5 STARS | Perfekt Balance by S.T. Bende

Title: Perfekt Balance
Series: The Ære Saga #3
Author: S.T. Bende
Age Group: New Adult
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Mythology, Urban Fantasy
Elements: Deities
Publisher: S.T. Bende
Format: Electronic ARC
ASIN: B01ABD7JQS
Published: April 5th, 2016
Source: S.T. Bende
Rating: ★★★★★
Series Reviews: Perfekt Order | The Asgardians | Perfekt Control

Become what you believe.

Elsa Fredriksen knows there’s a thin line between love and fear. As High Healer, she rights the wrongs committed by those who choose the darkness. But even Asgard’s secret weapon can’t undo every injury—especially when her fate is completely entwined with the god she’s trying to save.

Elsa’s in love with the Norse God of Justice. But Forse’s heart is ruled by fear—fear that the past will repeat itself; fear that opening his heart will compromise his ability to do his job; fear that he’ll hurt the one girl he desperately wants to protect. Again.

When Elsa faces off against the very monster she once swore to protect, her survival depends on a power she isn’t sure she can control. And when Forse’s worst nightmare unfolds in front of him, Elsa has to decide whether it’s more important to hold the realms in perfekt balance . . . or hold on to the guy she can’t imagine existing without.

In Perfekt Balance, we follow Elsa and Forse's story. Elsa struggles to learn her Unifier abilities, which would be fine if she wasn't needed to help apprehend one of Asgard's most wanted. Forse, Norse God of Justice and the love of Elsa's life, is by her side through it all, until the mission goes wrong and she's kidnapped. Now she needs to learn how to truly be Asgard's Unifier if she wants to save herself and her loved ones.

I have been looking forward to reading Elsa and Forse's story we first met them in the first book, Perfekt Order. I really liked learning more about what a Unifier's role is in the grand scheme of things. And I absolutely loved all the little hints of events to come in future books. My favorite part of course was the love story. Elsa and Forse really are the perfekt balance to each other. Then we even have some surprise revelations about Tyr and his biological family, which were completely unexpected. We are getting closer and closer to overlapping with the Elsker Saga, which I'm very excited about, and we see that in the hints I mentioned before. This addition to the Aere Saga was so exciting and just gave me all the feels. And that ending, on my goodness, Forse! I loved it all!

Elsa is Asgard's High Healer and interim Unifier until Mia can be trained in the role. She is more proficient as a Healer and has no clue as to how to be a Unifier. She's just kind of winging it. Elsa is this very spiritual and peaceful person, but in Perfekt Balance we see that she can be just as fierce as any of our Norse Crew. She loves with her whole heart and will do what needs to be done to protect those she loves. Elsa and Forse practically share one heart, as they beat in time with each other. But Forse hold a lot of guilt over his role in her parent's deaths, and that keeps him from completely opening his heart to her. I really just want to give Forse to biggest hug. I'm extremely happy that these two finally get their happy ever after. Forsa forever!

S.T. Bende has created, once again, a beautiful story that I couldn't help but fall in love with. Her Norse Crews are made up of honorable and loveable characters that you never want to leave. The way that she weaves her tales of Norse Mythology with this contemporary world leaves readers captivated well beyond the last page. Perfekt Balance is the perfekt addition to the Aere Saga and I'm extremely looking forward to continuing this series. Next year is too long to wait for the next book!

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Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, S.T. Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of McVities cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the books of The Elsker Saga and The Ære Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile, and she dreams of skiing on Jotunheim and Hoth.

Find S.T. on Twitter @stbende, her website (www.stbende.com), or send her an e-mail. While you're at it, introduce yourself to @UllMyhr and @TyrFredriksen—when they’re not saving the cosmos from dark elves, they love meeting new friends . . . especially the human kind.

Want to connect with fellow Norse god fans? S.T.'s readers have created a Facebook group! Head over to the RagnaRockstars page to chat with other readers, talk with S.T., and get access to exclusive content . . . including Ull POVs and sneak peeks at upcoming Ære Saga books!

TUR is currently available for FREE to newsletter subscribers!

Skål, y’all!

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4 STARS | Perfekt Control by S.T. Bende

Title: Perfekt Control
Series: The Ære Saga #2
Author: S.T. Bende
Age Group: New Adult
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Mythology, Urban Fantasy
Elements: Deities
Publisher: S.T. Bende
Format: Electronic ARC
ASIN: B017T02N8U
Published: February 9th, 2016
Source: S.T. Bende
Rating: ★★★★
Series Reviews: Perfekt Order | The Asgardians

Rule the realms.

Brynn Aksel is a valkyrie—a battle goddess tasked with protecting both the God of War and the future of Asgard. She fends off giants and dark elves with an iron fist, a glossy smile, and no less than perfekt control. She’s focused one-hundred-percent on rising through the valkyrie ranks, and not at all on her lifelong crush on Henrik Andersson—the one guy in all the realms who could be her undoing.

Henrik serves as War’s other bodyguard, and he’s too focused on protecting their shared charge to realize that Brynn’s a girl. When an unprecedented surge of darkness abducts the Goddess of Love, Brynn’s already-steely focus is singularly directed on her new assignment—accompany Henrik to recover the realms’ source of light before the cosmos descends into chaos.

While battling demons, dragons, and the not-quite-dead, it becomes clear that immortality does not equal invincibility. And when Hel herself puts a hit on Brynn, the valkyrie has to decide if staying in control is worth losing everything . . . or if it’s time to rule the realms.

In Perfekt Control, Freya Norse Goddess of Love, is kidnapped to lure Tyr into a trap. Odin orders Brynn and Henrik to search the realms for any sign or clue to her whereabouts. With the Goddess of Love missing, the realms being without love will fill with darkness. Brynn knows better than anyone what happens when Love is gone from the realms. Between searching for Freya, pushing back painful memories from her past, and trying to control her feelings for Henrik, Brynn has her work cut out for her. The forces of darkness are poised to attack and Brynn will need her perfekt control to get the job done.

In this second book in the Aere Saga, we get to learn more about Brynn and Henrik, more about the different Realms, more about the super-brain that is Brynnrik and the tech that they create. With Freya missing from the light realms, the dark realms are gaining more power and some strange changes are happening in each species. But what really took center stage was Brynn's battle within herself. There are so many things coming at her at once that her perfekt control is slipping, which isn't good within a Valkyrie.

I really enjoyed the more indepth look into the world the Aere Saga. Incidentally, I liked the description for Helheim the most. At the center, Helheim is the most dark and terrible of the dark realms, but it's descibed as incredibly beautiful, more like what you'd expect a light realm to be described. It makes me think about how so much evil can be hidden behind something beautiful. I loved the dilemma that Brynn had concerning her feelings for Henrik and how they conflicted with her Valkyrie oath. And I loved how their HEA happened. I wasn't expecting it to come about the way that it did. I also really enjoyed the Brynnrik moments. I think that only one who might understand half of what they were saying is Mia, since she helps them develope some of their tech. Oh, and I liked how we saw more of Elsa and her healing abilities. I think that was a really good set up for her story in Perfekt Balance. This latest addition to the Aere Saga really developes the world of this series, while also giving us more insight into Brynn and Henrik.

When we met Brynn in Perfekt Order, she was always upbeat and energetic. But for reason you'll find while reading Perfekt Control, Brynn isn't as happy and bouncy as she usually is. I'd even go so far to say that Mia seemed more energetic than Brynn in this book. Being a Valkyrie under the command of the Goddess of Love, Brynn has a lot that she needs to work out and she needs to choose whether she'll let her fear rule or if she'll let her love rule. Henrik is the other half of the Brynnrik super-brain and the object of Brynn's affection. I loved seeing more of Henrik. He's just as charming as he was in the first book and we even see this really sweet side to him, not to mention a more sexy side to him. I also really liked how competitive he is with Mia concerning their cooking. Brynn and Henrik make a perfekt team. They think the same and fight well together, which make them the perfekt bodyguards for Tyr.

So all in all, S.T. Bende has done a great job in expanding the world of the Aere Saga and has given us in depth descriptions of the realms and their people. Also the way that we are show how Elsa heals is a great set up for the next book, Perfekt Balance. It's also really nice that Tyr and Mia's story continues in this book and I liked how there's this kind of foreshadowing of Mia's possible future with them. While Perfekt Order set up the Aere Saga, Perfekt Control expands it outside of the Midgard realm and into the bigger universe. I have a feeling that some really amazing things are going to be happening in the future books in the series.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | RagnaRockstars | Amazon | Wattpad | Newsletter

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, S.T. Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of McVities cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the books of The Elsker Saga and The Ære Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile, and she dreams of skiing on Jotunheim and Hoth.

Find S.T. on Twitter @stbende, her website (www.stbende.com), or send her an e-mail. While you're at it, introduce yourself to @UllMyhr and @TyrFredriksen—when they’re not saving the cosmos from dark elves, they love meeting new friends . . . especially the human kind.

Want to connect with fellow Norse god fans? S.T.'s readers have created a Facebook group! Head over to the RagnaRockstars page to chat with other readers, talk with S.T., and get access to exclusive content . . . including Ull POVs and sneak peeks at upcoming Ære Saga books!

TUR is currently available for FREE to newsletter subscribers!

Skål, y’all!


Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2015 to my book blog, Once Untold.

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4 STARS | The Asgardians by S.T. Bende

Title: Supernatural Chronicles: The Asgardians
Series: Dynamis in New Orleans #9
Author: S.T. Bende
Age Group: New Adult
Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mythology
Elements: Deities
Publisher: S.T. Bende
Format: Electronic ARC
ASIN: B015PHS0WC
Published: December 21st, 2015
Source: S.T. Bende
Rating: ★★★★

Inga Andersson just can’t catch a break. She’s supposed to be enjoying a ski week in beautiful Åre, Sweden, with her immortal-assassin husband. Instead, she and Gunnar are trapped inside a bizarre scavenger hunt, unraveling an incomprehensible riddle at the bequest of a mysterious being known only as The One. And if Inga and Gunnar don’t decipher the puzzle and deliver a mythological relic to a New Orleans graveyard within three days, they’ll be ejected from the Norse pantheon, stripped of their immortality, and cast as the solitary line of defense against the onslaught of frost giants and Helbeasts ready to bring about Midgard’s fall. What started as a party game has become a lethal challenge with irreparable consequences, not only for Inga, but for the god she loves . . . and the realm she adores.

Let the hunt begin.

The Asgardians is a standalone crossover novella set within both the Elsker and Ære Universe. It features The Elsker Saga’s Gunnar & Inga, AND The Ære Saga’s Henrik & Brynn!

Inga and Gunnar are enjoying a ski week vacation with Henrik and Brynn in Åre, Sweden, when their fun is interrupted by a message from the Norns. An unprecedented amount of dark energy has begun to surround Midgard and the Bifrost has been closed indefinitely. With the Bifrost closed, and their return to Asgard impossible, they will become mortal without Idunn's apples. To save Midgard and open the Bifrost, the Norns are sending these four Asgardian warriors on a scavenger hunt for an item that will prevent the darkness from taking over Midgard. They must find this item and take it to New Orleans, if they fail the Bifrost will be closed forever and Midgard will fall into darkness.

Supernatural Chronicles: The Asgardians is Book 9 in the serial series Dynamis in New Orleans. Each book has a supernatural race searching for an item that they need to deliver to New Orleans in order to save themselves and the world. The Asgardians takes characters Inga and Gunnar from S.T. Bende's Elsker Saga and Henrik and Brynn from her Ære Saga. Aside from the scavenger hunt part of the story, I also liked how Inga's past was incorporated into this story. Someone she loved dearly was killed and she wants revenge. I liked how well this second part of the story was interwoven into the main Dynamis story. It really brings all the stories together nicely.

I like the concept of all the stories in the Dynamis in New Orleans serial series and it was exciting getting another story in S.T. Bende's Norse worlds. Although you don't need to, I wish that I had read the previous 8 books in the Dynamis Serial to get the whole story. While this is a great addition to the Elsker and Ære Sagas, I really do think that it would be best to read the other Supernatural Chronicles if you want to understand the entire Dynamis story. I think this might have been why I wasn't able to give The Asgardians a five star rating. I felt like I was missing parts of the whole.

I absolutely loved seeing the two most outgoing and fun-loving couples in the Elsker and Ære Sagas in one book. Well, kind of a couple in Brynn and Henrik's case. In their respective series, these characters lighten the otherwise seriousness of the story. Because of this, The Asgardians was a more light and fun story than the others in the Elsker and Ære Sagas. I especially liked how during the fight scenes, while there's a serious reason for them fighting, they are able to have fun while doing it. Basically what I'm saying is that because of these characters personalities, this book was a fun and entertaining experience, even with the seriousness of the reason behind the events that happen.

S.T. Bende has a beautiful way of writing a story. Everything flows together so perfectly and that really allows the world to come to life and the characters personalities to shine. The only thing about this book that I think could have been changed is making Chapter 1 a prologue. Because the events in Chapter 1 happen six years before the events in Chapter 2, it felt more like an introductory prologue than the first chapter of a book. Otherwise, I really found no other problems with The Asgardians. It was a fun read and a great addition to S.T. Bende's Norse worlds.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | RagnaRockstars | Amazon | Wattpad | Newsletter

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, S.T. Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of McVities cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the books of The Elsker Saga and The Ære Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile, and she dreams of skiing on Jotunheim and Hoth.

Find S.T. on Twitter @stbende, her website (www.stbende.com), or send her an e-mail. While you're at it, introduce yourself to @UllMyhr and @TyrFredriksen—when they’re not saving the cosmos from dark elves, they love meeting new friends . . . especially the human kind.

Want to connect with fellow Norse god fans? S.T.'s readers have created a Facebook group! Head over to the RagnaRockstars page to chat with other readers, talk with S.T., and get access to exclusive content . . . including Ull POVs and sneak peeks at upcoming Ære Saga books!

TUR is currently available for FREE to newsletter subscribers!

Skål, y’all!


Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2015 to my book blog, Once Untold.

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5 STARS | Perfekt Order by S.T. Bende

Title: Perfekt Order
Series: The Ære Saga #1
Author: S.T. Bende
Age Group: New Adult
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Mythology, Urban Fantasy
Elements: Deities
Publisher: S.T. Bende
Format: Electronic ARC
ASIN: B015TXBV9G
Published: December 8th, 2015
Source: S.T. Bende
Rating: ★★★★★

All's fair when you're in love with War.

For seventeen-year-old Mia Ahlström, a world ruled by order is the only world she allows. A lifetime of chore charts, to-do lists and study schedules have helped earn her a spot in Redwood State University’s engineering program. And while her five-year plan includes finding her very own happily-evah-aftah, years at an all girls’ boarding school left her woefully unprepared for keg parties and co-ed extracurricular activities.

So nothing surprises her more than catching the eye of Tyr Fredriksen at her first college party. The imposing Swede is arrogantly charming, stubbornly overprotective, and runs hot-and-cold in ways that defy reason . . . until Mia learns that she’s fallen for the Norse God of War; an immortal battle deity hiding on Midgard (Earth) to protect a valuable Asgardian treasure from a feral enemy. With a price on his head, Tyr brings more than a little excitement to Mia’s rigidly controlled life. Choosing Tyr may be the biggest distraction—or the greatest adventure—she’s ever had.

Perfekt Order brings us the story of seventeen year old Mia Ahlström as she moves to Arcata, California to attend Redwood State University. During a run her first day, Mia is attacked by a large wolf-like monster and is saved by Tyr Fredriksen. From that moment, Mia's life is forever changed. Turns out that Tyr is the Norse God of War and dark forces are out to bring him down and they have no problem using Mia to achieve their goal. Mia's life of perfekt order is about to be shaken to its core. When you're in love with the God of War, order is the last thing you need to worry about.

I've been a fan of this world since reading the Elsker Saga and I really enjoyed this new adventure with a new Norse Crew in the Ære Saga. I'm pretty sure that Perfekt Order takes place slightly before the events in the Elsker Saga - I'm still a bit confused on the timeline - and it's a lot more battle-heavy than the previous series, which only makes sense since our main male character is the Norse God of War. Basically, in Perfekt Order, Mia finds herself in the middle of a war between the Ære Crew and Fenrir, who is working with someone determined to bring down the God of War. So there's this constant battle-readiness throughout the story and they are always on alert for the next attack. But even with all this action, S.T. Bende was able to seamlessly weave a beautiful romance between Mia and Tyr and some pretty great humor into the story. Each element is perfektly balanced and I didn't feel like one element overpowered the others. This story just drew me in. I'm so invested in this story and the characters in it, that I'm going nuts without the next book. Especially after the sneak peek of the second book at that end of the book. February seems so far away!

I was in love with Ære Crew from the very beginning. Mia is a very strong character and extremely stubborn. She is a very organized and analytical person. Anything illogical doesn't belong in her world. But then Tyr enters her life and her perfektly ordered life becomes chaotic. Mia and Tyr are very much alike, and being the God of War has made him extremely protective of those he loves, especially since he's lost a lot of this loved ones to his enemies. Mia's stubbornness and Tyr's protectiveness clash a lot in this book. These were the times when Mia kind of annoyed me. Any other time I loved Mia so much, but it seemed that whenever Tyr tried to protect her from Fenrir, she wanted to put herself right out there in danger. A human cannot win in a battle with the monsters of Asgard's underworlds. But aside from the arguments they had about her safety, Mia and Tyr compliment each other perfektly. I'm looking forward to seeing glimpses of them in the next books and seeing how they progress in their relationship with all the chaos happening around them.

Not only does Perfekt Order have great main characters, but the rest of Ære Crew and Mia's roommates are equally awesome. This book just has such an amazing cast of characters. I absolutely loved Brynn and Henrik, who are Tyr's friends and bodyguards. Brynn ends up being one of Mia's roommates and Henrik also happens to be Gunnar's older brother. If you've read the Elsker Saga, Gunnar is Ull's best friend. Brynn's energy is through the roof and her obvious feelings for Henrik make her a target for quite a bit of teasing between her roommates. Henrik is an engineering genius, which gains him a lot of respect from Mia. And there are just so many other great characters, such as Freya, Forse, Elsa, and Mia's roommates Heather and Charlotte. The characters in this book are so uniquely themselves and I just couldn't help loving them all.

Finally, this book is so beautifully written. I loved how descriptive S.T. Bende was with the scenery, the characters, and basically everything in the world of this book. The suspense has a really great build-up each time a battle happens and that first scene when Mia was attacked had me on the edge of my seat. There's also some really great humor in this book, which I think was really needed with how serious the story could become at times. I loved how the title, and even just the word perfekt, was used throughout the story. Like I mentioned before, every element in this book is really well balanced and I really liked that there wasn't too much of one thing. I think I can sum up what I thought and felt for this book in one word: PERFEKTION!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | RagnaRockstars | Amazon | Wattpad | Newsletter

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, S.T. Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of McVities cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the books of The Elsker Saga and The Ære Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile, and she dreams of skiing on Jotunheim and Hoth.

Find S.T. on Twitter @stbende, her website (www.stbende.com), or send her an e-mail. While you're at it, introduce yourself to @UllMyhr and @TyrFredriksen—when they’re not saving the cosmos from dark elves, they love meeting new friends . . . especially the human kind.

Want to connect with fellow Norse god fans? S.T.'s readers have created a Facebook group! Head over to the RagnaRockstars page to chat with other readers, talk with S.T., and get access to exclusive content . . . including Ull POVs and sneak peeks at upcoming Ære Saga books!

TUR is currently available for FREE to newsletter subscribers!

Skål, y’all!


Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2015 to my book blog, Once Untold.

Continue Reading →

4 STARS | Eros by Helen Harper

Title: Eros
Series: Olympiana #1

Author: Helen Harper
Age Group: New Adult
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Mythology, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Helen Harper
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00IF5K1P6
Published: February 12th, 2014
Source: Amazon
Rating: 4/5 STARS

Purchase: Amazon

William Shakespeare once wrote that, “Cupid is a knavish lad, thus to make poor females mad.” The trouble is that Cupid himself would probably agree…

As probably the last person in the world who’d appreciate hearts, flowers and romance, Coop is convinced that true love doesn’t exist – which is rather unfortunate considering he’s also known as Cupid, the God of Love. He’d rather spend his days drinking, womanising and generally having as much fun as he possible can. As far as he’s concerned, shooting people with bolts of pure love is a waste of his time…but then his path crosses with that of shy and retiring Skye Sawyer and nothing will ever be quite the same again.

A sexy romance fantasy, Eros is a seductive re-telling of the classic Greek myth, Cupid and Psyche.

Eros is a modern re-telling of the Cupid and Psyche myth. Cupid, or Coop as he prefers to be called, has become disillusioned with love and believes that true love doesn't exist if he has to make it happen. Skye unknowingly ends up in the middle of a fight between Coop and Apollo, and suddenly she's thrown into a world of epic proportions and finds true love in the most unexpected way. But Aphrodite won't let just anyone have her son's heart. Only someone she deems worthy will Aphrodite allow to be with Coop, so she puts Skye to the test.

I love reading re-tellings of my favorite tales and the Greek myths are among some of my most favorites. So when I started reading Eros I was really looking forward to seeing how Helen Harper would tell her version of the Cupid and Psyche tale. While I think that there are a few things that could be tweaked here and there, such as the pacing of the story and making sure it's edited a little better, the story at it's heart really drew me in. I thought that it would take me a while to read the book considering it's over 300 pages, but I really flew through it. My favorite part of the story has to be when Skye is given the 4 tasks by Aphrodite to prove that she's worthy of being with Coop. That is the point when the story really felt real - it was the all or nothing point.

Skye was a character that I could really relate to personality wise. She's shy and has trouble reaching out to new people, but once she's comfortable with someone Skye is an outspoken and assertive person. Coop, the god of Love, is apathetic to love and just doesn't believe in it anymore, much to his mother's chagrin. I liked how Coop had this kind of mischievous, playful side to him - that was a different characteristic from other re-tellings I've read. One character, besides the two main characters, that I really liked was Coop's best friend Hermes. That poor dude was caught in the middle of all the drama. It's amazing that he remains sane.

One bigger thing that I didn't really like was the progression of Coop's love for Skye. I can understand Skye realizing her feelings for Coop after he saves her, but I didn't like how it seemed like Coop didn't come to love Skye until after they had sex. I know that the exact time he fell in love with her is explained later in the book, but the way it was written up to that point made it look like he didn't love her until after he had sex with her. So maybe that could have been changed a little, maybe with a bit more emotion added between the points of saving Skye and them having sex. 

But other than that, I think that Eros is a great read for anyone who loves story retellings and/or the Greek myths.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Helen Harper is an English teacher currently living abroad in Malaysia. As a long time reader of urban fantasy, she finally bit the bullet and began to develop her own series of novels.

Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland. "I always loved the escapism provided by those genres," states Helen. "No matter how bad life gets, you can always find a route out, even if only temporarily, in the pages of a good book."

The growth of urban fantasy fascinated her - the mix of reality and fantasy along with strong heroic female characters appealed from the very beginning, and inspired her to write her own.


Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2015 to my book blog, Once Untold.

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5 STARS | Until November by Aurora Rose Reynolds

Title: Until November
Series: Until #1
Author: Aurora Rose Reynolds
Age Group: New Adult
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Erotica, Suspense
Publisher: Aurora Rose Reynolds
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00FAYSNAK
Published: December 26th, 2013
Source: Aurora Rose Reynolds
Events: Book Tour
Rating: ★★★★★

November is looking forward to getting to know her father and the safety of a small town. After leaving the big apple and her bad memories for Tennessee, November starts working for her dad at his strip club doing the books. The one time she’s allowed there during club hours she runs into Asher Mayson. He’s perfect until he opens his mouth and makes assumptions. November wants nothing to do with Asher but too bad for November fate has other plans. Asher Mayson has never had a problem getting a woman that is until November. Now all he can think about is making November his and keeping her safe.

THE STORY:

UNTIL NOVEMBER revolves around a young woman named November trying to make a new life for herself and forget the hurts of her past. The source of her pain is her abusive mother and cheating ex-fiance. She finally feels free once she moves to Tennessee to live with her dad. Meeting her estranged paternal family and the frustrating Asher Mayson, help her begin a new, happier life. But that happiness is disrupted when her past invades her present, and it's not only November in danger this time.

It's really hard to talk about the story without giving something away, so there might be some tiny spoilers here. November was attacked in an alley in New York, and when she starts receiving threatening "presents" from some creepy stalker, she feels that the two events are connected in some way.

There are two main story lines in UNTIL NOVEMBER. There is the search and capture of November's stalker, and the love story between her and Asher. So on one hand you have suspense and on the other you have romance. Aurora Rose Reynolds wove these two aspects perfectly. Add in a cast of characters that I couldn't help but love (except the baddies), and UNTIL NOVEMBER quickly won my heart.

I loved how November termed all the women that the Mayson brother were involved with as their "harem." And it's no exaggeration, either. There are so many women flocking to them and that they've been involved with that they really could create their own harem. And if you think about it, whether they realize it or not, they did. This "harem" creates some interesting interactions between various characters.

The family aspect and the "Mayson Curse" are parts of the story that I really liked. The Mayson family is really close, and I liked how they all took care of each other, and opened their arms wide to November. It's really close-knit family and that's something that really drew me into the story too.

THE CAST:

The Guy: Asher Mayson is the oldest of the Mayson boys, and although he seems like what you would think of a playboy as, he's had his fair share of pain in his life. A lot of women just like the status of having been with a Mayson, and would go to deceptive means to make that happen. Asher has had run-ins with false pregnancy claims, entrapment, and women cheating on him with one of his brothers. He knows that when he meets the right woman, he needs to make her stay. I really liked Asher. He is Alpha in all it's definition. He's possessive, assertive, and easily jealous. But he's also really sweet, sincere, and devoted. And I think that he's the kind of man that November really needed in her life after what happened with her ex-fiance.

The Girl: November has had a tough life. Her mother was mentally and emotionally abusive to her as she was growing up. Constantly making her feel less than what she is. But I really liked that even though her mother was a terrible parent, that November still became a strong woman. She doesn't take crap from no one. She's also been unlucky in love. Her ex-fiance cheated on her with her mother. I mean, who does that? Only a sick and depraved man would cheat on his fiance with her mother. But then she meets Asher once she moves to Tennessee, and though she has some insecurity in their relationship, she knows that Asher is not like her ex-fiance and that she can trust him. November surprises Asher and his brothers. She's not like any of the other women they've been with. She's not prissy, and has no problem getting muddy or rolling around with her dog, Beast. I think that is one of her traits that really drew Asher in.

THE VILLAIN:

This is definitely the section I can't say too much about without giving away who the baddie is. All I'll say about who it is, is that it's someone from November's past. The baddie does your classic stalker terrorizing things. Her place in broken into, she's left creepy poetry, and flowers. Once she feels like she's free of this baddie, something else shows up. So November is definitely always on edge, and that's one of the goals of such terrorizing activity. I honestly don't know how she would handle it all without her family and Asher helping her.

THE ROMANCE:

This is where the "Mayson Curse" comes into play. Apparently one they first lay eyes on The One, it's like, BOOM, instant love. And for Asher, that is November. And he does everything in his power to make her his.

Their first meeting was one of my favorite scenes in UNTIL NOVEMBER. November had gone to her father's strip club to get the lay of the back office, since she'd be working for him doing the books, and Asher saw her there with her father, "hanging all over him and calling him 'Daddy!'" as he put it. When he finds out that November really is Big Mikes daughter his reaction is priceless and November enjoys the moment immensely since he was being so rude to her. I was cracking up just imagining Asher reaction. The moment was just to hilarious and ridiculous. Asher allowed his anger and jealousy to cloud his senses.

November and Asher both have past relationships that ended because of deception and mistrust, so they both have trouble at first really trusting each other. Asher is bossy and pushy, but November has none of that, although she does seems to be manipulated into doing what he wants in the end.

I loved how November didn't allow the women in the "Mayson harem" to get to her. Asher has women throwing themselves at him all the time, and it does annoy November, but it doesn't really make her jealous. She even tells one particular women where to shove it, when she attacks November's father and his business.

I just really loved the dynamic between November and Asher. They compliment each other and I really do believe that they were meant to be together as the "Mayson Curse" dictated.

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Aurora Rose Reynolds is a navy brat whose husband served in the United States Navy. She has lived all over the country but now resides in New York City with her Husband and pet fish. She's married to an alpha male that loves her as much as the men in her books love their women. He gives her over the top inspiration everyday. In her free time she reads, writes and enjoys going to the movies with her husband and cookie. She also enjoys taking mini weekend vacations to nowhere, or spends time at home with friends and family. Last but not least she appreciates everyday and admires its beauty.


Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2013 to my book blog, A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books; and originally posted in 2014 to my book blog, Booksniffer Book Reviews.

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5 STARS | What Endures by Katie Lee

Title: What Endures
Author: Katie Lee
Age Group: New Adult
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Sports
Publisher: Katie Lee
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00E7JO69G
Published: July 28th, 2013
Source: YA Bound Book Tours
Events: Book Tour
Rating: ★★★★★

Jason Kincaid is young, hot and successful.

An All-Star outfielder for the Seattle Mariners, he finally had everything he ever wanted, including a second chance with his high school sweetheart, Megan Williams.

But their hopes for a ‘happily-ever-after’ are dashed by tragedy.

A horrific car accident wipes out most of Jason's memories. Unable to recall anything from the last fifteen years of his life, Jason is suddenly adrift, his once charmed life now in ruins.

Megan finds herself in the untenable position of having to deal with the fact that the man she’s helping to rebuild his life may look, and even act, like her beloved fiancé, but in reality, isn’t any longer.

Trying to protect herself, as well as Jason, Megan fights the attraction between them. . .to no avail. As their potent connection inevitably draws them closer, Megan wonders,

With the memories of their relationship gone, can love endure?

Stories like What Endures are always kind of heartbreaking, but in What Endures there is a ray of hope that Jason will be able to remember Megan. Emotionally charged stories have always been my favorite, especially when I'm drawn into the story and am able to really feel the emotions of the characters. And What Endures does exactly that. I really enjoyed this book very much!

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Katie Lee has had a lifelong love affair with books. She fell in love with her first book in the second grade and hasn’t looked back since. She first took up writing as a hobby, wanting to craft her own magical adventures, and through the love and encouragement of family and friends, decided to get serious about writing and share her stories with the world.

She currently resides in Maryland in the United States. She works for the government during the day, and her spare time is devoted to writing. She gains inspiration from all sorts of things, but mostly from the fun and adventurous trips she takes when she can.

She loves hearing from her readers so drop her a note! She can be found in the following places (when not writing or curled up in bed with a good book!)


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

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