5 STARS | Wanted by Amanda Lance

Title: Wanted
Series: Wanted #1
Author: Amanda Lance
Age Group: New Adult
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Dark, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00CJ178Z8
Published: April 25th, 2013
Source: YA Bound Book Tours
Events: Book Tour
Rating: ★★★★★

Considering she’s a girl who calculates everything, Addie Battes knew the statistical probability of being abducted in her lifetime—too bad she never analyzed the odds of falling in love with her captor.

While stopping at a crowded rest area one summer night, seventeen-year-old Addie accidentally catches a truck hijacking in progress. Desperate to rid the crime of its only witness, one of the thieves kidnaps Addie. Yet surprisingly, when a renegade thief attempts to silence her for good, Addie is saved by the very man who abducted her. Now, forced on board a cargo ship in the middle of the ocean, Addie finds herself surrounded by international smugglers who want nothing more than to throw her overboard.

All except the artistic and intriguing Charlie Hays, whose strange protectiveness convinces Addie to trust him, even when common sense tells her otherwise. Yet, despite her doubt, and his unrelenting temper, their relationship develops into something much more. But, Charlie’s scorned colleague has stowed away, and as he seeks revenge against his coworker, Addie and Charlie are forced to put their new love—and lives—at risk.

I really loved Wanted. It was a strange situation that Addie--she was kidnapped and then fell in love with her captor. I was stuck between screaming that Addie and Charlie needed to be together and that they shouldn't because it was just weird to fall in love with the man who kidnapped you. But in the end, I fell just as much in love with Charlie as Addie did. I really wish that there were more to this book. I loved all the characters, even Reid, who wasn't very nice. And Polo was just so adorable. I would love to read more about the other characters. Ben is an interesting character, he's kind of enigmatic. But yeah, I love love LOVED this book!

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A native of New Jersey and lifelong nerd, Amanda Lance recently completed her Master in Liberal Arts at Thomas Edison State College after her BA in English Literature and AFA in creative writing. As an avid reader of all genres, some of her favorite authors include Hemingway, Marquis de Sade, Stevenson, Bukowski and Radcliffe.

When she isn’t writing or reading, Amanda can found indulging in film noir or hiking with her other half and their extremely spoiled dog. She is obsessively working on her next book and trying to tame her caffeine addiction.


Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2013 to my book blog, A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books.

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4 STARS | Wounded by Jasinda Wilder

Title: Wounded
Author: Jasinda Wilder
Age Group: Adult
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Military, Erotica, Dark
Setting Location: Iraq | United States
Publisher: Jasinda Wilder
Format: PDF
ASIN: B00APLND3A
Published: December 16th, 2012
Source: Good Choice Reading Book Tours
Events: Book Tour
Rating: ★★★★

War has taken everything from me. My family. My home. My innocence. In a country blasted by war and wracked by economic hardship, a young orphan girl like me has very few options when it comes to survival. Thus, I do what I must to live, to eat, and I try very hard to not consider the cost to my soul. My heart is empty, and my existence brutal.

The one impossibility in my life is love.

And then I meet HIM.

War is hell. It takes a chunk out of a man's very soul to do the kinds of things war demands of you. You live with fear, you live with guilt, and you live with nightmares. If you haven't been through it, there's no understanding it. War leaves no room for love, no room for tenderness or softness. You gotta be hard, closed off, and ready to fight every moment of every day. Lose focus for a split second, and you're dead.

Now the only thing that can save me is HER.

I was blown away. I absolutely loved reading Wounded. It was definitely a new experience for me and I liked how real the story felt. Rania and Hunter had my heart melting. I really wish that there were more to read, maybe a book from Derek's point of view?

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Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. When she's not writing, she's probably shopping, baking, or reading.


Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2013 to my book blogs, Zodiac Book Reviews and A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books.

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