Author: Jolie

I love to read. My favorite genres are women's fiction, romance, psychological thrillers, fantasy, young adult, steampunk, dystopian, LGBTQIA, and paranormal.

The Forgotten (Zola Flash: Book 2) by T. Marie Alexander

The Forgotten (Zola Flash, #2)

 4 Stars 

Publisher: Lateaikia Alexander

Date of publication: June 7th, 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Series: Zola Flash

Zola Flash – Book 1 (review here)

The Forgotten – Book 2

Where you can find Zola Flash: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book Synopsis (from Goodreads):

ZOLA HAS LOST SO MUCH.
Her family
Her home.
Her sense of self.

BUT SHE HAS ALSO GAINED.
Friends.
Another home.
And Pin, the Payohlini she loves above all else.

With Renz gone and no one to command the Payohlini army, Zola assumed everything would go back to normal. Well, as normal as life could be for someone like her. The war should be over and her planet and people should be safe. Having accomplished what she set out to do—getting revenge for her family’s murder, she even dares to dream of days spent as a normal girl, of dates with Pin without them looking over their shoulders for flying swords. No more hiding, but living the kind of life she always thought she’d have.

With new responsibilities come new problems, though—as well as a Flash from her past that she didn’t see coming. 

One that threatens to change everything.

Zola thought she had nothing else to lose. Unfortunately, she’s about to get a galactic awakening.

No one ever said being a princess would be easy.

Trigger Warning: None

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Zola Flash (Zola Flash: Book 1) by T. Marie Alexander

Zola Flash (Zola Flash, #1)

3 Stars

Publisher: 

Date of publication: October 30th, 2015

Genre: Young Adult, fantasy

Series: Zola Flash

Zola Flash – Book 1

The Forgotten – Book 2

Where you can find Zola Flash: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

EVEN THE INNOCENT CAN BE MARRED BY WAR.

Zola is a Victian. And for as long as she’s been alive, her planet has been at war with the ruthless, demeaning Payohlini.

After witnessing the gruesome murder of her family, Zola Flash decides it is time to escape with the one person she was taught to hate before she meets the same fate. Earth seems to be the perfect place to hide out – to pretend her whole life didn’t come crashing down.

While on Earth, fitting in and making new friends are Zola’s main goal. It’s what she wants. A family to call her owns. But then, Zola uncovers family lies and the true reason behind this never-ending war. 

Now it’s up to Zola and the enemy, who is swiftly stealing her heart, to save her people and gain retribution for her family. But when revenge and protecting her people mean relinquishing her freedom, she’s left with a difficult choice.

Trigger Warning: None

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Tarnished City (Dark Gifts: Book 2) by Vic James

Tarnished City (Dark Gifts, #2)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Del Ray

Date of publication: February 6th, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Number of pages: 416

Series: Dark Gifts

Gilded Cage – Book 1 (review here)

Tarnished City – Book 2

Bright Ruin – Book 3 (no expected publication date)

Where you can find Tarnished City: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A corrupted city. A dark dream of power.

Luke is a prisoner, condemned for a murder he didn’t commit. Abi is a fugitive, desperate to free him before magic breaks his mind. But as the Jardines tighten their grip on a turbulent Britain, brother and sister face a fight greater than their own.

New alliances and old feuds will remake the nation, leaving Abi and Luke questioning everything – and everyone – they know. And as Silyen Jardine hungers for the forgotten Skill of the legendary Wonder King, the country’s darkest hour approaches. Freedom and knowledge both come at a cost. So who will pay the price? 

Trigger Warning: reference to rape

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The Kings Peace by Kevin Hammond

The King's Peace

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: October 6th, 2013

Genre: Fantasy

Where you can find The King’s Peace: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The Kingdom is young and yet it stands in great peril. Dark tales of the unnatural have reached the King’s city. The King is slain in his bed and the storm on the horizon brings black ships closer to the coastal city of Erenon. Nathaniel, a clever thief has stumbled upon a job that brings him to the home of the King when he is slain and Nathaniel is unwillingly dragged into the quest to reach the southern garrison which has gone quiet in recent months. Strange powers are helping and hindering him and the small company of soldiers dispatched to that garrison as war comes to the city. 
They will find those horrors that plague the common man, an ancient dragon legend will unravel, and deception so epic in scale it involves the Gods. The whole world of man and nations who live on the other side of the mountain range known as the Great Divide will come together in a war no one really understands and as the kingdom fights to survive it will face an enemy they know nothing about.

Trigger Warning: None

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Off Limits by Clare Connelly

Off Limits

3 Stars

Publisher: Harlequin (US & Canada), Harlequin Dare

Date of publication: February 1st, 2018

Genre: Romance

Where you can find Off Limits: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

“I want to taste you tonight.”

With chemistry this hot, it’s worth getting burned… 

Billionaire Jack Grant is totally off-limits to Gemma Picton. He’s wild, deliciously dangerous…and her boss. When working late turns X-rated, it’s better than her wildest imaginings—and Gemma’s imagined a lot! But Jack has major emotional baggage, so when Gemma starts wanting to heal his heart as well as enjoy his body, she knows she’s in big trouble…

Trigger Warning: None

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The Night Child by Anna Quinn

The Night Child

Title: The Night Child

Author: Anna Quinn

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Date of publication: January 30th, 2018

Genre: Fiction, Women’s Fiction

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find The Night Child: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book Synopsis (from Goodreads):

All Nora Brown wants is to teach high school English and live a quiet life in Seattle with her husband and six-year-old daughter. But one November day, moments after dismissing her class, a girl’s face appears above the students’ desks—a wild numinous face with startling blue eyes, a face floating on top of shapeless drapes of purples and blues where arms and legs should have been. Terror rushes through Nora’s body—the kind of raw terror you feel when there’s no way out, when every cell in your body, your entire body, is on fire—when you think you might die.

Twenty-four hours later, while on Thanksgiving vacation, the face appears again. This time, it whispers, Remember the Valentine’s dress. Shaken once again, Nora meets with neurologists and eventually, a psychiatrist. As the story progresses, a terrible secret is discovered—a secret that pushes Nora toward an even deeper psychological breakdown.

The Night Child is a breathtaking debut novel about split consciousness, saving a broken child, and the split between past and present. It’s about the extraordinary capacity within each of us to save ourselves through visionary means.

Trigger Warning: Child abuse, Mental Illness

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Do Over by Serena Bell

Do Over

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of Publication: January 30th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction

Number of pages: 216

Where you can find Do Over: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Toe-curling? Check. Sheet-twisting? Check. But is that enough for a second chance?

Jack: I’m pretty much as tough as they come. But when a woman comes to me in tears, I’m jelly. Scratch that—when Maddie Adams comes to me in tears, I’m jelly. That’s how we ended up making our incredible son five years ago, and that’s why I practically beg her to move in with me when she’s in a tight spot. Of course, the last time I got the chance to be the hero, I let her down, but I’m not making the same mistake twice. This time, I’m going to be the man she deserves—and then I’m going to lay every ounce of sexy on her until she lets me back into her heart.

Maddie: Jack Parker is hot, and he knows it. What he’s not is a family man, something this single mom had to learn the hard way. Still, moving into his place until I get back on my feet makes all kinds of sense. He’s an old friend. He’s, ahem, the father of my child. And let’s face it, now that I’ve just been colossally dumped, we’ve got nowhere else to go. The truth is, I never could resist Jack. Living under the same roof puts dirty thoughts in my head. And when my brilliant plan backfires, my whole body is begging for a do-over. . . .

Do Over is a standalone novel with no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a satisfying happily ever after. This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

Trigger Warning: Child abuse

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Baby, I’m Howling for You (Alphaville: Book 1) by Christine Warren

Baby, I'm Howling for You

4 Stars

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

Date of publication: January 30th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Number of pages: 304

Series: Alphaville

Something to Howl About – Book 0.5

Baby, I’m Howling for You – Book 1

Your Lion Eyes – Book 2 (expected publication date: December 4th, 2018)

Where you can find Baby, I’m Howling for You: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

WELCOME TO ALPHAVILLE, where the she-wolves and alpha-males play… .for keeps.

Renny Landry is a wolf on the run. Pursued by a shapeshifting stalker and his slobbering pack of killer coyotes, she is forced to flee her job as a librarian to find sanctuary in the wooded hills of Alpha, Washington. A well-secluded safe space for troubled shifters, Alpha is Renny’s last hope. But the first person she meets there is a gorgeous alpha male with fiery eyes, fierce tattoos, and one ferocious appetite—for her…

Mick Fischer thought he left his past behind when he moved to Alpha. But fate has a way of biting him in the tail when a female wolf shows up on his property. Wounded, desperate—and disarmingly hot—Renny brings out the snarling, protective alpha beast in Mick like no other woman he’s known. Can these two haunted, hunted wolves manage to mate for life…even as the deadliest past demons howl at their heels?

Trigger Warning: Stalking

Continue reading “Baby, I’m Howling for You (Alphaville: Book 1) by Christine Warren” →

Runaway Groom (I Do, I Don’t) by Lauren Layne

Runaway Groom (I Do, I Don't, #2)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: January 30th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Humor

Number of pages: 240

Series: I Do, I Don’t

Ready to Run – Book 1 (review here)

Runaway Groom – Book 2

Just Run With It – Book 3 (Expected publication date: March 20th, 2018)

Where you can find Runaway Groom: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

For one charming playboy, getting cast on a Bachelor-esque reality TV show is the shock of a lifetime—until he finds love where he least expects it. And now the chase is on!

Gage Barrett’s reputation as a ladies’ man has been greatly exaggerated, but none of that matters after a drunken bet lands him on Jilted, a reality TV show that matches runaway grooms with wannabe brides. Now he’s stuck at a Hawaiian resort with nineteen women competing to drag him back to the altar—and one contestant who’s even more miserable than he is. Gage has no idea how feisty, independent Ellie Wright wound up in the cast, but it’s obvious she hates his guts. And if there’s one thing Gage likes, it’s a challenge. . . .

Ellie can’t believe she let her best friend talk her into exchanging her dignity for a glorified bikini contest. Still, she could use the exposure—her business is struggling—and she’ll probably be one of the first to get eliminated anyway. But Gage isn’t the shallow jerk Ellie anticipated—and he’s in no rush to send her home. As stolen kisses turn into secret trysts, she finds herself losing track of what’s real and what’s for the camera. With the wedding finale looming, this runaway groom is tempting Ellie to start believing in storybook endings.

Trigger Warning: None

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A Devil in Scotland (No Ordinary Hero: Book 3) by Suzanne Enoch

A Devil in Scotland (No Ordinary Hero, #3)

2.5 Stars (rounded up to 3 for Goodreads, NetGalley)

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

Date of publication: January 30th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance

Series: No Ordinary Hero

Hero in the Highlands – Book 1

My One true Highlander – Book 2

A Devil in Scotland – Book 3

Where you can find A Devil in Scotland: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book Synopsis (from Goodreads):

The dawning of desire…

1806, Scotland: Wild, reckless Callum MacCreath is in no hurry to become someone’s husband. But when his responsible, steady older brother Ian announces his engagement to their childhood friend Rebecca, Callum makes a startling discovery: he wants the lovely young lass for himself. But it’s too late, and when Ian banishes him for his duplicity, he’s only too happy to leave Scotland forever…

…is delicious and dangerous.

1816: Marrying Ian was the practical, logical thing for Becca to do. But once Callum sailed away to America, she missed his rakish charm and lust for life. Now, ten years later, Becca is a widow when a much-changed Callum returns to his Scottish homeland. Will he remember their spirited, fiery connection, or does he blame her for his brother’s unexpected death? This time neither of them can deny their scorching attraction, but will their hearts be burned in the blazing heat of scandal?

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “A Devil in Scotland (No Ordinary Hero: Book 3) by Suzanne Enoch” →