ARC Received for an honest review

When Ms Smith asked if I would review her debut novel, A Reason to Breathe, I jumped at the chance. Through our facebook groups, I have been along for the ride as she has been writing Jack and Jenn's story, and have been anxiously awaiting the finishing product.

Jess married her highschool sweetheart and had a daughter at 19, and now in her 30's she is widowed. Her daughter is off to college, so now is the perfect opportunity to live the life she has always wanted. So she ups and moves to the Colorado mountains to start over, to "live with the bears".

She is also the shiny new toy that all the men in town are interested in. ALL the men!

Life as a small town newspaper reporter is not fast paced. Bake sales, BBQ's, fluff pieces.

Jack Gunnison. Hot. Town sheriff. Alpha with a capital ALPHA. Phew, I am still fanning myself about Jack, I can't get enough of the man. Sexy as sin, every woman in town wants a piece of him. He has a reputation as a bit of a man whore, but it is not that he doesn't want commitment, he has just never found the woman he wants it with.

When Jack met Jenn (hey, that could be a movie title lol).... BOOM! Fireworks ensue. They infuriate each other, at the same time as they intrigue each other.

But they have bigger things to worry about. There is a serial killer in town, knocking off women at an alarming rate. This is the case of a career for Jack (not that that is what he worries about), and it could be the story of a life time for Jenn's journalistic career.

I loved the banter between Jack and Jenn. She is fighting the attraction, he isn't going to let her run. He knows she is the one, now he just has to convince her!

“Share? I’m not sure I’m ready for any type of relationship, Jack.”

“Babe, You may not be ready, but that’s not going to stop me from changing your mind.”

And pursue her he does. He is relentless in his chase for her, and she is just as relentless in her refusal to be bossed around by him, or anyone else for that matter.

There are a lot of people in town who are not at all happy with Jack's interest in Jenn. Jealous exes, his work colleagues. The serial killer, who seems to have taken a real interest in Jenn. But through it all, Jack and Jenn forge a new relationship... and it H.O.T!!!!!

Their banter is sexy, funny, you can feel their frustration with each other. Their relationship is all push and pull, they push each other to the extreme, but the pull is magnetic. No matter what they think they want, they can't do it without each other.

I loved the cast of characters in A Reason to Breathe. Jenn's 20 year old daughter Bailey is great! She is smart, funny, all for her mum getting her freak on with the Sheriff lol. Her relationship with her mother is the kind of relationship we all strive to have with our mothers/daughters.

Love the old fellas at the diner, Ben and Gerry (couldn't help but think of icecream every time their names were mentioned together - Cherry Garcia anyone??). Ben is the father / grandfather we all want in our lives. All I could think was "please don't let Ben be the killer". But was he? Nope, for that you are going to have to read for yourself.

Even though at the core of the story there is a serial killer, this book has so many laugh out loud moments and I spent so much of the time with a big grin on my face as we get into the lives of these characters.

This is Ms Smith's debut novel, however if I would never have believed this if I did not know it. A Reason to Breathe is a well written, well rounded story. There is great character development, the story ebbs and flows naturally, it is well paced. It went from lighthearted to dark and dangerous without any hiccups.

You can feel the Kristen Ashley influence in Ms Smith's writing - this is no surprise as she has never kept hidden how much Ms Ashley is her inspiration

The only thing wrong with A Reason To Breathe? It ended!

ARC received for an honest review

We met Quincy, Declan and Brody and their litlle ol' love triangle in Choices, and although I liked Brody in it, I didn't really understand some of his choices.

Fate is the same story written from Brody's POV, and I just have to say, I love Brody!

I am not usually a fan of the same book written in different POV's ~ if I wanted to read the same book I would re-read the original, and it takes away what I felt for the first book) but there are a few exceptions - and this is one.

I got a totally different feel for the characters with this alternate POV. Whereas before I scratched my head and thought "What the heck is Brody thinking?!?!" I got drawn into his mind set and it made all the difference.

We got behind the bad boy to the soul of the man. There is so much more to him when we get digging, and I just liked him more for it. Watching him struggle with is feelings, worry about his friendships and his "brothers" in his fraternity, how his choices are affecting those around him.

But it is the heart in the man, the emotion he shows that get you

"Quince, I want to be the person you run to. I want to be the one you trust when the darkness falls. I want to know your dreams, and I want to breath the air you breathe. I want to be the one who makes you smile. I just want to be with you. Just trust me, Quince! Trust me enough to be with me. Let me love you every day for the rest of your life."

Quincy, Quincy, Quincy. She annoyed me a little in Choices with her not so much indecisiveness, as she makes her decision early on, but with the way she handles the 'love triangle situation. However in Fate this was amplified for me 100 times! GRRRR!

I felt a lot more for Declan in Fate. In Choices I felt "really, you can't see what is happening right under your nose?", and though I still felt this way, I could understand it more. Perhaps it is because we get more of his interactions with his frat brothers, particularly Eric, Brody and Seth. You can practically hear his heart break as things come to light.

"you can't always follow a plan, sometimes fate steps in and does whatever she want to"

I felt that Fate was a well paced, well written retelling of Choices, and I was definitely not disappointed with it at all. Telling a story from both a female and male POV can be a hit and miss affair from what I have previously read, but I feel Ms Lane has done both characters justice.

I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Review to come during blog tour 17/1/14

ARC received for an honest review 4.5 stars

I have said it before - I am not a huge paranormal/fantasy reader, but Ms Dawn has dragged me into the world of Mysticals in King Hall and King Cave, and she will have to drag me out kicking and screaming!

King Cave is the second book in the Forever Evermore series, and follows on directly on from King Cave, so you will need to read it before this one.

At the end of King Hall, the Coms (Commoners) have made their attack on King Hall, killing many of the Mys (mysticals). Now the mystical factions have to come together to defend themselves and get ready for war against the Coms.

Whereas King Hall was more about the coming war, King Cave is more about the friendships and relationships between the 4 soon to be kings and queens, Lily, Ezra, Pearl and Jack. But it mainly focuses on Lily and Ezra

They have become each other's rock during times of loss. Their friendship has grown stronger every day, which has raised some eyebrows amongst the kings and elders, and their subjects.

When their relationship becomes more, they need to hide it from everyone, as relationships between different factions are strictly taboo, and a big reason for the war with the Coms.

I just love Lily and Ezra, Jack and Pearl. They are the closest of close friends, each others harshest critics and fiercest defenders. I laughed with them, I cried. I wanted to scream at them in frustration.

While King Hall is strictly PG, King Cave is definitey a lot hotter. Lots of sexy times!!!

Love Love Love Lily and Jack together. Their relationship is not an easy one to look in on, but they are perfect for each other. Their relationship is flawed, but perfect in it's own way. There are some hard times they go through that just makes them stronger.

As in King Hall, i love the interactions with the Kings/Elders. They are funny, they are aggravating, at times I really didn't like them.

That being said, I would love to learn more about them during the past wars and before/when they first became prodigies and kings. I think some of their stories and antics would be fantastic!

At times I felt that Jack and Pearl were a bit forgotten in this book, but then I guess with what they were going through at the time it make sense as they would be withdrawn.

There was a twist at the end that had me talking to my kindle, asking what the hell did that happen for and I wasn't particularly happy!

But as they say, good things come to those who wait. And as the Mys/Com war begins in earnest, we have to wait for book 3 King Tomb to find out how things play out.

Hope I don't have too long to wait!

Review to follow during blog tour. Full review will be available @ htt://bjsbookblog2.blogspot.com