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I really loved the society and history Lucy Kelly has created in this story. She has gone to great lengths to give the reader a new and different world that is just similar enough for us Earthlings to relate to. When the Hevanthians injured queen crash lands on Earth, her only thought is to keep her people alive and well, and part of that involves procreating with the natives.
Generations later, Addie stumbles upon a find that will completely blow her mind - and she is suitable shocked. It's a pet peeve of mine when characters accept things a little to easily, but Addie handles this sudden change in her life realistically and bravely. Although I'm sure the fact that her discovery includes a boatload of hot guys that all seem to adore her helps a little. There are some side characters (which I'm assuming come into the story more later) that accepted a little too easily for me, but Kelly did a good job of trying to explain why and most of the time I believed her.
The romance was a little sudden - but I tend to see that a lot in fated mates type of stories. And at times things tended to jump around a little too much with not a lot of transition from one issue to another. This was a great start to a series with a solid base for many more happy couples (triples? quads? I'm not sure what to call them) in future books. The men needed to have a little more backbone at times. They caved a little too easily to Addie's demands at times and a nice conflict of differing opinions is a great way to show some personality and how the characters think. I hope to learn more about HeVan and what's happened since the queen left. It sounds like a fascinating place.
Generations later, Addie stumbles upon a find that will completely blow her mind - and she is suitable shocked. It's a pet peeve of mine when characters accept things a little to easily, but Addie handles this sudden change in her life realistically and bravely. Although I'm sure the fact that her discovery includes a boatload of hot guys that all seem to adore her helps a little. There are some side characters (which I'm assuming come into the story more later) that accepted a little too easily for me, but Kelly did a good job of trying to explain why and most of the time I believed her.
The romance was a little sudden - but I tend to see that a lot in fated mates type of stories. And at times things tended to jump around a little too much with not a lot of transition from one issue to another. This was a great start to a series with a solid base for many more happy couples (triples? quads? I'm not sure what to call them) in future books. The men needed to have a little more backbone at times. They caved a little too easily to Addie's demands at times and a nice conflict of differing opinions is a great way to show some personality and how the characters think. I hope to learn more about HeVan and what's happened since the queen left. It sounds like a fascinating place.
This book was just amazing. From the second Ivy and Landon meet I was hooked. It was such a great scene and what better way to get to know your new partner that by sparring. To all appearances super hot Landon has the advantage - big military man that he is. But Ivy has a special trick up her sleeve - her EVA (extremely valuable asset) status means that she's a shifter - a cat to be exact.
I think the best thing about this book was Ivy's hesitancy to engage beyond doing the job. She has been burned by partners in the past and she may finally have one that respects her and is willing to work with a "freak". Their first mission is great - and it was the perfect time for them to really get to know each other while they were hiking through the jungle.
But the big action takes place a little later - and involves missing scientists and a super evil guy that will do anything to get what he wants. And he wants some seriously scary stuff! Ivy and Landon are sent to investigate, and nothing really goes as planned. And in the midst of things - well - love blossoms.
I am totally hooked to this series now. I'm going to be tracking down the next one ASAP.
I think the best thing about this book was Ivy's hesitancy to engage beyond doing the job. She has been burned by partners in the past and she may finally have one that respects her and is willing to work with a "freak". Their first mission is great - and it was the perfect time for them to really get to know each other while they were hiking through the jungle.
But the big action takes place a little later - and involves missing scientists and a super evil guy that will do anything to get what he wants. And he wants some seriously scary stuff! Ivy and Landon are sent to investigate, and nothing really goes as planned. And in the midst of things - well - love blossoms.
I am totally hooked to this series now. I'm going to be tracking down the next one ASAP.
Many of you may have watched the show The Borgias on TV (I forget what channel). This is not that show. While it may share some characters and events, the way their are treated is very different. Which one is more accurate? I have no idea. I don't think anyone really does. Everything the Borgias did was steeped in secrecy, which leaves much to the imagination. Perhaps this is why the world seems to be fascinated with them.
I really enjoyed C.W. Gortner's take on the life of Lucrezia Borgia. We really get to focus on how events shaped and changed her life. And those events were ones that helped make history. While we may never know the reality of what she thought and felt through these years, C.W. Gortner does an amazing job bringing her to life. Lucrezia came back to life in her pages.
The corruption, not only in the Vatican, but in all of the religious and political spheres was astounding. Everything was done for a reason, and many of the people in high positions seem to have bought there way into them with favors or money. I'm amazed that the people seemed to be as OK with it as they were portrayed to be. It seemed to be common knowledge, but everyone looked the other way.
There are some potential trigger moments in the story - but nothing is described in an overly graphic way. I found the portrayal of her family and the intrigues that she was made a pawn of to be cruel - and her ability to rise against them and try to find happiness was incredible.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://www.hotofftheshelves.com/2016/02/the-vatican-princess-by-cw-gortner.html#sthash.X2ktQhXJ.dpuf
I really enjoyed C.W. Gortner's take on the life of Lucrezia Borgia. We really get to focus on how events shaped and changed her life. And those events were ones that helped make history. While we may never know the reality of what she thought and felt through these years, C.W. Gortner does an amazing job bringing her to life. Lucrezia came back to life in her pages.
The corruption, not only in the Vatican, but in all of the religious and political spheres was astounding. Everything was done for a reason, and many of the people in high positions seem to have bought there way into them with favors or money. I'm amazed that the people seemed to be as OK with it as they were portrayed to be. It seemed to be common knowledge, but everyone looked the other way.
There are some potential trigger moments in the story - but nothing is described in an overly graphic way. I found the portrayal of her family and the intrigues that she was made a pawn of to be cruel - and her ability to rise against them and try to find happiness was incredible.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://www.hotofftheshelves.com/2016/02/the-vatican-princess-by-cw-gortner.html#sthash.X2ktQhXJ.dpuf
First off, this did not pick up anything like I expected it to based on the ending of book one. But, don't disregard that ending - it's super important, just not quite yet it seems. Instead we get to see jerk-wad Clayne, the wolf shifter, be not such a jerk-wad. Now, don't expect to see his softer side - I really don't think he has one, but you will get to see him put in his place just a little by the woman he never stopped loving.
There are a ton of flashbacks in this story. Danica and Clayne have a history and the important parts are shared this way. There were a little too many for my taste - flashbacks pull me too far out of the story and I think they should be used more sparingly than they were in this book. But that was really the only downside to the story.
The chase is on for a serial killer shifter, and he is one crafty guy. He's highly intelligent and has managed to stay one step (or more) ahead of everyone for a very long time. Watching Clayne and Danica put the pieces together to figure out who he is and where he may turn up next was great. And of course it gave them plenty of time to find out the truth of their past and spend some "quality time" together. This bad guy will keep you on the edge of your seat - so be prepared. Every time I thought he was definitely caught - something happened and the whole game took off in a new direction.
We get to see Lily and Landon from the first book, too. And not just as quick cameo type roles, they are on their own chase as a result of the events in book one (you definitely want to read these in order) and even have a small part in helping out Clayne and Danica with a little issue they run in to.
While book two wasn't quite as good as the first book in my opinion. This is a series that I'm falling in love with!
There are a ton of flashbacks in this story. Danica and Clayne have a history and the important parts are shared this way. There were a little too many for my taste - flashbacks pull me too far out of the story and I think they should be used more sparingly than they were in this book. But that was really the only downside to the story.
The chase is on for a serial killer shifter, and he is one crafty guy. He's highly intelligent and has managed to stay one step (or more) ahead of everyone for a very long time. Watching Clayne and Danica put the pieces together to figure out who he is and where he may turn up next was great. And of course it gave them plenty of time to find out the truth of their past and spend some "quality time" together. This bad guy will keep you on the edge of your seat - so be prepared. Every time I thought he was definitely caught - something happened and the whole game took off in a new direction.
We get to see Lily and Landon from the first book, too. And not just as quick cameo type roles, they are on their own chase as a result of the events in book one (you definitely want to read these in order) and even have a small part in helping out Clayne and Danica with a little issue they run in to.
While book two wasn't quite as good as the first book in my opinion. This is a series that I'm falling in love with!
This book was just not for me. The writers have a skill with words, but I did not enjoy the romance of the story at all. The majority of the book she was pushing him away for a very, very good reason and the more they were pushed together, the more I didn't like it.
The high point of the book was the best friend. I loved how the two of them interacted. They were one of the greatest set of best friends I've read in a long time. But unfortunately, it wasn't really about them.
The high point of the book was the best friend. I loved how the two of them interacted. They were one of the greatest set of best friends I've read in a long time. But unfortunately, it wasn't really about them.
Casted has a very interesting storyline. Jade has been on the run for years, she's just not sure who it is she's actually running from. When she finally stumbles on some answers, she finds out they only lead to more questions (which happens a lot). She's a spell caster and just doesn't know it. The evil bad guys are after her because - well no one really knows yet. Her friends' lives are in danger. And she can't use her magic because its been bound.
Her life is now quite exciting and adventurous as they try to unlock the key to her magic and her memories. There's a couple of love stories involved, but none of them really stood out as special to me. That was OK though since they weren't the main topic of the story. There is another character named Jude that has a few big roles, and with such similar names I kept mixing him up with Jade at first.
The characters were a mixed bag for me. Jade, Edge and Dagger were very memorable and really stood out. The others at times blended together into one massive side character. Jade's to best friends became mixed up with another she met part way through. Some of the romances came out of nowhere. It seems like they may have been added just to keep people from getting jealous over other relationships. Since they weren't the main topic of the story it was easy to overlook most of them all together.
This book could have been a little better. My copy had some formatting errors and some typos that really threw me off a few times. As I said earlier, the story was very interesting. There is much more to come and the characters are fun and easy to relate to. I wish I had seen a little more about the bad guy, Lorenzo. He seems to be playing such a huge part in their plans, but our actual time with him is very short and at times it felt like he might not really exist.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-casted-by-sonya-loveday.html#sthash.t3Viw6n0.dpuf
Her life is now quite exciting and adventurous as they try to unlock the key to her magic and her memories. There's a couple of love stories involved, but none of them really stood out as special to me. That was OK though since they weren't the main topic of the story. There is another character named Jude that has a few big roles, and with such similar names I kept mixing him up with Jade at first.
The characters were a mixed bag for me. Jade, Edge and Dagger were very memorable and really stood out. The others at times blended together into one massive side character. Jade's to best friends became mixed up with another she met part way through. Some of the romances came out of nowhere. It seems like they may have been added just to keep people from getting jealous over other relationships. Since they weren't the main topic of the story it was easy to overlook most of them all together.
This book could have been a little better. My copy had some formatting errors and some typos that really threw me off a few times. As I said earlier, the story was very interesting. There is much more to come and the characters are fun and easy to relate to. I wish I had seen a little more about the bad guy, Lorenzo. He seems to be playing such a huge part in their plans, but our actual time with him is very short and at times it felt like he might not really exist.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-casted-by-sonya-loveday.html#sthash.t3Viw6n0.dpuf
This was a great duet series. A lot of the character flaws that I found a little annoying in book one turned into amazing ways for the characters to grow and develop in this book. Jade especially was forced to make some very difficult decisions that really cemented her place as a ruler and over-all well-rounded adult spell caster. Her female friends still remained a little confusing to me, I never did get them all set as separate people in the first book, and as they didn't have as large a part in the second I found it more difficult to remember who was who. I don't want to say their parts didn't matter, because their friendship and loyalty really come into play, but mixing them up on occasion didn't take a whole lot away from the story for me.
The story opened in a very confusing manner. Jade's memories have been wiped and she is in Lorenzo's stronghold. He seems to need something more from her and has a very twisted plot to try and get it. We meet a few more allies hidden in the evil that I really enjoyed. There was a lot of excitement in this story as well that really kept the pages turning and hard to put down. The ending was very surprising with a twist I never saw coming (but did explain a character that I didn't get). It seems like most of the loose ends are tied up in a very nice manner and I felt extremely satisfied with how the author wrapped everything up.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-spelled-by-sonya-loveday.html#sthash.m5X4PSq3.dpuf
The story opened in a very confusing manner. Jade's memories have been wiped and she is in Lorenzo's stronghold. He seems to need something more from her and has a very twisted plot to try and get it. We meet a few more allies hidden in the evil that I really enjoyed. There was a lot of excitement in this story as well that really kept the pages turning and hard to put down. The ending was very surprising with a twist I never saw coming (but did explain a character that I didn't get). It seems like most of the loose ends are tied up in a very nice manner and I felt extremely satisfied with how the author wrapped everything up.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-spelled-by-sonya-loveday.html#sthash.m5X4PSq3.dpuf
Have you ever wondered why Captain Hook disliked Peter Pan so much? It was always just a given in the story that they were enemies. Come see where it all began - and how it all ended. Take a look at the beginning and meet James Hook before he was pirate. It will change how you see a lot of things.
A fascinating way to present the tale of Peter Pan from the viewpoint of Captain Hook. While he becomes the sympathic character, you still never completely believe he's the good guy. There's a dark element, a dangerous element, that is always lurking within him that keeps this from being a true turning of the table for this fairy tale.
James never wanted to be a boy forever, but he never imagined growing up in a place like Neverland. We get to see all our old familiar characters from a new perspective and in a new light. Tiger Lily, the Lost Boys, Wendy and the gang, even the crocodile take on a new meaning when you see them through the eyes of Captain Hook.
There are plenty of piratey adventures and Peter Pan pranks that help to lighten the story just a little and remind you of the original tale and its fun atmosphere.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://www.hotofftheshelves.com/2015/12/never-never-by-brianna-r-shrum-review.html#sthash.yDAuHOza.dpuf
A fascinating way to present the tale of Peter Pan from the viewpoint of Captain Hook. While he becomes the sympathic character, you still never completely believe he's the good guy. There's a dark element, a dangerous element, that is always lurking within him that keeps this from being a true turning of the table for this fairy tale.
James never wanted to be a boy forever, but he never imagined growing up in a place like Neverland. We get to see all our old familiar characters from a new perspective and in a new light. Tiger Lily, the Lost Boys, Wendy and the gang, even the crocodile take on a new meaning when you see them through the eyes of Captain Hook.
There are plenty of piratey adventures and Peter Pan pranks that help to lighten the story just a little and remind you of the original tale and its fun atmosphere.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://www.hotofftheshelves.com/2015/12/never-never-by-brianna-r-shrum-review.html#sthash.yDAuHOza.dpuf
My favorite in the series - I just loved Aria and Marco together. They both have their issues, but those issues are make them them so great. Marco is afraid to be intimate and let his wolf out - he thinks he may lose control. Aria is a bit jealous of her friend from book one, and is out on the prowl for a little fix.
Marco is amazingly sensual. As a chef he has learned the value of texure and subtlety. This carries over into his sexual interactions - whcih are quite unique and sound very exciting. It doesn't hurt that his found sounds delicious too! He may be seductive, but he needs to let go of some things before he can really find happiness. Aria, well, she's something else. She's a little crazy with jealousy, but not in a bad way - and she's being a bit proactive about going out and finding herself a man. Even if it is just for one night.
The Werewolf Bodyguard really opens up the spin off storyline wide open and sets up the whole story arc in a way that you will be sucked into never to return - at least until you finish the series.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
Marco is amazingly sensual. As a chef he has learned the value of texure and subtlety. This carries over into his sexual interactions - whcih are quite unique and sound very exciting. It doesn't hurt that his found sounds delicious too! He may be seductive, but he needs to let go of some things before he can really find happiness. Aria, well, she's something else. She's a little crazy with jealousy, but not in a bad way - and she's being a bit proactive about going out and finding herself a man. Even if it is just for one night.
The Werewolf Bodyguard really opens up the spin off storyline wide open and sets up the whole story arc in a way that you will be sucked into never to return - at least until you finish the series.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
And the search is on for a super awful sick and twisted bad guy. Ya - he sounds like one of the worst I've read about, but we haven't actually met him yet. We heard stories in The Werewolf Bodyguard and got some clues as to where he might be, but now there's a crack team of werewolves off searching for him. Except, two of the just might be a little distracted by the whole mating fever thing.
As much as I enjoyed all the fun places they managed to get some nookie, it really distracted them from their mission. As enforcers for their packs, this seemed to be just a little too unrealistic (even for a werewolf romance) for my taste. It not only distracted them, but it really caused some other issues as well.
Now, don't get me wrong, these two were perfect for each other. Nora has some past issues that cause some more serious issues. But Rainier handles them beautifully and tries his best to sweep in and save the day. It was also a nice chance to get to meet the rest of the team sent to track down the "evil bad man," all of whom play a big part - sometimes the starring role - in the books to come.
While this wasn't my favorite story - I did really enjoy how it moved the series story arc ahead in a very interesting direction.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
As much as I enjoyed all the fun places they managed to get some nookie, it really distracted them from their mission. As enforcers for their packs, this seemed to be just a little too unrealistic (even for a werewolf romance) for my taste. It not only distracted them, but it really caused some other issues as well.
Now, don't get me wrong, these two were perfect for each other. Nora has some past issues that cause some more serious issues. But Rainier handles them beautifully and tries his best to sweep in and save the day. It was also a nice chance to get to meet the rest of the team sent to track down the "evil bad man," all of whom play a big part - sometimes the starring role - in the books to come.
While this wasn't my favorite story - I did really enjoy how it moved the series story arc ahead in a very interesting direction.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*