Thursday, October 29, 2015

A Gentleman's Kiss (Collection) #Review

A Gentleman's Kiss
Romance Collection
by Ginny AikenKristin BillerbeckLynn A. ColemanPeggy DartyRebecca GermanyBev HustonYvonne LehmanGail SattlerPamela Kaye Tracy

Are you ready for some good old-fashioned romance in a contemporary setting? Then you’ll enjoy these nine stories of modern women who are forced to slow down and take a new look at dating and romance when new men enter their lives. For some it will take vacation time, others will discover through music, while some need the gentle nudges from both God and Grandma. Delight in discovering how chivalry is not dead despite the stresses of today’s world.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | IndieBound

My Rating: 



DISCLAIMER: I requested ARC of this book (via NetGalley) for an honest review. Also, I was cutting it close with reviewing this collection. The protected file was nearing the expiration date and I had not even begun to read it.

I noticed that this collection has mixed reviews and opinions, but I do not want let those influence my final thoughts. The collection itself I did not get to complete as I would have wished. Time was lost and I could not finish reading before the review copy expired. Of the little I did get to read, I did enjoy. So . . . basically I will need to get another copy of this book for myself. Explaining why I give this 3.5 of 5 stars. I am quite certain under different reading circumstances, I would have enjoyed this collection fully. Please forgive such a suck-weed review. 



Undercover Bride by Margaret Brownley #Review

Undercover Bride

Shiloh Run Press - ChristianRomance


Description

Pinkerton detective Maggie Cartwright is tasked with going undercover as a mail order bride. Her “fiancĂ©” is widower Garrett Thomas, aka the suspected Whistle-Stop Bandit. No sooner does Maggie arrive in Arizona Territory when she's confronted with an early wedding date—the clock is ticking on her detective work or she may end up a criminal's wife! As the day of the wedding draws near, Maggie begins to panic. The problem is that the more she gets to know Garrett and his two adorable children, the harder it is to keep up the deception. Can a man as kind and gentle as Garrett really be the Whistle-Stop Bandit?

DISCLAIMER: I received a review copy of this book via NetGally.

My Review

Like the description says, this book follows Maggie Cartwright who becomes an undercover mail order bride, gains a betrothal to the suspect, evidently falling in love with Garrett Thomas and wishing she did not have to keep up the fake persona. This book takes place in 1882, in what was then known as the Southern West territory of America. Maggie, a Pinkerton operative, cannot stand injustice. Though she is undercover, and supposed to maintain a low profile to not botch up the mission, Maggie still tries to keep crime at bay.

Garrett Thomas is widower, with two young children, living the best he knows how without a wife. Upon meeting Maggie, under the impression that her name is Maggie Taylor, Garrett begins to wonder if this woman can truly become a suitable wife after coming to know her. Being he found her chasing after a third-rate thief, he wonders if she has any good judgment, whereas the woman he had exchanged letters with showed to be intelligent, warm and witty. Not that she did not have good looks, because Garrett could easily lose his tongue when gazing upon her.

Garrett is also quite easy on the eye; tall and handsome. His aunt is a very strange older woman; one day laying upon her bed in a sickly manner, thinking she is in her final moments, and another up and about, re-planning her funeral. However, Aunt Hetty cares about what people might say when they see Garrett living with a young woman he is not yet married to, reputations and all that. Garrett and Maggie both made it quite clear that they had wishes to become more acquainted with each other before entering into marriage together.

Technically, Maggie does not have a family of her own, so it gives her a good cover-excuse to show that Garrett's little family needs her more than her own, as she is twenty-six and choosing to marry rather late in her life. With this in mind, Aunt Hetty insists that Maggie stay with her, despite her health condition.

My Honest Opinions/Thoughts 


Old fashioned tales like this are a constant favorite of mine, especially when the theme is Christian. I must say that it struck me when Garrett tells his aunt that he did not care if he had God's blessing in the marriage. Aside of that, I did enjoy this book, I wish I had started it sooner. I would like to see this book in my collection, in print, someday. I am adding it to my growing wish-list of must-have books. I am giving this book a 4.5 of 5 stars. I did enjoy it and would love to read it again.


About the Author
Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret penned it all. Nothing wrong with this, except Margaret happened to be writing for the church newsletter. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction."

Margaret wasn't sure that was true, but she wasn't about to take chances. She now has more than 28 novels and is a New York Times bestselling author. Not bad for someone who failed 8th grade English. Just don't ask her to diagram a sentence.





Tuesday, October 27, 2015

WATERFALL & Waterproof (The Water Crisis Chronicles) by Amber Garr #Review #BlogTour


Waterfall 



Publication date: June 2015

Genres: DystopiaNew Adult

The water is gone. The wars have begun.
Clean water is a luxury most can no longer afford. Climate change, industrial sabotage, and greed have turned country against country as each one tries to provide for its citizens. Terrorist groups target desalinization plants and frustrated governments hunt those who work against them. Rationing, sequestering, and patrolling have become routine at a time when there are too many people and not enough resources.
While the world around them disintegrates into chaos, Zach and Vivienne hope that their life in a government-run complex will retain some semblance of normalcy. But when attacks on their water supplies bring war to their sheltered community, they must accept their new fate. Stay and fight or flee and endure—it’s a difficult decision with lasting consequences.
Will they choose what’s safe? Or will they choose to survive?
 Book 2:
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ADD TO GOODREADS
Dying of thirst is the new reality.
Five years after the last drop of clean water disappeared, global societies collapsed and nuclear war shattered all hope of recovery. In a place now only a skeleton of its former self, survivors fight to avoid capture by the government. Forced to work in factories that produce the only drinking water available, those who go in, never come out.
Zach and Vivienne have lived as deserters since they were teenagers. Fighting amongst their own and scrounging for the necessities of life, they’ve learned to rely on each other in every way. Yet when tragedy strikes and the true objectives of the government facility are revealed, their world is ripped apart. A fate once thought to hold their demise may be the sole answer to their survival. Who can they trust? Who can they believe?
In this life, it pays to be waterproof.
Disclaimer: Waterproof is a new adult dystopian with sex, violence, and language that may not be suitable for a younger audience.

DISCLAIMER: I received a review copy(ies) of this book(s) (via XpressoBookTours) in honor of this blog tour, and for an honest review. I did plan reviewing both books, but I kind of lost track of time while trying to read them both, and I only just got out of my reading slump. So I am only reviewing the first book . . . for now.

My Rating for Waterfall:
Zach is so funny. He is your typical teenage boy, who cannot find a shoe that is right under his nose.  Also, any guy who owns a Jeep is an automatic book-friend of mine. Living in a community/refugee camp, where water is rationed or too expensive, Zach would be considered a bit of a rebel? The change in perspectives helps let you get into the minds of both characters throughout the story. Vivienne is (I suppose) quite headstrong and willing to do the dangerous things to survive. In the midst of trying to live in peace, and the sudden explosions and threats and panic, everything just seems to tumble apart. The bond between Zach and Vivienne is brilliant from the start, even in their bantering. And Vee's mother must really like Zach because she GIGGLES whenever he is teasing her daughter. Obviously, he does like Vee. Zach's and Vivienne's fathers manage an escape from the government compound where they live and they run to a "safe-house". I think two of Zach comforts during the madness is knowing Vivienne is safe, and that he could pretend he was in a video-game. Vivienne's comforts are very similar, however, she takes on a sword. And the sweet reunion after a brief separation is enough to give anyone the feels. Losing family is never easy, which Zach and Vee did not have much time to be grieve about because they did not have time for it.


My Honest Opinions/Thoughts: I do not want to give the ending away, because I think you should definitely read it for yourself. This book definitely gave me a new sight of the Dystopia genre. The romance between Zach Vivienne had me all over the place. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in full. The way Zach and Vivienne helped each other to cope in their situation and circumstances was amazing. I had goosebumps all over my arms and legs from start to finish. This book has won me over, and it seems that I rarely come across a book that I do not like. Waterproof review coming soon - I think.

Extra: I have to say that I really like the covers displayed in this post much better than the ones displayed below. Probably because the above covers show a male character, as well as the female character. And since the book(s) is told from both characters' perspectives, I think they fit better. But to each their own. Have a look at the below covers and decide for yourself. I did not really get a good picture of what I can imagine Zach and Vee to look like, so sadly I do not have any visuals in this post. Perhaps next time.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Amber Garr spends her days as a scientist and nights writing about other worlds. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. Amber is a multiple Royal Palm Literary Award winner, author of the bestselling novels The Syrenka Series, the award-winning Water Crisis Chronicles, The Leila Marx Novels, and the Death Warden Series. When not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie. Find out more at www.ambergarr.com.


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Friday, October 23, 2015

The Deadliest Earthling by Gibson Morales #Review


The Deadliest Earthling
Release Date: 6/28/15
371 pages

 When he was six, Johnny’s parents gave their lives to defeat the Anunnaki and free Earth. Except they failed. Ten years of training later, a reluctant Johnny is the best cadet in the Watcher resistance network. He’s not the best because he wants to fight aliens, but because it’s the only way to escape his parents’ tainted legacy. At least, according to The Eagle, the leader of the resistance. 
But on the day Johnny is set to graduate and finally put his training into action, the Anunnaki attack his home, New Bagram, forcing a full-scale evacuation. When the dust settles, Johnny vows to protect the surviving New Bagramites, who long for a symbol of hope. His mission: find the four Conifers, alien gems that grant superhuman powers. The good news: he already has one. The bad news: The Anunnaki have three. The worse news: The Anunnaki only need his Conifer to activate a doomsday weapon of biblical proportions. 

If Johnny wants to stop the Anunnaki and protect New Bagram’s survivors, he must overcome his resentment over a lost childhood and accept his parents’ legacy. He will have to rely on his combat prowess and learn to trust again. He will have to become the deadliest earthling.

Buy Links:


DISCLAIMER: I received a review copy (via YABound Book Tours) in exchange for an honest review.


The Deadliest Earthling follows a young man named Johnny, who is sent away to a training ground. This training ground is not your ordinary military unit. No, this training ground specializes in training the people of Earth, in hopes of conquering the Anunnaki, an alien species that has taken Earth into captivity. Like the description implies, Johnny's parents already attempted, and failed, to free Earth of these people. This is not exactly your average Sci-Fi, Action/Adventure book. It is way better!


My Honest Opinions/Thoughts: Following Johnny through this book has been quite an adventure. I really like the author's style of writing. The content was very intriguing. I think Johnny's separation from his parents struck me the hardest in the beginning because because I know what that feels like. As previously mentioned in one of my last reviews, I was in a reading slump, and it took me forever to get into reading this. 

My Rating: 
I am giving this book a 4 of 5 stars, only because I am not quite finished with the book, and I kind of have to go back a little bit to understand something a little better, but a great read nonetheless.


About the Author
Gibson Morales is the author of the young adult novels, The Deadliest Earthling and upcoming The Boy Who Wields Thunder, as well as the satirical novel, Johnny Ali vs America. He publishes these under his imprint, Mo Bros Books, which he formed with his brother and writer Vicente. Gibson graduated from USC and lives in Los Angeles. When not writing, Gibson enjoys boxing, most things geek-related, truth-seeking, and, occasionally, satirizing.

Author Links:
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Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Portia (Angelbound Offspring #2) by Christina Bauer #BookBlitz #Giveaway

Portia by Christina Bauer 
(Angelbound Offspring #2) 
Published by: Ink Monster LLC
Publication date: October 27th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Unlike her famous older brother Maxon, Princess Portia isn’t known for killing demons or attracting admirers. The reason why is simple: a spell was cast on Portia, and the magic has marked her to one day transform into a dreaded Void demon. To fight this horrible fate, Portia’s spent her life hiding in libraries and learning magic. But when the Void demons threaten to destroy all the after-realms—and the handsome dragon Emperor Tempest offers his help—then Portia suspects that her future holds more than just a demonic metamorphosis. Fate is calling the bookworm princess onto the battlefield, and it’s a fight against both deadly enemies and her heart’s desires.
May be read as a stand-alone.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N 


Without thinking, I gesture to the man who’s standing right next to the boy, his arm held high in the air.
“How about your question, Sir?”
The guy rises. “Roy Cotter, Purgatory Enquirer.”
At these words, my heart sinks to my toes. This creep is one of those reporter-stalkers who follow me around looking for tabloid headlines. They always print the same stuff—how any second now, I’ll turn demonic, sprout six arms, and kill everyone in sight. How could I have missed him? He’s tall and bony and has a scorpion’s tail. Not easy to forget.
Roy pulls a small white notebook from his pocket. “What demon will you turn into, Princess?”
Gram leans into the microphone. “The Princess won’t be answering that question.”
Roy’s greasy face stretches into a grin. “Hiding something?”
Suddenly, I’m sick to death of concealing everything that I am. The guy wants an answer? He’ll get one.
I set my hand on Gram’s shoulder, guiding her away from the mic. “No, I’ve got it.” I scan the audience carefully before I answer. You could cut the air with a knife, the anticipation in here is so heavy.
“What demon will I turn into?” I ask. “The answer is, none. I’ve been studying magic so that never happens.” I gesture to my eye. “This is a spell. Spells can be broken.”
Roy rocks on his heels in delight. He’s got me on the defensive and he loves it. “Let me ask it another way, Princess. Most times, those marks are on your face signify a certain type of demon. You know, marking what you’ll turn into one day. Might be something harmless. Might not. None of us can read those marks on your face. Surely, with all your research, you’ve run across the answer to this question. Maybe you won’t turn into a demon, fine. But what are you Marked for?”
What a total set-up. If I tell the truth, I’ll be the laughingstock of the after-realms. If I lie, I look like an expert who doesn’t really know anything. No way am I answering.
“Come on,” says Roy. “What will you ‘not’ turn into one day?” He makes little quotation marks with his fingers when he says the word ‘not.’ A few muffled laughs sound from the crowd.
My torso tightens with frustration. I can’t believe this. I spend sleepless nights wondering how long I have left before I turn into a demon. I’ve worked all my life to break the spell that’s cursed me. I’m always the quiet one, the patient one, and the calm one. I never get angry. But my tragedy is somehow funny to my own so-called people? A new sensation boils through my bloodstream.
Rage. Suddenly, there’s only one thing I can do here.
Let loose on Roy.
“I’m Marked for the Void.”

All the oxygen seems to get sucked out of the room. Shocked faces stare at me from every direction.



AUTHOR BIO:
Christina graduated from Syracuse University's Newhouse School with BA's in English as well as Television, Radio, and Film Production. Her day job is in marketing for companies like Microsoft, Cisco, and Brainshark. Back in the go-go 90′s, she founded her own software start-up, Mindful Technologies. Christina believes that, upon close examination of Tolkien's text, it's entirely possible that the Balrog was wearing fuzzy bunny slippers.

Author links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


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Thursday, October 15, 2015

Daughter of Lions by Catherine Banks #Review

Daughter of Lions
by Catherine Banks



Being a teenager is hard enough, but when your dad is an Alpha werelion it complicates matters even more. Victoria doesn’t feel like she fully fits in anywhere and things become more unsteady when she meets the new werelion in her dad’s pride, Brandon. Is there a way she can alter her genes to gain the ability to shift, or will she learn to accept who she is?



This is a book I won via giveaway. I own a signed copy of this book, and oh my goodness! I could not put it down once I started to read it! This is going to be one my longer reviews, and hopefully will help me write better reviews on this blog.

Daughter of Lions follows almost sixteen year old Victoria, who is NOT your average teenager. Being the daughter of an Alpha were-lion, and having a human mother, has it advantages and disadvantages. Victoria is a hybrid. Which means she is not fully human, nor is she complete were-lion. Victoria does, however, does have some were-lion abilities, such as speed and strength. She also has bloodlust, but let's not get into that.

Victoria visits her father's pride now and then, which has a number of 200 members. o.o What?! Yes, 200 pride members. In addition to the pride, Victoria's father adopted into his pride a young Alpha male, named Brandon. Now Brandon has never known what it was like for someone like Victoria to interact with the pride, so he is VERY protective of her when the other lions are around. Victoria has select friends amongst the pride members, as well an "enemy". Mary, the future Alpha female, has interest in Victoria.

Now, because Victoria is a hybrid, she sometimes feels out of place in the pride, and in the human world. She has her friends in the human world who look past her "freak of nature" habits and genuinely care for her. To keep her human side in check, Victoria is very active in her high school, and can lift weights up to 250 pounds. Even the coach was impressed.

Let me cut to the chase. Victoria immediately (or almost immediately) feels that there is something intriguing about Brandon, and she develops a crush. But because Brandon does not know if he truly wants hybrid-Victoria as a mate, she pushes him away often. They develop a thriving friendship, when Brandon is assigned to protect Victoria, live in her house, and go to school with her every day. Because there is the enemy pack of werewolves known as the Minters, of whom there is a wolf named Bob who wants to mate with her, but kill her at the same time. I know, shocking!

Victoria ends up moving to live with her dad and the pride, after her mother dies in an accident. This leads to the return of (one of them) her childhood best friend, Michael. Now, Michael is quite the catch, not to mention he wants Victoria to choose him as her mate. (The female lions are allowed to announce their choice mate when they are sixteen, and then become mated at eighteen.) Given Victoria does like Michael, even with what she feels for Brandon, she lets Michael court her.

Brandon finally makes up his minds, and he decides he wants to court Victoria and have her as his mate. All this, and the wolves from the Minters are still after her. One thing leads to another, and Michael takes a bullet to his head while trying to protect Victoria from Bob. Bob intends to kill Victoria, or have her as his mate. One of the two. Victoria feels that it is her fault that Michael was killed because she is not full werelion and could not protect herself.

Now, the question whether Victoria will accept Brandon as her mate is still in the air. Given until the end of the month, a week after her sixteenth birthday, to make her decision, Victoria starts to wonder question Brandon's feelings for her again. There is still the wench, Mary, in question. She is to be the next Alpha female. Some are just born for the job, whether you are the cub of the Alpha or not. Speaking of the current Alphas. Victoria's dad is not mated with the Alpha female of the pride, Sarah. Sarah does has feelings for Victoria's dad, but she is just waiting for him to step up.

If you have not read the book, I suggest you go pick up a copy and get reading. I am not going to give away the ending . . .

I absolutely loved reading this book. It is the book that got me out of my reading slump. I loved the plot, the characters. I have read this book . . . seven more times since it arrived and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes YA Fantasy. I have to say that this book made me want to read more of Catherine Banks' work, and I intend to do that ASAP.

How Forever Feels by Laura Drewry #Review

How Forever Feels

Loveswept
Romance

My Rating:

Description

From USA Today bestselling author Laura Drewry comes a warm and witty new Friends First novel—perfect for readers of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery. How Forever Feels is a sweet tale about the one that got away . . . and the one that came back.

Maya McKay's heart is as big as Jack Rhodes's shoulders are broad. Their chemistry is out of control, but it could never work between them because Jack is more than just best friends with her cheating ex-husband—they're like brothers. Maya, the sensitive, practical florist, has given up on love and is ready to settle for like. But now that Jack's around again, he's stirring up old feelings—and turning Maya's fantasies into irresistible reality.

Jack blew his chance with Maya years ago when he stepped aside for his best friend, Will, and he's still kicking himself about it. Maya was promisedforever once before, and she got burned. But when Jack realizes that second chances aren't going to fall out of the sky, he seizes the moment—and the woman he's always loved—to show her how forever truly feels.

Praise for the Friends First series

“A tale told well . . . Romance readers will find themselves awake well into the night.”Library Journalon Plain Jayne

“A great friends-to-lovers story . . . If you enjoy slow-burn romance, then you're in for a real treat.”—Girl Meets Bookson Plain Jayne

“[Prima Donna features] strong, guarded characters. . . . Readers will peel off each layer of the plot to reveal who Carter and Regan really are.”Library Journal

“This book made me laugh, swoon, and even made my heart melt a few times.”—Roberta Capizzi, on Prima Donna

DISCLAIMER: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

The storyline was well placed and follows a pair of good friends who realize they have feelings for each other. One more than the other at first. Maya fell in love with Will, thinking that he would be her forever, leading up to a divorce. Will friend, Jack, has always loved Maya, but allowed Will to take her from his grasp, evidently leading to more than one broken heart.  Jack and Maya finally start to open up to each other, but there is some information that is held back, for the sake of fear I suppose.  This is a great book and should be on everyone's reading list.

I found this book to be a great read. Not to be repetitive, but it did take me a while to get into it because of my slump. But I love the flow of the plot, I loved that Jack and Maya had been friends before. Gotta love Friends to Lovers plots. Always have, always will. I think there is a good message behind the plot: Not all "first loves" last, and not all last loves end.

About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author Laura Drewry had been scribbling things for years before she decided to seriously sit down and write, and as a lover of happy endings, it only made sense she'd write romance. It helped that she and her husband had just moved 700 km away from their families, it was the dead of winter and she was about 49 months pregnant with their second child, all of which gave her the excuse she needed to hunker down inside and get at it.

Her books have been described as "delightful," "clever," and "smart, sassy and refreshingly different."

After spending eight years in the Canadian north, she's now living back home in southwestern British Columbia with her husband, three sons, a turtle named Sheldon, and an extremely energetic German Shepherd. She loves old tattered books, good movies, country music, and the New York Yankees.

She'd love to hear from you so feel free to contact her at laura@drewry.ca