Showing posts with label 5 STARS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5 STARS. Show all posts

Friday, April 15, 2016

5 STARS | Bring Me to Ruin by Tess Rider

Title: Bring Me to Ruin
Series: The Haunted Hollow #1
Author: Tess Rider
Age Group: Adult
Genres: Science Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Historical, Erotica, Cyberpunk, Steampunk
Elements: Witches, Fae, Ghosts, Banshees, Undead Things, Time Travel
Publisher: The Life Romantic Press
Format: Electronic ARC
ASIN: B01BEKT6NG
Published: April 12th, 2016
Source: The Killion Group | NetGalley
Events: Review Request
Rating: ★★★★★



“You and he are fated to love. Nothing in this universe can stand between that kind of attraction. It crosses time, space and everything else in between… Love is a force of nature.”

The last thing Thea Maloney expects the day after her first love, Gerard Wyatt, is executed for a crime he didn't commit, is a chance to travel to the 22nd Century to a place called the Haunted Hollow. There time has splintered into hundreds of timelines and a savage ghost war has ravaged the planet. One man stands between what remains of the human race and extinction, a man known only as The General. A man who also happens to be another version of Gerard. Thea’s mission in this haunted place is to solve the riddle of the broken timelines and show the General the power of love before he makes a choice that will doom them all. But how do you convince a man who already thinks you’re the enemy and who’s known only horror his entire life that you’re his soulmate?

Raised in the trenches of the Great Ghost War, the General lives and breathes only one thing. Death. His enclave of ghost hunters and refugees is all that’s left of the human race and he will do anything to reverse humanity’s fate, even if it means rewriting history in a bold gambit to turn back time. What he doesn’t count on is the arrival of Thea Maloney, a woman who makes him feel things he’s never experienced before. He knows he should keep his distance from her, but it gets more difficult with each increasingly sensual encounter. Was she sent to seduce and spy on him, or worse, sabotage the enclave from the inside? Or could she be the one person who can save them all?
What can I say about Bring Me to Ruin? It was an amazing, heart-wrenching time travel story filled with love, hate, war, duty, loss, tragedy, faith, just everything. This book gave me so many feels. It's hard to express what I'm feeling right now. I loved all the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey time travel stuff in Bring Me to Ruin. I loved the romance that crosses time and dimensions. Thea and the General! Those two drove me nuts at times, but their love just melted me heart. The only thing I perhaps didn't like about Bring Me to Ruin was how long it was. It's a very long book, but the mind-blowing story more than makes up for how long it takes to read the book. I was sucked into the story and I'm really wanting the next book, like right now.

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Tess Rider lives with her wonderfully eccentric husband of almost fifteen years in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s an accountant by day, a novelist by night and an artist at heart 24/7.

Tess holds a B.A. in Art History and did her thesis on Remedios Varo, one of the lesser known female Surrealists, whose deeply personal work brings an exciting dreamworld to vivid life. Tess has long been interested in the impact of dreams, myths and the transcendental on the creative process. Later in life, while spending a year living in New Orleans, Tess had the opportunity to explore the religions of the Caribbean and found in their pantheons and histories inspiration for her writing and art.

Today, Tess is an active member of the San Francisco Area chapter of the RWA and is working hard on the next books in the Haunted Hollow series.

Friday, April 8, 2016

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!

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!

SkĂĄl, y’all!

Friday, December 11, 2015

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!

SkĂĄl, y’all!


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

Thursday, February 26, 2015

5 STARS | Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Stone Cold Touch
Series: The Dark Elements #2
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Age Group: Young Adult
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: Paperback
ISBN-13: 978-0373211340
Published: October 21st, 2014
Source: Library
Rating: 5/5 STARS
Series Reviews: White Hot Kiss
Purchase: Amazon





Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…
Cover Review:

The cover of Stone Cold Touch is just like the White Hot Kiss cover, but this time it features Layla and Zayne. I really like the shade of green they used, because it looks like it could be the color of the Wardens in their Gargoyle form.

Because of Layla's inability to kiss anyone with a soul, Zayne got in the habit of touching his forehead to hers and that's what it looks like on this cover. This cover shows the dynamic between Layla and Zayne, they want to be close, but they can't without Zayne dying, so they get as close as possible without too much touching. We see this in the way that Layla has her head turned and her mouth away from his.

I mentioned small things on covers in my review for White Hot Kiss and forgot to mention that it also shows Layla wearing her necklace, so both covers show that. On the back, her necklace is shown with the tagline, "Every Touch Has It's Price." That is a very important statement to this book, because her touch really does have a price and it's a high one.

Book Review:

In Stone Cold Touch, Layla is still stuggling with the aftermath of her battle with Paimon and losing Roth. She's heartbroken and worried that Roth is suffering, all the while her powers seems to be changing. Her Warden family doesn't trust her at all anymore, especially with all the strange things happening around her and they blame her for it. To the Wardens, she feels more like a Upper Level demon and nothing like a Warden. When Roth returns out of the blue, Layla is confused but relieved and happy to see him. But Roth isn't there for her and brings news that a Lilin had been born.

So as you can see, nothing is going right in Layla's life right now. Her powers are changing, she is changing, and the Wardens hate and distrust her for it. The only brightness in the Warden compound is Zayne. And let me tell you, with Roth out of the picture, Zayne has upped his game. While Layla still has her crush on Zayne, she's still hung up on Roth. I have to say that I was really upset with him when he returned. She was sho happy and relieve to see him, but he just brushed her and their time together and a fling. What a jerk! But with each interaction between her anad Roth, you could tell that he was hiding something from her. This was the perfect time for Zayne to make his move. And for a while they were happy. I really don't think that any chances should have been made when it came to Layla's soul-stealing kiss. And there was definitely a price paid for taking that dangerous chance.

A lot of people changed teams after the way that Roth treated Layla, but I could tell that there was more going on. I like Zayne and the scenes between him and Layla were pretty steamy, but it still felt like they were more friends than anything else. And even when Layla was kinda with Zayne, the tension was still there between her and Roth. There were moments when you could tell what he was really feeling and that he still cared for Layla, but we don't know until later why he treated her so bad.

So I was very upset with Roth but I still felt like he was better for Layla. I do think that he more than made up for it toward the end of the book. He really melted my heart when he took care of and protected Layla. And I can't forget when he said, "I love you, Layla. Do you hear me? I've loved you since the first moment I heard your voice and I will continue to love you. No matter what. I love you." That line added with the situation in which he said it was the best. I swooned and I hoped like anything that Layla would return his feelings, but we are left hanging on that end.

Where White Hot Kiss seemed to focus on Layla and her demon half, including who her mother is and her powers and learning more about demons. Whereas Stone Cold Touch seems to focus on Layla and her Warden half, or at least her life with the Wardens. A lot of changes happen in this book, and Layla has to grow up fast. There is life-threatening danger to her even in her own home. Layla feels a lot of pressure and feels like everyone is against her. In the first book, it felt like the animosity was just against her demon half, but this book gives that feeling of her being attacked on a whole. There was a moment toward the end of this book that really made me feel terrified for Layla. I really didn't know how she was going to survive that terrible situation.

I was completely shocked by what happened at the end. I wasn't expecting the Lilin to be who it was revealed to be. It kind of mad me a little sad. This cliffhanger is going to start the next and final book, Every Last Breath, off on a bang. It's going to be awesome!

Rating:

I gave Stone Cold Touch a 5 STAR rating. This book was at times shocking, frightening, and insanely romantic. After that crazy cliffhanger, I'm am dying for the next book. Every Last Kiss is going to be beyond EPIC. The wait always sucks, but it also brings the excitement even higher.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

# 1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout Lives in West Virginia.

All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true.

Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write.

She is the author of the Covenant Series (Spencer Hill Press), the Lux Series (Entangled Teen), Don't Look Back (Disney/Hyperion) and a yet untitled novel (Disney/Hyperion), and new YA paranormal series with Harlequin Teen.

Jennifer also writes New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J. Lynn. The Gamble Brothers Series (Tempting the Best Man/Tempting the Player) and Wait for You. Under her pen name, she is published with Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.


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

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

5 STARS | White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: White Hot Kiss
Series: The Dark Elements #1
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Age Group: Young Adult
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: Paperback, Kindle Edition
ISBN-13: 978-0373211104
Published: February 25th, 2014
Source: Library | NetGalley
Rating: 5/5 STARS
Purchase: Amazon




One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne… it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.
Cover Review:

What I like about the cover to White Hot Kiss is that it really symbolizes not only parts of the story but also the title. The red and white coloring symbolize the title of the book. The near-kiss really shows the tension that's between Layla and Roth in this book, which I'll talk about more later in this review. One thing I really love about covers is when they show what could be considered small details of a character, such as tattoos. On this cover, Roth's snake tattoo is shown, which also happens to be his demon familiar, Bambi. Bambi, in tattoo form, is one of the most notable characteristics of Roth, so I really liked that they showed her on the cover as well. She also happens to be a character that I really liked, which was unexpected. Then there are the details on the back cover. The ring on the necklace is the one that Layla owns and plays a key role in the story. The tagline, "One Kiss Could Be The Last," describes something that Layla has to deal with on a daily basis - her inability to kiss anyone with a soul. So I really love how this cover alone gives you a pretty good idea about the story. There's really nothing that I don't like about it.

Book Review:

So we have Demons and Wardens fighting it out. Your classic good versus evil, heaven versus hell scenario. It felt like this book is where we learn the most about the demons. Their different classes and hierarchy, their powers and abilities. It felt like less was given about the Wardens. There's even some animosity of a group of humans against the Wardens. There is a group called the Church of God's Children who see the Wardens as unholy and try to discredit them at every chance.

Layla is in the middle of all three of these groups. She's half demon, half Warden, but she's also very human as well.  Because of her dual nature, she's not completely accepted by either side. The Wardens have made it so that she hates her demon half, but because she can't shift or do anything very Warden-like, she's left on the sidelines. The only thing she's allowed to do is tag demons for the Wardens to dispatch back to hell later at night. Layla has a very low sense of self. She doesn't see herself fitting in anywhere. The demons ignore her, the Wardens are wary of her, and the humans are completely ignorant to what she really is.

The thing about Layla is that she's more unique than anyone knows, and that uniqueness is what has put her in the crosshairs of a powerful demon, bent on releasing Lilith and raising the Lilin. If that were to happen, Armaggedon would begin, and no one wants that to happen. Not the demons, not the Alphas, and definitely not the humans. So that's where Roth comes in. He was sent from hell to find who is after her and stop them.

We learn a lot about Layla's origins in this book. Who her mother and father are, the true meaning of her existence, as well as some of her abilities. One ability that puts a damper on any kind of love life is the fact that her kiss is lethal to anyone with a soul. So her crush on Zayne, her childhood best friend, has to stay just that. But with Roth's arrival, the fact that he has no soul is a temptation that's hard for Layla to resist.

Zayne + Layla + Roth = a love triangle. Zayne knows Layla probably better than anyone, but Roth can understand a side of her that Zayne can't. The thing about love triangles, especially one like this where it's the girl caught between her best friend and the hot new guy, is that it's almost always the hot new guy that is chosen. So these kind of love triangles I really don't like very much. The fact that Layla can get close to Roth and actually kiss him, gives Roth a huge advantage over Zayne in this book. I can say that I am 100% #TeamRoth. The best friend, meaning Zayne, needs to stay in the friend-zone. I just didn't feel it between him and Layla. Whereas with Roth you could feel the tension between him and Layla. It just builds and builds until they can't hold back anymore. Their relationship and interactions literally gave me tingles.

Being so invested it Roth and Layla, the ending to this book was extremely bittersweet. When Roth told Layla "I lost myself the moment I found you" it broke my heart. It's a testiment to JLA's writing that those 8 words could be so powerful and full of so much emotion. The Bonus Content at the end of the book (which is only available in the print version) is the Devil's Advocate Scene from Roth's point of view, and it really shows you the reason he chose to do what he did at the end. Which also makes the ending sequence and the aftermath even more bittersweet and heartbreaking. I was this close to ugly crying. This close.

Rating:

I gave White Hot Kiss a 5 STAR rating. I loved the story. I loved the characters. I loved the romance. I just loved the whole freaking thing. LOVED IT. I wish I didn't have to return it to the library. I want to keep it.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

# 1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout Lives in West Virginia.

All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true.

Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write.

She is the author of the Covenant Series (Spencer Hill Press), the Lux Series (Entangled Teen), Don't Look Back (Disney/Hyperion) and a yet untitled novel (Disney/Hyperion), and new YA paranormal series with Harlequin Teen.

Jennifer also writes New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J. Lynn. The Gamble Brothers Series (Tempting the Best Man/Tempting the Player) and Wait for You. Under her pen name, she is published with Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.


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

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

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.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

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 fiancĂ©, 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.