Curse of the Bibliophile
Sunkissed by Carys Jones Review
Title: Sunkissed
Author: Carys Jones
Publisher: Kellan Publishing
Book Genre: Romance, YA, Paranormal
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads:
Dawn Summers is dying. It’s 1853 and as the seventeen year old continues to fade away she has visions of the father she never knew, urging her to fight for her life.
In the small village of Fandova the only medical care is in the form of the mysterious Dr. Moralus who has a known penchant for bloodletting. Thomas, Dawn's fiancé, is warned against inviting his intervention, but feels he has no choice, he pleads with the doctor to save Dawn’s life…whatever it takes.
Whatever it ‘takes’ has some consequences neither of them expected. Now, it’s a hunt to the death, with both Dawn and Thomas determined to win.
For an exciting and romantic adventure check out Sunkissed by Carys Jones!
Aeviternus Adventures by Teresa Perin
Title: Aeviternus Adventures
Author: Teresa Perin
ISBN: 9781478701132
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4 Stars
Goodreads:
Evil is not always what it seems... Jillian has just finished her first year of college and figures she'll have a nice quiet summer back home on the family's goat farm. Those plans are forgotten, however, when she and her cat and goat are transported to the kingdom of Aeviternus, in an alternate world. She wants desperately to find a way back home and sets off in search of the one magician skilled enough to return her to her own world. She discovers the primal elements in this realm and encounters many different creatures along the way. She is befriended by twin clerics, but then she ends up in the hands of a sexual sadist and learns about the dark side of this land, it looks like she may be doomed. Her cleric friends rush to rescue her with the aide of two magicians. Will Jillian be able to get home? Will she find love in this brutal world? Or will she fall victim to evil? An erotic fantasy, The Elements is the first book in the Aeviternus Adventures series. It's non-stop action and adventure across the kingdom.
Beautiful imagery and a world filled with memorable characters. The world building was wonderful and felt very real. I could almost see myself in this new and strange world right along with Jillian, Bob, and Millie.
The romance was well paced and sweet. I liked that it wasn't the sole focus of the story thought it added to it without completely overtaking everything else.
Bob was Jillian's cat and once he was able to talk became the smart alec and wisecracking companion. He and Millie both brought a lot of comedy as well as friendship to the story.
Millie the goat was the loyal best friend who always made you smile. I really enjoyed her and Jillian's interactions. They were so funny and even though they were different species it was easy to see them as best friends who had known each other forever.
Jillian is your average college student. She was a very likeable character. Jillian is a brave and loyal friend who I could really relate to. She did get herself into a bit of trouble along the way, but she never gave up. She was also very friendly and outgoing. It was easy to see why she made so many friends along the way.
If your looking for an exciting adventure, look no further than Aeviternus Adventures. I'm excited to see what happens next in this series and can't wait for the next book!
The publishing industry is in turmoil, but is it broken?
Forbes takes a stab at profiling the current state of the publishing industry. Turns out many recent changes, including self-publishing and the rise of the indies, are not so bad for business after all. This is a good overview of what's going on behind the scenes.
Lycan Gladiator by Eva Gordon Review
Title: Lycan Gladiator
Author: Eva Gordon
Publisher: Corvallis Press
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads:
During a time of bloody gladiator games and treacherous schemes, a secret society of lycans live amongst the Romans.
When Ulric, a lycan gladiator, meets a mysterious human woman with green eyes, he’s drawn to her fiery beauty, enraptured by her alluring aroma. Unfortunately, Ulric and the beauty are slaves. To make matters worse, he can mate only with someone marked with the sign of the wolf.
Cassia’s hidden wolf mark burns in the presence of the handsome gladiator. While her heart yearns to be near Ulric, logic warns her against it—having a slave as a mate is against the lycan society’s plans for her.
In spite of the lycan society’s rules and the emperor’s brutal plots, their love grows … but their passion just may cost them their lives.
Werewolves and gladiators oh my!
Lycan Gladiator is a wonderful mix of history and the paranormal. This is a unique tale filled with intrigue, action, danger, and a forbidden romance. I couldn't put it down! The story was well thought out and beautifully executed. It was plain to see there was a lot of thought put into this world of gladiator werewolves.
The romance was perfectly paced and the chemistry between the two characters was palpable. I loved the way these two interacted. Even when they were fighting it was plain to see they belonged together. If only they weren't slaves and bound by the rules of their society. Can even there love survive such turmoil?
Ulric was handsome, sweet, and dangerous. He was a fun character to get to know and the perfect match for the stubborn Cassie.
Cassie is a strong willed young woman who knows how to hold her own. I really admired her and couldn't help but root for her and Ulric's love in the end. She didn’t meet Ulric under the best of circumstances, but even so it was hard to fight the attraction that was so strong between them. She is smart, caring, and fought hard for her own happy ending.
This is an exciting and sweet love story that you won't want to put down!
Waiting on Wednesday
Author: Kami Garcia
Publication: Oct. 1st 2013
Goodreads:
I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.
When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.
Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.
Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.
A Ghost hunting thriller with a dash of romance!! I am so excited for this book's release and I am counting down the minutes to its release.
Title: Secret Maneuvers
Series: Ex Ops – Book #1
Author: Jessie Lane
Format: eBook
Expected Publication Date: June 15th 2013
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / All Romance Ebooks / Smashwords
Some mistakes from the past haunt us forever… unless fate steps in with a second chance.
One ‘dear John’ letter haunts Bobby Baker’s every living moment. It’s the letter he stupidly wrote to his high school sweetheart, Belle, right after he left to join the Army. The letter that he told her that he wasn’t so sure if they were ready for forever yet. But before he can let her know that the letter, and his second thoughts, are nothing but a mistake, she up and disappears from the small Georgia town they were both raised in.
Fifteen years later, Belle unknowingly walks back into Bobby’s life when her job as an ATF Agent forces her to work with a group of men secretly headed by the CIA to help her track down whoever is involved in funneling black market weapons to a drug cartel in Mexico.
Bobby will use this mission to try and soothe Belle’s hurt feelings while proving to her that their love is still meant for forever. He’ll use every dirty trick he’s learned since he joined the Army to maneuver her back into his life for the long haul. But Belle’s not making it easy as she keeps him at arm’s length in the hopes that mistakes of her own never come to light.
Excerpt:
The game continued, and it was easy to see that Belle was quickly slipping into a drunken stupor since she’d been squinting at her cards for the last four hands, trying to figure out in her head what she was holding. As if that wasn’t cute enough, now she had the tip of her tongue peeking out of the side of her mouth like the crap hand of cards she was holding was a three thousand year old treasure map, and she was trying to figure it out to get the treasure. When I looked over to see the amused grins on Declan and Riley’s faces aimed at Belle because she was once again holding up the game, it caused me to shake my head in feigned disgust. It was easy to see that, after all these years, my girl still had no idea that she was a natural at being cute.
Review: Apocalyptic Moon by Eva Gordon
Finding love in unexpected places.
What better place to find love than in an underground in the middle of a zombie apocalypse? I could not put this book down it was so exciting! Not only was there some hot romance, but there was also plenty of action as you can imagine in a post apocalyptic zombie world. Not to mention thedrama of discovering your a witch and that your newly discovered love is forbidden. I really enjoyed learning about this new world where zombies, witches, and of course smoking hot werewolves exist. The author did an amazing job of setting everything up and grabbing my attention.
The romance was steamy and electric. The chemistry was palpable and even when Dora was fighting it you could tell they belonged together.
Dora was a kickass heroine and I loved her. She was strong, intelligent, and never gave up without a fight. I really enjoyed getting to know her.
Dirk was definitely swoon worthy and an all around alpha male. He was strong, determined, and knew how to get what he wanted. His interactions with Dora were so much fun! He really knew how to get on her riled up.
This was an unforgettable story that you will not want to miss!
Finding love in unexpected places.What better place to find love than in an underground in the middle of a zombie apocalypse? I could not put this book down it was so exciting! Not only was there some hot romance, but there was also plenty of action as you can imagine in a post apocalyptic zombie world. Not to mention the drama of discovering your a witch and that your newly discovered love is forbidden. I really enjoyed learning about this new world where zombies, witches, and of course smoking hot werewolves exist. The author did an amazing job of setting everything up and grabbing my attention.The romance was steamy and electric. The chemistry was palpable and even when Dora was fighting it you could tell they belonged together.Dora was a kickass heroine and I loved her. She was strong, intelligent, and never gave up without a fight. I really enjoyed getting to know her.Dirk was definitely swoon worthy and an all around alpha male. He was strong, determined, and knew how to get what he wanted. His interactions with Dora were so much fun! He really knew how to get on her riled up.This was an unforgettable story that you will not want to miss!
It has only begun!After all they have been through Kristia is finally able to plan her dream wedding to Ull. Between that and Goddess training she has a lot of things on her plate. Things aren't all sunshine and roses between the two, however, with the upcoming apocalypse threatening to tear there new found happiness apart forever. The second installment is jammed packed with action and suspense leaving me turning each page in anticipation of what was to come next. Not to mention the amount of steamy moments between Kristia and Ull. They were definitely my favorite parts of the book. Kristia is as strong as ever and dealing with each new challenge as it comes. I really admired her spirit and determination to become a Goddess that Ull would be proud of. She still needs a lot of training, but thankfully Ull is more than happy to help her with that, which gave us a few very MEMORABLE moments between the two.Ull is so sweet and understanding. Kristia is one lucky girl to have found him even though they still have many trials ahead of them. I loved seeing these two together and you can really feel the chemistry between them.For more action packed adventure and steamy romance check out the second installment of the Elsker Saga "Endre"!
Howling Good Time!This is a fast paced romance that will hold you captive from the first page. The author did a good job of giving us a look into this shifter world without giving away too much information too fast. With a few different kinds of shifters involved there was a bit of drama with their interaction. I had a great time seeing how they interacted with one another and understanding this new world right along with Maddy.Madeline is a kind and intelligent woman who is used to being on her own and taking care of herself. So things get a little crazy when she finds out she now has to deal with a whole pack of family. I really liked her and was impressed with how well she handled this situation. I was also glad that she didn't just give in to their demands and did what she believed was best despite what everyone else thought.Jake was a bit rough around the edges, but very sweet and caring. I thought it was so sweet how he did what he could to help Maddy even when it could cost him a lot in the end. He didn't turn his back on her even when things got tough.Will was the exact opposite of Jake. He was very sweet and cordial, but with a wily sense of humor. He knew how to get his way, but he was always honest and didn't try to deceive Maddy just to get what he wanted.These three were a great family and worked so well together. I really enjoyed getting to know all three of them. This is an exciting and steamy story that you will not want to miss!
Sinisterly Beautiful!Filled with beautiful imagery and mysterious characters. This story really brought out the dangerous world of the fey and kept you guessing. You never could tell who was truly a friend or a foe. I liked that things weren't always so black and white in this story as far as what constitutes good and evil. There were a lot of characters who even though they did bad things weren't necessarily bad themselves and vice versa. Jenny was very noble and kind. I really admired her for her determination and loyalty. It has been 7 years since she had last seen her brother and despite all insistence that her brother wasn't taken by the forest she still hasn't given up on him. She was sweet and even when she had nothing to gain she still did what she believed was right no matter the opposition.Jack was an interesting character. He wasn't an inherently good person, but he tried his best to help others.He was a complicated character that I enjoyed getting to know. I really liked the sweet romance between Jenny and Jack. It wasn't insta love which was nice. When they first met they weren't that fond of each other, but over time they came to appreciate the little quirks that each of them had.This is an exciting story with a wonderful blend of fae folk lore and sweet romance. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a great adventure with a dash of romance!
Cross the Bridge!After reading this book I can't help but be amazed. Its like these two authors took everything I love and added it all into book form! They couldn't have picked a better setting if they had tried. Scotland already has the looks and feel of a fairytale land. Combine that with some memorable characters, heart pounding romance, a dash of magic and you get Doon. I think what I liked most about this book was that even though it had the makings of a fairytale things didn't just fall magically into place. There was a lot of hard work and sacrifice that had to be made in order to keep that fairytale life. I also found that a good lesson to take from this book was that happy endings aren't always guaranteed, but if you want something bad enough you are going to have to fight for it. The characters in Doon were very memorable and so real. The relationship between Mackenna and Veronica was strong and I loved their interactions with one another. Their relationship reminded me of the one I share with my best friend and I could really relate to them. Through thick and thin they stuck it out together and didn't back down when things got rough.Throughout the book I found myself drawn more to Veronica and her story with Jaimie, but I still enjoyed seeing the different points of view. Mackenna's story picks up a bit towards the end and I cannot wait to find out what happens with her and Duncan in the next book.Jaimie while seemingly a bit cold at first reveals himself to be quite the charmer. While he is most definitely not the Prince Charming of fairy tales he has a heart of gold and does what he believes is best for his people even if that means forsaking his own happiness. I also liked his teasing nature especially towards Veronica.I couldn't get enough of Doon and am eagerly anticipating its sequel. I highly recommend this to all of those dreamers out there who have ever dreamed of a Happily Ever After.
Dragons!Ok so not only do we get some awesome dragons, but they are in the contemporary world how cool is that? Not many books featuring dragons set them in a futuristic or contemporary time, but this one did and it was made so much better because we get to see a dragon with a personality. Instead of just this fire breathing monster we get something with feelings, dreams, emotions. and I fell absolutely in love with her!Trinity has had a hard life. She once believed in fairy tales and happily ever after, but a life of foster homes and broken promises has cleared those dreams right up. How was she to know that she would very soon be the new caretaker of one of the greatest fantasies of all, a real live dragon. I really liked how she handled herself and that even when things got tough she could always find humor in an otherwise messy situation. I also liked that she didn't just go along with whatever everyone else told her to do. She made up her own mind and did what it took to survive. One of my favorite quotes by her was:"Please, this Princess can save herself." The Dragon who comes to be called Emmy was my absolute favorite part. She had a sense of humor and was extremely loyal. She is the kind of Dragon I would love to meet.We also have two twins Connor and Caleb who really steal your heart away! They both are fighting on different sides, but they are both equally noble and brave. I admired them for their determination and that they were willing to fight for what they believed was right even if others didn't exactly see it their way. Caleb was definitely the charmer out of the two, but he did have his stubborn moments. Even though there was no real pairing in this book I am personally hoping there will be something more between him and Trinity in the next book!Fall in love with dragons in Scorched by Mari Mancusi!
Nothing brightens up your day like a few handsome aliens! This book was a wonderful mix of comedy, sexy aliens, and kick butt heroines. It started out with a bang as we find Opal a mess after catching her boyfriend cheating on her and if that wasn’t bad enough being abducted by aliens really took the cake. My favorite part about this book is that our heroines are both feisty and even when put in such a crazy situation they don’t take things lying down. Opal is bit more laid back than her friend Heather, but has no problem fighting bad guys right alongside her man. I enjoyed her humorous antics and thoughts, especially when she was with Heather these two are hilarious. Heather was definitely one tough cookie and didn’t take crap from no one. I really admired her spunk even against such surmounting odds. Danickra was an interesting man/alien. His race was really fun to get to know and I liked that they had their own unique traits and abilities. I can’t wait to read more about these aliens and their world in future books!