We start book 2 in the Fall and Rise series just before the end of the book 1, only now we are seeing Katie and Stryker's views. It's nice that the author doesn't linger too long over the part of the story we already saw, but goes back just enough for us to get into these characters heads a little. It's amazing how the situation looks a little different when we're shown a different person's perspective.

I wasn't a big fan of Katie in book one - even after she got her head out of her butt. She was a little to girlie girlie fru fru for my tastes - but in this volume we see a completely different side of her. Is she still a bit of a girlie girl - yes - but with an additional layer of depth that makes her much more fun to read about. We get to see a lot more about why she is who she is (or thinks she is).

I loved Stryker in book one, and I still like him a lot in book two, but he has a few extremely jerky moments that I'm not sure I would have been able to forgive him for. In a strange way they are perfect for each other.

There was just a little too much tragedy in this one for me to give it 5 stars. I felt a little beaten over the head by some of the points that were trying to be made, and there were times it seemed bad things were happening just to fill pages. Still, it was a great book overall that I would definitely read again.

In many ways Song of the Fairy Queen was a refreshing jump back into the realm of wizards, knights, and magical creatures. Some good, some bad, duking it out for the future of the world. With many of the elements of high fantasy included, the story read a little bit like an Arthurian legend. The romance comes from an unexpected angle between High Marshall Morgan and the Queen of Fairy. The story follows them as they try to defeat the bad guys, protect the good guys, and still find time for themselves.

Kyriay is an amazing character with a quirky personality and a fierce protectiveness for all that she loves. Morgan is fighting for the survival of his rightful king and heir to the throne, as well as trying to help Kyriay protect her people as well. The story involves a ton of twists and turns, it seemed like it way maybe one too many for my taste, many times jumping along and ahead with no transitioning to help me adjust to the new setting/time. The ending makes up for it ten-fold with a truly epic conclusion. I would have liked to see more of some of the secondary characters and their relationships along the way though.

Series of novella that follow Brie as she trains to become the best of submissives. I loved seeing her flaws and watching as she learned more about herself and her inner desires every day. I wish I had seen more personal interaction between herself and the one she chooses as her Master because I had been rooting for someone completely different.

Brie finds that she still has a lot to learn even after graduating from the submissive training center. She has chosen her Master and he has embraced her. Now they just need to learn how to live together. Brie will need to find a way to learn from her mistakes and Sir will need to find a way to teach her his ways. A great start to the next stage in Brie's journey.

The story of Keeper of Reign follow a group of Elfies as they try to re-unite with their lost families and find the solution for lifting the curse that has made them small. The book is a great one for middle grade children (my 10 year old is reading right now). It has easy to remember characters that each have their own unique personality. Their interactions are quite amusing at times. The plot runs very quickly with lots of actions. As as adult, it was a little too non-stop for my taste, but kids will eat it up. The short chapters are well organized and my daughter loves the feeling of accomplishment every time she comes to a new one.

Emma Right was able to create an atmosphere of suspense without utilizing a lot of violence. As Jules and his siblings search for their kidnapped parents they come across quite a variety of helpful and not so helpful people. Each encounter they have helps to teach Jules a little bit more about the mystery surrounding the curse and where his parents may have been taken. Even when Jules thinks he has most of it figured out, he realized that things are not always as they seem.

The book ends with a happy ending, but a bit of a cliffhanger that will make you want to continue reading to see how they find their solution to lifting the curse.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2013/07/review-keeper-of-reign-by-emma-right.html#sthash.BfAgqDgT.dpuf

Eva and Brand do not meet under the best circumstances. I can't imagine how embarrassing it would be to be found naked on the side of the road - by the man you are destined to be with no less. But she has a good reason for her condition - that would be her escape from the clutches of quite a sadistic bitch (pardon the language, but it works). Brand recognizes what Eva means to him almost immediately, and he doesn't like it. He's afraid of the power that she now unknowingly holds over him.

While Brand's family try to track down the woman that hurt Eva, Brand proceeds to screw things up over and over again. His past holds many secrets and he's afraid that Eva won't understand - so he doesn't tell her. That never seems to work out well and I really admire Eva for standing up and demanding answers.

The story of Eva's kidnapper is just as central to the story as her growing romance with Brand. The two storylines are woven together very nicely adding a wonderful dash of danger and adventure to the whole book. This is a great book for lovers of shifter romances, bringing in so many aspects of the traditional lore in a great way.