The Breathing Sea II: Drowning (The Zemnian Series: Book 4) by E.P. Clark

The Breathing Sea II: Drowning (The Zemnian Series Book 4)

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: July 21st, 2017

Genre: Fantasy

The Midnight Land: Part One: The Flight – Book 1

The Midnight Land: Part Two: The Gift – Book 2

The Breathing Sea I: Burning – Book 3 (review here)

The Breathing Sea II: Drowning – Book 4

Where you can find The Breathing Sea II: Drowning – Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Tormented by her growing visions and unable to bear her companions any longer, Dasha has fled into the woods with the spirits who have promised to help her. But not all promises can be kept. Dasha must strike off on her own and learn to fend for herself for the first time in her life. With war on the borders of Zem’, the woods hold more dangers than bears, wolves, and hunger, and Dasha’s greatest threat may be within her. Can she learn to control herself and her magic before she endangers herself, her companions, and perhaps her country itself? And what price will that control demand? How much will Dasha have to sacrifice in order to save herself and her land, and will that sacrifice be voluntary—or not?

“The Breathing Sea II: Drowning” is the sequel to “The Breathing Sea I: Burning” and a continuation to The Zemnian Series.

My Review:

I was pretty excited to review The Breathing Sea II: Drowning. I had reviewed The Breathing Sea I: Burning and enjoyed reading it. I had high hopes for The Breathing Sea II: Drowning and the book more than exceeded them.

The Breathing Sea II: Drowning picks up from the end of The Breathing Sea I: Burning. Dasha is with the domovayas. They are going to teach her how to control her magic. Magic that is getting out of control. She decides to leave the domovayas to find her companions and find someone to help her control her magic. When she leaves the domovayas realm, she is in the middle of the forest. She is aided by people and spirits alike in her search for not only her traveling companions but how to control her magic. She also runs into situations that she must overcome by her wits and magic. She learns some hard lessons before reuniting with her companions. But there is more strife and intrigue when she reaches the safety of Lesnograd. She must prove to her sisters, father and traveling companion that she is in control of her magic. Can she? Or will she fail?

Dasha drove me nuts for most of the book. I thought she acted like a spoiled brat over and over again. She could have learned how to control her magic with the domovayas. Instead, she took the hard way. While she drove me nuts, I did feel bad for her also. She had a lot of pressure on her to control her magic. She also had pressure from her sisters on what to do with the raiders that were kidnapping her people. No matter which way she thought to go, she was wrong. She did come into her own at the end of the book and it was marvelous to read.

I loved how the author brought the characters from the last book into this one. Usually, in epic fantasies like these, there is always some sort of awkwardness when it comes to reintroducing characters. Not here. It was like the book never ended. I loved it!!!

I loved the fantasy aspect of this book. The author did a great job of intertwining Russian mythology with fantasy. Everything was vividly written. I loved it when a book can draw me in and make me forget where I am.

I am going to warn everyone that this book is long. It is 606 pages. It took me 5 days to read it. But it is worth the read.

The end of The Breathing Sea II: Drowning was not what I expected. I am hoping that there will be a book 5 out of this series. Dasha has so much more to give storywise.

What I liked about The Breathing Sea II: Drowning:

A) Seamless flow from the earlier book

B) Fantasy intertwined with Russian mythology made for a great read

C) Written beautifully

What I disliked about The Breathing Sea II: Drowning:

A) Dasha. She annoyed me this book

B) The domovayas and other spirits. They creeped me out

C) The raider angle. I didn’t like how it ended.

I would give The Breathing Sea II: Drowning a rating of Older Teen. There are no sexual situations. There is mild violence. There is no language.

There are triggers in the book. They are animal abuse, talk of past rape and talk of past child abuse

I would recommend The Breathing Sea II: Drowning to family and friends. I would include a note of the triggers. This is a book that I would reread.

I would like to thank E.P. Clark for allowing me to read and review The Breathing Sea II: Drowning.

All opinions stated in this review of The Breathing Sea II: Drowning is mine

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Starswept (Starswept: Book 1) by Mary Fan

Starswept (Starswept, #1)

5 Stars

Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing

Date of publication: August 29th, 2017

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Series: Starswept

Starswept – Book 1

Wayward Stars – Book 2

Where you can find Starswept: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Some melodies reach across the stars.

In 2157, the Adryil—an advanced race of telepathic humanoids—contacted Earth. A century later, 15-year-old violist Iris Lei considers herself lucky to attend Papilio, a prestigious performing arts school powered by their technology. Born penniless, Iris’s one shot at a better life is to attract an Adryil patron. But only the best get hired, and competition is fierce.

A sudden encounter with an Adryil boy upends her world. Iris longs to learn about him and his faraway realm, but after the authorities arrest him for trespassing, the only evidence she has of his existence is the mysterious alien device he slipped to her.

When she starts hearing his voice in her head, she wonders if her world of backstabbing artists and pressure for perfection is driving her insane. Then, she discovers that her visions of him are real—by way of telepathy—and soon finds herself lost in the kind of impossible love she depicts in her music.

But even as their bond deepens, Iris realizes that he’s hiding something from her—and it’s dangerous. Her quest for answers leads her past her sheltered world to a strange planet lightyears away, where she uncovers secrets about Earth’s alien allies that shatter everything she knows.

My review:

When I was approached to review Starswept, I was kind of “eh” about it. But a friend and fellow blogger, Kristin at Simply Enchanted Life, had reviewed it and she loved it. I trust her opinion when it comes to books, so I made the decision to review it. I am glad that I did because this book was fantastic.

Starswept takes place in the 2157 North Carolina. It did take me a while to realize that the book was set in North Carolina. I was so engrossed with Iris and Damiul’s romance that it didn’t register. It was only when the author makes a point of mentioning Charlotte, that my radar went off.

Iris was a gifted violist who, at the beginning of the book, more than anything wants her ranking to go up. She wants to attract an Adryil patron and be able to find her parents. She meets Damiul as he was running from security bots. He gives her a strange device and tells her not to tell anyone about it. It is soon after that she is able to see and hear him through telepathy. She is soon falling in love with Damiul even though he is hiding something from her. At the same time, she attracts an Adryil patron and is soon off to their planet. But, she comes to realize that what she knew about the Adryil race is not what she thought. There are truths revealed that will shatter her. Can she pull herself together to help the one person who needs it?

I liked Iris and I enjoyed watching her character growth throughout the book. She went from being a music-obsessed teenager desperate to attract a patron to a mature young woman who was able to roll with the punches. Her personality came off the pages. I also liked that she was a typical teenager. Well, as typical as a teenager could be while trying to outperform her peers. I couldn’t believe the pressure that she was put under to find a patron. Insane, knowing what I know now.

I am glad that Damiul was only shown through telepathy. At first, I wasn’t. I like my romantic characters to be together and interact like couples do. Having Damiul so far away and only so Iris could see him was excellent. What also added to his allure is that I didn’t know anything about him. He didn’t talk to Iris about his family. When things were revealed about him to Iris, I was right there with her being stunned.

Music is a huge part of this book. Everything revolved around it. From the school that Iris lived and trained at to going to Adryil. I am not an expert on musical instruments or even the type of music that a viola plays. But, I did my research while reading. If you want to hear a fantastic violist, google Nobuko Imai and watch a few videos of her playing. Beautiful!!!

The romance between Damiul and Iris was a slow burn. It was also different because he was only available to her through telepathy. I got caught up in their romance.

The end of Starswept was not what I expected. I will leave it at that. If you want to know more, read the book.

What I liked about Starswept:

A) Great storyline

B) Relatable characters

C) The music

What I disliked about Starswept:

A) The school

B) The insane pressure that Iris was under

C) Damiul only being available to Iris through telepathy

I would give Starswept a rating of Older Teen. There is no sex or sexual situations in this book. There is a couple of kisses but that’s it. There is some mild violence sprinkled throughout the book. There is also mild language.

There are trigger warnings in the book. Because these would be considered spoilers, I will white them out. Highlight if you want to read them. They are slavery.

I would recommend Starswept to family and friends. I would give them a heads up about the trigger warning. This is a book that I would reread.

I would like to thank Snowy Wings Publishing for allowing me to read and review Starswept.

All opinions stated in this review of Starswept are mine.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

The Snowtiger’s Tale by Watson Davis

The Snowtiger's Trail (The Windhaven Chronicles) by [Davis, Watson]

5 Stars

Publisher

Date of publication: April 12th, 2018

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Series: The Windhaven Chronicles:

The Devil’s Library – Book 1 (review here)

The Shepherd Girl’s Necklace – Book 2 (review here)

The Archbishop’s Necklace – Book 3 (review here)

The Snowtiger’s Trail – Book 4

Where you can find The Snowtiger’s Trail: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Amazon):

Welcome to Windhaven and the Wrath of the Wizard-King!

A deposed Wizard-king leads his ragged band of followers to the last town before the Far Waste and hides there from his vengeful queen while building an army to re-take his rightful kingdom. A regular army won’t do for the Wizard-king. He needs something deadlier, something magical, something demonic.

When Wallak of the Bright Fox tribe wakes up from a night of carousing in Ancliff, he can’t find his nephew. He can’t return to his tribe alone, but if he discovers his nephew whereabouts, he may never return to his tribe at all.

This is a swords and sorcery tale of dark, soul-twisting magic where no-one is safe.

My review:

I have become a huge fan of Watson Davis. I have enjoyed reviewing his The Windhaven Chronicles. So when he asked me to read and review The Snowtiger’s Trail, I jumped on it. This book exceeded my expectations!! It also answered some questions that I had about the other books in the series.

The Snowtiger’s Trail follows Wallak of the Bright Fox clan as he tries to save his nephew from an evil king. This evil king is using dark magic to transform the people of the village that he took over. Wallak is captured while looking for his missing nephew. He is then transformed and used to fight the other villagers who were also transformed. Wallak needs to find a way to defeat the evil king. That way everyone who was transformed by the evil king can be free. But will Wallak be able to do it? Or will he be doomed to be enslaved to a monster for the rest of his life?

I liked Wallak’s character. He was such a wise guy. He was also a tough bugger too. I mean, he got beat on during the book. There were chapters where I wondered to myself “How on Earth is he still alive“. He was a dedicated uncle, brother, lover, and tribesman. I will say that I was not expecting what happened to him to happen.

I thought that the fantasy aspect of the book was wonderfully written. The author did a great job of gradually introducing King Thrune’s magic. He didn’t get into the transformation. That was left up to my imagination and I loved it. All I knew is what Wallak and Brida felt after each transformation.

The monsters that made up a good part of this story were creepy. There were minotaurs, centaurs, and Valryke type monsters, to name a few. The author also made up a few. The crab creatures and the flying snow tigers are ones that stood out in my mind the most.

I liked the secondary storyline of Wallak and Brida’s romance. I thought that it was skillfully woven into the main storyline. It was written in such a way that it didn’t take over the main storyline. It actually added to it.

I will admit, I was surprised at who those tribes ended up being. Thinking about it, after reading the book, it does make sense. I couldn’t wrap my head around it at the time.

There is a fair amount of violence in The Snowtiger’s Trail. Saying that I wasn’t turned off by the violence. The violence was needed to make the reader understand what Wallak, Brida, and the other changed people were going through. What I also liked is that no character was spared when it came to being killed off. It was another way of keeping me glued to the book.

The end of the book, which I mentioned above, was surprising. Like I mentioned above, I wasn’t expecting what happened to happen. The end of the book made me smile because it was fitting. It came around in a full circle.

What I liked about The Snowtiger’s Trail:

A) Rich, complex world

B) 3D characters

C) the fantasy aspect of the book was very well written.

What I disliked about The Snowtiger’s Trail:

A) King Thrune

B) The children being abducted and changed

C) The gladiator scenes

I would give The Snowtiger’s Trail a rating of Adult. There is explicit violence. No language. There are sexual situations but they were not graphic.

I would give The Snowtiger’s Trail trigger warnings. They would be attempted rape, abduction of children. If you are triggered by those, I would suggest not reading the book.

I would recommend The Snowtiger’s Trail to family and friends. I would include a warning about the explicit violence and the trigger warnings. This is a book and series that I would reread.

I would like to thank Watson Davis for allowing me to read and review The Snowtiger’s Trail.

All opinions stated in this review of The Snowtiger’s Trail are mine.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon (The Embraced: Book 3) by Kerrelyn Sparks

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon (The Embraced, #3)

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Date of publication: March 27th, 2018

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Series: The Embraced

How to Tame a Beast in 7 Days – Book 1

So I Married a Sorcerer – Book 2

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon – Book 3

Where you can find Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon: Amazon | Barnes and Nobles

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

From the brilliant imagination of Kerrelyn Sparks comes a bold new fantasy romance series in which passion and magic collide. Behold the Embraced…

Gwennore has a talent. An Elf able to track down the cause of an illness and heal it, she’s a valuable asset to her people. When the kidnapping of a young girl thrusts Gwennore into the very heart of the realm of the dragons, she discovers not only a place of power and magic but also a haunted land, plagued by an ancient curse that all but ensures extinction to the royal family. But when she meets the smoldering General Silas Dravenko, they strike a bargain—save the country from its cursed illness, and he will return the kidnapped girl. She’s been raised never to trust a dragon, but never did making a deal with the devil feel so good…

Silas has no way of curing the family he’s loyally served for years. But when a beautiful elf, long considered the enemy of the dragons, comes bursting into his world, Silas is awakened to passion and desire in a way he’s never felt before. But can he trust a sworn enemy to save the very existence he holds dear? And can their love survive those that threaten to tear them apart?

My review:

First off, I want to comment on the model for the cover of the book. Can we say “Yum?” He is what I pictured Silas would look like. Thank you to whoever had to good sense to choose this model. He will help boost sales on this book.

I had an “Oops, I did it again” type of hiccup when I signed up to review this book on NetGalley. Usually, if I get the hint that the book is part of series, I look it up on Goodreads and make my decision. As it turns out, I didn’t see the “A novel of the Embraced” on the blurb that NetGalley puts up. Or the series list that Goodreads has. I was distracted when accepting this book. I am glad I did. Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon was a great read. I did get lost with some of the references made about the plotlines of the earlier books and the Chameleon.

Image result for the chameleon tuff puppy — **Picture Credit**

The plotline for Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon was interesting. Gwennore is an Elf who was raised on a secret island with 4 other girls. They all have had the misfortune of being born when the two moons of their world eclipse. Any child who is born when that happens is born with a magical power.

Gwennore was watching her adopted sister’s 3-year-old daughter when a dragon suddenly appears and snatches the toddler up. Gwennore clings to the dragon in a desperate attempt to rescue her. After being thrown from the dragon and being caught by another, Gwennore is brought to the land of Novreshka. A land that is dangerous. A land that Gwennore will fight for her life, to get to the bottom of an ancient curse, to heal the people of Novreshka, and for the love of a man who has many secrets. What Gwennore doesn’t know is that her secrets, secrets that have been hidden from her, could be the undoing of everything that she has fought so hard for.

I liked Gwennore even though I felt bad for her. She was not accepted outside of her sisters because she was an Elf. That whole scene with those Lords made me mad. She was too sweet to even stick up for herself and she refused to let Brody shift and bite them. I did think that when she spoke Novreshkaish, it was a little odd. But when she told Silas where she learned it from, I laughed. She was speaking like they did centuries before. I liked that she was willing to do anything to find a cure for the curse that was affecting Novreshka. I figured out her parentage fairly early in the book. I did think it took her a little longer to figure out the connection between Puff and Silas. I figured it out before her…lol.

I loved Silas. I thought he was awesome the entire book. He would do anything for his family. But if it crossed a line, which kidnapping Gwennore’s niece did, he was willing to right the wrong. He was such a mystery in the first half of the book. I liked how the author gradually leaked his background. His biggest secret, though, I guessed halfway through the book. I like it when the main character can make me laugh. Silas certainly did. He was a cheeky bugger.

There is Instalove in Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon. I don’t like Instalove. I know most people do but I like a believable romance. One where the love is built up. Not one where all it takes is one look and bam, you are in love. Strangely, it does work in Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon. But just because it works, doesn’t mean I will start liking Instalove.

The chemistry between Gwennore and Silas was off the charts off. The author did a great job of maintaining that spark between them until they had sex. And let me tell you about the sex. Holy crap was it good. Silas couldn’t have picked a better place to deflower Gwennore. At their version of the North Pole, under the Northern lights. It was beautiful and unbelievably sexy.

What I didn’t like was that past books were referenced. While the author did a great job of following up with an explanation about what the characters were talking about, I still felt that I was out of the loop.

I loved how the author kept the secret of the dragons a secret until almost the end of the book. Saying that I did guess the secret halfway through the book. I also liked how the author connected that secret to the issues that had befallen the kings and queens. It made for a very interesting read.

The end of the book was not what I expected. It was a bittersweet ending. Silas’s happiness was tempered by something that happened towards the end of the book. The author ended Silas and Gwennore’s romance in a way that satisfied me. But she didn’t end all the storylines. She left enough leeway that you know there will be a book 4. I am wondering if it will be Maeve or Sorcha???

What I liked about Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon:

A) A fun, flirty storyline

B) Gwennore and Silas’s romance

C) Plot twists were kept secret until they were revealed

What I didn’t like about Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon:

A) 3rd book in a series

B) Instalove

C) Past books were referenced and leaving me confused

I would give Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon an Adult rating. This is a book that I wouldn’t let anyone under the age of 21 read. There are explicit sex and violence. No language. There is one scene where a man is pushed into a boiling hot spring and boiled alive. I didn’t easily get that scene out of my mind.

There are trigger warnings in this book. They would be kidnapping, murder, and attempted murder. If you are triggered by any of these, I would suggest not to read the book.

I would recommend Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon to family and friends. I would include a warning about the triggers. I would reread this book and I would happily read the rest of the series.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Paperbacks, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon.

All opinions stated in this review of Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The Emperor’s Visions (formerly Warriors) by R.A. Denny

The Emperor's Visions (Tales of Tzoladia Book 4) by [Denny, R.A.]

4 Stars

Publisher: self-published

Date of publication: October 18th, 2017

Genre: fantasy, young adult, Christian fiction

Series: Mud Rocks and Trees

Refugees – Book 1 (review here)

Seekers – Book 2 (review here)

Captives – Book 3 (review here)

Warriors – Book 4

Visionaries – Book 5

Where you can find Warriors: Amazon | Barnes and Nobles

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

“The only thing keeping that seal around his neck is his head. Heads are easily removed.”
Time is running out. Tzoladia is under siege. Heads will roll.

As the prophecy unfolds, Emperor Zoltov’s military forces take action to exterminate the “Subhumans.” Leaders form risky alliances. Metlan’s ambition propels him into places of mystery and murder. Brina and Amanki sail through a sea filled with enchantment and betrayal. Moshoi is dazzled by treasure as he faces the horrors of an evil empire. All forces converge on Tzoladia for a showdown.

Will mud, rocks, and trees come together and prevail? Who will lose their heads?

My review:

When R.A. approached me to review Warriors, I was pretty stoked. I have loved every book in this series. Usually, I expect some sort of lull in a series. A book that isn’t up to par with the rest of the book. Not with this series. Each book has been fantastic and Warriors continues with the excellence.

Warriors picks up shortly after the events of Captives. Amanki is a foot soldier in the Tzoladian Army. Brina is a slave and is being used by the leader of the Sparaggi Tribe. Tuka is working for the emperor. He is also a spy for a local resistance group. Metlan is now the king of the Samalitans. He also holds Brina’s seal. Somehow, they all must meet up and bring the seals together.

Amanki is on the front lines of a war that he didn’t ask to be in. Fighting for an emperor that wants him dead. I liked that he still held on to his faith, even when events happened that made him question it. He grew in this book. He became more of a leader.

I was a little put off by Brina at the beginning of Warriors. There was a point in the book where I did question whether she was going to continue with her quest. She did redeem herself in my eyes after the battle when she aided Amanki. If she gets her seal back from Metlan, what it will do. If Amanki’s can call a leviathan, then what will hers call?? I also figured out what was going to happen between her and Metlan before it happened.

Tuka had it rough. He was spying on the emperor for a group of rebels within the palace. He was being pressured to assassinate the emperor because he was the closest to him. He also was supposed to help Burlem find out who ordered the killing of the women and children of his tribe. At one point, I didn’t know what was going to happen to him. I thought that he was going to do one thing and ended up doing another. Put it this way, I am glad that he met Samuel.

Metlan got on my nerves. I know that he had to prove that he was worthy of being a king but still. He played Brina. But, I am wondering if he did have feelings for her. And what he did was more of a political attempt to get the Karsonians to behave. Guess I’ll have to see. I am also wondering where Pergassi is and if she is still alive.

There are a couple of twists in the plot. One that I saw coming. One came out of left field. With the one I saw coming, the author dropped enough hints in the earlier books. So when Baskrod revealed it to Metlan, I wasn’t surprised. The other one, though, took me completely by surprise. I kick myself because I should have seen it coming.

The Christian element of the book was well written. Adon was discussed, praised and it was mentioned but it didn’t take over the book. Which is great for someone who wants to read a religious-themed but doesn’t want to feel it being forced down your throat.

I thought that the fantasy aspect of the book was very well written also. I love to read fantasy but I have found some of the books can be dull and repetitive. Warriors was a refreshing change from that.

The character and world building in this book were over the top. The author took an already great world/characters and added more depth to them. I am looking forward to seeing how much more she adds to the world/characters in the next book. I enjoy reading a book where I can picture the characters and the world. It makes it so much more interesting to read.

The end of Warriors was a mess. I won’t go into it other than to say it was sort of cliffhanger. But, things look to going in the right direction (finally!!) for Brina, Tuka, Amanki, and Metlan.

What I liked about Warriors:

A) Amazing world/character building

B) Fast paced original storyline

C) The plot twists

What I disliked about Warriors:

A) Metlan. Player going to play (cue in Taylor Swift here)

B) Pressure on Tuka.

C) The battle scene with Amanki and Kishar. And then the one with Amanki and Jacob

I was a bit torn on what rating to give Warriors. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to give it a Tween or a Young Teen rating. For the sake of the review, I would say Young Teen rating. There is violence. There is no sex but there is a couple of scenes where Metlan and Brina kiss. Again, nothing graphic. No language.

There are no trigger warnings in the book.

I would recommend this book to family and friends. I would reread this book.

I would like to thank R.A. Denny for allowing me to read and review Warriors.

All opinions stated in this review of Warriors are mine.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Scoring off the Field (WAGS: Book 2) by Naima Simone

4 Stars

Publisher: Entangled Publishing LLC, Entangled: Brazen

Date of publication: March 12th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Series: WAGS

Scoring with the Wrong Twin – Book 1 (review here)

Scoring off the Field – Book 2

Where you can find Scoring off the Field: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Tennyson Clark is getting a life. First step: quitting her job as assistant to Dominic Anderson, star quarterback for the Washington Warriors, her best friend … and the man she’s been secretly in love with for years. But since the gorgeous, if overprotective playboy has only ever seen her as his BFF, she’s finally ready to relinquish her tattered fantasy and move on. Enter steps two and three: new job and new man.

Football is Dominic’s life, and with his contract soon up for renewal, all his focus needs to be on the game. But Tennyson—dependable, logical Tennyson— is making that next to impossible with her mysterious new job and her sudden interest in online dating. He doesn’t do relationships. But the thought of another man touching her sexier-than-hell curves has him suddenly wanting more from his best friend.

Indulging in hot, dirty, what’s-my-name sex with no strings and lots of benefits is simple, uncomplicated…until it’s not.

Each book in the WAGS series is STANDALONE:
* Scoring with the Wrong Twin
* Scoring Off the Field

My review:

I was excited to read Scoring off the Field. I had enjoyed reading Scoring with the Wrong Twin and I figured that Tenny and Dom’s romance would be next. I wasn’t wrong and what a romance it was.

Scoring off the Field had a pretty straightforward plot. Tenny is Dom’s PA and best friend. She also has been in love with him for years. She decides that she has had enough and that she needs to go on with her life. That leads to her giving her notice to a very surprised Dom. Dom realizes that Tenny means more to him than he cares to realize. But can he convince her of it? Can he make her realize that his feelings for her are genuine?

What made this book fun to read is that the characters had a friendship of many years before they took things to the next level. The ease that they both have with each other made the romance more believable. I like it when the main characters have a history together. It adds a depth to both of their characters that aren’t there if there are two strangers meeting. Dom and Tenny’s relationship was one of those relationships.

I liked Dom, even if I wanted to shake some sense into him for about 90% of the book. He was your typical man. Can’t see what he had until he almost loses it. I didn’t like that he ran hot and cold with her at points in the book. Kept measuring every woman up to his college girlfriend. Again, I wanted to shake some sense into him. His backstory made me want to cry. Having lost a parent the same age he did, I can understand his feelings. I can also understand why he felt the need to protect a young Tenny and how that molded his life.

Tenny was such a doll in this book. She was sweet, kind and she was heads over heels for Dom. I thought that her background was tragic. I can’t even begin to comprehend how a mother could do that to a child. Made me angry to read that. No wonder she had a fear of hospitals!! I also understood why she was afraid to let Dom know how she felt about him. She got rejected when they were in college and she did that. So she wasn’t willing to let herself get embarrassed like that again.

The romance was cute but I wish more time was spent building it up. The book went from Dom and Tenny being best friends to lovers within a few chapters. I kind of felt cheated that there wasn’t any more build up. But, Dom and Tenny were friends before lovers so I can get why the author chose not to have an extended build up. Still, I wish it was there.

The sex was beyond hot. Once the weirdness of being together like that wore off, Dom and Tenny were like freaking bunnies. The sex they had wasn’t boring sex, it was adventurous sex. They did it everywhere. My Kindle was fogging up from the heat those two generated.

The end of the book was great. I loved the way that Dom apologized to Tenny. Talk about perfect!!!

What I liked about Scoring off the Field:

A) Hot sex

B) Relatable characters

C) Dom and Tenny’s relationship

What I disliked about Scoring off the Field:

A) Dom being clueless about how Tenny felt about him

B) Tenny’s and Dom’s childhood

C) Dom’s treatment of Tenny in the hospital.

I would give Scoring off the Field a rating of Adult. There are graphic sex and language. No violence.

There are trigger warnings in Scoring off the Field. They are the death of parents and child abuse by Munchausen’s Syndrome. There are no details given about Dom’s parents’ death other than they died in a car crash. But there are details given about Tenny’s child abuse. So if those trigger you, I suggest not reading the book.

I would recommend Scoring off the Field to family and friends. I would give a heads up about the trigger warning. This is a book and a series that I would reread.

I would like to thank Brazen, Entangled, Entangled Publishing LLC and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Scoring off the Field.

All opinions stated in this review of Scoring off the Field are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Wonderblood by Julia Whicker

2 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: April 3rd, 2018

Genre: Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia

Where you can find Wonderblood: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A dystopian fantasy about war, faith, and waiting for space shuttles.

Set five hundred years in the future, Wonderblood is Julia Whicker’s fascinating literary debut, set in a barren United States, an apocalyptic wasteland where warring factions compete for control of the land in strange and dangerous carnivals. A mad cow-like disease called “Bent Head” has killed off millions. Those who remain to worship the ruins of NASA’s space shuttles and Cape Canaveral is their Mecca. Medicine and science have been rejected in favor of magic, prophecy, and blood sacrifice.
When traveling marauders led by the blood-thirsty Mr. Capulatio invade her camp, a young girl named Aurora is taken captive as his bride and forced to join his band on their journey to Cape Canaveral. As the war nears, she must decide if she is willing to become her captor’s queen. But then other queens emerge, some grotesque and others aggrieved, and not all are pleased with the girl’s ascent.

Politics and survival are at the center of this ravishing novel that will delight fans of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Jeff VanderMeer’s Acceptance.

Trigger Warning: child abuse, pedophilia, and graphic violence

Continue reading →

Children of Daedala by Caighlan Smith

Children of Daedala

Title: Children of Daedala

Author: Caighlan Smith

Publisher: Capstone

Date of publication: April 1st, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Number of pages: 336

POV: 1st person

Series: Unnamed as of 9-12-2017

Children of Icarus – Book 1 (review here)

Children of Daedala – Book 2

Where you can find Children of Daedala: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

For Ages: 14-18

Six months alone in the labyrinth has made her strong. But the search for the exit means gambling on an old ‘friend’ and going against everything she’s been taught to survive. You know the labyrinth will have yet more horrors lurking in its depths. You’ve learned few people can be trusted. But freedom is tantalizingly close. Are you ready to take the risk?

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “Children of Daedala by Caighlan Smith” →

Hot and Badgered (The Honey Badgers: Book 1) by Shelly Laurenston

Hot and Badgered (The Honey Badger Chronicles Book 1) by [Laurenston, Shelly]

4 Stars

Publisher: Kensington Books, Kensington

Date of publication: March 27, 2018

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Number of pages: 400

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Honey Badgers

Hot and Badgered – Book 1

Where you can find Hot and Badgered: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

It’s not every day that a beautiful naked woman falls out of the sky and lands face-first on grizzly shifter Berg Dunn’s hotel balcony. Definitely, they don’t usually hop up and demand his best gun. Berg gives the lady a grizzly-sized t-shirt and his cell phone, too, just on style points. And then she’s gone, taking his XXXL heart with her. By the time he figures out she’s a honey badger shifter, it’s too late.

Honey badgers are survivors. Brutal, vicious, ill-tempered survivors. Or maybe Charlie Taylor-MacKilligan is just pissed that her useless father is trying to get them all killed again, and won’t even tell her how. Protecting her little sisters has always been her job, and she’s not about to let some pesky giant grizzly protection specialist with a network of every shifter in Manhattan get in her way. Wait. He’s trying to help? Why would he want to do that? He’s cute enough that she just might let him tag along—that is if he can keep up . . .

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “Hot and Badgered (The Honey Badgers: Book 1) by Shelly Laurenston” →

Bad Buisness (Bad Boys of Sports: Book 2) by Nicole Edwards

Bad Business (Bad Boys of Sports, #2)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing, Loveswept

Date of Publication: March 27th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Sports

Series: Bad Boy of Sports

Bad Reputation – review here

Bad Business

Where you can find Bad Business: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

This player’s got a lot to learn if he wants to score . . . with the boss’s daughter.

Stone: Football is more than a game to me. It’s my calling. Becoming the Dallas Wranglers’ starting quarterback before I retire is a dream come true, but with a few wins under my belt, suddenly everyone wants a piece of me. And even though being in the spotlight has its perks—beautiful women, star treatment, more beautiful women—what really gets me sweating is the watchful gaze of my sexy-as-hell PR coach, Savannah Andrews. The catch? Her father is kind of my boss. . . .

Savannah: In my family, football is big business. When your dad owns an NFL franchise, you learn a thing or two about schmoozing, and from what I can tell, it’s not a skill in Jason Stone’s playbook. Sure, the veteran quarterback is literally larger than life. With broad shoulders, muscles on muscles, and a mouth made for kissing, he may be one of the hottest men in the league—and I should know. I’ve turned down enough players to start my own all-star team. But those guys just wanted to get close to my father. Meanwhile, Stone is getting temptingly close . . . to me.

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “Bad Buisness (Bad Boys of Sports: Book 2) by Nicole Edwards” →

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: