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**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Fly is a short and read romantic read. I didn't think it would turn out to be as romantic as it was. I thought it would be more sexy fun, which it was but it was also surprisingly sweet. I flew through Fly very quickly. It was an instant gratification, one sitting read that will perk up your afternoon or evening. Fly is the start of a new New Adult Contemporary series from T.A. Foster. At least I think it is. The book is a standalone but we met both Bolt and Skye's Single friends so I smell a series brewing! I normally don't read too many military books. I have no idea why, but I just haven't yet. Fly made me wonder what the heck I was waiting for.
Skye is a strong lady. I really liked her. And I loved that Bolt saw that she was different. I loved seeing Skye at work. I wanted her to succeed so badly with the tourism and zoo campaign. There was a small incident with one of her co-workers towards the end of the book that got my blood boiling, and then it wasn't brought up again. I really want to know what is going to happen with Mr. Jerk face. But he wasn't the focus of the story. Skye and Bolt were.
Right from the start, it was easy to see that Bolt and Skye had chemistry. I liked that Skye didn't enter the story until a couple of chapters in so we could see how Bolt normally acted and interacted with women. It showed us just how different Skye was. I think my very favorite Bolt was actually after he messed up for the first time with Skye. It was their first real fight and how he started acting afterwards, I thought was really telling. And he was so flippin' cute! It was adorable. T.A. Foster knows her way around a romance. Some of those scenes were pretty awesome. I may have re-read a few scenes again because they were too good for one reading.
These characters were a bit older than the characters in her other stories. It felt a bit more mature. I loved hearing about Ben (Bolt) being a pilot.) I thought those were great additions to the story. The really sad part of Faith. I want her to get her second chance at love so bad. Plus I want to see Hollywood and Skye's friend get their stories as well. Fly is told in dual narrative, and is well written and well executed. This is a solid New Adult Contemporary Romance. T.A. Foster never disappoints. I have read, and enjoyed, all of her books except for the Ivy Grace Series. How did I miss that one? I need to read it ASAP!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Fly is a short and read romantic read. I didn't think it would turn out to be as romantic as it was. I thought it would be more sexy fun, which it was but it was also surprisingly sweet. I flew through Fly very quickly. It was an instant gratification, one sitting read that will perk up your afternoon or evening. Fly is the start of a new New Adult Contemporary series from T.A. Foster. At least I think it is. The book is a standalone but we met both Bolt and Skye's Single friends so I smell a series brewing! I normally don't read too many military books. I have no idea why, but I just haven't yet. Fly made me wonder what the heck I was waiting for.
Skye is a strong lady. I really liked her. And I loved that Bolt saw that she was different. I loved seeing Skye at work. I wanted her to succeed so badly with the tourism and zoo campaign. There was a small incident with one of her co-workers towards the end of the book that got my blood boiling, and then it wasn't brought up again. I really want to know what is going to happen with Mr. Jerk face. But he wasn't the focus of the story. Skye and Bolt were.
Right from the start, it was easy to see that Bolt and Skye had chemistry. I liked that Skye didn't enter the story until a couple of chapters in so we could see how Bolt normally acted and interacted with women. It showed us just how different Skye was. I think my very favorite Bolt was actually after he messed up for the first time with Skye. It was their first real fight and how he started acting afterwards, I thought was really telling. And he was so flippin' cute! It was adorable. T.A. Foster knows her way around a romance. Some of those scenes were pretty awesome. I may have re-read a few scenes again because they were too good for one reading.
These characters were a bit older than the characters in her other stories. It felt a bit more mature. I loved hearing about Ben (Bolt) being a pilot.) I thought those were great additions to the story. The really sad part of Faith. I want her to get her second chance at love so bad. Plus I want to see Hollywood and Skye's friend get their stories as well. Fly is told in dual narrative, and is well written and well executed. This is a solid New Adult Contemporary Romance. T.A. Foster never disappoints. I have read, and enjoyed, all of her books except for the Ivy Grace Series. How did I miss that one? I need to read it ASAP!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
I Want it That Way is the first in a New Adult Contemporary Series from Ann Aguirre. I had no idea she was so versatile as an author. I loved her new adult contemporary just as much as I loved her young adult dystopian. The unique thing that I am enjoying about this series is that we get to see the book covers and synopsis for each of the books right up front. I know whose story each of them are going to be about. It was cool because while I was reading this one, I saw some of the characters that the other books were going to be about and let's just say they are not ready for their stories yet. They have crushes on other people or they are dating someone else right now. It was kind of fun seeing them now when I know their story will focus on something different down the road. But this story is about one of the young ladies in apartment 2B- Nadia, and her huge crush on the young single father downstairs.
I loved how Ty and Nadia connected outside on their balconies. That aspect of it kind of reminded me of On the Fence by Kasie West. Nadia and Ty are both super busy. Nadia is taking a full load of classes as well as doing her practicum at a local school to become a special needs teacher, as well as working part time at a day care to help pay for school. Ty is working full time, taking night classes to become an Architect and taking care of his son alone. Normally, I am not one for reading stories with kids in them. (Please put away all rotten vegetables!) I just do not mesh well with tiny humans, and I normally feel like a pregnancy "ruins" a story for me. But there was no pregnancy in this book (that I knew of) so I decided to give it a try. And I am glad that I did. I loved watching Nadia and Ty dance around each other. Plus, watching Sam and Nadia interact in day care was adorable. I actually liked the little guy.
I wanted to punch his father and tell him to wake up a few times when he continually pushed Nadia away, but that is another story. And then when they finally came to some sort of agreement on an arrangement that they both liked, Ty was beyond sweet. I loved watching him worry when Nadia was driving in bad weather. But don't you drama people worry, even then things still come between them. They didn't have much smooth sailing, but I liked them so much I couldn't help but to keep rooting for them! They are the couple you know is going to make it, if only they could get past their insecurities and issues and just try.
I Want it That Way was a great new adult read. Told in dual narrative between Nadia and Ty was a great way for the readers to get to know both main characters equally. We also got a chance to get to know the other roommates in Apt 2B so we can lay some of the ground work for books 2 and 3. Ty stole a little piece of my heart with this book. I really liked him and I LOVED that the author gave us a bonus scene from his point of view. I want more of them! I liked Ty more than Nadia, but Nadia was a sweet character as well. I loved her spunk and tenacity when it came to Ty. Ty just had so much heart. You could feel his emotions jump off the page. I was kind of addicted to reading about him. Fans of New Adult, of neighbor/roommate romance, and romance in general will eat this one up!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
I Want it That Way is the first in a New Adult Contemporary Series from Ann Aguirre. I had no idea she was so versatile as an author. I loved her new adult contemporary just as much as I loved her young adult dystopian. The unique thing that I am enjoying about this series is that we get to see the book covers and synopsis for each of the books right up front. I know whose story each of them are going to be about. It was cool because while I was reading this one, I saw some of the characters that the other books were going to be about and let's just say they are not ready for their stories yet. They have crushes on other people or they are dating someone else right now. It was kind of fun seeing them now when I know their story will focus on something different down the road. But this story is about one of the young ladies in apartment 2B- Nadia, and her huge crush on the young single father downstairs.
I loved how Ty and Nadia connected outside on their balconies. That aspect of it kind of reminded me of On the Fence by Kasie West. Nadia and Ty are both super busy. Nadia is taking a full load of classes as well as doing her practicum at a local school to become a special needs teacher, as well as working part time at a day care to help pay for school. Ty is working full time, taking night classes to become an Architect and taking care of his son alone. Normally, I am not one for reading stories with kids in them. (Please put away all rotten vegetables!) I just do not mesh well with tiny humans, and I normally feel like a pregnancy "ruins" a story for me. But there was no pregnancy in this book (that I knew of) so I decided to give it a try. And I am glad that I did. I loved watching Nadia and Ty dance around each other. Plus, watching Sam and Nadia interact in day care was adorable. I actually liked the little guy.
I wanted to punch his father and tell him to wake up a few times when he continually pushed Nadia away, but that is another story. And then when they finally came to some sort of agreement on an arrangement that they both liked, Ty was beyond sweet. I loved watching him worry when Nadia was driving in bad weather. But don't you drama people worry, even then things still come between them. They didn't have much smooth sailing, but I liked them so much I couldn't help but to keep rooting for them! They are the couple you know is going to make it, if only they could get past their insecurities and issues and just try.
I Want it That Way was a great new adult read. Told in dual narrative between Nadia and Ty was a great way for the readers to get to know both main characters equally. We also got a chance to get to know the other roommates in Apt 2B so we can lay some of the ground work for books 2 and 3. Ty stole a little piece of my heart with this book. I really liked him and I LOVED that the author gave us a bonus scene from his point of view. I want more of them! I liked Ty more than Nadia, but Nadia was a sweet character as well. I loved her spunk and tenacity when it came to Ty. Ty just had so much heart. You could feel his emotions jump off the page. I was kind of addicted to reading about him. Fans of New Adult, of neighbor/roommate romance, and romance in general will eat this one up!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Throttle Me is the first book in the Men of Inked Series. It has been classified by some people as new adult, but I think this is squarely in the adult contemporary romance category. It is the story of Suzy and City, or Joey as I prefer to think of him. Throttle Me is just as much a story about how Joey finds love, as it is a story about how Suzy finally lets go of herself and all of her preconceived notions of what the "right" guy will be like for her. City is the opposite of what she thought she would find in a guy, but I loved how persistent he was in showing her she was wrong about him.
City looks every bit the role of the "bad boy". He is tatted up, and has multiple piercings. Rides a bike and hangs out at seedy biker bars. But this guy has a heart of solid gold. Honestly, I liked him more than Suzy because no matter how many times City was great to Suzy and showed her that he was a good guy, Suzy just kept shooting him down repeatedly, even though it was clear that she had feelings for him. She just didn't want to give him a chance.
I really enjoyed Throttle Me. I have already started the second book, and I am enjoying that one as well. The books follow the Large Italian family that Joey comes from. He has multiple brothers and one sister. I am Italian too, so I could relate to a lot of the family dynamics, especially the big Sunday dinners that no one was allowed to miss. If you like your guys hard alphas on the outside with a little bit of a goey center, that might even surprise them, great romance, hot and sexy scenes, then the Men of Inked series is the one for you! The fourth book, Resist me just came out, so you can read them all back to back if you want!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Throttle Me is the first book in the Men of Inked Series. It has been classified by some people as new adult, but I think this is squarely in the adult contemporary romance category. It is the story of Suzy and City, or Joey as I prefer to think of him. Throttle Me is just as much a story about how Joey finds love, as it is a story about how Suzy finally lets go of herself and all of her preconceived notions of what the "right" guy will be like for her. City is the opposite of what she thought she would find in a guy, but I loved how persistent he was in showing her she was wrong about him.
City looks every bit the role of the "bad boy". He is tatted up, and has multiple piercings. Rides a bike and hangs out at seedy biker bars. But this guy has a heart of solid gold. Honestly, I liked him more than Suzy because no matter how many times City was great to Suzy and showed her that he was a good guy, Suzy just kept shooting him down repeatedly, even though it was clear that she had feelings for him. She just didn't want to give him a chance.
I really enjoyed Throttle Me. I have already started the second book, and I am enjoying that one as well. The books follow the Large Italian family that Joey comes from. He has multiple brothers and one sister. I am Italian too, so I could relate to a lot of the family dynamics, especially the big Sunday dinners that no one was allowed to miss. If you like your guys hard alphas on the outside with a little bit of a goey center, that might even surprise them, great romance, hot and sexy scenes, then the Men of Inked series is the one for you! The fourth book, Resist me just came out, so you can read them all back to back if you want!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
3.5/5 stars
The Jewel is the first in the young adult Dystopian series called The Lone City. The set up is not a new one in the world of dystopian, but the story is still well done. I am interested in continuing this series. I like the set up of the surrogates and the augeries the most. I am very intrigued by the powers they possess, even if I still don't know quite why they do have them and why other people in their world doesn't. They are not your traditional "witches", if you can even call them that. I have a lot of questions about the world still left unanswered, but I grew to really like the characters and premise of the story.
Girls from the poorest circles are tested young, and all of the ones that show signs of having powers, called augeries, are sent away from their families to live in training centers to develop their powers. Once they are of age, they are sent to auctions where they are auctioned off to the royal and wealthy families from the inner circles to be their surrogates. Never to see their families again. This is the world we are thrust into head first, and you kind of have to figure out things as you go. I wish that I had a little more background information on this world. I didn't know how it came to be this way, or why it was structured the way it was, and a lot of my questions never got answered. But once the story picks up steam, you kind of get past that because the story-line is really interesting. I still had questions but I was more concerned with what was happening with Violet at her new house, with the Duchess of the Lake.
The Duchess herself was one of the most interesting characters to me. She is really complex. Sometimes nice, sometimes cruel, and I longed to figure her out. We do get some glimpses into what makes her tick, but not enough yet. I hope to learn even more about her in the next book. Violet is one of the most powerful surrogates in her class and there are big plans for her. I don't want to give too much away, but there are a lot of classic dystopian themes and similarities woven throughout the story, so if you enjoy that kind of story, you will probably enjoy the Jewel. It has all the makings of a great dystopian, it just left me with a few too many who why, where and how questions to make the leap from like to love just yet.
I really liked this book. I like Violet and Ash, and I love the concept of the Augeries. I think we will be seeing many more cool things from them in the next book. I can't wait to see what the author is going to do next, but I want a few more world building foundational questions incorporated into the next book. The romance in The Jewel is light but enjoyable. I have no idea what the author is going to do with Violet and Ash in the next book, and I am more than a little excited to find out.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
3.5/5 stars
The Jewel is the first in the young adult Dystopian series called The Lone City. The set up is not a new one in the world of dystopian, but the story is still well done. I am interested in continuing this series. I like the set up of the surrogates and the augeries the most. I am very intrigued by the powers they possess, even if I still don't know quite why they do have them and why other people in their world doesn't. They are not your traditional "witches", if you can even call them that. I have a lot of questions about the world still left unanswered, but I grew to really like the characters and premise of the story.
Girls from the poorest circles are tested young, and all of the ones that show signs of having powers, called augeries, are sent away from their families to live in training centers to develop their powers. Once they are of age, they are sent to auctions where they are auctioned off to the royal and wealthy families from the inner circles to be their surrogates. Never to see their families again. This is the world we are thrust into head first, and you kind of have to figure out things as you go. I wish that I had a little more background information on this world. I didn't know how it came to be this way, or why it was structured the way it was, and a lot of my questions never got answered. But once the story picks up steam, you kind of get past that because the story-line is really interesting. I still had questions but I was more concerned with what was happening with Violet at her new house, with the Duchess of the Lake.
The Duchess herself was one of the most interesting characters to me. She is really complex. Sometimes nice, sometimes cruel, and I longed to figure her out. We do get some glimpses into what makes her tick, but not enough yet. I hope to learn even more about her in the next book. Violet is one of the most powerful surrogates in her class and there are big plans for her. I don't want to give too much away, but there are a lot of classic dystopian themes and similarities woven throughout the story, so if you enjoy that kind of story, you will probably enjoy the Jewel. It has all the makings of a great dystopian, it just left me with a few too many who why, where and how questions to make the leap from like to love just yet.
I really liked this book. I like Violet and Ash, and I love the concept of the Augeries. I think we will be seeing many more cool things from them in the next book. I can't wait to see what the author is going to do next, but I want a few more world building foundational questions incorporated into the next book. The romance in The Jewel is light but enjoyable. I have no idea what the author is going to do with Violet and Ash in the next book, and I am more than a little excited to find out.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
4.5/5 stars
House Immortal is the first in Devon Monk's new Urban Fantasy Series of the same name. Man, I loved this book. I really loved everything about it. There are interesting, well developed characters, a kick ass plot with more twists and turns that you can even guess, and incredible world building. This is world building done right. Sometimes I think I love the world building in urban Fantasy books the most because it combines more traditional city like we are used to with all the magic and creativity of fantasy books. Devon Monk does an incredible job with her landscape. I loved that we got little bits and pieces of the Galvanized's history through the journal entry excerpts at the start of each chapter. That was a great way to work in some of the galvanized's history.
There is still so much mystery surrounding the Galvanized, and I can't wait to learn more about them and about what makes Matilda just a little different from them. The fact that she alone can make them feel things is fascinating to me. And their interaction with the houses is really interesting. Matilda is a great character as well. She is sharp and very inquisitive. She has no problem thinking for herself and questioning everything. Even I found myself doubting everyone. I had no idea who could be trusted.
The House system was well developed as well. There are so many houses and people that we are introduced to in this book, and surprisingly even the very minor characters that were only in a few scenes all had distinct personalities shine through. Devon Monk is a master story teller. There are so many things that I can't wait to learn more about. What makes Matilda different? What is going on with the soil on her farm? What else is in the journal? Not to mention everything going on with the different heads of houses. Plus there were a ton of bombs and surprises dropped on us in the last 15% of the book. There is no way you will be able to predict everything that happens in House Immortal.
House Immortal is the start of what looks to be a fantastic series. The action just keeps on building and building, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. This one is going to top my Urban Fantasy charts, I just know it! If you are a fan of Devon Monk, of Urban Fantasy, of Magic or heck just of books- you need to check out House Immortal.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
4.5/5 stars
House Immortal is the first in Devon Monk's new Urban Fantasy Series of the same name. Man, I loved this book. I really loved everything about it. There are interesting, well developed characters, a kick ass plot with more twists and turns that you can even guess, and incredible world building. This is world building done right. Sometimes I think I love the world building in urban Fantasy books the most because it combines more traditional city like we are used to with all the magic and creativity of fantasy books. Devon Monk does an incredible job with her landscape. I loved that we got little bits and pieces of the Galvanized's history through the journal entry excerpts at the start of each chapter. That was a great way to work in some of the galvanized's history.
There is still so much mystery surrounding the Galvanized, and I can't wait to learn more about them and about what makes Matilda just a little different from them. The fact that she alone can make them feel things is fascinating to me. And their interaction with the houses is really interesting. Matilda is a great character as well. She is sharp and very inquisitive. She has no problem thinking for herself and questioning everything. Even I found myself doubting everyone. I had no idea who could be trusted.
The House system was well developed as well. There are so many houses and people that we are introduced to in this book, and surprisingly even the very minor characters that were only in a few scenes all had distinct personalities shine through. Devon Monk is a master story teller. There are so many things that I can't wait to learn more about. What makes Matilda different? What is going on with the soil on her farm? What else is in the journal? Not to mention everything going on with the different heads of houses. Plus there were a ton of bombs and surprises dropped on us in the last 15% of the book. There is no way you will be able to predict everything that happens in House Immortal.
House Immortal is the start of what looks to be a fantastic series. The action just keeps on building and building, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. This one is going to top my Urban Fantasy charts, I just know it! If you are a fan of Devon Monk, of Urban Fantasy, of Magic or heck just of books- you need to check out House Immortal.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Unrequited is technically book number 3.5 in the Beachwood Bay series by Melody Grace, but it is also the first book/novella in The Callahan's. There are two books in the Callahan's series and I think they fit in between books 3 and 4 of the Beachwood Bay series. Either way, I thought this was a whole new series which is why I started with this book. Oopsies on my part. But this quick and steamy interlude between Alicia and Dex left me wanting more more more of them and everyone in the series. I can't wait to go back and grab Untouched. I have a couple of the novellas from the beachwood bay series but I don't have the first two full length novels. I need to fix that immediately, because I am loving Melody Grace's writing and characters.
This was a quick read at right around 100 pages, you can finish it in no time. But it is not lacking in character development. We get to see insight into both Alicia and Dex's pasts and start to see the stems of their issues and insecurities. I have no idea if this guy Alicia is hung up over is someone else from the series or just some random guy, but he clearly did a number on her. And I am dying to know more about Dex's past.
I can't wait to see more of these two. They have chemistry off the charts. Their story is continued in the next book- Uninhibited. I have a copy of that one and I think that I will read that before getting to Untouched. Just because I have to know what is going to happen with them. But then I promise, I will read the rest of the series in order. Sometimes these spin off series where a book pulls double duty in two series throws me off my reading order, but in this case it just made me want to read all of the books!
I can see that Melody Grace will easily be a go to romance author for me. She has an easy writing style that will be just perfect to fall into when I am looking for a good contemporary. For people that like long series, the Beachwood Bay series is perfect for you. There are 5 books so far and more are coming out! Am I the only one that read this one out of order?
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Unrequited is technically book number 3.5 in the Beachwood Bay series by Melody Grace, but it is also the first book/novella in The Callahan's. There are two books in the Callahan's series and I think they fit in between books 3 and 4 of the Beachwood Bay series. Either way, I thought this was a whole new series which is why I started with this book. Oopsies on my part. But this quick and steamy interlude between Alicia and Dex left me wanting more more more of them and everyone in the series. I can't wait to go back and grab Untouched. I have a couple of the novellas from the beachwood bay series but I don't have the first two full length novels. I need to fix that immediately, because I am loving Melody Grace's writing and characters.
This was a quick read at right around 100 pages, you can finish it in no time. But it is not lacking in character development. We get to see insight into both Alicia and Dex's pasts and start to see the stems of their issues and insecurities. I have no idea if this guy Alicia is hung up over is someone else from the series or just some random guy, but he clearly did a number on her. And I am dying to know more about Dex's past.
I can't wait to see more of these two. They have chemistry off the charts. Their story is continued in the next book- Uninhibited. I have a copy of that one and I think that I will read that before getting to Untouched. Just because I have to know what is going to happen with them. But then I promise, I will read the rest of the series in order. Sometimes these spin off series where a book pulls double duty in two series throws me off my reading order, but in this case it just made me want to read all of the books!
I can see that Melody Grace will easily be a go to romance author for me. She has an easy writing style that will be just perfect to fall into when I am looking for a good contemporary. For people that like long series, the Beachwood Bay series is perfect for you. There are 5 books so far and more are coming out! Am I the only one that read this one out of order?
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
3.5/5 stars
Evil Librarian is a mixture of humor, and demon-y paranormal. There are also some cute high school crushes and some not so cute ones. All in all this book was unique and a lot of fun. I never quite knew how to classify it in just one word or category. Evil Librarian is a lot of things, and what it comes down to is that it makes a young adult book that is refreshingly different.
Evil Librarian starts out with Cyn crushing hard on a guy. It was nice to see high school students and teenage girls, act like teenage girls. Too often I see either one of the extremes played out. Super immature or way too mature for high school. Cyn was very age appropriate. She had the right amount of maturity with a splash of crush obsessive-ness. The funny part was with Cyn's best friend- Annie. She was the no-nonsense no time for a thing as silly as a crush- kind of gal. But then she meets the new librarian. And she goes completely gaga.
Michelle Knudsen had the perfect mix of levity and humor with demon backstory and lore. It was cool. I loved that throughout it all there was a school play going on. And that it was Sweeny Todd...AND that all the demons love Sweeny Todd. I think it was quirky and funny. Cyn enlists the help of her crush to try and stop the Evil Librarian. And it was great because there was no insta love, no unbelievable "omg a demon...thats crazy but I totally believe you". Everyone was the right amount of skeptical. But eventually Ryan and Cyn get on the demon train and try to stop him.
Evil Librarian is a very fun read. Minus the fact that Cyn falls prey to the same ploy that most heroines do, that I still don't quite understand- she tries to save everyone herself. Hello! She has someone helping her that believes her and wants to keep her safe, and she still goes off and keeps secrets and tries to do it on her own. But other than that, I have no complaints with Evil Librarian. It was fun, funny, with a of touch of bid bag villian and a cute romance to boot. The summary says it best- Evil Librarian is perfect for readers "who like their horror served up with a bit of romance, plenty of humor, and some pretty hot guys (of both the good and evil variety)." Check it out!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
3.5/5 stars
Evil Librarian is a mixture of humor, and demon-y paranormal. There are also some cute high school crushes and some not so cute ones. All in all this book was unique and a lot of fun. I never quite knew how to classify it in just one word or category. Evil Librarian is a lot of things, and what it comes down to is that it makes a young adult book that is refreshingly different.
Evil Librarian starts out with Cyn crushing hard on a guy. It was nice to see high school students and teenage girls, act like teenage girls. Too often I see either one of the extremes played out. Super immature or way too mature for high school. Cyn was very age appropriate. She had the right amount of maturity with a splash of crush obsessive-ness. The funny part was with Cyn's best friend- Annie. She was the no-nonsense no time for a thing as silly as a crush- kind of gal. But then she meets the new librarian. And she goes completely gaga.
Michelle Knudsen had the perfect mix of levity and humor with demon backstory and lore. It was cool. I loved that throughout it all there was a school play going on. And that it was Sweeny Todd...AND that all the demons love Sweeny Todd. I think it was quirky and funny. Cyn enlists the help of her crush to try and stop the Evil Librarian. And it was great because there was no insta love, no unbelievable "omg a demon...thats crazy but I totally believe you". Everyone was the right amount of skeptical. But eventually Ryan and Cyn get on the demon train and try to stop him.
Evil Librarian is a very fun read. Minus the fact that Cyn falls prey to the same ploy that most heroines do, that I still don't quite understand- she tries to save everyone herself. Hello! She has someone helping her that believes her and wants to keep her safe, and she still goes off and keeps secrets and tries to do it on her own. But other than that, I have no complaints with Evil Librarian. It was fun, funny, with a of touch of bid bag villian and a cute romance to boot. The summary says it best- Evil Librarian is perfect for readers "who like their horror served up with a bit of romance, plenty of humor, and some pretty hot guys (of both the good and evil variety)." Check it out!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
The Winter People was great. It ended up being very different than I thought it would be. I'm not going to ruin the book by telling just what brand of fantasy or magic this was. I had an inkling while I was reading, and maybe it will be way more obvious to everyone else reading, but not knowing exactly what was going on or what exactly everyone was, was part of the magic of reading The Winter People. And it made me yearn to read more books like it. I really enjoyed the cold wintery atmosphere that Rebekah created.
I will warn you now, there is a love triangle- or really a love Quadrangle is more accurate. At one point there were so many guys that I didn't know what on earth was going on. But that feeling quickly passed and I was down to two viable guys. I will say now that I did go back and forth a couple of times throughout the book, but I am very pleased with the way everything turned out. I also really like that this is a standalone book. I love series, but every now and again you just need a good standalone to read from start to finish and have closure with the characters.
Even though the love and romance was a big part of the story--- and it was a great part, but the whole mystery of the curse was excellent as well. I loved watching Salome try and piece everything together. The history and background information was really detailed and well executed, but never over whelming.
I can't even imagine how hard it must have been on Salome, being labeled as crazy for her "episodes", especially when her mom and grandmother knew more than they were letting on to them. The most frustrating part about the whole book was the withholding of information from Salome. It was infuriating. I understand it was all part of the curse, but I still feel like the people in her life could have made more of an effort so she was so alone and in the dark about it all. But it was easy to see that her family did genuinely care about her. I also do wish that the issue of her father was resolved a little better. But that was just a minor detail in the course of the book.
The Winter People works fabulously as a standalone, and the result is a very satisfying story from start to finish. You will feel the bitter cold that Salome does, and you get to experience the whole curse, and lots of guys right along with her. She was an engaging character that was easily likable. I think the Winter People will appeal to all kinds of fantasy and magic fans.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The Winter People was great. It ended up being very different than I thought it would be. I'm not going to ruin the book by telling just what brand of fantasy or magic this was. I had an inkling while I was reading, and maybe it will be way more obvious to everyone else reading, but not knowing exactly what was going on or what exactly everyone was, was part of the magic of reading The Winter People. And it made me yearn to read more books like it. I really enjoyed the cold wintery atmosphere that Rebekah created.
I will warn you now, there is a love triangle- or really a love Quadrangle is more accurate. At one point there were so many guys that I didn't know what on earth was going on. But that feeling quickly passed and I was down to two viable guys. I will say now that I did go back and forth a couple of times throughout the book, but I am very pleased with the way everything turned out. I also really like that this is a standalone book. I love series, but every now and again you just need a good standalone to read from start to finish and have closure with the characters.
Even though the love and romance was a big part of the story--- and it was a great part, but the whole mystery of the curse was excellent as well. I loved watching Salome try and piece everything together. The history and background information was really detailed and well executed, but never over whelming.
I can't even imagine how hard it must have been on Salome, being labeled as crazy for her "episodes", especially when her mom and grandmother knew more than they were letting on to them. The most frustrating part about the whole book was the withholding of information from Salome. It was infuriating. I understand it was all part of the curse, but I still feel like the people in her life could have made more of an effort so she was so alone and in the dark about it all. But it was easy to see that her family did genuinely care about her. I also do wish that the issue of her father was resolved a little better. But that was just a minor detail in the course of the book.
The Winter People works fabulously as a standalone, and the result is a very satisfying story from start to finish. You will feel the bitter cold that Salome does, and you get to experience the whole curse, and lots of guys right along with her. She was an engaging character that was easily likable. I think the Winter People will appeal to all kinds of fantasy and magic fans.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Lore: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold
Theresa DaLayne, Karen Y. Bynum, Jayne A. Knolls, Brinda Berry, Laura Diamond, Cate Dean
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Lore: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold is a young adult myth/legend and paranormal anthology. It is a collection of 6 short stories. On its' face it looks like it would be right up my alley. I mean, I love myths and mythology! That is so my thing. And if I had picked up this book before I started blogging, I probably would have enjoyed it more. Because before I started blogging, I didn't have very high expectations of short stories. I didn't think you could pack enough detail into the story to make it interesting and to give me a chance to connect with the characters in so few pages. And that was the majority of my problems with Lore. BUT since I have been blogging, I have found some truly awesome and amazing anthologies. Anthologies where I am in awe, and asking how on earth did the author do that in 70-100 pages?? or even less. And because I have now seen the anthology light, I was disappointed in Lore.
There were two stories that did enjoy- The Maker and The Barricades. I found them to be fun and interesting, but the other four stories I was disinterested in...at best. Some I flat out did not enjoy. The Maker is the 4th story and The Barricades is the 6th one. Check those out if you have the book. I don't want single out any of the other stories or fault the authors because I feel like short stories are a different kind of beast than full length novels. So I still want to see what each of the authors can do with a full length book.
The Maker is a story about a gollum...hello how cool is that?? And the Barricades is about the Fae, and I love me some Fae. (on a side note, I am really digging the fae at the moment...does anyone know of a good new adult Fae book, please let me know!) If you love anthologies and YA myth and fantasy, I hope Lore works out for you. It just didn't do it for me. But I did find two new short stories that I enjoyed so that is positive.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Lore: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold is a young adult myth/legend and paranormal anthology. It is a collection of 6 short stories. On its' face it looks like it would be right up my alley. I mean, I love myths and mythology! That is so my thing. And if I had picked up this book before I started blogging, I probably would have enjoyed it more. Because before I started blogging, I didn't have very high expectations of short stories. I didn't think you could pack enough detail into the story to make it interesting and to give me a chance to connect with the characters in so few pages. And that was the majority of my problems with Lore. BUT since I have been blogging, I have found some truly awesome and amazing anthologies. Anthologies where I am in awe, and asking how on earth did the author do that in 70-100 pages?? or even less. And because I have now seen the anthology light, I was disappointed in Lore.
There were two stories that did enjoy- The Maker and The Barricades. I found them to be fun and interesting, but the other four stories I was disinterested in...at best. Some I flat out did not enjoy. The Maker is the 4th story and The Barricades is the 6th one. Check those out if you have the book. I don't want single out any of the other stories or fault the authors because I feel like short stories are a different kind of beast than full length novels. So I still want to see what each of the authors can do with a full length book.
The Maker is a story about a gollum...hello how cool is that?? And the Barricades is about the Fae, and I love me some Fae. (on a side note, I am really digging the fae at the moment...does anyone know of a good new adult Fae book, please let me know!) If you love anthologies and YA myth and fantasy, I hope Lore works out for you. It just didn't do it for me. But I did find two new short stories that I enjoyed so that is positive.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Blood Beyond Darkness is the 4th and final book in the New Adult Paranormal, Darkness Series by Stacey Marie Brown. I can't believe that this series is done. I am still hoping that the author will come out with some novellas about the characters. I absolutely love this series. It is one of my favorites, so Blood Beyond Darkness was bittersweet for me. In some ways I didn't want to read it because I didn't want to be done with the series. Endings are hard for me. I don't like saying goodbye to characters that I have grown to love. The Darkness series is excellent. The attention to detail and world building is great and there is non stop action. Blood Beyond Darkness was basically all action from the first page until the last. We left off in the third book on the edge of a great war that threatened both the Seelie and Unseelie court as well as the earth realm. Blood Beyond Darkness is all about this war. There is no happy go lucky lovey dovey stuff. This book is hardcore and darker than the others.
This is a series that you need to read in order or you will be completely lost. But that is ok because the first three books are blow your mind good! I loved the 4th book as well, but Stacey Marie Brown does not hold any punches. Some of your favorite characters will live, but some of your favorites will die. A lot of people die. This is a huge war that spreads over multiple realms. I was not expecting the ending at all! The whole last quarter of the book took me by complete surprise.
Fans of the series might be upset about a few things that happen in the book, but there is a lot to love about this book. The whole cast of characters that you loved from the first 3 books all show up, and I do mean everyone! People you haven't seen in a book or two will be there and some of them will be very surprising. Ember and Eli are hot and cold as ever, just like always, but you do get some more answers on Eli's past. Craziness ensues. But I do love the two of them. I will say one thing about someone, not exactly a spoiler- but when Kennedy finally showed up she royally pissed me off. The way she was acting drove me crazy. But she eventually started acting more like the nice Kennedy. I love the cast of characters that Stacey Marie Brown has created- I can't even name them all. Obviously, I love Ember and Eli, but Cole, West, Lars, Cal and Simmons rank really high up there as well!
As I said before, the ending of this book was very bittersweet for me. In some ways, it was completely fitting for the story, but in some ways I wanted more of a happily ever after for everyone. But that just doesn't always happen with war. There are so many inbetween shades- it is not just winning and losing. The Darkest series will go down as one of my favorite paranormal series. I have loved all of the books and the characters. I can't wait to see what more people think. Did you love the ending? Was it bittersweet for you too? Do you want more books? I do! One thing is for sure- Stacey Marie Brown can write her butt off. Hats off to her for a fantastic series that I am sad to see an end to.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Blood Beyond Darkness is the 4th and final book in the New Adult Paranormal, Darkness Series by Stacey Marie Brown. I can't believe that this series is done. I am still hoping that the author will come out with some novellas about the characters. I absolutely love this series. It is one of my favorites, so Blood Beyond Darkness was bittersweet for me. In some ways I didn't want to read it because I didn't want to be done with the series. Endings are hard for me. I don't like saying goodbye to characters that I have grown to love. The Darkness series is excellent. The attention to detail and world building is great and there is non stop action. Blood Beyond Darkness was basically all action from the first page until the last. We left off in the third book on the edge of a great war that threatened both the Seelie and Unseelie court as well as the earth realm. Blood Beyond Darkness is all about this war. There is no happy go lucky lovey dovey stuff. This book is hardcore and darker than the others.
This is a series that you need to read in order or you will be completely lost. But that is ok because the first three books are blow your mind good! I loved the 4th book as well, but Stacey Marie Brown does not hold any punches. Some of your favorite characters will live, but some of your favorites will die. A lot of people die. This is a huge war that spreads over multiple realms. I was not expecting the ending at all! The whole last quarter of the book took me by complete surprise.
Fans of the series might be upset about a few things that happen in the book, but there is a lot to love about this book. The whole cast of characters that you loved from the first 3 books all show up, and I do mean everyone! People you haven't seen in a book or two will be there and some of them will be very surprising. Ember and Eli are hot and cold as ever, just like always, but you do get some more answers on Eli's past. Craziness ensues. But I do love the two of them. I will say one thing about someone, not exactly a spoiler- but when Kennedy finally showed up she royally pissed me off. The way she was acting drove me crazy. But she eventually started acting more like the nice Kennedy. I love the cast of characters that Stacey Marie Brown has created- I can't even name them all. Obviously, I love Ember and Eli, but Cole, West, Lars, Cal and Simmons rank really high up there as well!
As I said before, the ending of this book was very bittersweet for me. In some ways, it was completely fitting for the story, but in some ways I wanted more of a happily ever after for everyone. But that just doesn't always happen with war. There are so many inbetween shades- it is not just winning and losing. The Darkest series will go down as one of my favorite paranormal series. I have loved all of the books and the characters. I can't wait to see what more people think. Did you love the ending? Was it bittersweet for you too? Do you want more books? I do! One thing is for sure- Stacey Marie Brown can write her butt off. Hats off to her for a fantastic series that I am sad to see an end to.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs