Tuesday 21 June 2016

Burning by Danielle Rollins


*ARC received for an honest review from Bloomsbury, thank you!

After three years in juvie, Angela Davis is now months away from release. She'll finally get the hell out of Brunesfield Correctional Facility. 
And then Jessica arrives...She's young-only ten years old-so why did she arrive in shackles under the highest security? And why is she being kept in segregation? No one knows what she did to end up there. But there are plenty of rumours.
Pretty soon strange things start happening to Angela and her friends. Could they be down to Jessica?
This little girl might just be more dangerous than anyone ever expected...

Having never read a story by Danielle Rollins before, I had no idea what was to be expected going in. Also, this book has continuously been compared to the television film 'Orange is the New Black', but I've never seen the show, and so can't tell you what I think about this comparison. However, what I can tell you is that this book was intriguing and interesting right from the beginning. I loved the setting, the characters, the strong female friendships, and the slight hint of the supernatural element that is played with throughout the novel. One complaint with the book is that sometimes the pacing could get a little bit slow, but the mystery involved kept me reading and reading some more. With its creepy and sometimes horror inducing undertones, this is a story that will keep readers going right up until the very end. 

Rating: 3.5/5 

Thursday 12 May 2016

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas



*ARC Received from Bloomsbury for an honest review, thank you!

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court-but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people. Nor has Feyre forgotten her deal with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms-and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world cleaved in two. 

Why do I love Sarah J. Maas? It's because Sarah J. Maas is flawless, and one time, she punched me in the face with all the feelings, and it was awesome. A Court of Mist and Fury takes fans back to the beautiful and deadly world of High Fae and their deadly politics and hidden agendas, and finds Feyre struggling to deal with the atrocieties she committed and witnessed in the first book, 'A Court of Thorns and Roses'. One of the things I love most about Maas characters is that they don't just get over the horrors that are done to them, they suffer from depression, anxiety and PTSD just like many individuals do. They show the truth behind being a hero, and it's not all happily ever afters. Despite the hardships that Maas puts Feyre through, she is one of the strongest and realist heroins in the fantasy and young adult genre. A Court of Mist and Fury introduces readers to the famed and terrifying Night Court, and of course, its High Lord Rhysand (swoon). Maas creates the most brilliant scenes, finding the perfect balance between reality and fantasy that leaves my heart saying, thank you for reading this. I could go on and on about the beauties of this amazing and awe inspiring series, but no review could ever translate the unique and one of a kind writing and characters that only Maas can create. 

Rating: 5/5 

"To the stars who listen...and the dreams that are answered"

Friday 29 April 2016

Hunt by Alyssa Rose Ivy Release Day

 





 
There's a new Alpha in town and he just found his mate, she just doesn't know it yet.
 
Welcome to Crestview, Montana. Population ~1000 and not all of those are human. After his brother is murdered, Ian must step up to become Alpha of his bear shifter pack. At the same time law student Mara shows up in town, and Ian knows she’s destined to be his mate. When a rival pack lays claim to Mara, Ian and his brothers will stop at nothing to protect her.  

 
About Alyssa Rose Ivy

Alyssa Rose Ivy is the bestselling author of more than twenty-five novels with over half a million books sold worldwide. She loves to weave stories with romance and humor, and she is best known for writing about college boys with wings and skinny dipping. After surviving law school and earning her masters in library science, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.


Friday 22 April 2016

From Burning Ashes Cover Reveal

   
Coming Summer 2016
This war is not being played on a battlefield.
Killed by the man she loves, not even death is kind to Zoey. Neither life nor her fae powers will let her go in peace. In this final installment, Zoey’s strength, determination, and trust are put to the ultimate test. In the fight to protect the people she loves and stop DMG from experimenting on fae, humans, and animals to create soldiers, she learns the reality of how far Dr. Rapava will go to achieve his ultimate mission. Of course, Rapava is not the only one willing to go to extremes. Vadik is hunting Ryker, and there is nothing he won’t do to get back the property he feels is his: both Ryker and the Stone of Destiny. To end one evil, Zoey might have to make a deal with another. One she won't be able to get out of. And it could be the worst decision she ever made.  
Haven't started reading the Collector's series yet? Start with City In Embers!



Zoey Daniels has been tossed from foster home to foster home, where she grows up fast and tough. When she is placed in her “last-chance” home, she finds a reason to stay and turn her life around: her foster sister, Lexie, who is paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Zoey will do anything to keep her safe.
After high school, Zoey is hired by a special government agency, the Department of Molecular Genetics (DMG), where she meets the other reason to remain: Daniel, her co-worker. The man she loves. But there is something unique about Zoey. She can see fae. Because of this, the DMG hires her to work as a Collector: catching, researching, testing, and using the fae to save human lives. The work never registers on her sympathy radar. She was raised to think of fae as beasts that feed on humans and want to destroy them. When devastation hits Seattle, Zoey's whole world is turned upside down. The electric storm connects her to a ruthless fae, a Wanderer named Ryker, whose dealings expose them to even more trouble and danger. They embark on a journey, running and hiding from both the government and fae, both of which threaten their lives and those they love.
About Stacey Marie Brown

Stacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world. She grew up in Northern California, where she ran around on her family's farm, raising animals, riding horses, playing flashlight tag, and turning hay bales into cool forts. She volunteers helping animals and is eco-friendly. She feels all animals, people, and environment should be treated kindly.

Monday 7 March 2016

Falling light by Dayana Morency Book Blitz



Falling Light
by Dayana Morency
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Release Date: March 8th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

This will be the summer of love . . . and death.

When seventeen-year-old Rosalynn Young pictured her summer vacation, she didn't think she would be spending it working as a maid at the Millennium Hotel. She imagined painting and gardening. But soon, in spite of her disappointment, she meets Victor Gregoire. Wayward and enigmatic, he sends a chill up her spine. Everything about him feels foreign--unearthly.

Dangerously drawn to Victor, Rosalynn willfully ignores his volatile mood swings. When she impulsively enters Victor's room, she finds a journal dating back to the 19th Century and a photograph of him from August 14, 1874.

He's hiding something sinister and she's desperate to find out what, even if it means risking everything. But Rosalynn fails to realize that her attraction to Victor comes at a price and she soon learns some secrets are better kept hidden.

She's in for the summer job of a lifetime.

  


Buy Links:
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About the Author
Dayana Morency discovered her passion for writing at the age of ten. Drawn to magic, mythology and legends, she began writing short stories in the fifth grade. FALLING LIGHT is her debut novel and she is an author of paranormal romance books for teens. Aside from writing, she's an occasional blogger with a passion for traveling, double fudge brownies, and all things literary. She currently resides in Miami, Florida. For more information visit: 
http://dayanamorencywrites.com/
Author Links:
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GIVEAWAY:
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Thursday 3 March 2016

Blood Royal by Lloyd A. Meeker Book Tour



Blood Royal
Legacy of Albessind
Book One
Lloyd A. Meeker

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

Date of Publication: February 26, 2015

Print ISBN 978-1-5092-0606-3
Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-0607-0

Number of pages: 333
Word Count: 85k
Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor

Book Description:

Struggling artist Eva Milaras is in the midst of buying groceries when a bomb blast tears the store apart. A handsome man with mysterious powers saves her life and stuffs her into a limo without a steering wheel—while treating her like royalty. Caught in a deadly web of magic and murder, Eva faces an aristocratic destiny she didn’t know about and doesn't want. Now in a strange world she has to survive the deadly schemes of her new-found relatives as they maneuver for advantage in a murderous royal court.

Talak has loved Eva long before he saved her life, but that love is doomed. She must marry a man from a royal bloodline, and Talak is duty-bound to protect her until she marries—regardless of his torn heart. Together they battle intrigue and betrayal, only to discover they must choose between letting go of each other...or certain death for treason. A choice Eva refuses to make.


Excerpt:
Chapter One

Instead of the large, perfect fruit shown in the flyer, the Granny Smiths at Budget Foods were small and beaten up—yet another disappointing win for reality over promise. Eva Milaras gazed at the poor things as she tore off the coupon and stuffed the rest of the pages back into her bag. I guess we’re all bruised in one way or another.
Still, she was sure she could find half a dozen decent ones in the stack. She’d get some yams and put them together in a casserole—a tasty and inexpensive declaration that she was now back in charge of her life in spite of being broke.
She’d tough this out with what little cash she had in her purse until the gallery could figure out what was causing the mysterious delay in her payment. They owed her for two large paintings, and that money would be more than enough to get her back on her feet again. It was just a matter of time. She yanked a plastic bag from the dispenser and began picking through the apples.
She flashed on her little studio. It had great light, decent ventilation, and was within walking distance of most everything she needed. So what if she had to maneuver around her bed to get to the tiny kitchen? With Derek gone, it was all the room she needed for her easel and canvases. She’d love to keep it if she could, but the rent was due in two weeks and...well, she’d go to the gallery this afternoon, see what Leslie had to say. She found two more unbruised apples and took them as a sign of better times coming. She really would take charge of her life—simplify, concentrate on her work, and avoid complications like an unemployed boyfriend.
“Pardon, Serenissima.” A strong, warm voice from behind pulled her from her reverie.Turning, she saw a man, early thirties probably, tall and well-built, dressed completely in black. Who wears such an expensive silk shirt and slacks to Budget Foods on a Saturday morning? They had to be club clothes, but he didn’t look like he’d been out partying all night. And what a great face to paint! A delicious olive tone to his skin, deep eyes, strong angular face-planes, so... compelling, framed by black hair that fell unbound, thick and dangerously sexy, past his shoulders. Great shoulders. Lean waist. Yes, he’d make a terrific model. She found herself smiling at him, realizing too late that it probably wasn’t a good idea. He was already standing uncomfortably close.
“Are you talking to me?” She backed away and tilted her head at the apples. “I’m afraid I’ve picked through these already. Good luck finding more decent ones.”
“Forgive my abruptness,” the man said, reaching toward her, “but you must leave this place with me immediately. You are in gravest danger. Please—we must leave this instant to avoid disaster.”
Suspicion chilled the spark of interest she’d felt. “Look, I came here just for apples.” She slid one hand into her purse, locating her pepper spray. “Leave me alone, please, or I’ll call store security.”
She hoped this guy didn’t know that Howard—the entire security staff of Budget Foods currently on duty— was in his seventies and would never be able to stand up to someone like this man, who carried himself with the smooth precision of a dancer or a martial artist. But at least Howard had a radio.
The man dipped his head and upper body in an odd, twisting bow. “Milady,” he said, his voice tight and urgent. “Please, I beg you. Your life is in real danger. You must trust me in this. I will explain later, but first we must flee.”
Flee? Eva looked around at the worn ordinariness of Budget Foods, with shoppers inching their carts along the aisles. There was nothing here to flee from except boredom.
Her finger found the directional notch on the tiny canister in her bag. “Look, I don’t know you, what you’re on, or what your deal is, but you’re scaring me.” She pulled out the spray and held it up. “This is nasty stuff, and I’ll use it on you if you don’t back off—right now.” She backed away from him again and bumped into the stacked apples. Several of them tumbled to the floor—even more bruises, she thought, as if they didn’t have enough already. She kept her eyes on the stranger, wincing as the apples thumped and rolled on the scarred wooden floor.
In a single fluid motion, the man flicked the can out of her hands and wrapped his arms around her, pushing her toward the floor, covering her with his body. Before she could scream for help, an explosion ripped the storefront window open, and she heard the screams of others.
In a strange, time-suspended clarity on the way to the floor, Eva could feel the muscles of his torso flex and twist, pushing hot against her in a symphony of coordinated physical power. How the heck did he know this was going to happen? Her back hit the floor, and her breath whooshed out in a grunt. She looked up into his face. His eyes stared into hers, fierce as a looming storm. Blue gray, she thought. No, slate. He was heavier than he looked, and she needed to breathe. But he had great eyes. “Get off me!” She pushed against him, and he rolled away without protest.
She sat up. Her ears hurt. The store—or what was left of it—was a mess. She could see two, no, three shoppers on the floor, not moving. In fact, nothing moved, and the stillness was horrible.
A soft groan floated through the smoke from somewhere. Still in its pink sweatshirt sleeve, an arm without an owner lay on the floor. And blood. Lots of it. This was so wrong. Oh, my god. She swallowed several times against a wave of nausea. What on earth had happened?
Then there was movement. All around her, shards of glass began to twitch and shift, becoming dark red scorpions scuttling toward them—dozens of them, different sizes, all the same. Glass shouldn’t do that, she was certain of it.
“Do not move, Serenissima,” the stranger commanded, his voice icy. He turned his back to her, putting himself between her and the scorpions. She stared at his back. He’d been hit by several pieces of glass—two of which stuck partway out of his flesh. All of those would have hit her if he hadn’t thrown himself over her. What the hell is going on?
His hands glowed, and pale fire flowed from his fingers in dancing streams—first carving a circle around them, then striking out at each scorpion. As his fire hit each one, the creature sparked into smoke and dropped, again becoming an inert piece of glass.
What did he just do? Eva looked around, trying to locate her pepper spray, but couldn’t see where it had rolled. She needed to get out of here. But her body was too heavy, felt too far away to respond.
“I don’t know how,” the man growled, “but your enemies have discovered who you are, milady. Now you will have no peace until you reach your Ceremony or they have destroyed us both, for I swear I will not outlive you.”
He stood, bending down. His hair tumbled forward, as if reaching to touch her. “I apologize, Highness, but I have no choice but to carry you to safety. With or without your permission.”
Why is he calling me these strange names? As he reached for her, Eva saw another shard of glass sticking out of his arm. Blood drenched his shirt down to the cuff. His hand dripped red, but he seemed oblivious of the injury. Still dazed, she felt him reach under her shoulders and knees and pick her up as if she weighed nothing.
He was kidnapping her. “Stop!” she screamed. “Put me down! Help!” She twisted against his iron-hard grip and grabbed a coconut from an end display as they passed. Eva pounded it against his chest and face, but he didn’t even look at her as he strode through the carnage to the rear of the store, kicked open the warehouse doors, and jumped off the loading dock to the ground.
On the other side of the alley sat a sleek limousine with darkened windows. As they approached, a passenger door swung open. The man deposited her inside, wrested the coconut from her, and tossed it away. He climbed in opposite her and pulled the door shut, wincing at the reach. The limo began to roll.

About the Author:

Lloyd A. Meeker credits Walter de la Mare’s “The Listeners” as the first poem to steal both his heart and his imagination. That was in seventh grade, and he’s never been the same since. At university he devoured Lord of the Rings in a single weekend. Then came Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea. Fantasy became his home turf.

He’s led what can only be described as an eventful life, and he’s grateful for all of it. He’s been a minister, a pilot, a janitor, a drinker, a cancer survivor, and a software developer on his way to becoming a writer. His work includes five novels, two books of poetry, a few essays, and several short stories.

He’s happily entangled in a life-long love affair with metaphor and the potent mystery of the Hero’s Journey, especially in its metaphysical and psychological aspects. He lives in southern Florida among friends and family with his husband, working on his next novel, practicing subtle energy healing, reading, wallowing in classical music and celebrating a very active retirement.

Web and Blog: www.lloydmeeker.com




Tour giveaway

Eerie by C.M. McCoy


*ARC received for an honest review, thank you

Hailey's dreams have always been, well...vivid. As in monsters from her nightmares follow her into waking life vivid. When her big sister goes missing, eighteen-year-old Hailey finds the only thing keeping her safe from a monstrous three-thousand-year-old beast is an equally terrifying creature who has fallen "madly" in love with her. Competing to win her affection, the Dream Creature, Asher, lures her to the one place that offers safety-a Parascience university in Alaska he calls home. There, she studies the science of the Supernatural and must learn to live with a room-mate from Hell, survive her classes, and hope the only creature who can save her from an evil immortal doesn't decide to kill her himself. 

Review:

Wow that was creepy...and dark...and awesome! This book completely drew me into the confusing yet deeply enchanting world of Envoys, the supernatural, and a very twisted romance that had me wondering the entire time how this book would end because I was so scared for the characters omg. And that ending. Don't even get me started on that ending because I will scream. While you can't help but fall in love with the main character Hailey, sometimes you just want to slap her across the face for being to gullible and nice. No one is that nice. You also can't help but fall for Asher and Finn, even though they are both severely messed up and have no idea what love is. And that is what is fantastic about this story, you know the characters are bad and even evil, but you can't help but feel for them, and that is perhaps the scariest part. While it took a bit for the book to get going, I was never bored or wanting it to hurry along, the writing is hypnotic and charming, just as the characters are. This is definitely worth the read and now I need the next one stat!

Rating: 4.5/5