead fashion however, that information was woven beautifully into the story and I didn’t feel like there was any info dumping.

WHEN:
The Age of X series takes place sometime in the future, in the “post decline”. Society is much different from our current ones, and technology is even more predominant and advanced than now.

WHERE:
RUNA (Republic of the United North America) – from what I gather this is most of the present USA plus Canada and some other areas of the world. Vancouver seems to be the new capital and it’s the home base of operations for our characters. RUNA also contains land grants (from what I gather, similar to Native America Reservations, but not really…) which allowed rich people who helped fund the forming of RUNA to be exempt from certain laws while on their land. There’s also the EA (Eastern Alliance) which isn’t visited, but referenced. Lastly there’s the Provinces, which is everyone else. They’re basically considered barbaric third world countries in the eyes of Gemman’s (that’s the people of RUNA – the name is explained in the book, I won’t get into it now.)

WHO:
Dr. Justin March is a servitor, which basically means he is tasked with visiting various religious organizations in RUNA and licensing them. When we first meet Justin, he’s in exile from RUNA, biding his time in the provincial country of Panama. Justin is a broken man, he’s an addict – booze, drugs, gambling, and women. He also has two raven’s (Horatio and Magnus) who live in his head and speak to him, nobody else can see them, but he knows they’re there.

Mae Koskinen is a Praetorian. Basically, she’s a kickass super soldier for RUNA. She has a chip implanted in her which makes her virtually unstoppable. She’s also a complete and total knockout.

Tessa is a sixteen year old girl from Panama whom Justin brings back to RUNA with him in order to give her a better life. He sees a lot of potential in her, she’s very smart.

WHAT:
Okay, so “the decline” mentioned above. Basically, some disease began running rampant. It affected lots of people and they found the only way to virtually destroy it was to mix races. Ergo, Mae being a blonde haired, blue eyed bombshell is a rarity because dark hair and eyes are dominate among the people of RUNA now. After the decline, the leaders of RUNA also decided that religion was too dangerous. That’s where Justin comes in, as a servitor he ensures that no religion gets too big or powerful, lest they cause an uprising. It can be a dangerous line of work.

WHY:
In this book, Mae is tasked with keeping Justin safe. He’s allowed to come back to RUNA under the condition that he can stop a murder from happening. Castals (those that live on the land grants who are exempt from the mixing of races rule) are being murdered in a ritualistic fashion, but nobody can figure out who is doing it or how they’re getting in. All they have is video footage from a hidden camera showing a cloud of black smoke coming into a room and murdering a woman with a silver blade.

So, that’s the gist of the world and the storyline. The relationship between Mae and Justin is pretty complicated, so I won’t get into that, but know there’s a lot of sexual tension between the two and for good reason. I spent the whole book wanting them to get together, but knowing how bad it could be if they did.

Justin and his raven’s are probably my favorite part about the story, the conversations he has with them are hilarious. I’m not sure why, but in my head Magnus has an English accent and Horatio has a Mexican accent. *Shrugs*

When this book first came out a couple years ago I had read the Vampire Academy series and was working my way through the couple of Bloodlines books that were out. I liked VA, and quickly fell in love with Bloodlines, but I wasn’t sure I would like this book. I have read one of Richelle Mead’s adult books, Succubus Blues, a few years ago and I didn’t care much for it at the time, so I didn’t think I’d like this one either. Boy was I wrong. I loved this book. Richelle Mead is like a fine wine, with time, she just gets better and better. Each new book of hers is more intricately weaved than the last. What I initially didn’t like about that Succubus Blues was the simplicity of it. (Though as I’ve read more of the series, I realize the first book really just sets it up, the real story arc seems to start in later books, though I’m only on book 3…) Anyway, back to this book….

I was wrong. This book is amazing and fantastic. If you’re looking for paranormal, you won’t find it. But if you’re looking for mythology, you will find that. At first you won’t even realize it’s there, but it is. If you’re afraid that this book is anti-religion, it’s not. The government in the book is anti-religion, but that doesn’t mean the storyline is preaching that.

Gameboard of the Gods is an absolute must read in my book, though a word of warning to the younger readers, it does include some adult content and the storyline is very complex, so I wouldn’t recommend it for most readers under 16. You won’t find Vampire Academy here, you’ll find something much more complex.

And for fun, here’s my comments from my Goodreads status updates as I read the book:

REVIEW: The Selection by Kiera Cass

Feb17

The Selection by Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection #1
Read: November 16, 2015
Format: Ebook (Kindle)
My Book Rating:  3 Stars
Genre: Dystopian Romance

Confession: I was sucked into this book by the beautiful cover, what can I say? I’m a sucker for girls in pretty dresses. And royalty. Yeah, I’m a sucker for a princess story too.

The Selection takes place in a futuristic world in which the caste system plays a heavy role. Really, the only way to move up a caste is by marriage. The heroine of this story, America— a middle caste girl—is in love with Aspen, but he’s in a lower caste than she is, which is pretty taboo.

Enter THE SELECTION – a contest, similar to TV’s The Bachelor – in which 35 girls are selected from all castes and compete for the chance to marry Prince Maxon. Of course, America want’s no part of this, but to appease her family, she agrees to enter and—surprise! She’s selected. She makes it very clear from the get-go that she doesn’t want to be a princess, but Prince Maxon agrees to let her stay, because there are sparks between them, and every day she stays means more support for her family back home.

What I liked about this story: America, I think she’s an interesting character and I like that she’s not in love with the prince just because he’s a prince. I also love the idea of the story, basically a dating game to pick a worthy princess for the kingdom.

My list of dislikes is a lot longer, however…. First of all, the character depth is pretty shallow all around. I liked America, she was probably the most in depth character. But everyone else fell flat. More importantly, the plot fell flat for me. I love character driven stories, but the characters need to be stronger than these were, and the plot needs to be based on more than a reality TV show. It felt as though the author wanted to write The Bachelor, but with a prince and girls competing to be a princess, then said, “Oh, dystopian stories are in. I’ll just throw a dystopian world in the background and call it good.” The beginning set up was good, but then it was just kind of tossed aside. There were the rebel attacks, but we really don’t know much of anything about them. It all just felt so shallow. I wanted more substance. And don’t get me started on Aspen. I really didn’t care what happened to him. He’s not even worth America’s time. Prince Maxon seems like a genuinely good guy, so I really want him to be the one to come out on top, but….

To add to my list of grievances, this book didn’t even have a proper ending. There are cliffhangers, and then there are books that end so abruptly you flip back to make sure you didn’t somehow miss 50 pages. This is the latter. In my version of a proper cliffhanger, there’s some sort of subplot happening in the story that wraps up at the end of the book, while the larger overall story arc is still going. The author needs to leave the reader satisfied, but wanting more. I didn’t feel that here.

I really struggled with a proper rating to this book. Part of me wants to give it a 2 star rating, because it is so shallow. But, because I will continue to read, just to see what comes next in the story, I settled on a 3. This book is average at best, it’s light and fluffy and lacks any real substance. We’ll see how book two goes.

Would I recommend this book? Only to younger teen girls who want to read a light and fluffy romance. Or maybe to die hard fans of The Bachelor who can’t get enough. For those looking for a book with a complex plot or interesting characters, skip this one.

REVIEW: A Thousand Sunsets by Jannie Lund

Feb16

No Tidy up Tuesday today. I think that will become a more sporadic thing, since I’m not being very good about working on it daily. I did conquer some clutter this past week, but I was too lazy to pull the photos from my phone to the computer so… maybe next week?

I do have a review of a book I really enjoyed though!

A Thousand Sunsets by Jannie Lund

Read: December 2015

Format: Kindle Ebook

My Book Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 
I didn’t read this book for the longest time because, based on the blurb, I didn’t think I’d like it. I gave it a chance after reading another of the author’s books, Finding Clara. In the end, I really enjoyed this story. Jannie Lund has become a MUST READ author for me, as this is the second book I’ve read and really enjoyed from her. (Her new Vintage Dreams will hopefully be read and reviewed within the next couple months as well!)

Anyway, in this book, Alexander was rescued from the streets as a kid by an old man named Patrick McCullough, and later adopted by the man, and now he’s a doctor.

Sarah is the granddaughter of Patrick, an artist, who has dealt with both the loss of her grandmother—Patrick’s wife—many years ago, as well as her father more recently.

When Patrick, on his death bed, asks that all of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren come see him at his manor, things are shaken up and will never be the same. Patrick was born in Ireland to a poor farmer, he never expected to be anything more than a poor farmer himself. However, he fell in love, proposed marriage, and asked her to go with him on a journey to a new life in America, where he became very successful. In trying to give his family everything he didn’t have growing up, he neglected to give them his time and attention. Before he’s realized it, his life has passed and his kids want nothing to do with him.

This isn’t a typical romance in that the story isn’t just about Alexander and Sarah. They are a big part of it, and sort of the glue that holds things together, but the bigger theme of the book is learning to forgive and make the best of what you have.

By the end of this book, Patrick may not have had all of his wishes granted, but he’s able to move on knowing he’s done all that he could do to repair the scattered remains of his family.

I definitely recommend this book to those who are looking for a romance that’s a little outside of the box.


Disclaimer: I work for the company that released this book, however I receive no monetary compensation for any sales of this book. My employment with the company in no way changes my opinions or rating of the book.