Category: Non ARC

Lost in Time (The Fine Art of Deception: Book 3) by Alyssa Richards

Lost in Time: A Time Travel Romance Book Series (The Fine Art of Deception 3) by [Richards, Alyssa]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: November 22nd, 2016

Genre: Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller

Series: The Fine Art of Deception

Undoing Time – Book 1 (Review here)

Somewhere In Time – Book 2 (Review here)

Lost In Time – Book 3

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Searching for the answers she needs, will Addie lose everything she has?

Adeline “Addie” Montgomery is searching for the truth. As she and Blake travel back to 1922, she expects her nemesis Otto is behind a string of art forgeries. The only problem is that the villain has completely disappeared. Addie must now find Otto without blowing her cover to keep the past intact, as long as a lover from a past life doesn’t get in the way…

Blake Greenwood wants nothing more than to catch Otto and return to the present with Addie, the love of his life. When his mother goes missing as well, he leaves Addie alone with his half-brother to save his family. As the future begins to change in unexpected ways, Blake and Addie begin to question everything. Can they find Otto and save their relationship before what they had disappears for good?

Lost In Time is the third book in an absorbing series of paranormal romance time travel novels. If you like museum capers, psychic powers, time travel, and steamy romance, then you’ll love Alyssa Richards’ thrilling conclusion to the Fine Art of Deception Series.

My review:

Lost in Time starts two years after Addie, Blake, and Philippe were sent through a painting by Otto. After making sure they weren’t able to get home, Otto then kidnapped Carolena, Blake’s mother and disappears. Blake has searched tirelessly for the paintings. Also, in the past with them are Addie’s father and grandfather, also banished there by Otto.

Addie and Blake have been cautious about who they talk to in the past. They do not want to change future events. That comes to a head when Blake meets Sarah, who Addie is reincarnated as in the future, and Addie meets Jack, who is Blake reincarnated in the future. Taken by surprise by a kiss, Addie warns Jack to be careful. What happens with those words changes her and Blake’s future and present in a big way

Addie also has become very irritated by her relationship with Blake. In the two years that they have been there, he has become very focused on finding his mother and a way home, leaving Addie feeling alone and abandoned. The only way that they connect these days is when they have sex, and even then, Blake is holding a piece of himself back.

Then they get word that Carolena is definitely in Paris, and they all head there to get her. Meanwhile, back in the future, Addie’s grandmother notices that a weird cloud is covering Blake in every single picture that they have. She finally realizes that something must have happened in the past for Blake to start being erased and sends word to Addie through the first edition of an F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book. They use that book to communicate with everyone.

I loved that the author chose to make Blake and Addie got through relationship difficulties, instead of everything is peachy keen. The ups and downs of their relationship were so realistic and added so much to the book. I mean, even Addie pleading with Blake to please open up, to please let her in, is something that everyone is relationships have said at one point.

Addie was a fish out of water in the early 1920s. I don’t know if I would have been able to pull off what society expected a woman in the era to be, and I give her props for doing it.

I was a little disappointed that we didn’t see Addie’s gifts in full force in this book. I mean, she did talk to 2 ghosts, she was able to pick up on Carolena just by touching a tub, and she used her abilities to see if the paintings were a forgery or not (and her other gift was also used). I just wanted to see her interact more with the ghosts. I know, weird.

Blake had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and I felt terrible for him. He was trying to protect (or control, depends on how you look at it) Addie, find his mother, find Otto, and find the paintings that can bring them home. Blake has been at it for two years, and I am surprised that he didn’t crack under pressure. He was at one point in the book, starting to act just like his father. I wanted to reach through and give him a smack on the back of the head and tell him to knock it off.

The sex scenes between Blake and Addie was as hot as ever. Those scenes scorched the pages; they were so hot, which was very good.

The end of the book was sad, in places, and it was what I expected. All of the storylines were resolved in a very satisfactory way. I will say that I didn’t expect the people to stay in the past who stayed. Looking back, there were signs, but I was still surprised.

The series as a whole was excellent. I think I learned more about art from this series of books, then I expected.

I would give Lost in Time an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Lost in Time. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

A Secondhand Life (Killer Thriller: Book 1) by Pamela Crane

A Secondhand Life (The Killer Thriller Series Book 1) by [Crane, Pamela]

4 Stars

Publisher: Tabella House

Date of publication: March 18th, 2018

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

Series: Killer Thriller

A Secondhand Lie—Book 0.5

A Secondhand Life—Book 1

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

A string of murdered girls. An innocent man behind bars. A serial killer still on the hunt.

In a freak collision when she was twelve, Mia Germaine faced death and the loss of her father. A heart transplant from a young murder victim saved her life, but not without a price. Twenty years later, chilling nightmares about an unresolved homicide begin to plague Mia. Compelled by these lost memories, she forms a complicated connection to the victim–the girl killed the night of Mia’s accident–due to a scientific phenomenon called “organ memory.”

Now suffocating beneath the weight of avenging a dead girl and catching a serial killer on the loose dubbed the “Triangle Terror,” Mia must dodge her own demons while unimaginable truths torment her–along with a killer set on making her his next victim.

As Mia tries to determine if her dreams are clues or disturbing phantasms, uninvited specters lead her further into danger’s path, costing her the one person who can save her from herself.

More than a page-turning thriller, A Secondhand Life weaves a tale of second chances and reclaimed dreams as this taut, refreshing story ensnares and penetrates you.

Readers of Gilly Macmillan and The Woman in the Window will enjoy the provocative prose and unreliable narrator that makes you realize you don’t really know what you thought you did.

My review:

I am going to start this review off with something that I rarely do. I am absolutely in love with the cover. It caught my eye, and I will stare at it. I think because it is so simple (a girl hugging herself in black and white with a black splash of something across her back).

Now that I am done drooling over the cover, let’s get this review going.

Mia grew on me during this book. When I first started reading it, I thought she was a little self-centered, impulsive, and hugely hung up on how her scar looked. But, as the book progressed and the deeper into her search on who killed Alexis, Mia evolved. She became this person who was the opposite of what I said above. At the end of the book, well, let’s say that forgiveness is everything.

The mystery surrounding the killer was great, and the author threw out red herrings left and right. When it was revealed who the killer (and the serial killer) was, I was genuinely shocked and then saddened.

I found organ memory fascinating and plan on doing a little more research on it. Just the thought of an organ retaining memory intrigues me.

The end of the book (and the epilogue) was great and I had tears in my eyes. I do hope that there will be a book 2.

I would give A Secondhand Life an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread A Secondhand Life. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Earthfall (The Circuit: Book 3) by Rhett C. Bruno

Earthfall: The Circuit by [Bruno, Rhett C.]

4 Stars

Publisher: Diversion Books

Date of publication: December 13th 2016

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: The Circuit

Executor Rising – Book 1 (review here)

Progeny of Vale – Book 2 (review here)

Earthfall – Book 3

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

The conclusion to Rhett Bruno’s stunning science fiction epic series The Circuit, which the San Francisco Book Review called “space opera that fans of Firefly and its ilk will appreciate.”

Earth is uninhabitable, but beneath its ruined surface sits massive deposits of Gravitum, a powerful, dangerous element with the ability to generate artificial gravity. Whoever controls the element can control the settled regions of our solar system, now known as the Circuit. For centuries the peoples of the Circuit endured an uneasy, if peaceful alliance designed to share resources. Now the Tribunal, a religious order, is nearly ready to take over all of it. With only the reconvened band of Clans inhabiting the asteroid belt known as the Ceresian Pact standing between the Tribunal and system dominance, one man––Cassius Vale––intends to end their oppressive rule. Vale’s brutal and brilliant plan is nearly complete.

In order to gain more time to complete preparations, Vale builds an army under the control of his robotic creation ADIM in order to attack one of the leaders of the Tribune. ADIM loves his creator but is growing more independent by the day, and soon may be too powerful for anyone to stop.

Talon Rayne, a mercenary, teams up with Sage Volus, a former Tribunal spy, when Talon discovers that his daughter has been captured by the very Tribunal leader Cassius Vale is after. Together, they have no choice but to ask for Vale’s help in saving her. Vale agrees, but are they just another cog in his scheme for bringing down the Tribune, or is there a part of him left that cares about anything other than vengeance?

My review:

Earthfall starts after the ending events of Progeny of Vale. Sage has been reunited with Talon, but it isn’t a happy reunion. He is upset that she killed his friend in front of him and wanted to kill her when he saw her. But she was on a mission to get his daughter back from The Tribunal. Talon has no choice but to join forces with her. He doesn’t trust her but she is his key to rescuing his daughter.

Cassius is going through with his plans of starting a war between the Ceresians and The Tribunals. Kalliope was the first shot in the war, with both sides blaming each other. While he is meeting with Zaimur Morastus, the head of the Morastus clan, he is contacted by Sage via a telecom device that he had put into her prosthetic arm. Cassius is Sage’s ticket to getting onto the Tribune vessel that is holding Elisha.

After they meet up with Cassius and discuss their plans to rescue Elisha, Talon and Tarsis have also introduced to ADIM. After the initial shock of meeting ADIM, a plan is launched to rescue Elisha. It involves ADIM taking over 500 androids to assist them when they recover Elisha.

I devoured the pages of the battle to get Elisha. I shed a tear when Tarsis gave his life, so Talon, Elisha, and Sage could escape. Cassius got his revenge on The Tribunal, but Talon and Sage discovered his deceit. The war between the Ceresians and The Tribunals escalate. While those two factions are fighting, Cassius slips away to do something that will have consequences beyond the conflict.

I loved Sage in this book. She becomes 100% human, instead of a tool of The Tribunal. Her relationship with Talon was complicated, but it was her relationship with Cassius that was even more complicated. She looked at Cassius as a father that she never had, and he viewed her as a daughter and he just wanted to better her world.

Talon came alive in this book. Even though he had a death sentence, he still fought against The Tribunals with everything that he had. The love for his daughter eclipsed everything in this book. I will admit that I wasn’t happy with specific events in the book. I got outraged and yelled at my Kindle.

Cassius remained in my top 3 favorite characters. Even though he started a war and did some horrible things, he wasn’t a bad guy. Cassius was a father, grieving for his child and wanting to get revenge for his death. He wanted to bring down The Tribunal. His actions did make sense. As did him building an android that could think for itself and that he considered his child.

The ending of the book was bittersweet. Just leaving it at that. I do hope that there will be more books written in this universe.

The whole series is worth reading. If you do decide to read the series, my suggestion would be to read it one after another, with no pauses for other books. The author intended for the book to be on a continuous story but separated it into three books because he didn’t want to chance that the book would be too long.

I would give Earthfall an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Earthfall. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Progeny of Vale (The Circuit: Book 2) by Rhett C. Bruno

Progeny of Vale: The Circuit by [Bruno, Rhett C.]

4 Stars

Publisher: Diversion Books

Date of publication: March 15th, 2016

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: The Circuit

Executor Rising – Book 1 (review here)

Progeny of Vale – Book 2

Earthfall – Book 3

Where you can buy this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

In the thrilling sequel to THE CIRCUIT: EXECUTOR RISING, Cassius Vale has drawn the Circuit into open war.

After arriving on Ceres Prime, ADIM, ever the loyal companion created by Cassius Vale, is hesitant to help the Ceresians. Their hatred for his Creator will never wane and he starts to understand the danger all of Cassius’ many rivals pose. ADIM must realize the true magnitude of his abilities in order to keep him safe.

When Sage Volus finds herself a captive of Cassius, she begins to struggle with her role in the coming war, and what exactly it means to be an Executor. The removal of her cybernetic implant reveals emotions she thought she’d buried too deep to be found. She must make a decision on who she truly wants to serve: Cassius Vale, The Tribune, or herself.

After breaking free of the Solar-Ark Amerigo and certain death, Talon Rayne finds himself in unusual company. His quests to hold his daughter again brings him to places he never thought he’d go–into the very arms of his people’s most hated foe.

As the battle grows ever closer, threatening the all-out war that could annihilate millions, these four must determine what part they intend to play, who they will align themselves with, and what it means to be human in a universe where that means less and less.

My review:

This book starts right where book 1 (Executor Rising) leaves off.

Sage awakens on Cassius Vale’s ship, The White Hand, after reliving the worst memory she has, the death Caleb Vale, Cassius’s only son. She has no clue where she is and leaves sickbay to explore. Sage finds out where she is, who she is with and what was done to her. She is sedated and brought back to the medical bay.

Cassius reveals that he was an Executor (which explained things from book 1). He had his implant removed, for the same reasons he removed Sage’s, to free himself from the Tribunal. The implant helped suppress any bad memories but it also allowed the Tribunals to look through the eyes of the person.

ADIM is getting to know the little girl he saved from Kalliope and intends to give the girl to Cassius as a gift to ease his sadness over losing Caleb (big awww moment there). Her name is Elisha and she’s Talon’s daughter. ADIM and Elisha form a friendship while traveling to meet up with Cassius.

Talon escaped the Amerigo with a Keeper, Tarsis, and is floating in space. Tarsis has an advanced case of the Blue Death and sleeps most of the time. They are not expecting to be rescued when a miracle happens, they are picked up by a shipful of Vergent merchants. Their relief is short-lived because right after they are picked up, a Tribunal ship hails the Vergent ship and demands that they allow them aboard for a routine check of the ship. Which they say no to and they make a beeline towards Kalliope on Talon’s suggestion.

Sage is reeling from Cassius’s revelations. She decides to attack him when he comes to visit her one day in the medical bay and make a run for it. But, she doesn’t get far at all. She is subdued by ADIM and taken to the hangar to be put on a ship home. Sage is given a sedative so she won’t be able to tell the Tribunal where she was. But, before she is gone, Cassius makes a series of confessions to her. When Sage awakens, she realizes that Elisha is aboard the ship with her. When she gets in contact with the Tribunal, they have her go right to Cassius’s old compound. There, Elisha is taken from her and she is immediately stripped of her weapons and taken for questioning.

Cassius and ADIM have their own agenda. After seeing off Sage, ADIM detects life aboard the Solar-Ark Amerigo, goes in and discovers carbon copies of itself. Cassius reassures it that those are only copies and that ADIM is the only one with something called “Dynamic Intelligence“. Basically, he is the only one that is self-aware and can make decisions on his own. Which might or might not be a bad thing.

I won’t go into the book after this. I will say that there is a death, a fake death, a couple more revelations and the beginnings of a war.

Sage is becoming my favorite character in this series. In the first book, she seemed like an emotionless robot (not knowing that the implant suppressed her emotions). Once Cassius removed the implant, she started to flush out and by the end of Progeny of Vale, her character was awesome.

Talon is tied for my 2nd favorite character. Even though he is dying, he is willing to not go down without a fight. When he realizes that Kalliope is destroyed and thinks Elisha is dead, he goes into berserker mode.

Cassius is my other favorite character. He has his own agenda and isn’t afraid to pit opposing factions against each other in order to wipe out the Tribunal. I can’t wait to see what he’ll do in the next book.

The book ends on a cliffhanger. If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you know how I feel about cliffhangers. But with this series of books, they actually work. I think that it is because I am actually reading them back to back.

I would give Progeny of Vale an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Progeny of Vale. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Executor Rising (The Circuit: Book 1) by Rhett C. Bruno

The Circuit: Executor Rising by [Bruno, Rhett C.]

4 Stars

Publisher: Diversion Books

Date of publication: May 19th, 2015

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: The Circuit

Executor Rising – Book 1

Progeny of Vale – Book 2 (Review Here)

Earthfall – Book 3 (Review Here)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis: 

Centuries after Earth was rendered an uninhabitable wasteland, humanity was forced from its homeworld and founded the Kepler Circuit, a string of colonies throughout the solar system. These settlements provide resources to the remnants of humankind, the most important resource being the newly discovered element—Gravitum—found only in the Earth’s unstable mantle.

But a powerful religious faction known as the New Earth Tribunal has risen to preside over most of the Circuit. Though there is barely a faction left to challenge them, a string of attacks on the Tribunal’s freighters causes them to suspect their mortal enemies, the Ceresians, of foul play.

Tasked with solving the problem is Sage Volus: Tribunal Executor. Spy.

Sage quickly infiltrates the ranks of a roguish, Ceresian mercenary named Talon Rayne, seeking to discover the truth behind the attacks, but the longer she works amidst Talon and his squad, the more she finds her faith in the Tribunal tested.

While her quest for answers only unearths more questions, a new threat is on the rise, and it plans to bring down the Tribune once and for all.

My review:

Cassius Vale is an ex-New Earth Tribunal looking for revenge on his former Tribunals. He blames them for his son’s death, 7 years before. Through his android, ADIM (an acronym for Automated Dynamic Intelligence Mech), he has been attacking the Tribunal’s freighters and stripping them of a newly discovered element called Gravitum. His grand scheme is to bring the New Earth Tribunal to its knees before destroying them.

Sage Volus is a New Earth Tribunal Executor and spy who is sent on a mission to infiltrate the Ceresians’, who are mortal enemies of the New Earth Tribunal. Her job has an Executor is basically to kill targets that the New Earth Tribunal has deemed dangerous to their cause and to their leadership. And right now, the Tribunal is looking at the Ceresians as that because of the attacks Cassius is doing on their freighters.

Talon Rayne is a Cersian miner who has caught the disease called Blue Death. This disease is a result of direct exposure to Gravitum and it cannot be cured. He was forced into hijacking a freighter after the head of the Clan arrested him after he killed a co-worker in an argument (granted the guy had it coming to him). Talon used to be an Enforcer for that Clan and because of that, the new head is willing to cut a deal. Talon hijacks a Tribunal freighter, gets the Gravitum and all is well. If he refuses, Talon has a daughter who is about 6 and, well, use your imagination as to what he threatened.

Sage and Talon’s storyline merges when she is sent to infiltrate the Ceresians and find out who is hijacking the ships. She forms a deep bond with him, to the point when they hijack a ship and get their butts kicked by the Tribunals, she saves his life. He is sent to a Keeper ship (called a Solar Ark) called the Amerigo, where he is to eventually die of the Blue Death.

This book is a fast read. I should have known that it would be because the author’s other books were also fast read.

The action in the books was out of this world. I loved that there were explosions and gunfights.

I also liked that there was a hint of romance between Sage and Talon but that it was left up in the air. It makes me wonder if they hook up in the other books?

The end of the book was a cliffhanger of sorts. I do not like cliffhangers but with this book, it worked perfectly. It makes you want to read the 2nd book to see what is going to happen.

I would give Executor Rising an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Executor Rising. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Resurrection (The Chronicles Of The Dragonoid: Book 1) by Brian Rankin

Resurrection: Book One of Chronicles Of The Dragonoid by [Rankin, Brian]

5 Stars

Publisher: Page Publishing Inc

Date of Publication: December 7th, 2015

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Chronicles Of The Dragonoid

Resurrection – Book 1

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Since the sacrifice of their greatest hero centuries ago, Valat’s four nations have been at peace. Atticus and his friends worked hard to prepare to compete in the annual games that commemorated their ancient hero’s sacrifice. Their victories are soon forgotten when the games come under attack by the same ancient force that they fought so long ago. Atticus, his friends Ryder and Erin, and newcomer Syler are the only survivors of the brutal attack. They embark on a perilous journey to the Firelands to warn the Lords and raise their armies before it is too late. When Atticus is wounded from a weapon they had never seen before, true friendship is tested and Atticus must discover who he really is and find the key to resurrection before all is lost. Enter a world where elements can be controlled in the palm of your hand, where myths and legends become reality, and where good and evil control the fate of the entire world.

My review:

This book was a well-written fantasy. The world and character building were impressive. The author explains the history of Valat. He explains about the Elementalists who wield the powers of Water, Ice, and Fire. He explains how the nations of Fireland, Woodland, Wetlands, and Icelands were formed. He explains how the infighting decimated the nations until it was decreed that a tournament will be held and the best Elementalists of each land will be the Lords. He explains how that tournament brought about peace and unity and stopped the infighting. Then the Selsians, an empire from the East and who hated magic of any form, invaded Valat and started purging that country of the Elementalists. The Lords started fighting between themselves, leaving the people to be slaughtered. After the fighting stopped, they withdrew into the mountains to rebuild and plan on how to overcome the Selsians.

The war waged on for 3 years and hope was dwindling. Then, a miracle happened. An Elementalist with a power that was vast. He took over leading the people and he alone defeated the Selsian empire, bringing them to their knees and destroying them.

His name? Alcadias and he wielded a sword called Llachar. After the war entered he was given the title of Dragonoid. He eventually married, had a child and moved to a hidden village deep within Valat. His wife’s name was unknown but they had a child. Alcadias also did have an older child, who was called Aris.

His power became a burden and soon he began to fear and hate it. He, somehow, poured his power into the sword, separate it and sent it to 3 locations in Valat that were only known to him. After that, Aris and Alcadias disappeared into a golden light.

It ends up that the story is being read to a young boy called Atticus by his unnamed father. There is a lot of foreshadowing during young Atticus’s conversation with his father.

I love books that have so much backstory. It makes it so much more interesting to read when you know what comes before!!

The story starts 18 years later. Atticus is maybe 20 (I couldn’t exactly place his age) and he is in training to compete in the annual tournament. He is a Master Elementalist and a renowned swordsman. He is summoned to meet with his father, the Lord of the Firelands, Cedric. They discuss the tournament and Atticus takes his leave after an argument involving Lord Cedric’s desire for Atticus to marry. Of course, Atticus is like “No way” (as any normal 20-year-old would be) and it causes them to quarrel. On the way out, Atticus is met by his father’s best friend and advisor, Bacchus, who gives him a cryptic warning. That night, Atticus has a nightmare that seems almost prophetic.

The next day, he meets up with his best friend, Ryder and they head towards Champion Island, where the Tournament is held. The journey there is unremarkable but once they get there, someone seems to have it out for Atticus. He is roomed and then paired in battle with two Icelandic warriors. One he defeated and the other one he was in a battle with when the unthinkable happens, the Selsians attack.

The only ones who survive the massacre at Champion Island are Ryder, Atticus, Lady Erin and Sylor, the Icelandic warrior that Atticus was fighting when the Selsians attacked. Atticus is critically injured during that attack.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had everything. Intrigue, a possible romance (or two), tons of action and of course, fantasy. It is a long book, almost 600 pages, but it definitely doesn’t feel like you are reading a 600-page book.

Atticus and Ryder were definitely my favorite characters in the book. Atticus because he had such strong moral codes and it seemed like he could see beneath people (I am thinking of Sylor) and Ryder because he is so loyal. Plus, they are pretty awesome fighters too.

Erin, I didn’t care for. She absolutely rubbed me the wrong way from the time she was introduced to when she and Atticus were in the cave. After that, I started to develop some respect for her but we’ll see how she is in the second book.

Sylor was a mystery. His hatred of Atticus was unreal but Ryder put him in his place. When he finally did reveal some of his background, it was tragic and I got tears in my eyes reading it.

The end of the book was great and it is totally left open for a book 2.

I would give Resurrection an Older Teen rating. There are no sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Resurrection. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Throne of Novoxos (Van Laven Chronicles: Book 1) by Tyler Chase

THRONE OF NOVOXOS: VAN LAVEN CHRONICLES (Book 1) by [Chase, Tyler]

4 Stars

Publisher: Tyler Chase

Date of publication: July 15th, 2014

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

Series: Van Laven Chronicles

Throne of Novoxos – Book 1

Shadow Reign – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

All she wanted was to save a life, even if he was her sworn enemy. She didn’t mean to make him fall in love. She didn’t mean to make him break his vow to his people. And sparking a war was the absolute last thing she ever wanted. But all this and more confronts Vaush as she embarks on an epic journey to restore order to the Empire and to take her rightful place with him by her side.

My review:

Another example of me judging a book by its cover/blurb. I really need to stop doing that because I always end up making a fool out of myself when writing the review.

This is a Romeo and Juliet type love story coupled with some good old-fashioned science fiction and fantasy elements mixed in. The only way that it differs from Romeo and Juliet is that Comron and Vaush do not die a star crossed lovers’ death. They come close a few times but they don’t die.

Comron and his father, Crausin, have one of the most complex and disgusting relationships that I have read. They are telepathic, which was fascinating. Especially something major was revealed to Vaush from Comron towards the end of the story. They didn’t use their telepathy to always talk to each other. Crausin used it to take over while Comron is having sex. So, a telepathic threesome. They also shared their women in the physical sense too.

Vaush is the youngest daughter of Larrs Bastionli, the Duke of Tir-Laros. She is also Comron and Crausin’s mortal enemy. Vaush is a woman who loves nothing more than to stay out of her father’s path and do what she loves, which is helping others less fortunate than her.

Vaush and Comron’s paths cross when the transport that she is on is attacked by a terrorist. A bomb explodes, causing the transport to crash. Vaush is largely uninjured but Comron is gravely injured. Vaush finds him in the wreckage, discovers who he is and decides to save him. Comron returns the favor after a panther attacks Vaush in the jungle.

While they are trekking towards the east coast, and hopefully rescue, Vaush and Comron fall in love and do the dirty. They vow to keep seeing each other, on the down-low, after they are rescued.

Once they are rescued, a huge secret about Vaush comes to light. She is the legal heir of the Emperor’s throne. The Emperor took her mother as his first wife, much to the dismay of his ex-wife and their children. When her mother got pregnant, she disappeared and was assumed to have died and her child along with her. Which wasn’t the case. Her transport was waylaid by Larrs Bastionli, her mother severely injured but kept alive to deliver Vaush and then were either killed or died after her birth. Larrs kept Vaush and raised her as his own child. But with the plan that when she old enough, that she will become the Empress and Tir-Laros will have the backing of the Empress.

Only, it didn’t quite turn out that way. There is murder and mayhem once her secret is leaked. The only true ally that Vaush has is Comron but even that is questioned when huge secrets from his past are revealed to her.

I never thought that I would ever say this in a science fiction/fantasy but the sex scenes are insanely good. Each sex scene was better than the next. I loved it!!

The ending of the book threw me for a loop and made me question Comron and his loyalty to Vaush. There were other instances that made me go “Eh” but when I read what I read at the end, I went “Ooooooo….no he didn’t!!” I am actually going to buy the 2nd book because I want to know what happens next.

I would give Throne of Novoxos an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Throne of Novoxos. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Her Winged Viking, Her Rock Hard Viking and Her Christmas Viking (Her Elemental Vikings Books 3-5)by A.J. Tipton

Her Winged Viking: A Paranormal Romance (Her Viking's Desire Book 3) by [Tipton, AJ]
Her Rock Hard Viking: A Paranormal Romance (Her Viking's Desire Book 4) by [Tipton, AJ]
Her Christmas Viking (Her Elemental Viking #5)

Publisher: 

Date of Publication: 

Her Winged Viking – October 26th, 2014

Her Rock Hard Viking – December 18th, 2014

Her Christmas Viking – November 8th, 2015

Genre: Romance

Her Winged Viking – 81 pages

Series: Her Elemental Viking

Her Fiery Viking – Book 1 (review)

Her Steamy Viking – Book 2 (review)

Her Winged Viking – Book 3

Her Rock Hard Viking – Book 4

Her Christmas Viking – Book 5

Where you can find these books:

Her Winged Viking – Amazon

Her Rock Hard Viking – Amazon

Her Christmas Viking – Amazon

Book synopsis:

Her Winged Viking:

He’s no angel. Erik is a two-thousand-year-old Viking cursed with broken wings; he works as a carnival mascot to cover his shame. Con artist, playboy, and liar, Erik only cares about one thing in the world apart from himself: his best friend, Siobhan.

She’s no demon. Siobhan is an intense seven hundred-year-old leprechaun whose horns she must hide from the world to blend in at her job as the carnival’s CFO. Sarcastic, efficient, and beautiful, Siobhan would rather be forced to grant a hundred wishes than risk losing her oldest friend, Erik.

But when scandal endangers these two and their carnival, will Siobhan and Erik be able to admit their feelings before they both go down for this crime?

This mature romance involves horny immortals, a matchmaking supernatural bartender, the creative use of carnival rides, and a love powerful enough to soar.

My review:

I am doing this review a bit different from reviews in the past. The 3 books that I reviewed are part of a series of novellas and are under 100 pages each. To save myself time and patience (which I am running out of today…another post and a long story),  I decided to consolidate them into one review. So, this might seem to be the world’s longest review but it isn’t. It’s just me being lazy.

So, having said that, here is my review of Her Winged Viking.

Loved, loved, loved that Siobhan was a leprechaun and loved the different direction that the author took with it. Instead of a pot of gold, she is fascinated with numbers and she grants wishes. Which is pretty awesome and actually makes me want to go find a leprechaun….lol.

Erik did come off as somewhat of a playboy at the beginning of the book. I mean, his wish really wasn’t fair to Siobhan (not that I think she complained and she totally gave back). But, in the course of the book, I did love seeing how his character changed and, in a way, matured.

The sex scenes, of course, were hot, hot, hot and also very funny at the same time (can it be that???). I will never look at pinball games, whack a mole or those funhouse mirrors the same. There was some non-traditional sex involving feathers and horns that were totally different from what I have read. Still very hot!!

I loved the ending and how everyone got what they deserved/wanted!!

How many stars will I give Her Winged Viking: 4

I would give Her Winged Viking an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Her Winged Viking. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Book Synopsis:

Her Rock Hard Viking

Rock hard was never so literal. Carr, once a proud Viking warrior, was cursed to be the very island he invaded. But when a gorgeous woman parachutes into his life, everything changes. Will her sexual healing finally bring him release? Or will he give up his last chance at humanity to save her?

Becca never thought to pack sexy lingerie for this trip. She’s a botanist on the hunt for a miracle cure to save her family. What’s a woman to do when she discovers her remote island is actually an extremely passionate Viking? Go with it.

This steamy tale for mature readers contains sexy vine and waterfall action, an omniscient bartender, and a love passionate enough to make the earth move.

My review:

I was very excited to read Carr’s story and I wasn’t disappointed!!!

Becca is a botanist on a desperate mission. She is trying to locate a rare flower that will help cure her nephew an incurable disease that he was dying of. This flower is located on an island in the middle of nowhere, and unbeknownst to her, is alive.

Carr is the last of the Viking brothers cursed by a witch. He is cursed to stay on the island….to be the island until the curse is broken. Which he thought would never happen until Becca parachutes onto his island.

I have never read a book that used plants for sexual uses but because Carr was the island, it made sense and was totally hot. And when he became human, the sex was even better.

I also thought the whole sub-story of her nephew and his illness for heartbreaking and I loved that storyline was brought to a very nice end too.

How many stars will I give Her Rock Hard Viking: 4

I would give Her Rock Hard Viking an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Her Rock Hard Viking. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Book synopsis:

Her Christmas Viking:

Christmas is hotter than ever: the Elemental Viking brothers are back!

Over a thousand years ago, four Viking brothers led by their tyrannical father invaded lands under the protection of a powerful witch. Cursed for their crimes, the brothers suffered for their wrongdoing for over a thousand years. With the help of the women they loved, they became worthy of redemption and broke their curses.

Now it’s Christmas, and–with the help of a little magic–the entire family is reunited to celebrate. But when the yuletide spell bringing them together also summons their bloodthirsty father back from the veil, the boys and their lovers must band together to save the holidays.

This festive novella for adults features holiday spell work, naughty gifts, and a winter wonderland you’ll never see coming.

This STANDALONE novella is part of the “Her Elemental Viking” series and features characters from throughout the series. There are no cliffhangers and each short ends as it should: happily ever after.

My review:

This had to have been my favorite book of all the Elemental Viking books put together. Why? Simple. It brought all of the brothers together and we got to see what happened to them after their stories ended.

Bram did a spell without Audrey knowing and somehow summoned all of his brothers and their girlfriends/wives to the bar that they run. I got to see again:

Mikkel/Jo

Erik/Siobhan

Carr/Becca

But, unfortunately, it also summoned their father, Havarr, who was cursed along with them. To be PC about it, he is a big, huge jerk. When he found out that Audrey was a witch, he tried to run her through with his sword. In her haste to protect herself and Bram (who stepped in front of the sword), she magics everyone out of the room. Erik and Siobhan end up falling down the chimney, Mikkel and Jo end up in the freezer and Carr/Becca end up wrapped in Carr’s Christmas present to Becca. Audrey and Bram end up in the back storage room.

Each couple has to work to get out of their predicament and hot sex is used once. Not going to say which couple got busy but I will say that the other ones were jealous that they had it so easy….lol.

Of course, Havarr got what was coming to him and oh boy, did I laugh. Do I see a story coming with him or is he going to remain what he was turned into forever….lol?

The end of the book was very sweet and perfect for the series.

How many stars will I give Her Christmas Viking: 4

I would give Her Christmas Viking an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Her Christmas Viking. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Billionaire Stepbrother: Our Bad Romance (Young Adult Romance Book Series: Book 1) by K. Robinson

Billionaire Stepbrother: Our Bad Romance (Young Adult Romance Book Series 1) by [Robinson, K.]

2 Stars

Publisher: Love & Romance

Date of publication: October 25th, 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Romance

Series: Young Adult Romance Book Series

Billionaire Stepbrother: Our Bad Romance – Book 1

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Seth McGregory is not your average badass biker guy. Yeah, he may love beer and cigarettes, bars, motorcycles, and heavy rock but there’s something more than what meets the eye. He found himself madly in love with his step-sister, Caroline. This is obviously not right but he thinks there’s nothing wrong with falling in love with someone that doesn’t share your bloodline.

At first, Caroline was skeptical when she found out about his love but soon enough, she finds herself falling for him too. This creates huge dilemmas and sacrifices between them, along with the disapproval from their parents when they find out.

Seth will do about anything to make sure he can have Caroline to himself without a worry. The question is, how will he be able to convince their parents and make them approve of their twisted, sick relationship?

My review:

Seth McGregory is a billionaire that comes from a family of billionaires (if that makes sense). In the first scene, he is buying his stepsister, Caroline, a ruby-encrusted infinity symbol for her birthday that costs over $9,000…..which he has the cash for.

Seth is in a bit of a dilemma. He has strong feelings for Caroline but hasn’t acted on them because A) he isn’t sure she has the same feelings and B) his parents would freak out. But he has decided that he can’t keep his feelings to himself any longer. So he shows up at her house (because every 19-year-old has their own home) to give her his gift, and he confesses his attraction to her. At first, she is pretty grossed out and throws him out. But after a couple of days of thinking about it, she calls him and asks him to come back to her house and confesses her attraction to him. Use your imagination as to what happened next.

After two months of basically sneaking around, they decide to come clean to their parents. Their reactions were what I expected.

This is the first stepbrother romance that I have reviewed (I have read longer books), and I have to say that I am on the fence about it. Seth and Caroline lacked “ummph,” and there was no explosive sexual attraction between them. There was no heat in the sex scenes either.

The only real thing in the book was their parent’s reaction, at first. Dad was the most ticked off. But then they did a turnaround and said that they knew that they were dating and keeping it under wraps because people will judge.

I would give Billionaire Stepbrother: Our Bad Romance an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is explicit language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would not reread  Billionaire Stepbrother: Our Bad Romance. I would not recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Mortom by Erik Therme

Mortom by [Therme, Erik]

4 Stars

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Published: April 28th, 2015

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Andy Crowl barely knew his recently deceased cousin, Craig Moore, so he’s especially surprised to be named as the sole beneficiary in Craig’s will. Not that there’s much to inherit: just an empty bank account and a run-down house.

Andy Crowl barely knew his recently deceased cousin, Craig Moore, so he’s especially surprised to be named as the sole beneficiary in Craig’s will. Not that there’s much to inherit: just an empty bank account and a run-down house.

Once Andy arrives in the town of Mortom, however, he’s drawn into his puzzle-obsessed cousin’s true legacy: a twisted and ominous treasure hunt. Beckoned by macabre clues of dead rats and cemetery keys, Andy jumps into the game, hoping to discover untold wealth. But unsavory secrets–and unanswered questions about Craig’s untimely demise–arise at every turn, leading Andy to wonder if he’s playing the game…or if the game is playing him.

Revised edition: This edition of Mortom includes editorial revisions.

My review:

I am not one to be creeped out by a book. To be honest, the last book that genuinely creeped me out was “It” by Stephen King. So, I wasn’t expected to be as creeped out as I was by Mortom. It wasn’t scary but any means but Andy’s actions and his obsession creeped me out. By the end of the book, all he thought about was getting the prize.

The story starts off with Andy Crowl and his sister, Kate, traveling to the town of Mortom to settle the estate of their late cousin, Craig. Craig had died a couple of weeks earlier what many people, including Andy and Kate, considered an accident. He drowned in a local lake. While they are waiting for the bank manager to show up, they explore the house. While in the kitchen, Andy discovers a huge rat, dead under the refrigerator. When he pulled it out from under the fridge (it stunk), he discovered that it had a key stuck down its throat with a note wrapped around it. All the note said was “Follow Me”.

From this point on, Andy is following the clues left for him and is growing increasingly erratic in his behavior and his obsession with following the clues to whatever prize it at the end. According to a note that Andy found, as part of a clue, Andy has until Friday to find the prize. They also discovered Craig’s death wasn’t accidental….that is was planned because….Craig had a brain tumor, it wasn’t operable and he wanted to die on his own terms.

I did feel bad for Kate after this point because of how Andy was acting. He was becoming more and more obsessed with finding whatever Craig hid. He was assuming it was money. Also, Kate was dealing with her own issues but you really need the book to find out what.

Andy annoyed me. He was acting like a man-child and would throw fits when Kate tried to talk sense into him. His obsession with finding the prize did almost have some disastrous consequences for him and for Kate. But does he realize that? No, he doesn’t and he keeps at it.

The suspense that built throughout the book was great. I knew that the book was heading towards something bad but I didn’t know what, where, who or why. When the climax did happen, it happened with a bang and definitely didn’t let me down. I was sufficiently creeped out by Andy by the end of the book.

Speaking of the end of the book, oh boy did what was revealed take me by surprise. Now, I will say that looking back, there are hints dropped throughout the book but they kinda took a back-burner to the main story.

I would give Mortom an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Mortom. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**