Thursday, March 31, 2016

ARC Review: Waylaid by Kim Harrison

Title: Waylaid
Author: Kim Harrison
Publication: April 4th 2016 by Pocket Star

Genre: Urban Fantasy ~ Science Fiction
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Rating: 4/5

Review copy received in exchange for an honest review.

   

Worlds collide when Rachel Morgan of The Hollows meets Peri Reed of The Drafter in this exciting new short story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison.

The paranormal and the futuristic meet in this thrilling novella featuring your favorite badass heroines from two of “the amazingly gifted” (RT Book Reviews) Kim Harrison’s most beloved series: the Hollows and the Peri Reed Chronicles. The magic of the Hollows runs full force into the technological sophistication of The Drafter when a device capable of carrying a city’s data stream pulls Rachel, the bounty hunter witch of the Hollows, between realities, marooning her in a world where the supernatural holds no sway. To get Rachel and Jenks home, Peri, the dangerous renegade of 2030, must decide what will chart her future: her blind trust in those who grant her power, or her intuition telling her to believe.


I don't know where to begin. I obviously loved Waylaid. I loved how Kim Harrison took Rachel Morgan from The Hollows and somehow put her in the world of Peri Reed from The Drafter. These two ladies together were an awesome team!

It's been a while since I read about Rachel. I actually never read more than four books in the series but I want to get back to it soon. So I thought it was so awesome to finally read about her again. I actually missed her. And Jenks! Oh my god, I totally missed Jenks. My favorite pixie ever! 

But anyway, I really liked the story and how these two worlds of the paranormal and the futuristic came together. It made for the perfect entertaining read. It was also pretty short so I went through it in no time at all. It only made me want more of both The Hollows and The Drafter world.




       About the Author:

       Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Kim Harrison, author of the New York Times #1 best selling Hollows series, was born in Detroit and lived most her her life within an easy drive. After gaining her bachelors in the sciences, she moved to South Carolina, where she remained until recently returning to Michigan because she missed the snow. She's currently working on the Peri Reed Chronicles, and when not at her desk, Kim is most likely to be found landscaping her new/old Victorian home, in the garden, or out on the links.


Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Waiting On Wednesday: Chaos Bound by Sarah Castille

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.





Chaos Bound by Sarah Castille
Sinner's Tribe Motorcycle Club #4
June 28th 2016 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

 

LOVE IS A WILD RIDE.

After enduring months of torture at the hands of the Black Jacks MC, and betrayed by his own club, Holt “T-Rex” Savage, a junior member of the Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club, will stop at nothing to get revenge. But falling for a beautiful woman with dangerous ties to his sworn enemy was never part of the plan…

Raised by the Black Jacks, Naiya Kelly grew up fast, furiously, and with little to lose. But now that she’s put her MC days behind her, she is free to do what she wants—until she meets a man who imprisons her, body and soul. She swore she’d never give her heart to a biker, but Holt is the most passionate, protective man she’s ever known. But will Holt be forced to betray his one true love to exact his revenge?


I might've loved the previous book slightly less than the others but I'm still a huge fan of this series. I need more of these hot bikers and I'm very excited to read T-Rex's story! ♥




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Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Book Blitz: Sinners in the Dark by Inger Iversen + Giveaway (INT)


Sinners in the Dark
Inger Iversen
(Running in the Dark #2)
Publication date: March 25th 2016
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

War is coming between vampires and humans, and the Vampire Nation will stop at nothing to eliminate their enemies. Former assassin, Echo sees the Nation for what it is – a corrupt organization with its sights set on destroying the Sect, a group formed to eradicate all things vampire. Now Echo is a Ghost, a traitor of the Vampire Nation, determined to build a new life with the Sect. But choices he’s made in the past might cost him the one person who could truly redeem his soul.



Sequel to:
28143811

EXCERPT:
Chapter 1
Present Day
Give as Good as You Get
Via crept slowly along the back wall of the seedy motel, keeping her body out of the light. Quietly, she tucked her lucky silver cross in her shirt and reached to her side to pull her queb, a weapon made from wood, from her belt. With her other hand, she palmed her gun and released it from her side. She studied the two hoodlums with intense disdain as they eyed the mom and pop diner. Via knew the owners, and ate there often back when she was a dollar away from being homeless.
Gang vampires were a tricky bunch. They often traveled in groups, and more times than not, had two or more lookouts. Via glanced around the back alley in search of anything amiss, but was greeted with nothing. Turning back to the group assembling before her, she noted their clothing; the red and gold shirts of the vamp-bangers told Via two things. First, they were not generals in the gang, but mere henchmen. And second, they were stupid as fuck, as this was their rival’s territory. She’d had many encounters with both gangs, on account of them liking to kidnap and rape women; enjoying their screams as she gutted them like a fish with her queb.
The sound of glass shattering pulled her out of her thoughts. Now would be the time Via should pull her cell from her pocket and dial up her dhampir partner, Echo. Her stomach roiled at the thought, and though Austin believed it a good idea to partner a human with a trusted dhampir, Via wasn’t feeling the love. Using the excuse of having her hands full, she didn’t make the call and inched closer to the opening leading out to the main street. She darted across the street and damn near ninja dove into the window. Once she cleared the glass and debris, she smoothly rolled under the nearest table for cover.
Via was no fool, with vamps’ excellent hearing and sniffers, they’d easily discover her in the café, but she was banking on one thing to help her out. She took a quick peek at the bottom of her queb for reassurance. The stake-like rod was thick as a baton, the tip sharp as a razor’s edge, and it gave a faint glow from the rune placed on it by an enchantress. This particular rune obliterated Via’s human scent. A handy tool when hiding from vamps.
Like with any mission, sanctioned or unsanctioned, Via had a plan: attack, kill, and repeat, until all vamps were dead. Ordinarily, Echo had point and took out the lookouts. His superior vision and hearing had often given him and Via an advantage, but since he wasn’t with her, it’d be like old times.
Vamp number one, who she’d decided to call Lefty, since he was missing his right eye, slid to a halt in front of the broken window. Ambient light from the streetlights filtered into the small café, creating shadows across Lefty’s perplexed face. Via inched her gun up—loaded with silver nitrate bullets—and readied her queb just as the pale faced vamp turned. The first shot rang out like an explosion in the night. Seared flesh, blood, and pieces of Lefty’s remaining eye showered around Via.
Standing to take care of the second vamp sliding around the corner, she lost her balance in the blood and fell to the floor. In a second, she made the choice to drop the queb, and aim the weapon. To her surprise, instead of one vampire, there were now three. These were more than some run-of-the-mill gangbangers, breaking and entering. The one she’d aptly named Blue, for his intense electric blue eyes, held a few boxes in his hand, and not one of them had made their way to the cash register, or the wall safe.
Blue’s eyes widened at the sight of her. “Hey, baby.” His voice held a sickening slimy quality. He handed the boxes to Tyson, who she’d named Mike Tyson since they both had those stupid matching face tattoos. “Did you come to play?” Licking his lips, his eyes did a perusal of her body, taking time to linger on her breasts.
Slowly, Via stood and placed her empty hand on her hip while keeping her gun aimed. “Stop, in the name of the law.” None of the vamps spoke. The silence filled the room and Via tensed. Okay, so these guys didn’t like her joke.
The three vamps, Blue, Tyson and Shit Eater—no explanation for nickname needed—stared at her longer, before there was a blur of movement, and one of the three stooges knocked the gun from her hands. Next came a gut-crushing blow to her stomach. Bile rose in her throat as she hit the ground.
If Via lived to tell this story, she would say that in seconds she was up again ready and raring to take on the vamps—which would be a lie. Those who had called her hardheaded would be happy to know that too was a lie because as her skull hit the floor with a deafening crack. Via’s body refused to listen to her command to get the fuck up. Even with skill such as Via’s, taking on three vamps in the middle of the night, with no damned back up, was something akin to suicide.




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Author Bio:
Inger Iversen was born in 1982 to Anne and Kaii Iversen. She lives in Virginia Beach with her overweight lap cat, Max and her tree hugging boyfriend Joshua. She spends 90 percent of her time in Barnes and Noble and the other ten pretending not to want to be in Barnes and Noble.


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Monday, March 28, 2016

Monday Madness: Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray


Monday Madness is a new bookish meme hosted by Bookfever & Booklover's Teaparty

You know that feeling when you feel like you are gonna go mad if you do not get a certain book right away, when you are obsessed and all you want is that one book and you will be happy? That is what Monday Madness is about. All those books you that drive you mad.

Pick a book. Talk about it- why do you want it? What has drawn you to it? Why is it making you mad with want for it?








Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
Cleopatra's Daughter #1
Published: January 4th 2011 by Berkley

Heiress of one empire and prisoner of another, it is up to the daughter of Cleopatra to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers...

To Isis worshippers, Princess Selene and her twin brother Helios embody the divine celestial pair who will bring about a Golden Age. But when Selene's parents are vanquished by Rome, her auspicious birth becomes a curse. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, the young messianic princess struggles for survival in a Roman court of intrigue. She can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her hands, nor can she stop the emperor from using her powers for his own ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to resurrect her mother's dreams. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win-or die?


This book has been on my wishlist for ages! Stephanie Dray is one of my favorite historical fiction authors and just an awesome person. So far I have read The Princess of Egypt Must Die, A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii and America's First Daughter. That last one was a very impressive book to me. So of course I'd love to read her Cleopatra's Daughter trilogy. Especially because it's set in Ancient Egypt, which is my favorite thing to read about. 




Don't forget to check out Christina's post! ♥


Sunday, March 27, 2016

Review: The Guardian by Elizabetta Holcomb

Title: The Guardian
Author: Elizabetta Holcomb

Publication: March 21st 2016
Genre: Young Adult ~ Romance
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Rating: 3/5

Review copy received in exchange for an honest review.

   

1312, A knight destined to rule…
Jareth Tremaine, the first Duke of Dover, has seen how he’s remembered in history books—either a saint who rules his lands with justice or a religious extremist whose harsh treatment of the church nearly has him executed. But what history doesn’t disclose is that he’s essential to the world’s survival. After being wounded by ancient Huns using 21st century weapons, a girl is brought to aid his recovery—a girl who would become his duchess and the key to the future of Dover’s Amalgam.
A 21st century girl whose future has not been written…
Elizabet Blackwell isn’t surprised by wormholes. What shocks her is the multi-faceted personality of the titled knight. Sir Jareth is a nobleman, translator, surgeon—and he’s intent on locating and protecting a host. The host, she discovers, is a boy who practically lives in her backyard 700 years into Jareth’s future.
The re-scripting of history for the survival of nature’s attack on mankind…
Together they embark on their life’s journey and discover that they must protect each other even as they prepare the host for his destiny. Their quest must be to ensure the boy is secure and hidden from the evil forces who seek to exploit the power he contains.


Recently I've read quite a few time travel stories that had a little of the same storyline. And I must say that The Guardian definitely belongs to the few I've liked the most.

I wish some things in this book had been explained a little better and I also would've loved some more information or backstory when the characters were initially introduced.

I did love the characters, though. Especially the two main characters, Elizabet and Jareth. Together they had quite some chemistry and I really loved their bickering. It was so entertaining! Jareth could be a big jerk but for some reason I can forgive him for it because it was charming in a way. 

Like I said, some things I wished were explained a little more like the whole host and guardian thing. but then again, I thought the writing was very good, so it wasn't a main problem for me.

Overall, The Guardian by Elizabetta Holcomb was a good read. It reminded me a bit of Outlander, so I think fans of that book (and tv show) would like it a lot. Just like I did.




       About the Author:

       Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Elizabetta Holcomb lives in South Louisiana with her husband and children. She is an English lit major turned nurse who couldn't dream of a life without writing and returned to her first love. Her favorite things in life are family, her cat, Sir Jareth (named after The Guardian's hero), and of course, writing.


Saturday, March 26, 2016

Stacking The Shelves: March 26, 2016

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews.




Bought:
Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
My copy arrived, yay! I didn't realize it would be so huge, though. Almost 700 pages! Can't wait to dive back into this world!


For Review:
The Other Side of Gravity by Shelly Crane
I'm SO excited to read this book. If it's as good as I hope it will be I might have to get myself a physical copy of it because I love the cover!

For Review:
Facade by Kim Carmichael
The author offered it to me for review and of course I had to accept it because I'm such a huge Phantom of the Opera fan. So excited to read it!
Also it's only .99 for Kindle right now! Get it here!


For Review:
Unseen Messages by Pepper Winters
Freaking out over the fact that I actually got an ARC! I hope this is as good as Pepper's other books. ♥




Leave me links to your hauls so I can stop by! :)





Friday, March 25, 2016

Review: Egyptian Gods: Discover the Ancient Gods of Egyptian Mythology by Stephan Weaver

Title: Egyptian Gods: Discover the Ancient Gods of Egyptian Mythology
Author: Stephan Weaver
Publication: March 12th 2016
Genre: Nonfiction ~ History
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: 4/5

   

△Egyptian Mythology△
The gods of Ancient Egypt conjure up images of hieroglyphs with animal-headed people, fantastic civilizations, and a past that seems both unimaginably distant and still tenuously connected to the present day. Although the names Ra, Anubis, and Isis still linger today in modern fiction, the truth about these gods reveals the ancient Egyptians themselves.

Inside you will read about...
✓ Osiris
✓ Anubis
✓ Isis
✓ Ra
✓ Maat
✓ Hathor
✓ Wadjet
✓ Nefertum
And many more!

A look at the principal gods of Ancient Egypt gives insight into the culture of world's first great civilization. Even today, their moments, their obelisks, and their pyramids endure and remind us that people can leave lasting marks on the world that humble and inspire us all.


How I love these books by Stephan Weaver! This is my fifth book by him and just like the other four, this one I enjoyed thoroughly.

This book is (obviously) about the gods of Ancient Egypt, which happens to be my favorite topic. As always I love reading and learning more about it.

The author first talks about the Egyptian gods in general and how they fit into the life of the ancient Egyptians. I thought it was very interesting to learn how a god's popularity varried from place to place in Ancient Egypt.

Next, the author talks about the gods individually. The main gods like Horus, Osiris, Set, Isis, etc were being discussed in detail and also some of the minor gods. Those were my favorite to read about because I didn't know much about them yet.

As always I'm really glad with the author's writing. The details, the information... it always hooks me and it's very well-written. I loved it!




       About the Author:

       Amazon | Facebook | Goodreads
Dedicated to the craft of writing, Stephan Weaver is a best-selling author who loves to pen anything related to history and mythology. With a love for immersing himself into other cultures, worlds, and even realms, Weaver is a former professor, historian, and archaeologist. It's no surprise that you can now find him tucked away with his laptop writing about these very things with commitment and devotion. Married to a beautiful wife and father to a son and daughter, Weaver loves to spend his free time with family, experience the world by traveling, and, of course, you'll never find him without a pen in hand. From the blinking cursor to the final page, he is deeply passionate about what he does. And it shows.




Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Waiting On Wednesday: RoseBlood by A.G. Howard

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.





RoseBlood by A.G. Howard
Expected publication: January 10th 2017 by Abrams
 

This YA novel from New York Times bestselling author A. G. Howard marks the beginning of a new era for fans of the Splintered series. Rune Germaine moves to a boarding school outside of Paris, only to discover that at this opera-house-turned-music-conservatory, phantoms really do exist. RoseBlood is a Phantom of the Opera–inspired retelling in which Rune’s biggest talent—her voice—is also her biggest curse. Fans of Daughter of Smoke and Bone and the Splintered series will find themselves captivated by this pulse-pounding spin on a classic tale.

Rune, whose voice has been compared to that of an angel, has a mysterious affliction linked to her talent that leaves her sick and drained at the end of every performance. Convinced creative direction will cure her, her mother ships her off to a French boarding school for the arts, rumored to have a haunted past.

Shortly after arriving at RoseBlood conservatory, Rune starts to believe something otherworldly is indeed afoot. The mystery boy she’s seen frequenting the graveyard beside the opera house doesn’t have any classes at the school, and vanishes almost as quickly as he appears. When Rune begins to develop a secret friendship with the elusive Thorn, who dresses in clothing straight out of the 19th century, she realizes that in his presence she feels cured. Thorn may be falling for Rune, but the phantom haunting RoseBlood wants her for a very specific and dangerous purpose. As their love continues to grow, Thorn is faced with an impossible choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or save her and face the wrath of the phantom, the only father he’s ever known.

A. G. Howard brings the romantic storytelling that Splintered fans adore to France—and an entirely new world filled with lavish romance and intrigue—in a retelling inspired by a story that has captivated generations. Fans of both The Phantom of the Opera musical and novel, as well as YA retellings such as Marissa Meyer’s Cinder, will devour RoseBlood.


I'm beyond excited for RoseBlood! I'm slightly obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera (both the book and the musical) so I can't wait to get my hands on this book. I also was a huge fan of A.G. Howard's Splintered trilogy so I just know this is going to be AMAZING! ♥




What's your WOW pick?
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Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Review: All that Jazz by Natasha Boyd

Title: All that Jazz
Author: Natasha Boyd
Publication: March 22nd 2016 by NPRB

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Rating: 4/5

   

"CAN YOU HEAR THAT EAR-PIERCING SOUND?!?! That is me screaming because ALL THAT JAZZ by Natasha Boyd is finally coming and it is available for pre-order!!!" ~ Natasha Tomic, Natasha is a Book Junkie Blog

There's something totally inconvenient about falling for your best friend's brother. Especially when he's turned into a pompous, arrogant, albeit annoyingly sexy a-hole that you'd like to punch or kiss to death at any given moment.

Jazz Fraser learned her lesson early on that men can't be trusted to stick around. First her father, and then her first love. Finally over her childhood infatuation with Joey Butler, her best friend's brother, she's looking forward to the end of college and fulfilling her dream of travelling the world. She's determined that experiences and relationships wil be fun, casual and easy. But when her best friend gets herself into a relationship with a celebrity, Jazz has to do the one thing she never thought she'd do, call Joey and ask for help.

Joey Butler is determined not to hold anyone back. Least of all his sister's best friend. And one thing he knows is that he's never been as attracted to someone as he is to Jazz Fraser. Even though she presses his buttons and drives him crazy. He just has to keep hiding it. He knows she deserves better than him. Her free gypsy spirit and her talent should be shared with the world, not be shackled to a small town guy. He saw firsthand what being married to his father did to his mother, and no matter how much he wants her, he'll never do that to Jazz.

Repeatedly thrown together, Jazz tries everything she can to protect her heart and not fall back in love with Joey. But when Joey finally admits that Jazz is the one he's always wanted, all bets are off.


All that Jazz was really wonderful! I could hardly stop reading the story because it and the characters had me hooked so hard. Reading Jazz and Joey's story, finally, was amazing and I loved it!

People who have read Eversea will know Jazz, Keri Ann's best friend, already from that book (and its sequel). I've always loved Jazz. She's really a riot and made me laugh a lot in this book. So I'm very happy to have read her and Joey's story. We also find out what happened between them three years ago, which was probably my favorite part to read.

As I'm used to now with a book by Natasha Boyd, this one also packed quite the emotional punch. There were quite a few sad and tearjerking moments but that's what makes this book all the more real for me. 

And Joey! Oh my gosh! I don't want to say I love him more now than Jack Eversea but eh, he comes very close to it. I absolutely loved him and Jazz together, even though it took them a while to get there. 

It was also very nice to see some appearances of Keri Ann and Jack, of course. Even in the scenes that took place before Jack had entered Keri Ann's life. 

Overall, All that Jazz by Natasha Boyd was such a great read. I laughed, cried and barely put my Kindle down. It's one of those books that give me all the right emotions and feels!




       About the Author:

Natasha Boyd is an internationally bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary romantic southern fiction. She has a background in marketing and public relations and her debut novel Eversea was a finalist in the 2013 Winter Rose Contest for Contemporary Romance and won the 2014 Digital Book Award for Adult Fiction. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Georgia Romance Writers and Island Writer's Network in coastal South Carolina where she has been a featured speaker on book marketing. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and lives with her husband, two sons and the cast of characters in her head.