Jan 24, 14 ·
Going into this book I knew there would be certain things I would really enjoy. I have a thing for books about Tattoos and tattoo parlors, I enjoy military based or main characters with a military background and I love a damaged hero. I also recently read "Heart of Darkness" a short story by Laura Kaye and absolutely adored it. So going in I was totally looking forward to this book. I did listen to it on Audiobook.
I was right I loved it..for all the reasons I mentioned above but also because Laura Kaye writes incredible characters. They leap off the page at the reader and you can't help but relate to them and care about what they feel and how the story turns out. Becca was a fantastic heroine. No she wasn't over the top she was just a girl raised in a miltaristic household and is a nurse, she keeps it together in tough situations and doesn't fall apart when things get messy. I would consider her a quiet kickass heroine. She was soft spoken and not over the top but stood firm in who she was and her beliefs. LOVED Becca! Nick was all alpha, exspecial forces and extremely male but broken. His internal battle dealing with the horrors of war just twisted my heart and made me want to reach out and comfort him...ok ok...maybe more than comfort..*impish grin* I hung on every word of these characters and can't wait to read more about them. The secondary characters starting with Jeremy and ending with Nick's military "brothers" were wonderful. Jeremy I adored and can't wait to read his story. Again Laura Kaye created a completely different type male but it made work with all the over the top alphas in the book. I could go on and on about the characters ..and I loved each and every one of them..including Jess.
The plot was extremely suspenseful and if you like intrigue with your romance and bad boys you will adore this book. The plot twists and turns you almost forget you are reading a romance the plot just pulls you in and doesn't let go until the last page. I admit this is not the steamiest of books the sex is minimal but the build up and the sparks that fly between Becca and Nick were more than enough to quench my thirst for steam. I personally did not miss the graphic sex the writing was of a calibre that it wasn't needed to know how hot they were for each other.
Audiobook, the narrators were wonderful. I adore when we have both male and female readers it brings the book to life a bit better. That being said the female narrator was extremely good..her male voices were each different and did not toss you out of the zone when listening. The male reader was a wonderful voice for Nick..maybe not quite as good with the female voices but still good.
Overall a great book with a "you gotta read it" recommendation. I gave it 5 stars and am going now to buy book 2 ..cause I can't wait for the next 'Hard Ink' story! Do yourself a favor..listen/read..and lose yourself in the world of Hard Ink.
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Friday, January 24, 2014
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Series Review Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker
Jan 23, 14 ·
Read from January 19 to 22, 2014
I listened to all three available novels in this series on Audiobook back to back and would like to review them as a series to date. Overall I give the series a 5 star rating with a clear Gotta Read recommendation. Thanks PA Lupton for "making" move this series up my TBR list. This series has an edginess about it that makes you feel the depths of disparity and pain as well as the hope that springs from tragedy. The history of all the main characters is dark and to some might be disturbing but this history makes each and everyone of these characters "real" and so easy to connect and empathize with...these novels are a true journey.
Ten Tiny Breaths
This is Kasey's story and I think I felt every emotion possible as I read this book...from tears to disbelieving to horror and finally joy and thankfulness. Kasey lost literally everything. In the beginning her only redeamable quality was her love and protectiveness of her sister. As the story progresses we see this tightly wound, angry character learn to let down some of her guards and let people in ...learn to open up and to forgive. I don't want to go into to much details of the story because you really need to experience them to understand the depth of this story and how truly hard Kasey's journey of self discovery and forgiveness is accomplished. I will make one note, the secondary characters in this novel ROCK and I can't wait to read more and find out more about that as the series continues.
One Tiny Lie
This is Livvy's story..Kasey's sister. I admit to not enjoying it quite as much as I expected to...although I did love Ashton and it was interesting to follow the story of these broken people who slowly and painfully "heal" each other. Nothing is easy in this relationship and Ashton was an a$$hole through most of the book but one that you really felt both angry and sad with...This book was more angsty and I didn't love it as much as book 1 but I still really liked this story and all it's dark edges. You just have to read about Livvy's trials with her "non" doctor and his role that has grown from book one. I again recommend this novel but to get it's full effect you really need to read it after book 1A 4 star read for me
KA Tucker is a wonderful voice in the contemporary romance market. She brings a freshness and edginess to her stories and characters that this market is definitely in need of, I can't wait to read more of her work. Don't miss this fabulous series..it really is a must read...I can't wait for book 4...I have it marked in my calendar as a must buy upon release.
Read from January 19 to 22, 2014
I listened to all three available novels in this series on Audiobook back to back and would like to review them as a series to date. Overall I give the series a 5 star rating with a clear Gotta Read recommendation. Thanks PA Lupton for "making" move this series up my TBR list. This series has an edginess about it that makes you feel the depths of disparity and pain as well as the hope that springs from tragedy. The history of all the main characters is dark and to some might be disturbing but this history makes each and everyone of these characters "real" and so easy to connect and empathize with...these novels are a true journey.
Ten Tiny Breaths
This is Kasey's story and I think I felt every emotion possible as I read this book...from tears to disbelieving to horror and finally joy and thankfulness. Kasey lost literally everything. In the beginning her only redeamable quality was her love and protectiveness of her sister. As the story progresses we see this tightly wound, angry character learn to let down some of her guards and let people in ...learn to open up and to forgive. I don't want to go into to much details of the story because you really need to experience them to understand the depth of this story and how truly hard Kasey's journey of self discovery and forgiveness is accomplished. I will make one note, the secondary characters in this novel ROCK and I can't wait to read more and find out more about that as the series continues.
One Tiny Lie
This is Livvy's story..Kasey's sister. I admit to not enjoying it quite as much as I expected to...although I did love Ashton and it was interesting to follow the story of these broken people who slowly and painfully "heal" each other. Nothing is easy in this relationship and Ashton was an a$$hole through most of the book but one that you really felt both angry and sad with...This book was more angsty and I didn't love it as much as book 1 but I still really liked this story and all it's dark edges. You just have to read about Livvy's trials with her "non" doctor and his role that has grown from book one. I again recommend this novel but to get it's full effect you really need to read it after book 1A 4 star read for me
Four Seconds to Lose
We met Cain in book 1 and had a quick glimpse of him again in book 2 but in this novel we get his story. This story was pretty original and I totally loved the intrigue and darkness that edged this romance. Charlie was a unique character in contemporary romance and gave this story a fresh perspective. I love the criminal element that ran through both Cain and Charlie's lives and how the strip club became a family. Much like book 1 I don't want to go into much detail of the story so as to not 'spoil' it for the reader because it is a novel that needs to be experienced as you read this. It isn't sweet, it isn't always easy to read but it is a wonderfully unique story with wonderfully written characters. 5 star read for meKA Tucker is a wonderful voice in the contemporary romance market. She brings a freshness and edginess to her stories and characters that this market is definitely in need of, I can't wait to read more of her work. Don't miss this fabulous series..it really is a must read...I can't wait for book 4...I have it marked in my calendar as a must buy upon release.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Some Awesome Book Deals I just had to share!!
Hard As It Gets
By Laura Kaye
$1.99
Originally: $4.99
Get Deal:
Deal ends: 1/29/14
The Way You Look Tonight
By Bella Andre
Free!
Originally: $4.99
Get Deal:
Deal ends: 1/27/14
Friday, January 17, 2014
Quick Review! Wait For You
Read from January 16 to 17, 2014 —
I Loved this book....I have been in a bit of a slump where nothing caught my attention but this book caught me and kept me listening right to the end. I did listen to this on Audiobook and the narrator was really good.
I connected with both the characters right away..I felt for Avery right away and was with her every step of the way ..her ups and downs..her uncertainty and hope. She was a wonderful character. Cam was a wonderful hero...he had this little bit of mystery right to the last part of the book. His cockiness was hilarious and you really didn't know if he was seriously into Avery for quite a while.
J. Lynn wrote wonderful characters all the while keeping the story going forward. There was angst but it didn't consume the whole story, it was just enough.
Over all I am thankful for this book getting me out of my reading rut. I highly recommend it ...and give it a 5 star rating. I am looking forward to reading Cam's viewpoint.
Monday, January 13, 2014
RELEASED TODAY!!!! Rosanna Leo's New Gemini Island Shifter Novel PREDATOR'S REFUGE
I've totally been looking forward to this book and I wait no longer because TODAY is the day! I have loved Marci since she was introduced in book 1 and can't wait to read her story.
I'm pleased to welcome back my good friend and awesome writer Rosanna Leo to the bear skin rug today. Rosanna thanks so much for joining me I have stoked up the fireplace to scare out the chill. You know I am a major fangirl of you and your work especially this series I want to find Gemini Island so that I can find myself one of your wonderful weres. As I was reading...ok ok devouring Predator's Refuge last night a few questions came to mind.
t: Why did you pick Northern Ontario for the location of Gemini Island?
R: I knew I wanted something remote, where shifters could possibly reside without a lot of human interference. Being Canadian, I know Northern Ontario boasts so many beautiful, rugged locales. I just knew it was perfect fictional place for my island.
t: How did you come up with the name Gemini Island?
R: It actually came pretty easily to me. Because the series is about shape shifters, who have dual animal/human natures, I thought of how the Gemini nature is the same, at least according to all those horoscope books I read as a teenager. Knowing some Geminis, I've seen how they can turn on a dime (one of their charms), and I loved the idea for shape shifters.
t: Will you have a Hero/ine that is not a Predator??
R: For me, the hero always has to have somewhat of a predatory nature- that's one of the things I love about our beloved Alpha men. Of course, the heroines of the first two books were very much human. The heroines of books 3 and 4 will be shifters, and so are their men, however I think future heroines will be human in this series. I love the shifter male/human female trope.
t: How many books do you think this series wil have total?
R: Tricky to say exactly, but book 4 comes in March, and I foresee at least two more. Beyond that, I guess the fans will tell me if they're still interested! :)
Woot!! That means there will be MORE!! *grin*
t: Why Hungary for the Tiger shifter?
R: Somewhere in my travels, I did some reading on Hungarian history. There actually was a Grand Prince of the Federation of Hungarian Tribes in early Hungary. To me, the stories from that time period worked well with a shifter mythology. I liked the idea of various tribes breaking off and coming together to form modern Hungary, and I thought one of the tribes could have been a shifter tribe. Plus the accent is sexy. ;)
t: What is a whoopie pie?? and will you make me one?? *grin*
R: t'irla, a whoopie pie is the best thing!!! It's basically two cookie layers with buttery filling in between. There are scores of decadent recipes out there, and you have to try it. As Anton says in the book, "These really are sex pies."
t: I loved that Predator's Refuge was a bit more twisty and turny...will we be seeing more suspense in future books?
R: Thank you! I love twists myself and have always tried to throw little ones in here and there. I did a lot of mystery reading in my youth, and even though I don't write mystery per se, I guess I do like the "whodunit" factor. For me, it's not a must, but it ups the ante in a plot, I believe. I don't think I'll ever write pure suspense though, but it's fun to include those elements.
t: Have you planned for your next book in this series yet? Can you reveal anything about it?
R: Yes! Book 4 has been accepted by my publisher and will release March 24. Predator's Claim will be the story of Bart Cairo and Charlotte Moffatt, two of the wolf shifters at the resort. Bart, as you saw in book 3, the is lovelorn security specialist who's been secretly obsessing over co-worker Charlotte, Marci's best friend. In his book, he finally decides to stake his claim to her...and she makes him work for it.
t: I would love to read Charlotte and Bart's story...as well as Killian's is there hope in the future for these guys to have their story told?
R: LOL- well I think I have come through with the first part, and I hope to tackle the sexy Killian for book 5! Book 6 (cross fingers) may end up as a ménage for Killian's dishy brothers, but I'm not sure yet.
OHHH!! menage! that is exciting...*jumps in her chair* I wanna read it now! *clears throat* umm sorry got a bit carried away there.
t: I felt so sorry for Shawn, have you considered writing a Y/A novel with one of your mentorees as the hero??
R: Sorry T'irla, but Y/A is not my cup of tea, sadly. LOL I don't think I can write romance without the hot and heavy. But you never know what might happen on Gemini Island. People do have a way of popping up when you least expect them. ;)
Thanks so much for being here on the release day of Predator's Refuge! This was truly exciting for me. I hope I can expect you back in March when the next one Predator's Claim comes out!
Rosanna graciously gave us the blurb and except for Predator's Refuge Book 3 in Gemini Island Shifter Series just to tease you!
Blurb:
Lynx shifter Marci Lennox has worked at the shifter-friendly Ursa Fishing Lodge and Resort all her adult life. It’s more a home to her than a job. When her boss goes on vacation, putting her in charge, Marci is thrilled. Finally a chance to prove she has the mettle to run a resort.
Her confidence is shaken when new employee Anton Gaspar appears. One look at the mysterious tiger shifter spells trouble for Marci and for her sex-crazed lynx. Anton is judgmental, condescending, and a little misogynistic. Unfortunately, Marci’s lynx thinks his tiger is more delicious than an oversized bag of Maltesers.
It becomes difficult for Marci to remain neutral near Anton, especially when she learns of his troubling past and unusual family circumstances. However, when dangerous incidents occur on the resort, the lynx woman and tiger man join forces to combat the threat to the lodge and its guests.
Harder still is the quest to combat their explosive feelings for one another. As they explore their mutual passion, they realize the danger at the resort is more insidious than they ever envisioned. Their dreams, their love, and their very lives are at stake.
Excerpt:
Immediately, the fragrance hit him, activating his Jacobson’s organ. He swallowed, tasting it on his tongue and at the back of his throat, and wondered if he was mistaken.
No, how could he mistake the unique scent of a female cat in heat? It was too delicious a scent to forget. Sweetness coated his taste buds, winding a delirious path down his throat. As his head swam, he blinked and tried to clear his thoughts of the sexual imagery racing through it.
The scent did not belong to another tiger shifter, but some other type of predatory cat. One whose perfume he hadn’t sampled before. One who must be particular to this region. Cougar? No. Mountain lion? Surely not.
Whatever she was, her scent teased him with its delicious flavor.
Don’t, he warned himself. Wasn’t it enough that he spent the last few years of his existence trying to escape the sick wiles of the grasping women at court? And God only knew how hard he’d worked to maintain a state of abstinence at Pannonhalma, devoting his life to meditation. He’d come here to work, not lose himself in a sweet piece of…
Stop it. This was no time to think of pussy, even though he’d never been more desperate for a taste of creaming woman.
I'm totally excited about this book and series...please take a few minutes and check out my review of PREDATOR'S REFUGE BY ROSANNA LEO
I'm pleased to welcome back my good friend and awesome writer Rosanna Leo to the bear skin rug today. Rosanna thanks so much for joining me I have stoked up the fireplace to scare out the chill. You know I am a major fangirl of you and your work especially this series I want to find Gemini Island so that I can find myself one of your wonderful weres. As I was reading...ok ok devouring Predator's Refuge last night a few questions came to mind.
t: Why did you pick Northern Ontario for the location of Gemini Island?
R: I knew I wanted something remote, where shifters could possibly reside without a lot of human interference. Being Canadian, I know Northern Ontario boasts so many beautiful, rugged locales. I just knew it was perfect fictional place for my island.
t: How did you come up with the name Gemini Island?
R: It actually came pretty easily to me. Because the series is about shape shifters, who have dual animal/human natures, I thought of how the Gemini nature is the same, at least according to all those horoscope books I read as a teenager. Knowing some Geminis, I've seen how they can turn on a dime (one of their charms), and I loved the idea for shape shifters.
t: Will you have a Hero/ine that is not a Predator??
R: For me, the hero always has to have somewhat of a predatory nature- that's one of the things I love about our beloved Alpha men. Of course, the heroines of the first two books were very much human. The heroines of books 3 and 4 will be shifters, and so are their men, however I think future heroines will be human in this series. I love the shifter male/human female trope.
t: How many books do you think this series wil have total?
R: Tricky to say exactly, but book 4 comes in March, and I foresee at least two more. Beyond that, I guess the fans will tell me if they're still interested! :)
Woot!! That means there will be MORE!! *grin*
t: Why Hungary for the Tiger shifter?
R: Somewhere in my travels, I did some reading on Hungarian history. There actually was a Grand Prince of the Federation of Hungarian Tribes in early Hungary. To me, the stories from that time period worked well with a shifter mythology. I liked the idea of various tribes breaking off and coming together to form modern Hungary, and I thought one of the tribes could have been a shifter tribe. Plus the accent is sexy. ;)
t: What is a whoopie pie?? and will you make me one?? *grin*
R: t'irla, a whoopie pie is the best thing!!! It's basically two cookie layers with buttery filling in between. There are scores of decadent recipes out there, and you have to try it. As Anton says in the book, "These really are sex pies."
t: I loved that Predator's Refuge was a bit more twisty and turny...will we be seeing more suspense in future books?
R: Thank you! I love twists myself and have always tried to throw little ones in here and there. I did a lot of mystery reading in my youth, and even though I don't write mystery per se, I guess I do like the "whodunit" factor. For me, it's not a must, but it ups the ante in a plot, I believe. I don't think I'll ever write pure suspense though, but it's fun to include those elements.
t: Have you planned for your next book in this series yet? Can you reveal anything about it?
R: Yes! Book 4 has been accepted by my publisher and will release March 24. Predator's Claim will be the story of Bart Cairo and Charlotte Moffatt, two of the wolf shifters at the resort. Bart, as you saw in book 3, the is lovelorn security specialist who's been secretly obsessing over co-worker Charlotte, Marci's best friend. In his book, he finally decides to stake his claim to her...and she makes him work for it.
t: I would love to read Charlotte and Bart's story...as well as Killian's is there hope in the future for these guys to have their story told?
R: LOL- well I think I have come through with the first part, and I hope to tackle the sexy Killian for book 5! Book 6 (cross fingers) may end up as a ménage for Killian's dishy brothers, but I'm not sure yet.
OHHH!! menage! that is exciting...*jumps in her chair* I wanna read it now! *clears throat* umm sorry got a bit carried away there.
t: I felt so sorry for Shawn, have you considered writing a Y/A novel with one of your mentorees as the hero??
R: Sorry T'irla, but Y/A is not my cup of tea, sadly. LOL I don't think I can write romance without the hot and heavy. But you never know what might happen on Gemini Island. People do have a way of popping up when you least expect them. ;)
Thanks so much for being here on the release day of Predator's Refuge! This was truly exciting for me. I hope I can expect you back in March when the next one Predator's Claim comes out!
Rosanna graciously gave us the blurb and except for Predator's Refuge Book 3 in Gemini Island Shifter Series just to tease you!
Blurb:
Lynx shifter Marci Lennox has worked at the shifter-friendly Ursa Fishing Lodge and Resort all her adult life. It’s more a home to her than a job. When her boss goes on vacation, putting her in charge, Marci is thrilled. Finally a chance to prove she has the mettle to run a resort.
Her confidence is shaken when new employee Anton Gaspar appears. One look at the mysterious tiger shifter spells trouble for Marci and for her sex-crazed lynx. Anton is judgmental, condescending, and a little misogynistic. Unfortunately, Marci’s lynx thinks his tiger is more delicious than an oversized bag of Maltesers.
It becomes difficult for Marci to remain neutral near Anton, especially when she learns of his troubling past and unusual family circumstances. However, when dangerous incidents occur on the resort, the lynx woman and tiger man join forces to combat the threat to the lodge and its guests.
Harder still is the quest to combat their explosive feelings for one another. As they explore their mutual passion, they realize the danger at the resort is more insidious than they ever envisioned. Their dreams, their love, and their very lives are at stake.
Excerpt:
Immediately, the fragrance hit him, activating his Jacobson’s organ. He swallowed, tasting it on his tongue and at the back of his throat, and wondered if he was mistaken.
No, how could he mistake the unique scent of a female cat in heat? It was too delicious a scent to forget. Sweetness coated his taste buds, winding a delirious path down his throat. As his head swam, he blinked and tried to clear his thoughts of the sexual imagery racing through it.
The scent did not belong to another tiger shifter, but some other type of predatory cat. One whose perfume he hadn’t sampled before. One who must be particular to this region. Cougar? No. Mountain lion? Surely not.
Whatever she was, her scent teased him with its delicious flavor.
Don’t, he warned himself. Wasn’t it enough that he spent the last few years of his existence trying to escape the sick wiles of the grasping women at court? And God only knew how hard he’d worked to maintain a state of abstinence at Pannonhalma, devoting his life to meditation. He’d come here to work, not lose himself in a sweet piece of…
Stop it. This was no time to think of pussy, even though he’d never been more desperate for a taste of creaming woman.
I'm totally excited about this book and series...please take a few minutes and check out my review of PREDATOR'S REFUGE BY ROSANNA LEO
Predator's Refuge
Read from January 11 to 12, 2014
What can I say? I love Gemini Island Shifters! I fell in love with Rosanna Leo's BearShifters in her first two books in this series (if you haven't read them you really MUST) and now she presents me with a damaged TigerShifter with an accent who is royalty..how can a girl resist!!!
In the first two books of the series we met Marci, a young LynxShifter who was sweet, fun and a bit daring. Her play for Soren in book 2 didn't work out and she found herself in an embarrassing situation but she put that behind her and focused on doing her best to succeed at the Ursa Lodge. I loved Marci she was the definite ingenue of the Island. In this story Marci became a fully dimensional character, we learned more about her feelings and why she worked so hard. I connected with her character and was completely there when she was feeling frustrated, angry and humiliated. It was wonderful to watch her attraction grow from physical lust to deeper and more meaningful love as she interacted with Anton.
Anton our TigerShifter was damaged as a child and I just adore damaged heroes. He chose to escape his past and the feelings it brought out in him by removing himself from his past behaviours and now geographically to Gemini Island. It was truly refreshing to find a big dominate alpha hero with insecurities and who over thought everything. We often see this in our heroines but not our heroes. The great thing is that these thoughts and feelings did not take away from his masculinity and "alphaness". Connecting with Anton and getting to understand him throughout the novel was a journey and when we reached the conclusion the reader just could do nothing but feel overjoyed that he found what he needed to be at peace with himself and happy with his life.
The plot moved along at a rapid rate and that made this a fast and enjoyable read. The intrigue, twists and turns of the plot brought a new dimension to this series. I loved that there was more suspense and that the whodunit aspect became more mysterious.
I love Rosanna Leo's writing style it is fun and easy to read but it is even more fun as I follow this series seeing her grow and become more adventurous. Kudo's my friend for another wonderful story and I can't wait for the next Gemini Island Shifter novel!
4.5 stars for this fun, refreshing, immersing read! If you haven't met the Shifters of Gemini Island I recommend you run out and get them now. One of the best shifter series to step into the market in a long time. Predator's Refuge could be read as a standalone but the Snow brothers are well worth the investment. Don't miss out!
*note this novel was given to me by the author for an honest review*
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Heart of Darkness-Quickie Review
Read on January 10, 2014
What an incredibly sweet story. This is a wonderful novella by Laura Kaye an extremely talented author who creates characters so real and sensitive that you feel you know them personally. Makenna is totally sweet a bit unsure but brave..her empathy for Caden was remarkable and you could feel it as you read it. Caden is a wonderfully damaged hero but very alpha and sexy with his tats and piercings. Although the attraction they felt for each was extremely fast I know that in extreme situations you can experience getting to know someone much quicker than dating. The deep attraction didn't feel forced or even too quick ..it felt just right.
I totally loved this sweet romance between two lovely generous and kind people. It is not often we readers are graced with such realism of feelings in characters. I know this is the first Laura Kaye book I have read and it definitely will not be the last. The woman creates magic when she writes and I honestly can't believe she accomplished all this in a novella that took place over 1 unusual night.
5 star rating for this and a definitely high recommendation that you all read it. It is a quick read so go out and buy it right NOW!! You won't regret it and I know it is a book that I will read again and again when I need to experience the love and intimacy this novel creates between the readers and the characters
Oh and I have to mention...completely HAWT! Cover..5 stars for the cover as well!
Friday, January 10, 2014
Wind and Shadow
Read from January 09 to 10, 2014
*Book given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*
The premise of this book is original and exciting, the blurb caught my attention right away and within the first few lines I was hooked and the story started to reel me in .
I adored Rayven our heroine, she was haunted yet spunky and took everything thrown at her. She was for me a different type of heroine who would protect herself from the hurt and accusations that surrounded her. Rayven is a witch and this makes her a target. I was totally sucked in by her character right up until the last 1/4 of the book..but I will touch on that in a minute.
Grant Micheals is our hero who crushed on Rayven throughout high school but never acted on it..after a tragic event where Rayven was blamed Grant like the rest of the town turned on her. Grant too is a really appealing character who I connected with right away, he found himself in an untenable situation and struggled with his loyalties. By the end of the book I felt really sorry for him and knew exactly why his confusion overwhelmed him.
The story moved at a fast pace and gave us twists and turns that were unexpected. Tori L. Ridgewood is definitely a talented writer and her plot machinations were refreshing. I refused to put the book down because I had to find out what happened to these characters. I was totally engrossed. Then I reached the last 1/4 of the book and it completely lost me. I won't go into detail other than warn you all it has a cliffhanger ending. I have to be honest here..I hate cliffhanger endings and it did impact how I rated this novel.
For me this novel right up to the last part of the book was a 4 star read for me but because of the plot twist and the resultant cliffhanger I will give this book a 3.5 star rating. If cliffhangers and love triangles don't bother you then I would highly recommend this read. If they do..I'd give it a pass.
t'irla
Friday, January 3, 2014
Wildest Dreams
Recommended for: Lovers of fantasy and of romance
Read from January 02 to 03, 2014
The Best way to start a brand new year is with a Kristen Ashley read and as usual she didn't let me down.
In this outing she put her quill to paper and wrote a fantastic romantic fantasy with all the intrigue and suspense as her contemporary romances give us but also has the magic of not only a witch but of a fantasy land that has a modern girl becoming a princess in a time of swords and swashbuckling. Just like her CR this book gives us several uber hawt alpha males including the main character of Frey who instantly went on my book boyfriend list and his "men" as well as other hunky heads of the royal houses. Frey is everything I adore in a MC he is strong in body and mind, just on this side of controlling, extremely masculine and powerful but he is soft and tender with his Finnie. I just adore hard, stern men who melt for their one and only.
As with a lot of KA novels I did think Frey was a bastard at the beginning but that didn't last long.
Finnie was the ultimate heroine, adverturous, kind, with strength of personality and a good strong backbone. She takes everything as it comes rarely getting too worked up about it...and doesn't lose herself in her love but keeps true to her personality. That is one of the best things about KA's heroines, they don't melt with their mates they keep their individuality and they compliment the men and are not taken over by them.
All in all this is definitely a must read for fans of Fantasy novels as well as romance. The blending of the two works wonderfully and neither reader will be disappointed. A 5 star read for me...and now I'm off to read book 2...you can never have too much Kristen Ashley in your library!
t'irla
My Ode to KRISTEN ASHLEY!
Ok Ok, I know this seems extreme but when you find an author who can bring you out of a book slump time and time again you really need to acknowledge her and her fine writing.
I discovered Kit a couple years ago when some of my Goodread buddies insisted I try her writing. My first journey into KA land was The Rock Chick Series which I loved from word one, then followed the Dream Man series, Chaos, The Burg, Unfinished Hero, Colorado Mountain and now I am delving into Fantasyland. I know I still have a couple more to go but they will await my next book slump.
Let me share with you a bit more about Kristen Ashley.(from GR)
"Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better"
10 Things You May Not Know about The Rock Chicks
Some spoilers in here so if you haven’t read the books, beware!
1) Neither Eddie nor Hank were meant to get a book. Both of them were secondary characters when I started to write Rock Chick. Hank started pulling at me early (as in, while writing Chapter 1). But Eddie was a different story. The minute he came to me, sitting outside Paris on the Platte, so strong in my head, the sun shining on his lusciousness, I fell in love.
In fact, I fell so in love that when Indy and Eddie were at Walgreen’s, I quit writing Rock Chick and started writing Rock Chick Rescue. Then I fell so in love with Hank, I wroteRock Chick Redemption. And during that, I fell so in love with Vance that I went on to write Rock Chick Renegade. And then, no joke, I kept going with Luke.
I actually didn’t finish Indy and Lee until after writing Revenge.
2) When I was in Denver, I owned Indy’s duplex and rented Ava’s row house and Jules’s apartment (with the weird bed loft that was totally awesome). Lee’s condo was based on some friends of mine’s condo in Governor’s Park. Ren’s house is also a friend of mine’s in Cheesman Park. Same with Hank’s House in Bonnie Brae and Eddie’s house in Platte Park. Another friend of mine owned a mansion she was fixing up with her partner, and she rented space in it, and one of those spaces was an awful lot like where Stella lived. Hector lives in a house just like the home of a guy friend of mine in the Highland’s. Writing thus, I got to be places I loved with people I loved, which was the whole point of the Rock Chick Series.
3) While I was writing the Rock Chick Series, I would send my chapters to my friends Cat and Dena and my uncle Will. I was at the part in Reckoning when Mace and Stella are shot at on the stage. I’d just finished writing that chapter when both of them went down, sent it off to Cat, Dena and Will and I stopped to take a bath. In the bath, Sadie fromRegret came to me, full-fledged, history and all that had happened to her.
I burst out crying, big, wet, slobbery tears and pulled myself from the bath. I toweled off, threw on some clothes and sat down at my computer as soon as I could, writing Sadie and Hector, and I was a woman obsessed.
See, when Eddie talks to Jet about his fears that her pathological shyness has to do with her maybe being raped, I knew that his brother would face that atrocity with his woman. So Sadie had been playing at the back of my head for three and a half books. In the bath, it was her time to come out but what happened to her, the life she lived was so awful, I was desperate to get her to her happily ever after.
I was in seventh heaven writing Sadie and Hector. But Cat, Dena and Will were not. They were back with Stella and Mace on the stage and had to wait ages for me to get back to them to let them know all was well. And it took longer than them waiting for just one book, for, I fear, I may have written some other books in the meantime too. I’m flighty that way.
4) I had a cat just like Jules’s cat, Boo. His name was Cedric. He was the best cat in the world. He died in my car after having surgery to remove a tumor at a vet who didn’t have the capacity to monitor an animal 24/7 (which the man should have told me in the first freaking place). I was rushing him to the emergency vet hospital, which was half an hour away, hoping and praying he’d make it.
When Cedric passed, I actually felt his beauty leave my car. I knew the instant he took his last kitty breath in his carrier on my back seat.
It’s been years, but to this day, I miss his pride, his affection, his stubbornness, his kitty conversations and his company.
But I love it that I get to visit him when I read Renegade.
5) Tex is a real person. So is Mr. Kumar. And I used to hang with my “Mr. Kumar” in his corner shop. Both of them were the bomb.
6) While immersed in the Rock Chick World, for research purposes, I asked my crazy friend, Frank, to take me to a gun shop. He did and we pored over display case after display case of guns, knives, brass knuckles, batons, mace delivery systems and then some. The place was fascinating, if not the vibe of my usual shopping extravaganzas – including the fact that it was absolutely not, in any way, designed for a woman to shop there. It wasn’t men only but the look, feel, smell and calendar content said this was a place fit for a dude. It…was…awesome.
Thus, Zip’s Gun Emporium was born.
7) On occasion, when the mood struck us, my real life Tod and Stevie (my neighbors when I lived in Indy’s duplex), would have dress up nights. This being Tod and Stevie dressing me up in Tod’s drag queen gowns. We actually have pictorial evidence on my website of such an occasion when I was home from England and visiting them. I also borrowed Tod’s shoes. And we played Yahtzee (the Deluxe edition) with Freixenet so frequently, I’m not sure the game was ever put away.
Oh, and Chowleena was also real. Her name was Vail. And she had attitude. I doted on her and looked after her when Tod and Stevie were on flights. Vail and I used to take walks and people would stop me to pet her (she hated this; she wanted to walk and sniff, not be pet). Vail also had an unusual hairstyle, just like Chowleena. One dude stopped me and hooted, “That dog is wearing chaps!” He wasn’t wrong. She looked just like she was wearing chaps.
She also, alas, is no longer with us. But like Cedric/Boo, I get her back whenever I’m with the Rock Chicks.
8) I wear the perfume Roxie wears, the silver Ava wears and I have an “I do my own stunts” t-shirt – my most favorite tee in a vast collection.
9) The original manuscripts for the Rock Chicks included all the lyrics to the songs intermingled with the action, most notably practically everything Stella sang in Reckoningand Jet and her dad singing “Jet” at varying times in Rescue. I can’t publish lyrics without the permission of the artist so I had to rewrite anything with lyrics in it. Which sucked. They were much better scenes originally.
10) My mother was a letter writer. She hated the phone. She wrote letters all the time.
Her last letter to me before she died was right after she read Rock Chick. She loved it but said, “Kiki, did you have to have so much sex and use so many curse words?” Alas, I never got to answer those questions.
The last line said, “I hope you find your Lee.”
That was the last thing my mother ever “said” to me. And that’s probably why Lee will always be my favorite. Because my momma wanted him for me." (from her Blog)
I was lucky enough to participate in a Chat with her last year on "Gotta Have Romance with a Kick" on Goodreads and found she is as genuine as her characters. Easy to talk to and you just want to be girlfriends with her. If any of you follow her FB page you will know her posts are wonderful, so much personality and fun. She is also a fellow closet fan of "Say Yes to the Dress" . If any of you have not read any of her books you are missing out on wonderfully character driven storylines. Plots that offer suspense, drama, smokin hawt sex and all the alpha male you will ever need. Her heroines all have backbone and character. Her main characters surround themselves in a great support cast and it is wonderful to see them peal off and have stories of their own. I also love that her series will have cross characters so if you continue reading her series you will see or have referenced characters or scenes from other series. I would suggest you start with Rock Chick Series and go from there.
Right now Amazon is offering Law Man for only .99 cents you can't steal it for that:)
Amazon's promo on Law Man
Check out Kristen Ashley's Current Series
Wildest Dreams is my Current read and Broken Dove is her newest Release
Please join the RockChick gang and get on board the Kristen Ashley train and check out these 5 star reads I know you won't regret it. And to quote my dear Kit "Rock On"
I discovered Kit a couple years ago when some of my Goodread buddies insisted I try her writing. My first journey into KA land was The Rock Chick Series which I loved from word one, then followed the Dream Man series, Chaos, The Burg, Unfinished Hero, Colorado Mountain and now I am delving into Fantasyland. I know I still have a couple more to go but they will await my next book slump.
Let me share with you a bit more about Kristen Ashley.(from GR)
"Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better"
10 Things You May Not Know about The Rock Chicks
Some spoilers in here so if you haven’t read the books, beware!
1) Neither Eddie nor Hank were meant to get a book. Both of them were secondary characters when I started to write Rock Chick. Hank started pulling at me early (as in, while writing Chapter 1). But Eddie was a different story. The minute he came to me, sitting outside Paris on the Platte, so strong in my head, the sun shining on his lusciousness, I fell in love.
In fact, I fell so in love that when Indy and Eddie were at Walgreen’s, I quit writing Rock Chick and started writing Rock Chick Rescue. Then I fell so in love with Hank, I wroteRock Chick Redemption. And during that, I fell so in love with Vance that I went on to write Rock Chick Renegade. And then, no joke, I kept going with Luke.
I actually didn’t finish Indy and Lee until after writing Revenge.
2) When I was in Denver, I owned Indy’s duplex and rented Ava’s row house and Jules’s apartment (with the weird bed loft that was totally awesome). Lee’s condo was based on some friends of mine’s condo in Governor’s Park. Ren’s house is also a friend of mine’s in Cheesman Park. Same with Hank’s House in Bonnie Brae and Eddie’s house in Platte Park. Another friend of mine owned a mansion she was fixing up with her partner, and she rented space in it, and one of those spaces was an awful lot like where Stella lived. Hector lives in a house just like the home of a guy friend of mine in the Highland’s. Writing thus, I got to be places I loved with people I loved, which was the whole point of the Rock Chick Series.
3) While I was writing the Rock Chick Series, I would send my chapters to my friends Cat and Dena and my uncle Will. I was at the part in Reckoning when Mace and Stella are shot at on the stage. I’d just finished writing that chapter when both of them went down, sent it off to Cat, Dena and Will and I stopped to take a bath. In the bath, Sadie fromRegret came to me, full-fledged, history and all that had happened to her.
I burst out crying, big, wet, slobbery tears and pulled myself from the bath. I toweled off, threw on some clothes and sat down at my computer as soon as I could, writing Sadie and Hector, and I was a woman obsessed.
See, when Eddie talks to Jet about his fears that her pathological shyness has to do with her maybe being raped, I knew that his brother would face that atrocity with his woman. So Sadie had been playing at the back of my head for three and a half books. In the bath, it was her time to come out but what happened to her, the life she lived was so awful, I was desperate to get her to her happily ever after.
I was in seventh heaven writing Sadie and Hector. But Cat, Dena and Will were not. They were back with Stella and Mace on the stage and had to wait ages for me to get back to them to let them know all was well. And it took longer than them waiting for just one book, for, I fear, I may have written some other books in the meantime too. I’m flighty that way.
4) I had a cat just like Jules’s cat, Boo. His name was Cedric. He was the best cat in the world. He died in my car after having surgery to remove a tumor at a vet who didn’t have the capacity to monitor an animal 24/7 (which the man should have told me in the first freaking place). I was rushing him to the emergency vet hospital, which was half an hour away, hoping and praying he’d make it.
When Cedric passed, I actually felt his beauty leave my car. I knew the instant he took his last kitty breath in his carrier on my back seat.
It’s been years, but to this day, I miss his pride, his affection, his stubbornness, his kitty conversations and his company.
But I love it that I get to visit him when I read Renegade.
5) Tex is a real person. So is Mr. Kumar. And I used to hang with my “Mr. Kumar” in his corner shop. Both of them were the bomb.
6) While immersed in the Rock Chick World, for research purposes, I asked my crazy friend, Frank, to take me to a gun shop. He did and we pored over display case after display case of guns, knives, brass knuckles, batons, mace delivery systems and then some. The place was fascinating, if not the vibe of my usual shopping extravaganzas – including the fact that it was absolutely not, in any way, designed for a woman to shop there. It wasn’t men only but the look, feel, smell and calendar content said this was a place fit for a dude. It…was…awesome.
Thus, Zip’s Gun Emporium was born.
7) On occasion, when the mood struck us, my real life Tod and Stevie (my neighbors when I lived in Indy’s duplex), would have dress up nights. This being Tod and Stevie dressing me up in Tod’s drag queen gowns. We actually have pictorial evidence on my website of such an occasion when I was home from England and visiting them. I also borrowed Tod’s shoes. And we played Yahtzee (the Deluxe edition) with Freixenet so frequently, I’m not sure the game was ever put away.
Oh, and Chowleena was also real. Her name was Vail. And she had attitude. I doted on her and looked after her when Tod and Stevie were on flights. Vail and I used to take walks and people would stop me to pet her (she hated this; she wanted to walk and sniff, not be pet). Vail also had an unusual hairstyle, just like Chowleena. One dude stopped me and hooted, “That dog is wearing chaps!” He wasn’t wrong. She looked just like she was wearing chaps.
She also, alas, is no longer with us. But like Cedric/Boo, I get her back whenever I’m with the Rock Chicks.
8) I wear the perfume Roxie wears, the silver Ava wears and I have an “I do my own stunts” t-shirt – my most favorite tee in a vast collection.
9) The original manuscripts for the Rock Chicks included all the lyrics to the songs intermingled with the action, most notably practically everything Stella sang in Reckoningand Jet and her dad singing “Jet” at varying times in Rescue. I can’t publish lyrics without the permission of the artist so I had to rewrite anything with lyrics in it. Which sucked. They were much better scenes originally.
10) My mother was a letter writer. She hated the phone. She wrote letters all the time.
Her last letter to me before she died was right after she read Rock Chick. She loved it but said, “Kiki, did you have to have so much sex and use so many curse words?” Alas, I never got to answer those questions.
The last line said, “I hope you find your Lee.”
That was the last thing my mother ever “said” to me. And that’s probably why Lee will always be my favorite. Because my momma wanted him for me." (from her Blog)
I was lucky enough to participate in a Chat with her last year on "Gotta Have Romance with a Kick" on Goodreads and found she is as genuine as her characters. Easy to talk to and you just want to be girlfriends with her. If any of you follow her FB page you will know her posts are wonderful, so much personality and fun. She is also a fellow closet fan of "Say Yes to the Dress" . If any of you have not read any of her books you are missing out on wonderfully character driven storylines. Plots that offer suspense, drama, smokin hawt sex and all the alpha male you will ever need. Her heroines all have backbone and character. Her main characters surround themselves in a great support cast and it is wonderful to see them peal off and have stories of their own. I also love that her series will have cross characters so if you continue reading her series you will see or have referenced characters or scenes from other series. I would suggest you start with Rock Chick Series and go from there.
Right now Amazon is offering Law Man for only .99 cents you can't steal it for that:)
Amazon's promo on Law Man
Check out Kristen Ashley's Current Series
Wildest Dreams is my Current read and Broken Dove is her newest Release
Please join the RockChick gang and get on board the Kristen Ashley train and check out these 5 star reads I know you won't regret it. And to quote my dear Kit "Rock On"
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Looking Back at My Newly Discovered Authors of 2013
Traditionally this is the time most people think of their favorite books of the past year so in the interest of trying to be different I thought I would focus on some of my favorite authors of 2013.
First I would like to focus on my favorite NEW TO ME authors of 2013 and the books that introduced them.
Anne Bishop Vi Keeland
I admit to a bit of a theme in 2013...I added to my love of shifters and Vamps with a boatload of badboy bikers and rock stars.
Kylie Scott
Amanda Carlson
Katy Evans
Alice Clayton
Jay Crownover
J. Kenner
Patricia A. Rasey
Respect for my old favorites who are still thrilling me with every new release!
Jeaniene Frost
Kerrelyn Sparks
Laurann Dohner
Chloe Neill
Laurell K Hamilton
D.B. Reynolds
Maya Banks
And for my #1 get me outta my book Funk author Kristen Ashley
First I would like to focus on my favorite NEW TO ME authors of 2013 and the books that introduced them.
Anne Bishop Vi Keeland
Amy Harmon
I admit to a bit of a theme in 2013...I added to my love of shifters and Vamps with a boatload of badboy bikers and rock stars.
Kylie Scott
Amanda Carlson
Katy Evans
Alice Clayton
Jay Crownover
J. Kenner
Patricia A. Rasey
Respect for my old favorites who are still thrilling me with every new release!
Jeaniene Frost
Kerrelyn Sparks
Ilona Andrews
Laurann Dohner
Chloe Neill
Lauren Dane
Laurell K Hamilton
D.B. Reynolds
Maya Banks
And for my #1 get me outta my book Funk author Kristen Ashley
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