Review: The Last Time I Saw Her by Karen Robards

There’s no rhyme or reason to love, no logic that follows its meandering path. Therefore, even though I have some problems with this story and the great suspension of disbelief the author requires from me in this last installment of the Dr. Charlotte Stone Series, but simply because I loooooove Charlie and Michael so much, I’m giving this a 5 star rating!

Charlie hadn’t seen Michael for 17 days since he was taken away from her (book #3, Her Last Whisper), so when she saw this stranger standing at Michael’s grave site, she just had to see who it was and her heart almost stopped upon seeing his face. Michael! No, there were subtle differences, maybe visible only to her, but that person definitely wasn’t Michael. Who was he? Possibly the real Southern Slasher?

Review: Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

I’ve heard a lot about Richelle Mead, of the acclaimed Vampire Academy Series and Georgina Kincaid Series, but I haven’t read them. So I was able to go into this book free of prejudices (good and bad) and judge this book for what it was.

RUNA is a technologically advanced, godless society, and it has servitors who stamped out religions (those that they deemed dangerous) and praetorians (super soldiers) who uphold the national security. Justin March is a servitor, who was discredited in his last mission and therefore exiled to Panama for the last four years. However, someone has

Review: Of Silk and Steam by Bec McMaster

Yet another winner for Bec McMaster! She continues to deliver and more in this exciting culmination to the London Steampunk series!

Lady Aramina, Duchess of House Casavian, swore revenge on the man who killed her father. And this man is the Duke of Caine, and if she could hurt him through his son Leo Barrons, so much the better. Yet, she couldn’t deny the attraction between them, and when incriminating evidence against Leo fell into her hands, would she use them to finally have her vengeance?

Mina is a wonderful heroine; she’s delightfully strong and endearingly baffled at the effect Leo has on her. Having waited for Leo’s story for so long, I’m glad to see him have a perfect match in Mina. And if Leo catches your imagination before, you’ll find yourself totally destroyed in this book. He’s the epitome of every young girl’s dream; while exuding

Review: Night Music by Tara Fox Hall

Grieving Krys Markman has come to lose herself in family memories at Letchworth State Park, and try to figure out her next step. Yet the unearthly beautiful music she hears each night stirs her soul to romance. Can its creator, the attractive vampire David Helm, heal her broken heart?

Available at Amazon

Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Short, enjoyable romp

NIGHT MUSIC is a short, enjoyable romp into Tara Fox Hall’s paranormal world.

Review: Forever Mine by Monica Burns

WARNING: This book contains a proper English earl, whose frozen heart hides a tortured soul, and a feisty modern-day heroine determined to make the man see things her way. With a lovable cast of characters this book will earn a place on the keeper shelf.

Thrown back to the year 1897, Victoria Ashton is mistaken for, and forced to impersonate, the spiteful, unfaithful Countess of Guildford, who’s been missing for three weeks. Despite Victoria’s attempts to convince the earl she’s not his wife, her double’s infidelity and lies make it difficult, especially when Victoria falls in love with a man who loathes her.

Review: New Sion by Diana Green

Pretending to be a man isn’t easy. Finn Colville has pulled it off for years, but things get complicated when she falls for her new bounty hunting partner, Eamon Sullivan. On the planet New Sion, it’s against the law for a woman to wear pants and carry a gun, much less shoot people for a living. What will happen if Eamon discovers her secret?

On a backwater planet, at the edge of a galactic war, one man, one woman, and one desperate alien cross paths. Together they embark on the road trip of a lifetime, bound for revelation and redemption.

Available at Amazon

Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4 stars

Review: 

Compelling, page-turning read

NEW SION is a fascinating look at a futuristic world that is a dazzling combination of western and an imagined possible future.

Thursday Rambles: Samplers and First Chapters

I have never been so appreciative of samplers and Amazon’s “Look Inside” than when I’m considering to purchase some books. Or the library. Or a First Chapters ezine.

These four–samplers, “Look Inside”, the library, first chapter peek–allows me to…well, sample the story, the author’s writing style, etc in order to make informed judgments before parting with my hard-earned $$$. I usually read reviews before buying, but there are always contradictory voices, and until I find a reviewer whose tastes runs similar to mine, a peek into the book is always very welcome.

Like Monica Burns’ Forever Mine. I love Jude Devereaux’s Knight in Shining Armor, being one of the first romance books I’ve read. I love the way I was swept into the past, the fun times the heroine got up to living in history and amazing them with modern-day tricks. So, when I saw Forever Mine in the ezine, I dug eagerly into the first chapter, and the mystery of the paintings, the entire situation set up in the chapter, the author’s writing style drew me in, compelled in me an urge to know more about Nick and Victoria, and what would happen to them. It’s a romance, so we know they would have an HEA, but would it be in the past or the present? How would they get there? I immediately went to get a copy and I can’t wait to read it!

When I need an adventure, I go hunting for fantasy books. But I’m not well-versed in them, and I don’t like hard-core fantasies. I like fantasy books with a bit (okay, maybe more than a bit) of romance in them. So, I went to browse the reviews on Amazon, but due to the abovementioned conflicting voices, I couldn’t make up my mind. And reading the first few pages of the book via Amazon and the library helped me make up my mind about these books:

Well of Darkness by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Sadly, the reviewers were right. Prince Dagnarus (one of the main characters) is a spoiled brat, and I don’t like the way he treated his whipping boy, Gareth. At first, when Dagnarus took Gareth’s side, I thought the reviewers were mistaken and that there was something redeemable in Dagnarus. I can live with that. However, when he changed Gareth’s name to Patch, it was unacceptable. Perhaps that is something common in this world, with him being a prince moreover, but it speaks to me of a lack of respect. And I can’t continue reading a book where I despise the main character. So…No.

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Robin Hobb, and despite mixed reviews on Amazon, I wanted to start this book a lot of times, but just never found the time. So, as I was craving for fantasy, I decided to try this and checked it out from the library.

Perhaps I hadn’t read enough reviews but I hadn’t read any that said this book was written in the first person perspective. I don’t dislike this POV, but it’s not my favorite, and certainly not in a fantasy book (IMHO). And coupled with the hint of bitter commentary in the character’s voice, erm…No.

Mini-Reviews: Turn Up the Heat, The Mist-Torn Witches, Seven Princes, Bound by Night and Chained by Night

Been on a reading binge lately, and I thought it might be fun to do mini-reviews for some of the books I’ve read, just listing down my thoughts and opinions. So here goes:

Nothing out of this world, but enjoyable nevertheless. What I like was the romantic development between the main characters, and the scenes of Bellamy’s friendship with Jenna and Holly. You can really feel that they’re best friends. And I like that they’re not there as introduction to their own books in the future. Nope! The next book features some other person. If you like Jill Shalvis, then you’ll like this book. Available in Amazon

 

Good worldbuilding and characterization. Enjoyed trying to figure out who the villain might be. Either I’m not paying attention or I’m just stupid, but I didn’t guess who the mastermind was. The romance was understated though I’m hoping for more in the next books. Will definitely pick up the next two books! Available in Amazon

 

 

I picked up this tome and gleefully envision hours and hours of reading enjoyment. Sadly, I couldn’t get past the Prologue. Terrible, I know. Perhaps I’m not used to that kind of storytelling technique. Or perhaps it’s those names that I have a hard time remembering or pronouncing. It’s fantasy, I know, but still. And that’s just one prince. Think how it would be if I had met the other six princes. All those names…. *shudder* Available in Amazon

 

You’ll never go wrong with Larissa Ione. Seriously, that woman’s stories just keep getting better and better (save for Reaver and haven’t read Revenant). I normally don’t like to read vampire stories, but she made me forget that Riker and Hunter and the entire Moonbound clan were vampires. I want more of them!

Bound by Night is fabulous; great start to the series with an unexpectedly strong heroine. Love the romantic development between Riker and Nicole, and the twists and turns this story took. Available in Amazon

On the other hand, Chained by Night was a bit disappointing. Perhaps because I had high hopes for this story? I mean, hero wants the girl but he is bound by duty to her sister. And the heroine is considered second class citizen (maybe lowest class) in their clan due to her deformity. Angst and conflict all around. So what went wrong? Maybe because I wish the hero had dared to fight for the heroine when everything and everyone was against them. Later, circumstances out of their control enabled the hero to be with the heroine. Yes, he is being noble and all in not breaking the betrothal contract, but I wish there could have been some declaration on his part at that time to run away with her to the end of the earth, if need be, just so they can be together. As it was, when he finally said those words, it was a bit too late; it wasn’t as romantic anymore. Contrarily, Aylin is a commendable heroine; I can’t believe all that she has suffered. I think she was shortchanged in being paired with Hunter as her mate. Available in Amazon

Review: Soulbound by Kristen Callihan (@Kris10Callihan @ForeverRomance) “Enjoyable, amazing!”

Once two souls are joined . . .

When Adam’s soul mate rejected him, there was more at stake than his heart. After seven hundred years of searching, his true match would have ended the curse that keeps his spirit in chains. But beautiful, stubborn Eliza May fled–and now Adam is doomed to an eternity of anguish, his only hope for salvation gone . . .

Their hearts will beat together forever

No matter how devilishly irresistible Adam was, Eliza couldn’t stand the thought of relinquishing her freedom forever. So she escaped. But she soon discovers she is being hunted–by someone far more dangerous. The only man who can help is the one man she vowed never to see again. Now Adam’s kindness is an unexpected refuge, and Eliza finds that some vows are made to be broken . . .

Available at Amazon

Rating: 5 stars

Review: 

You can never go wrong with a Kristen Callihan book! Though I wasn’t enthusiastic to go into SOULBOUND based on the interactions of Adam and Eliza in the previous book, Evernight, Ms. Callihan soon changed my mind right from the first page of this book. Pretty soon, I was immersed in Eliza and Adam’s compelling story, and–Put down the book? What?! Are you out of your mind?

#NewRelease and #Giveaway : Soulbound by Kristen Callihan (@Kris10Callihan @ForeverRomance)

I have been eagerly awaiting this book and now it’s here!

Once two souls are joined . . .

When Adam’s soul mate rejected him, there was more at stake than his heart. After seven hundred years of searching, his true match would have ended the curse that keeps his spirit in chains. But beautiful, stubborn Eliza May fled-and now Adam is doomed to an eternity of anguish, his only hope for salvation gone . . .

Their hearts will beat together forever

No matter how devilishly irresistible Adam was, Eliza couldn’t stand the thought of relinquishing her freedom forever. So she escaped. But she soon discovers she is being hunted-by someone far more dangerous. The only man who can help is the one man she vowed never to see again. Now Adam’s kindness is an unexpected refuge, and Eliza finds that some vows are made to be broken . . .

Now, for some wickedly yummy excerpt!