I had a hard time getting into Andrea and Vadik's romance. There was just soooo much going on that it seemed to get pushed to the back burner at times. Andrea and Vadik are an unlikely pair - and they are both rather surprised at fate's choice for them. Vadik was a really great character. Just enough bad boy, but still with a heart of gold. Andrea, on the other hand, sort of fades into the background for me.

Their story and undercover operation is brilliant though. So many great things happen as they undergo a transformation into people they could never be - all so they can save the wolves on the island from a madman. There's quite a bit of psychological work at play for this operation, and it was probably my favorite part of the story.

I wish the romance had just been a tad bit "more" somehow though. But the excitement is definitely there and Vadik is a hero you will remember for quite a while.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

Returning to Arriland and the Woodcutter family was a lot of fun. Saturday is a great character - wishing she could be the her, and never wanting to be the princess. Convinced that she is the abnormally normal sister of the bunch, she has decided to find her way as a hired sword. But things never work out the way the sisters think they will.

When the world explodes and strange seas suddenly appear, Saturday finds herself in the heart of her very own adventure. We visit the top of the world where she finds some strange creatures and an unusual "damsel" in distress. This was a very fun adventure. Saturday is a riot and I really enjoyed her excitement and bewilderment as she discovered more about herself.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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Warning: This book actually takes place in the same period of time as book seven, just from a different group's point of view. I didn't realize this at first and was a little confused as I began. This is the story of a black ops wolf team storming the island of a madman - but they have civilians with them. One of these civilians is Hannah - a peaceful wolf that practices medicine.

This opposites attract pairing was amazing! Hannah was very prim, proper, and had a don't kill people attitude. But Viper - just like his name - was a vicious killer with no remorse. I would have never expected things to work out between the two, but by the end of the night I changed my mind. They are one of the most perfect couples I've seen in a paranormal romance.

Hunted Wolf really wraps up this little mini-series of books very nicely. There's room to go if the authors decide to, but I feel like it all ended up where it needed to be for now. My biggest disappointment was what happened after the wrap up. In the end we get to see all the characters again - which is great - but I didn't particularly enjoy how it was done.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

This is a very run romance with a lot of laugh out loud moments. Violet is the type of person who lacks a filter - if she thinks it then it comes out of her mouth. When she meets up with Rocky and his crew at the brewery they just don't know what to make of her outspoken rambling self. Violet seems to have so much energy that at times I felt tired for her! But I loved her.

Rocky is a tough as nails enforcer that wants a new life, but it's hard for him to adjust his attitude when he meets Violet. She's nothing like he expects a woman to be, but that's what makes her so great to him. But no one can really run away from their past - and his is about to come back to haunt him in a big way.

This is not what you would normally see in a mafia romance. The characters are very much stereotypes, but they were done in a fun way that made them really stand out. Irina was a favorite of mine - her attitude and personality were just fantastic. At times the story was just a tad much and it went a little long in some areas, but still a very exciting story. This is a very entertaining read that lovers of a good romantic comedy will really enjoy.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

Penny is amazing. She is a high school hockey player - on the boy's team. While that is suitably impressive, she doesn't loose her femininity. She's still a teenage girl looking to her future and wondering what it may hold - school, sports, family......and of course boys. But being on the hockey team has made just another teammate to most of the ones she knows. She's pretty down to eartch and watching her help take care of Gramps really showed how much home and family meant to her.

Enter Bishop - rockstar drummer with a drug problem. Here to detox and get his crap together. I think the author handled his drug problem in a really great way. We got to see the denial, the partial recovery, the relapse and the affect it had on him both mentally and physically. Most people would have never guessed he had a problem. But he is a strong person with a great network of support, that now includes a hot hockey player named Penny.

But - yes the big but - she doesn't know who he is or why he's really there. It bothers the heck out of me when people hide behind lies and deciet, but I sort of got it this time - him being famous an all. There were some times that things seemed to ramble on a bit and I wondered when the story was going to get moving again. The side characters really helped make this story pop - especially Gramps - he was just amazing.

This was a great twist on the more traditional sports romance, and I love the more new adultish themes that weave their way through the young adult romance (college, family, career). Great book!

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

- See more at: http://www.hotofftheshelves.com/2016/04/out-of-play-by-nyrae-dawn-and-jolene.html#sthash.JnoaJVhc.dpuf

This was an amazing story! I really loved Trinity. Coming from a very sequestered background as an orphan at a nunnery, to a private island where she can do just about anything she wants. It's quite a journey she goes on - and the place and freedom are just the beginning.

I want to go to this island - desparately!!!! Cats are everywhere, and the island takes care of them so well - to the point that dogs are illegal. Can you imagine how many purrs and head butts you could get there? But these aren't just random cats - they are a very important part of the story as we learn the mythology of the cat goddesses of ancient Egypt.

The mythology was beautifully done. Revealed piece by piece as Trinity finds out more about her history and her destiny. Who she really is. Part of the mythology is revealed with one heck of a crazy lady, too. I loved the bad guy, incredibly developed and very scary at the end.

I'm going to have a hard time waiting for book two. While there wasn't a cliffhanger, there is definitely more to come in Trinity's story.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

- See more at: http://www.hotofftheshelves.com/2016/05/daughter-of-sun-by-zoe-kalo-review-tour.html#sthash.S3Q9qfKK.dpuf

I was really excited about this book because I got myself into a little mini-reading-spree for mobsters and Russians. This was not a disappointment, but it did have some surprises that I wasn't expecting.

A nice mix contemporary romance, with just enough suspense to give you a rush. I didn't quite understand Lane and her outlook on life at the beginning. But her story unfolds throughout the pages and she becomes quite a real person.

Viktor is a bit larger than life - without saying a word. He's the strong silent type at first, and I actually liked that there wasn't an instant let's jump each other attitude between them. The became friends, and from there things moved forward.

But all is not well in the world of Lane and Viktor. Lane suspects Viktor is more than just a handyman, and when a pushy detective shows up asking questions, she really begins to doubt her feelings and her judgement. Everything progressed in such a natural way that I feel like this was actually about a real group of people!

I really want to tell you what the big surprise is, but I won't ruin this great book for you. But once you read it you'll have to come back and tell me what you thought.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

In the previous book, Hero, Saturday and Trix set off a chain of events that leads to a massive flood, but we only saw Saturday's side of the story. Trix had quite the adventure after he left his family behind. Caught up in Saturday's massive flood, he finds himself underwater and off on a grand new adventure.

Wishing on a passing star sets off a series of events that will ultimately lead Trix far from home, but bring him right where he was heading at the same time. Along the way he meets quite a few pretty fun and amazing characters - grandpa cat was a favorite - and has to pass what seems like a series of tests. Yes, good old-fashioned tests to see if his heart was pure and willing to do what was right.

This was a fun story, but a little short. I wish the tests had been a little more subtle. The format of them was nice, but they were here and then gone again so very quickly.

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Welcome to Friday's story. This is another one that takes place during Saturday's flood, but this time we get a look at Arriland itself and the refugees that quickly crowd the palace looking for shelter. Friday finds herself caught in duties of watching the children and stitching together new clothes for thousands of people.

But, she also finds herself among a group a magical siblings - cursed by an evil sorceress. This is where I really loved the plot line. Kontis brought two fairy tale swan stories together and I really loved how she made it all work out.

My only big complaint was that there seemed to be three separate endings. Several times I thought she was wrapping everything up, in fact she did wrap most of it up..;..but then....everything fell apart again. It was just a tad too up and down at those points.

- See more at: http://www.hotofftheshelves.com/2016/05/dearest-by-alethea-kontis-review.html#sthash.qV7zM2Ks.dpuf

Callie is a lot of fun. She's a witch on her own, returning home for the first time in years. She's not too happy about it either - she feels abandoned and forgotten by those closest to her, but she's about to find out the real story. The real story is: she's in danger and now she is going to need her family and their coven to help protect her.....from what, she isn't sure yet.

Shortly after returning home, she runs into James, who knocks her off her feet. But he's far more than what he appears at first, and he's terrified of Callie's magic. They make a very unlikely pair in their world, and trust is needed if they are ever going to make it last. This trust will be pushed from all directions; close family memebers with an ax to grind, as well as the enemy to try and make them weak.

This was a very exciting book and I really enjoyed learning about the world Debbie Herbert has built. It's familiar in many ways, but with some nice surprised to set its lore apart from the rest. With quite a suspenseful ending (but don't worry, no cliffhanger), I know that I will want to re-visit the Appalachian Magic world to see what else is in store for these great characters.