Lover at Last

t'irla ~The BookSlayer~'s review Mar 28, 13  ·
4 of 5 stars

Finally!!! After a long wait Qhuay's story is told and I was not disappointed! So much angst and emotion, so many acts of heroism, so much steamy hawt sex!

Description:

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has finally found an identity as one of the most brutal fighters in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems to be within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another....

Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: The male has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young—just as Qhuinn has always wanted for himself. It’s hard to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. As he’s learned firsthand.

Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions... but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn finally learns the true definition of courage, and two hearts who are meant to be together... finally become one.

My Thoughts:

I have been anxiously awaiting this book for quite a while now, afraid that JRW was going to chicken out and let me down. Well, the time is here and I am happy to say I was not let down. Do I think she should have spent more time on the Qhuinn/Blaylock story absolutely. I felt the ending was rushed. Let me explain: I have felt over the last few books that JRW was trying to put too much into her her books. The subplots were over shadowing the main plot and I feel this novel was once again dragged down because of this. We had the Lessor plot, the Sola plot, the BoB plot, the Xcor/Layla plot, the Wrath vs the council plot, the Trez plot and finally the Qhuinn and Blay plot. With these different subplots we had differing POV as well. The made the book drag a bit. I have to admit I was reeled into all the different plots but I really wanted to see how Qhuinn and Blay got together and would have liked to see more time spent at the end of the book with them in a relationship.

All this being said I did enjoy this book much better than the last one and found it grabbed my attention more. I like the "coming of age" story that Qhuinn went through to become a male worth loving and I really enjoyed how Blay "outted himself to his family" The sex scenes though very tame for a JRW book were still well written with a larger audience in mind. I personally would have like to have seen it a bit more graphic but that is my taste alone.

We were left with many open ended subplots and know that the next book will need to untangle some of the mess the characters have found themselves. I do have to mention that I hated the last line in the book. It struck me as condescending and sarcastic. A so there you go now quit bugging me. This took away some of my enjoyment of the book.

I have rated the book 4 stars based on the "slowness" of especially the first half of the book and because of the last line in the book.

If you have been following the BDB this book is a must read for you.

Twice Tempted

t'irla ~The BookSlayer~'s review Mar 28, 2013
5 of 5 stars
Recommended for: Everyone...Don't miss this great book


Major fangirl SQUEEEEE best follow up novel eva!!! This book has more twists than a mountain road, more steam than a boiling teakettle and a carnival of emotions that will make you wish that glass of wine you are drinking had automatic refills!

Description:

Dating the Prince of Darkness has its challenges...

Leila's psychic abilities have been failing her, and now she isn't sure what the future holds. If that weren't enough, her lover, Vlad, has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she's also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever–especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won't admit that he loves her.

Like choosing between eternal love and a loveless eternity...

Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust– the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity.

My Thoughts:

Make no mistake Jeaniene Frost is my favorite author, she can do what many author's wish they could do...write a bestseller *every* time. Her reads are always "hang on to your hat" fast paced. Her characters are always people you wish you knew or felt you did know. Her love stories are never simple but also not so drawn out you want to kill yourself over the angst. Her books are also so easy to read that once you start a book you have to read it until the end without taking a break.

I started TT at 10:30am the morning of it's release and finished it at 4pm. Then started and read it all over again. Vlad much like Bones is a strong Alpha Vampire but unlike Bones he really never shows his soft side. He keeps his emotions bottled up inside and that is what makes this book so special, he unveils his emotions a drop at a time. Leila is your typical human woman who wants instant gratification and isn't going to wait around in case it never happens. The novel has wonderful highs and tragic lows where you can't help but cry with the characters. Your heart is in your throat through most of the book. We also got to seem more of Vlad's emotions and personality in this book. He is slowly opening up and sharing with Leila.

I have heard people compare Vlad to Bones and Leila to Cat (if you don't know what I'm talking about you MUST read Night Huntress Series) and to be honest I don't see the connections Vlad is very self controlled, he keeps tight reign on his emotions and feels everyone one if his responsibilities he is in no way "fun" or "lighthearted". He also doesn't have the mischievous streak that Bones loves to showoff. Leila is very human and very much a strong mental character, Cat is physically strong and kickass. They compliment each other but I would not compare them and find them similar.

I do love how JF has characters from the NH series have cameos in this series and that the connection is still there.

It was wonderful to see that we will be getting a 3rd book in this series but wishing JF would write faster cause the wait in between books is killing me !!

A 5 Shiny gold stars from me and a recommendation. If you don't buy or read any other new release this spring you must not miss Twice Tempted. Now go....run...and remember to rate and review it when you are done we want to read your opinion of this fantastic novel.

Manataka

t'irla ~The BookSlayer~'s review Mar 18, 13   Re Rated May 22/13: See Bottom Note!
3 of 5 stars

Recommended for: those who want something a bit different in PNR

Refreshing change from the normal PNR romance, fast paced story with wonderful protagonists!

Description:

Since she was a child, Chloe has endured horrible nightmares about a Native American prince living in a time long forgotten. She never understood why, until she finds a stone that matches the one in her dreams. It has unimaginable powers, powers Chloe doesn't understand. Fueled by memories of someone else’s past, she sets off on a wild quest for the stone’s birth place, hoping to also find answers to her foreboding dreams.

On the outside, Mason Green looks like a hard working, self-made millionaire, with too busy a life for romance. Very few people know the real reason for his self-imposed seclusion. It’s safer that way. But when a sexy historian shows him a supernatural stone from a forgotten tribe, Mason is intrigued - maybe the relic is the salvation he’s been waiting for. Ignoring the irrational attraction that threatens to crack the cask around his heart, Mason agrees to help Chloe.

As their wild quest becomes a dangerous mission, they must find the relic’s birthplace before Mason’s past catches up to them.

My Thoughts:

**This book was given to me by the author for an honest review***

A refreshing story using Native American folklore in a contemporary setting with paranormal elements tossed it. I really enjoyed the premise of the book and overall it was a quick and easy read. The characters were well written and were easy to connect with and warm up to. I loved how the story entwined the present with aspects of the past using Native American mythology and a strong creative mind. The story line was fascinating and there was never a dull moment. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Unfortunately, there is some pretty major editing issues that almost made me put the book down. This novel would have received a much higher rating and I strongly recommend to the author to please have the book re-edited as the errors really drop you out of the story and it impedes the enjoyment of the book. The other issue I had was the use of British terms by supposed American characters set in America, they just didn't make sense and once again the reader drops out of the story because of it.

I have given this story a rating of 3 stars, if the re edit happens and the phraseology corrected I would be happy to revisit this rating because the story does deserve a much higher rating.

Keep a watch for this great read, I hope Ella Phoenix re-edits because this book is sure to be a hit.


MAY 22 2013:  AUTHOR RE-EDITED BOOK RATING HAS BEEN LIFTED TO A 4 ****STAR READ!  

*for more reviews by t'irla see tirlastalk@blogspot.ca* READ RATE REVIEW your opinion matters.

It's the Weather....really!

Hi Everyone, I know it has been a bit since I wrote more than a review.  I had surgery recently and things were a bit out of control but all is going well and I'm recuperating nicely. I thought during this time I would have a ton of time to read but I read nothing in my 4 days in the hospital and for a couple days back home.  Reading takes a bit of concentration and I just wasn't concentrating on anything but me and sleep.

Ok, so I"m ready to read I pull out my ereader..both of them ..cause you can't have too many ereaders LOL and start to go thru the books on it...Mr Crankypants my dear hubby yelled upstairs at me "Whats wrong", I had no idea what he meant but explained all he could hear from the bedroom was deep sighs.  I turned to my Calibre library knowing I must have something that would catch my eye and trigger the must read gene that all avid readers have.  I looked thru pages and pages of books...and nothing, however I decided to work on my calibre and got some book in that I hadn't been and discovered and played with some of the new features.  Bedtime came along..or rather sleep time for me and I really like to read before bed, it takes me out of my head and lets me get lost in someone else's life.  I still had nothing to read...I have to laugh, nothing to read..it is like saying there is nothing on tv even though you have hundreds of channels.

Now I have been hearing on GR for months friends complaining that they are in a slump and are tired of their beloved books.   Suggestions flew as to how to overcome the slump, change genres, reread old favorites, try a new genre you have never read before etc. Sometimes this worked for my dear GR friends, and sometimes it didn't but after a couple days of tv it seemed that everyone found something to read.  So I decided ok, I'd watch some tv and that was fun but I have never been one to just watch tv I usually did a word puzzle or something at the same time cause the stories usually don't consume all of my attention.  I didn't have puzzle books so after a day I was ready to read, but what?? I have recommendations from those I trust but they didn't grab me.  What is wrong with me...knee replacement couldn't have damaged my reading gene.

So I asked myself, what is different and the only thing I could think of is the weather.  Freezing cold temperatures one day and a couple days later temperatures have melted the snow and it was much warmer.  Since fall these temperatures have been up and down from -12C to +15C all in the same week.  So I decided that it is the weather that is wreaking havoc with my reading gene.  So what do I do about it...hrmm.. I open a window..yup  lets let that weather in and commune with it, let the cold air wrap around me as I snuggle under my downfilled duvet with only the top of my head peaking out and fingers wrapped around my ereader I go forth to forage for a book.  *sigh* well that worked a bit...I'm interested..but decisions decisions what to read.  I went back to my Calibre and picked a number  and that was the book I was going to read and it worked.  I have been doing that for a couple weeks now and it has lead me to series , short stories and books I had put off reading for one reason or another.

So coming up in the next wee bit you will find some reviews on here that might seem to be coming quick, I was doing well reviewing after I read the books but I didn't get them to my blog so coming up ...

"What did you do on your Winter Vacation" aka "reading while stuck in bed recovering" or simply  "THE REVIEWS"

I would love to hear from any of you if you have read the books and if you agree or disagree with my reviews I love hearing people's takes on the same book we are all so different.

Thanks to all of you out there for being patient with me...I'm doing well and up for half days and walking better than I did before surgery.  I will be more than ready for June for knee surgery 1.2 ...remember I'll be dancing by fall :)

Wishing you all happy reading!

Knight

Knight (Unfinished Hero, #1) 
by Kristen Ashley 

t'irla ~The BookSlayer~'s review Mar 07, 13 

Wow, A huge step away from her usual writing. For me it was a 70% adored  and 30% "what the hell"..talk about a step in a different direction.

Description:

Anya Gage has learned that to get anything good in life, you have to work for it. She has no expectations, no dreams.

Then she finds herself at a party where she doesn’t want to be and she meets Knight.

Knight Sebring knows who he is, what he wants and what he likes. And he gets it. But he never expected something as sweet as Anya Gage to wander into his bedroom during a party he did not expect to be having to borrow his phone.

Knight tries to leave Anya to the life she deserves of white picket fences and a man who watches football on Sundays – good, normal and clean. But when Anya comes to his nightclub and finds herself in a situation, he knows someone has to look after her, he can’t fight it anymore and he decides that man will be him.

Knight teaches Anya that, just as with the bad, in life you should also expect the good. And he teaches her this by giving it to her.

But Knight has a dark past and just as he desires Anya for exactly who she is, he fears when she finds out exactly the man he has become and always intends to be, she’ll leave him for good, normal and clean.

My Thoughts:


I admit I have put off reading this book for a long time based on comments fom dear friends here on GR but never one to submit completely to someone else's opinion and since I"m stuck in bed I figured it was a good time to check it out. I don't know if I am sorry I did or glad I did. 

There is so much of the book that I just adored however there is a chunk of this book that I hated so I'm confused. Let me mention at this point, I adore Kristin Ashley and also love reading erotic romance including BDSM/Lite. Ok, that information is clear. I love KA's writing style and how she creates characters that are so 'real' and easy to connect with (usually), her plots are well thought out and take the reader on a fun emotional ride. I appreciate that she wrote a disclaimer at the front of the book informing her usual readers that this series is different for her and that they may not like it. When an author steps out of their 'normal' genre or type of writing I really do appreciate knowing prior to purchase. 

 I didn't go into this book expecting Rock Chicks or Dream Man. However, the elements that I like in every KA book was in this book, this is the 70% that I adored. If I overlook a  few personality traits of the characters I really liked them and connected with them. KA has taken a "bad guy" before and made him her hero and she even left him as part of the biker underworld and it worked great. Now, moving to the 30% I didn't like...actually hated.. I totally didn't like the whole "Daddy/baby" thing..and yes it does squee me but even in my "fantasy" reading life I can't get past it...and within this novel it didn't do it for me at all. Psychologically I couldn't figure out where it came from either there was no evidence in the characters backgrounds that we were given that either had a daddy/daughter complex. I have read many books where the alpha male was completely controlling. But KA took our Knight and pushed him into 'creepyland' he was too too too much. It was uncomfortable and very stalker/mentally unbalanced and not loving.  Ido  love when an alpha male tells his mate he owns her..or she belongs to him ..that does it for me..but usually he also says that she owns him as well..I think take this out and the 3 stars would have been 4 easily. I ded feel the relationship was unbalanced. I also found in the later part of the book Knight was repetitive and I couldn't figure out  why he needed to say the same thing over again? It didn't work for me. Our Heroine Anya was a different fish all together, in the beginning of the novel KA made her seem a bit wallflowerish...and overweight...then suddenly she was this drop dead bombshell who men couldn't look away from. I know that Knight's viewpoint was very influential here but her posse told her this too. I don't' want to go too much in to Knight's background as I don't want to spoil the ending for people..but it didn't quite feel right either. 

All this being said I still really liked the parts of the characters that I didn't mention and I thought the story line was clever and different and loved how KA took a chance and stepped out of the box. So how do I rate this?? I balanced up what I liked and what I didn't and came up with 3 stars since some of the book is a 1 star for me and other parts a 5 star...this my friends was a really tough call and I think the first book that has really made me fight myself about rating it. 

Kristin my friend...what an awesome job of stepping it up and taking a different direction. I admire you as a writer and now respect you as a woman who wants to be "more". Congratulations.

I recommend this book but if you are easily freaked about control or have a very black and white opinion about "good vs bad" you may wanna give this a pass. If you want to read a good story and can put aside the 30% and look at the whole then give it a read..the 70% is so worth it. 

3 confused stars ...

For more reviews by me please see tirlastalk@blogspot.ca.....Remember to READ RATE REVIEW let us know what you think!