Evening’s Land by Pauline West

Evening's Land

Title: Evening’s Land

Author: Pauline West

Publisher: Self Published

Date of publication: February 20th, 2017

Genre: Gothic, Romance, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Fantasy

POV: 1st person and 3rd person

Number of pages: 376

Series: No

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

The dark elegance of Anne Rice’s THE WITCHING HOUR meets the lush parallel worlds of Neil Gaiman’s SANDMAN series.

Reeling after her best friend’s suicide, Ada Walker falls under the spell of the collective subconscious, the EVENING’S LAND, searching for Faye’s soul with a rakishly hypnotic ghost named Christopher.

Richly preternatural and spine-tinglingly erotic, EVENING’S LAND is an exploration of love, loss, and loyalty that will haunt you long after the last page is turned.

My review:

This review is going to be so very hard to write. Not because the book was good, it was very good, it is because I am going to have a hard time not giving away some major that happens in the book. So I am very carefully editing what I am writing here (I have already deleted 3 starting paragraphs but will be keeping this one).

I think the author did a great job highlighting what happens after someone commits suicide. What happens to the people who are left and how it strains relationships/friendships. I really wanted to hug Ada because of that trauma. No one should find their best friend dead.

I also wanted to hug Faye. She had a crappy home life. A father who seemed to disdain her and a mother who went along with it. The whole hiking trip in the cave nailed that for me and showed me why Faye took the risks she did and why she basically clung to Ada. I think that’s why she broke when she was raped.

Not that Ada had it any better. Her mother slept around, her father was an enabler and Ada started cutting as a direct result of that. So, when she found Faye, it pushed her over the edge. I think her parents did the right thing by moving her across the country so she could heal. Too bad that they couldn’t fix their own issues.

I think if I fell into the Land like Ada did, I would have done the same thing. I would try to find Faye’s soul and try to pull her out of her Purgatory. And I think I would have been as surprised as Ada was if I met a boy in the Land and I would have been even more surprised when he appeared in my bedroom and started to seduce me.

Speaking of Christopher, I was so wrong about him. So wrong and I got so mad at myself for being wrong. I really wish that he didn’t do what he did because it really pole-axed me and definitely changed the story. Want to know what it was??? Read the book, you won’t be disappointed.

The Oliver Roamery storyline was truly scary. I got goosebumps when he appeared in the story. He is one of the most genuinely creepy characters written. Evil just poured off of the pages when he appeared.

When all 3 storylines (plus the secondary storyline with Mary and Jupiter) meet, it is explosive. Again, read the book if you want to find out how/why it was explosive.

This book was told in 1st and 3rd person but the author did a great job of distinguishing not only who was speaking but what time frame. The whole first half of the book was basically flashbacks starting 3 years previously and alternating between Ada and Faye. Once Faye commits suicide, no more flashbacks, obviously but then the author switches to 3rd person to start the Oliver Roamery storyline.

This book is erotic but I liked that the author chose not to go into the details of when people were having sex. Just flashes of memory, which actually conveyed more than a whole paragraph would. The only time she got wordy was when Ada and Christopher were making out/Mary and Oliver (belch).

The end of the book wasn’t what I expected, at all. I am still shaking my head over it.

How many stars will I give Evening’s Land: 5

Why: This is the first Gothic fantasy that I have read and I have to say, I loved it. The author has an almost lyric style of writing and she keeps you very engaged throughout the book. The story and sub-storylines were brought together with a bang and the book ended with a bang.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes but with a warning about the suicide scene and the rape scene

Age range: Adult

Why: Language, Sex (forced and consensual) and mild violence

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

Reaper’s Claim by Simone Elise

Reaper's Claim

Title: Reaper’s Claim

Author: Simone Elise

Publisher: Inkitt

Date of publication: February 15th, 2017

Genre: Romance

POV: Alternating 1st person

Number of pages: Unknown

Series: No

Where this book can be found: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

In my motorcycle club I’ve earned the name ‘Reaper’ and now I have my claim on Abby Harrison.

Reaper:
I didn’t know what love was, but I knew what want was, and I wanted Abby. When I walked out of the club and saw her I was stone cold sober. She was quietly beautiful and unlike any other woman I’d had before. But she was the daughter of the president of Satan’s Sons MC and completely out of my reach.

Abby:
Everyone knew The Reaper and how he got his name, so I never expected him to be my salvation when my sister’s drunk boyfriend wanted to lay hands on me. I thought my innocence would be lost in that alley until he showed up and saved me. I know being with Reaper will lead to trouble, but I don’t know if I have the strength to stay away.

Being together might be dangerous, but outlaws are meant to break the rules.

My review:

What I liked about Reaper’s Claim:

It was a motorcycle club book. I am slightly obsessed with them since getting an ARC last year. I don’t know why. Maybe it is the allure of a bad boy or maybe it is the romance that comes with the story. I really don’t know why I am obsessed with them.
The realistic look on motorcycle clubs. I said above that I am slightly obsessed with motorcycle club books. But it doesn’t mean that I am blind to when they are being shown as bikers with hearts of gold. It might be true for some clubs but let’s face it, motorcycle clubs in real life are not all good. They actually do very bad things to people and that is what makes this book refreshing. The author didn’t hide that Reaper, Roach, Kim, Abby and the rest of the club were bad people.
Reaper and Abby being portrayed as real people. What I mean by that is that they have real issues. Abby has Daddy issues (Roach wasn’t exactly father of the year), anger issues and makes some not so great decisions in her life. Reaper has anger issues and when he fights with Abby, he ends up sleeping with a club girl (a woman who lives at the clubhouse and sleeps with everyone there….aka a whore). Together they had communication and trust issues. Major trust issues. To be honest, there was a point in the book where I thought that they needed to see a therapist.

What I disliked about Reaper’s Claim:

The numerous 1st person POV’s. I love reading different point of views. It adds flavor to the book to read from another perspective. But, and stress but, there is only so many POV’s that you can have in a book before it starts to get confusing. Not only did we have Abby and Reaper’s POV but we had Trigger, Kim, Roach, Brad, Vivienne and a couple of other people whose names I can’t remember. Too much, way too much. It should have just been left with Reaper and Abby. The story wouldn’t have seemed as bogged down as it is.
Abby. I couldn’t stand her. She was given a rough deal in life with her mother dying at such a young age, her father being who he was and her sister sleeping around. I get it but it didn’t excuse her actions after she was forced to go live with her aunt. Honestly, she acted like a 3-year-old trying to get her father’s attention (which I really think she was). She never listened to reason. If Roach or Reaper were trying to tell her something that might save her life, she would take off. By the end of the book, I was pretty sick and tired of her.
I couldn’t tell where this book took place. I know it is a petty thing to dislike but I couldn’t flipping figure out if the book took place in Australia or the UK and it drove me absolutely crazy. I know people are going to be reading this and going “Ok”. Here’s the reason it was driving me nuts. I read with accents and I couldn’t figure out what accent to give to the characters. I know, petty and weird, but it totally threw me off stride when I couldn’t do that.

How many stars will I give Reaper’s Claim: 3

Why: I was so torn on giving this book a lower star rating. I actually liked the book and found it refreshing that it gave a pretty realistic view on what motorcycle clubs are really like. But between the multiple 1st person POV’s and a very unlikable main character, I couldn’t get into the book and that affected my rating.

Will I reread: Probably

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes but I would warn them about the sex, language, and violence in the book.

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, violence, and language.

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

Entangled( Ages of Invention: Book 1) by S. B. K. Burns

Entangled (Ages of Invention Book 1) by [Burns, S.B.K.]

Title: Entangled

Author: S. B. K. Burns

Publisher: Self-published

Date of publication: December 6th, 2016

Genre: Paranormal, Time Travel, Science Fiction, Romance, Steampunk, Women’s Fiction

POV: 3rd person

Number of pages: 277

Series: Ages of Invention

Entangled – Book 1

Can be read out-of-order from series: Yes, the first book in series

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

She’s Hume’n, a member of the lower class, with one chance to change her life… In an alternate, twenty-first century Boston, Dawn Jamison is a hair’s breadth away from earning her doctorate—a degree that would allow her entrance into the upper class, to become the unemotional and self-disciplined Cartesian she is now only pretending to be. To reach her goal, all Dawn must do is overcome her forbidden attraction to the Olympic-class weightlifter Taylor Stephenson who’s just crashed her lectures on past life regression. She must also teach her group of misfit students how to travel back into their past lives—and, oh, of course, figure out how to save the great scientists of the early eighteenth century before they’re inextricably caught up in a time loop.

He’s Cartesian, a member of the upper class, and supposed to know better… Coerced by his politically powerful, wheelchair-bound brother into spying on Dawn’s past-life regression classes, Taylor knows better than to give in to his desire to claim Dawn as his own. But his past-life entity, eighteenth-century Colin, has no such inhibitions. When Taylor and Dawn meet up in Scotland in the 1700s, all the discipline he’s forced on his twenty-first-century self disintegrates in the past, leaving only his overwhelming lust for Dawn’s past-life double, Lily. Unable to escape their sexually obsessive past, Dawn and Taylor find themselves in a race against the clock at the epicenter of a world-altering time quake of their own making.

My review:

Entangled is a fast-paced science fiction/steampunk romance. Told in 3rd person, the reader gets to follow Dawn Jamison, a bright young woman, in the lower class caste called the Hume’n, who is on the verge of getting her doctorate degree. By getting that degree, Dawn will be allowed into the upper class, a caste called the Cartesian. Her mentor is a brilliant scientist, Richard Stephenson, who is suspicious of her caste and asks his brother, Taylor, to spy on her. Taylor, an Olympic athlete who is questioning if he really is a Cartesian, agrees….only find out that he is immensely attracted to Dawn.

But Taylor is hiding his own secret….from Dawn and his brother. See, Taylor is able to travel back in time through lucid dreaming and he always ends up in the body of Colin, a brilliant young mathematician in the 1700’s. What he doesn’t know is that Dawn is able to go back in time too and she is Lily, a young female alchemist (aka scientist) and that both he/Colin and Dawn/Lily are going to be caught up in a time vortex brought on by their time traveling….as well as other factors.

***********************************

I really enjoyed reading Entangled. It is the type of book that is slow going, and it was for the first two chapters, but once it gets going, it really captures your attention and imagination. I mean, this world is separated into two castes….the Humens and the Cartesians. The Humens are considered a lower caste, the poor, and they make their life decisions on what can be derived through their senses and emotions and not just their rational minds. Because of their beliefs, the Humens are not allowed to get advanced degrees in anything. Meanwhile, the Cartesians believe that rational thinking and stoic detachment is the only way to get ahead in life and for the most part, they are successful. They are the upper class, the higher caste.

Dawn was one of my favorite characters. She was dedicated to keeping her Cartesian disguise so she could get an advanced degree, something that Humens are not allowed to do. She is a devoted sister to her twin brother, Max and a devoted friend to Naomi, a brilliant young hacker. She also is an expert on past lives and has been chosen to teach a class about them to a bunch of students who are on the verge of failing out but what Naomi is convinced is a think tank of some sort.

Taylor, I was kinda “eh” on at first. I don’t know why I was “eh” on him but I was. It wasn’t until the scenes with his brother that I started liking him and then when he got involved with Dawn, that I really started liking him. I also like that he questioned if the caste he was born into was really for him. I mean, he was an Olympic athlete but he was questioning why he didn’t like looking at himself flexing in the mirror.

The time travel scenes were very interesting in the fact that they took over the body of the person they were supposed to be. Like Dawn was Lily, an alchemist (aka scientist) who really liked the guys and was a witch and Taylor was Colin, who was a brilliant mathematician and who had the hots for Lily. But as soon as they started interacting with other people, the timeline got screwed up…badly. To the point where certain events in history never happened and were replaced with other events….if that makes sense.

The sex scenes between Dawn and Taylor were very steamy. Of course, the first sex scene between them was a little awkward and that was only because they were in Lily and Colin’s body. The second time was the same thing except they were at Taylor’s house and they ended up breaking the sexual curse by having sex and achieving orgasm. Every time after that, though, was very hot and very steamy.

What I really liked, though, was that girl power prevailed throughout the entire book. When one of the secondary storylines went haywire (the Q computer and that’s all I am saying about it), it was Naomi and Rasana, a preteen form Dawn’s class that she was teaching, that made it right. I also like the different spin on the witch burnings and how they were “saved”. (read the book).

The storylines were all merged and ended by the end of the book. They were all pretty much ended on a good note. What I did like was that the author left the book open for book 2.

How many stars will I give Entangled: 4

Why: What I liked the most about this book was the time travel and the steampunk elements in it. The romance was pretty good too.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Explicit sex and some mild violence

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

Guarding Mr. Fine (Tough Love: Book 3) by HelenKay Dimon

Guarding Mr. Fine (Tough Love, #3)

Title: Guarding Mr. Fine

Author: HelenKay Dimon

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: February 14th, 2017

Genre: Romance, LGBTQIA

Number of pages: Unknown

POV: 1st person

Series: Tough Love

Mr. and Mr. Smith – Book 1

The Talented Mr. Rivers – Book 2

Guarding Mr. Fine – Book 3

Can be read out-of-order from series: Yes

Where you can find this book: Amazon|Barnes and Nobles

Goodreads synopsis:

In this steamy novel of seduction and international intrigue, two brave men are stripped of their defenses—and exposed to dangers and desires that simmer below the surface.

As an agent with the CIA’s special activities division, Seth Lang lives for risk—and yet he’s stuck playing bodyguard to the U.S. consul general in Munich. Although Seth’s last assignment nearly killed him, babysitting some desk jockey in a suit sounds way too easy. But when he lays eyes on the new top man, tactical expert Rick Fine, Seth’s thrilled to see just how hard this job is going to get. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Quiet have a body worth guarding—and he requires hands-on attention day and night.

Dispatched to a German consulate to expose the murder of his predecessor, Rick finds himself in an extremely vulnerable position. He needs a man like Seth—in so many ways. This mission will inevitably plunge them both into jeopardy, but each new threat only brings them closer. Rick just hopes that he can keep his deepest, darkest secret hidden—or else risk imperiling a relationship they’re both fighting for their lives to protect.

Fall in love with the men of HelenKay Dimon’s thrilling novels:
MR. AND MR. SMITH | THE TALENTED MR. RIVERS | GUARDING MR. FINE

Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

My review:

For the most part, I liked this book. I liked Rick Fine, kinda like Seth Lang, like the sexual chemistry between them and loved the whodunit mystery of the diplomat who committed suicide and the shipments of vaccines being messed with. The book itself was a very quick read and the plot was fairly simple.

It’s just that, well, I wish Seth was a bit more likable. The entire book, he came across as a jerk. A huge jerk who couldn’t face his feelings for Rick until almost the end of the book. I know a lot of bad stuff happened in his life but Rick’s own early years were worse than Seth’s and he wasn’t a jerk.

Speaking of Rick, while I did like him and loved how open he was with Seth and how he didn’t flip out when Seth told him that he was bisexual, I did kinda want to kick him for keeping that huge secret from Seth. I actually sided with Seth when Seth flipped out after being told. That was a HUGE thing and forget what Helena said…Seth should have been told sooner.

The sexual chemistry was unbelievable between the two of them and it literally lit the pages on fire. I did find it kinda ironic that their first meeting turned into what was supposed to be a one night stand in a back office of a discotheque. I did giggle when they met (call me weird). Talk about an awkward first meeting. To be honest, I thought it was more awkward for Seth then it was for Rick.

I did like the mystery/action aspect of the book, even though I did figure out who was behind everything about halfway through the book. But the author did a great job of throwing several red herrings out there so I really wasn’t sure until the climax of the book.

The end of the book was your typical HEA. Well, after Seth had his freak out (which again, I don’t blame him one bit). Then it was a typical HEA.

How many stars will I give Guarding Mr. Fine? 3

Why: While I loved the story and the romance (well, I would really say it was lustmance….lol), I couldn’t get over Seth’s attitude. To be honest, it turned what could have been some sweet moments into well, him being a jerk, and that ruined the book. He needed to get rid of the chip on his shoulder sooner in the book, other than almost at the end.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age Range: Adult

Why: Explicit sex, language, and violence

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

Always by Sarah Jio

Always: A Novel by [Jio, Sarah]

Title: Always

Author: Sarah Jio

Publisher: Random House Publishing – Ballantine

Date of publication: February 7th, 2017

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Chick Lit

POV: 1st person

Number of pages: 289

Series: No

Where this book can be found: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

From the New York Times, bestselling author of Blackberry Winter and The Violets of March comes a gripping, poignant novel about the kind of love that never let’s go, and the heart’s capacity to remember.

While enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner with her fiancé, Ryan, at one of Seattle’s chicest restaurants, Kailey Crane can’t believe her good fortune: She has a great job as a writer for the Herald and is now engaged to a guy who is perfect in nearly every way. As they leave the restaurant, Kailey spies a thin, bearded homeless man on the sidewalk. She approaches him to offer up her bag of leftovers and is stunned when their eyes meet, then stricken to her very core: The man is the love of her life, Cade McAllister.

When Kailey met Cade ten years ago, their attraction was immediate and intense everything connected and felt “right.” But it all ended suddenly, leaving Kailey devastated. Now the poor soul on the street is a faded version of her former beloved: His weathered and weary face is as handsome as Kailey remembers, but his mind has suffered in the intervening years. Over the next few weeks, Kailey helps Cade begin to piece his life together, something she initially keeps from Ryan. As she revisits her long-ago relationship, Kailey realizes that she must decide exactly what and whom she wants.

Alternating between the past and the present, Always is a beautifully unfolding exploration of a woman faced with an impossible choice, a woman who discovers what she’s willing to save and what she will sacrifice for true love.

My review:

A bit of a warning, this book is a tear-jerker from the beginning. I was a bit surprised at how early the tears started in the book for me. I went into reading Always knowing that it was chick lit and chick lit always turns me into a mushy mess. I just wasn’t expecting it by Chapter 2.

While I sympathized with Kailey, I was kinda annoyed with her. She should have told Ryan what was going on with Cade from the beginning, instead of keeping secrets. I mean, her boss (who was super supportive and unlike any boss I have known) and her best friend were voices of reason. “Tell Ryan. He’ll understand.” She doesn’t and then gets upset when Ryan finds out and he gets upset. What was he supposed to be? Happy that she is devoting all her time to helping the one man who disappeared on her 8 years earlier. The fact that he was at least understanding showed what a great guy he was.

Even before she realized it, I could tell that Kailey was still in love with Cade. I mean, she went and hunted him down after she saw him outside the restaurant. She became his advocate when the hospital decided that people who had insurance and were rich had more priority over those who were poor and didn’t have insurance (which is an unfortunate reality for most people these days).

Speaking of that, the love story between Cade and Kailey took my breath away. They loved each other so much and it just came off the pages. Like any couple, they had their problems. So when he disappeared, I could see why Kailey was devastated.

But what sold me on the book was the realistic insight to homelessness. People who are homeless are treated like they are below other people. All because they don’t have the money or a place to live. People are under the incorrect assumption that most homeless people are drug addicts. Not true. A huge majority of people homeless are people who used to have a house and a job and through unfortunate events are living on the street. There are not enough shelters to keep up with a growing homeless population….which was correctly portrayed in the book also. As was people’s views of them. A little compassion can go a long way because you never know, you could be that person on the street. At the end of this review will be a link to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Click on it to learn more about how to help shelters in your community.

I did like the ending of the book and felt that the story had come full circle.

How many stars will I give Always: 5

Why: This was a genuine tear-jerker of a book. Like I said above, I started crying about the 2nd chapter and didn’t stop. The love between Cade and Kailey was so real, so raw that it came off the page.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

National Coalition for the Homeless

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

Mage of Legend (Dragon Highlands: Book 1): A Kal’brath Novel by Jennifer Amriss

Mage of Legend (An M/M Gay Fantasy Romance): A Kal'brath Novel

Title: Mage of Legend

Author: Jennifer Amriss

Publisher: Magelight Press

Date of publication: February 3rd, 2017

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, LBGTQIA

POV: 3rd person

Number of pages: 352

Series: Dragon Highlands

Mage of Legend – Book 1

Kal’brath Novels

Race Against the Dark – Book 1 (review here)

Healing Wounds – Book 2 (review here)

Twilight’s Children – Book 3 (review here)

Can be read out-of-order from series: Yes, the first book in the Dragon Highlands series

Where this book can be found: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Dimensional Rifters Were Nothing But Legends.
Until now…

Ages ago, one of the old gods threw Minuvel, the last Ivari, into a dimensional prison. She was too powerful to kill and too dangerous to let roam free. But her vault was lost.

A Spoiled King and A Skilled Hunter.

After a beautiful stranger saves his life, Xastrian, the new Dragon King, owes Velithor a life-debt. But as the two join forces to battle the crazed Ivari who shares their prison, he discovers he wants so much more. Soul-bonding with the shy, resourceful hunter would be worth anything. Even facing death a second time.

Trapped and Hunted.

Xastrian must rely on Velithor’s knowledge of the forest. Velithor must help Xastrian regain his power. And one of them must tap into the magic of legend to become a dimensional rifter before the Ivari drives Xastrian mad and ruins their chances of ever finding their way home.
Reading Order

Mage of Legend
Lurir: Going Home (Short Story)- COMING SOON!
*Dragon Court- COMING SOON!

Dragon Highlands Book 1.

This side duology to the Kings of Kal’brath series is set in the same universe where Mother, the sentient planet, cradles the races of three parallel worlds: Adradis of the elves and other magical races where the continent of Kal’brath resides, Earth of the magicless humans, and Morka of the magic-negating bashkai. If you loved the Kal’brath books, this duology brings back Velithor for more fun, romance, and gripping adventure.

These light fantasy romps are sure to be favorites you will want to read again and again.

Please note that this is book contains an M/M (Gay) Fantasy Romance subplot.

Want to know the reading order for the entire universe? Here you go!

1. Race Against the Dark (Kings of Kal’brath Pilot) [Het]
2. Healing Wounds: Mother Book One (Kings of Kal’brath 2) [Het]
3. Twilight’s Children: Mother Book Two (Kings of Kal’brath 3) [Het]
4. Mage of Legend (Dragon Highlands 1) [Gay]
5. Lurir: Going Home (Dragon Highlands Short) [Clean]
6. Dragon Court (Dragon Highlands 2) [Gay]

My review:

I was so excited when Jennifer contacted me to let me know that not only did she have another Kal’brath novel coming out and it was going to have Velithor in it, I was super excited. I didn’t come out and squeal like a teenager at a boy band concert but it was pretty close.

I am going to admit, I wasn’t a fan of Xastrian at first. He takes off after an assassination attempt (hello, an unknown person wanting to kill you!!) to practice his magic, which he isn’t very good at and not only did he end up blasting the area he was in (with everything in it) in between dimensions but he also almost died. After Velithor saves him, he acts like a spoiled brat. There were times I wanted to smack him. But he did start to grow on me. Slowly but he grew on me. By the end of the book, I really liked him.

Velithor, oh Velithor. I was so happy to see that he had a love interest that worshipped him. I actually cried a few times in the book. Once when Niral died saving him from the harpies (which, btw were not what I thought they would look like. WoW totally ruined that for me…..lol). Once when the mama grizzly died, leaving the cubs orphans and once when Velithor explained why he has white hair and Xastrian told him that he should feel cherished. Ahhhh…waterworks.

The sex scenes between Velithor and Xastrian were beyond hot and so sweet. The feelings between both of them just came off the pages and to be honest, it made the sex even sweeter to read. What I really liked, though, was that they had sex twice. The rest of the time, it was them making out and letting their feelings grow between each other.

The storyline involving Minuvel was awesome. She was a witch with a capital B and didn’t fail to pull out all the stops when he flat-out told her no. I was neutral about her at first (I mean, I would be little witchy if locked in a prison for as long as she was) but when she tortured Xastrian in the tunnels, I hated her. But she did get what was coming to her so I felt vindicated.

The storyline with the sithak was interesting. Mainly because how he was connected to both Velithor and Xastrian. I wasn’t expecting to like him that much or for him to actually care about them both. From the last book, I thought that he was a monster and I am glad that my image of the sithak was changed. I hope that he makes appearances in other books!!

The end of the book was pretty open-ended. I do have some questions that I hope will be answered in the next book. Like how will a certain engagement end up? And who is the assassin? Will the cubs stay with Velithor and Xastrian?

How many stars will I give Mage of Legend? 4

Why: I really liked this book. I couldn’t put this book down. I had to find out if Xastrian and Velithor defeat Minuvel and escape the prison. I couldn’t put the book down and finished it within a day and a half. It was that good.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and violence

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

Take Me Harder (Texas Bounty: Book 3) by Jackie Ashenden

Take Me Harder (Texas Bounty, #3)

Title: Take Me Harder

Author: Jackie Ashenden

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: February 7th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: Unknown

POV: 3rd person

Series: Texas Bounty

Take Me Deeper – Book 1 (review here)

Make It Hurt – Book 2

Take Me Harder – Book 3

Make It Good – Book 4 (Expected publication date: March 6th, 2018)

Make It Last – Book 5 (Expected publication date: May 1st, 2018)

Take Me Longer – Book 6 (Expected publication date: July 3rd, 2018)

Standalone – No

Where to find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Rush Redmond never expected freedom to taste so bittersweet. He spent eight years in jail doing someone else’s time, and for what? As an ex-con, Rush can’t work as a bounty hunter like his brothers—not in Texas. Better to drown his sorrows with a stiff drink and soft curves. Too bad the temptation he craves is a redhead with a badge: Ava St. George. Once upon a time, Rush would’ve done anything for the sheriff’s innocent daughter. Now he’s fighting the urge to let her sweet-talk him into some trouble he can’t afford.

Even though she’s a cop, Ava knows that sometimes justice means pushing the boundaries of the law. To track down her mother’s killer, she turns to the man with the county’s criminal underworld in his little black book. The boy she knew is still drop-dead gorgeous, with panty-dropping charm as smooth as his smile. But his sculpted arms and the menacing gleam in his eyes scream “Don’t mess with me.” Yet Ava needs Rush more than ever—in more ways than one.

My review:

Rush Redmond spent 8 years in jail for a crime that he did not commit….to protect his older brother, Quinn, and his alcoholic father. He has changed in those 8 years and not for the better. He came out of jail bitter. Bitter towards his brothers, who didn’t visit him. Bitter towards his father, who promised he would do everything to get him out and instead left him to rot in jail for 8 years. Bitter that his mother had told him that he wasn’t his father’s son while she was dying (even though it explained a lot).

Ava St. George is the sheriff’s daughter and is a cop herself. Her mother was murdered when she was 7 years old and her father withdrew, emotionally, from her. Stricken with grief, she forms a friendship with Rush…who is 10 years older. He is the one who helps her get over her grief, who supports her dream to be a cop like her mother and father, who teaches her how to shot a gun and who was her first crush. She was 14 when he went to jail and she never forgot him.

I felt really bad for Rush but to be honest, he did come off as a jerk. A huge jerk who kinda bullied Ava (but hated doing it if that made sense). I understand that he was lashing out because of everything that happened to him but still. I wanted to smack him for some of the things he said to her. And Quinn was definitely in the right for not wanting him around Ava, at all.

I loved Ava. I really did but she let Rush walk all over her for a little while. I don’t know if it was because she felt guilty that she never visited him in prison (hello, she was 14 and he was 24….no way her dad would have let her do that) or because she needed his contacts but she should have never let him do it for as long as he did.

I wouldn’t call what was between Ava and Rush a romance at first. It was more of lust. Where Rush wanted Ava and she wanted him just as badly. It evolved into love when she asked to be his girlfriend when he went to the arms dealer’s party to get information for Ava and to see if the arms dealer was his father (his mother had an affair with him right around the time Rush was conceived).

The sex scenes were very hot. The only thing that I didn’t like was Ava losing her virginity in the front seat of Rush’s truck. I was kinda hoping that it would happen in a bed but oh well. The rest of the sex scenes were great and….drum roll please, they used safe sex. Double fist pump yes…..lol.

The storylines, except for who fathered Rush, were all resolved in a good way. I do like that Zane was featured a couple of time and that Iris was only mentioned once. Which made me happy because I couldn’t stand her.

The end was typical of a romance, with a HEA. But, in this book, I felt that the HEA was deserved.

How many stars will I give Take Me Harder: 4

Why: For some reason, this book got to me. I don’t know if it was Rush’s pain over everything that has happened to him from the age of 17 on or if it was the great message interwoven in the book (forgiveness if good) but it got to me. It also helped that Ava was such a great balm for Rush while he worked through everything and that their sex was great.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age Range: Adult

Why: Sex, language, and violence.

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

A Cunning Plan (Sloane Harper: Book 1) by Astrid Arditi

A Cunning Plan (Sloane Harper Book 1)

Title: A Cunning Plan

Author: Astrid Arditi

Publisher: Self Published

Date of publication: November 11th, 2016

Genre: Romance, Mystery, Thriller

Number of pages: 378

POV: 1st person

Series: Sloane Harper

A Cunning Plan – Book 1

Can be read out-of-order from series: Yes, 1st book

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

The First Sloane Harper Novel
Determined to put her family back together, Sloane Harper stalks her ex-husband and his annoyingly stunning mistress, Kate Stappleton. But she’s not the only one. Handsome IRS agent Ethan Cunning is surveying Kate too, but for entirely different reasons. He is attempting to nail Kate’s playboy boss. Ethan and Sloane decide to help each other, which sends Sloane’s wobbly life spinning out of control. She’ll have to face danger, humiliation, and – scariest of all – the dating scene, to lure her daughters’ father home. Losing control was the best thing to happen to Sloane…until it turned lethal.

My review:

I am going to come straight out and admit this, I didn’t think I would like A Cunning Plan by what I read in the synopsis <hangs head>. What I didn’t expect was the humor that was in the book. I wasn’t expecting to laugh as much as I did.

I actually felt very bad for Sloane in the first few chapters of the book. She was blindsided by her divorce and refused to accept it. She had the mindset that her divorce was only temporary and that her husband will eventually come back and remarry her. I actually wanted to hug her during that part of the book. It was so sad to read. But, once Ethan began his campaign to get her to do his dirty work (get into for Gabriel Varela) for him, the book took off.

Tom, Sloane’s ex, was a huge jerk and I really wanted to punch him. He knew that Sloane wanted him back and he kept stringing her along. To be honest, I couldn’t stand how he treated her. Like she was beneath him. Always laughing at her when she would trip or make a mistake. When Sloane decided to start living her life instead of waiting for him, in other words…dating, he freaked out. Hardcore freaked out. I think I said out loud during that point of the book “Can’t have your cake and eat it to sweetpea”.

Ethan Cunning, oh where do I begin with him. I had a love/hate relationship with him, like Sloane. He kinda did creep me out with all the stalking he did. I mean, he showed up everywhere Sloane was and it was freaky. But, in a way, Sloane was getting hers for stalking Tom’s mistress/new girlfriend. I also didn’t like how he could change in a minute. When he called Sloane desperate (all because he was jealous of her dating Gabriel), I wanted to reach through the book and smack him. Hard.

I loved the friendship that Sloane had with Claudia. It was one of the most honest ones in the book and oh boy, did Claudia not hold back. She was brutally honest and did not hold back of her dislike for Tom (which made me love her even more). She truly had Sloane’s best interests at heart and she was truly a best friend to Sloane.

The relationship Sloane had with her mother, Bizzy, was very complicated. To be honest, I did think was very selfish in taking advantage of her mother for 6 months but then again, I didn’t think it was selfish. Bizzy was not a great mother….always putting Sloane down, buddying up to Tom and harping on Claudia. Plus, she was always drinking her “lemonade” and was always half lit. The whole day after a binge with Claudia was hilarious.

What I liked the most about this book was that Sloane cherished her children and Tom was a great father, even if he was a jerk in every other area of his life. They made a united front to co-parent as peacefully as possible for Rose and Poppy. I will say that the highlight of this book was the horse/whore conversation and its after-effects. I couldn’t breathe, I was laughing so hard.

The storylines of A Cunning Plan were great. I couldn’t decide if I was Team Ethan or Team Gabriel for most of the book but I can tell you that I was most definitely not Team Tom. I do like that Sloane’s super secret spy mission did get results, even if it did go a little haywire (well, a lot haywire). I do have some questions that needed to be answered (what about Alina and Sloane’s friendship? Will it survive what happened?) but I am sure that it will be answered in the next book.

How many stars will I give A Cunning Plan: 4

Why: A very fast paced mystery that kept you guessing. Also a great look into how a woman blindsided by her divorce got her life and self-worth back.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Language and violence

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

Her Hacker Dragon (Her Biker Dragon: Book 4) by A.J. Tipton

Her Hacker Dragon (Her Biker Dragon #4)

Title: Her Hacker Dragon

Author: A.J. Tipton

Publisher: Unknown

Date of publication: March 16th, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Dragons, LGBTQIA

Number of pages: 110

POV: 3rd person

Series: Her Biker Dragon

Her Valiant Dragon – Book 1 (review here)

Her Delicious Dragon – Book 2 (review here)

Her Rockstar Dragon – Book 3 (review here)

Her Hacker Dragon – Book 4

Her Alpha Dragon – Book 5

Can be read out-of-order from series: Yes but I would recommend reading them in order

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Geeks rule in this delightfully dangerous dragon adventure.

The badass dragon shifters of the Iron Claws motorcycle club will risk everything for the people they love. Cast out from their dragon clans, they must use their cunning and strength to defy the laws of their people and stay one step ahead of those determined to keep life-saving cures out of the hands of humans.

Brilliant, transgender shifter Alec Harper is trying to atone for his dark past by dedicating his life to healing humans. When it appears his life-saving drug may actually be a life-taking drug, Alec must race to discover the truth before more innocents die.

Vampire scientist Penelope O’Hara has been fascinated by all things supernatural for three hundred years. When Alec saves her from a sudden attack by dragon shifter goons, Penelope is pulled into a dangerous world of hackers, killers, and conspiracies. Logic tells her that the perils of being with someone from the Iron Claws are a bad idea, but her heart keeps telling her to stay.

This adult novella includes daring rescues, sexy science, and a nerdy romance that defies expectations.

My review:

Way back in book 1, Dylan and Marie’s story, it was revealed that Alec was transgendered and it intrigued me. See, I don’t think I have read a romance that had a transgendered man (or woman) as one of the main characters. I was very curious to see how the author would be writing the romance. I wasn’t disappointed. Not only did the author did a great job writing the romance but Alec’s background as well.

I just wanted to hug Alec. The poor guy had been through the wringer and back before he joined the Iron Claws. I just wanted to cry when he thought he wouldn’t find his mate because of how he looked (male on the inside (dragon was male too), female on the outside). He was too male for some girls, too female for others and he just gave up looking for love. While he was happy for his friends, he was sad at the same time. He wanted what they had.

Penelope was a brilliant vampire scientist who was researching magic. She has a tragic past too but nothing like Alec’s. The reason she started studying magic was that when her brother was dying, she attempted a spell to cure him and it didn’t work. So she wanted to know why it worked for witches and not for her and that is what fueled her 300 year-long research.

The Iron Claws find out that Puff has been killing people and it throws everyone into an uproar and a tizzy. They know it is not true but they need to find a way to prove it. Alec decides to go for a walk and happens to run into Penelope, as she is getting a beat down on a sidewalk just down the street from AUDREY’s. Who was she getting a beat down from? Hired muscle from the Dragon High Council for reasons that are revealed later in the book. Being out in the daylight has drained her so when Alec offers his wrist to her to drink from, she takes it and feels overwhelmingly attracted to him.

The romance between Penelope and Alec did get off to a rocky start. See, Penelope couldn’t wrap her head around that while Alec had male blood, he still had the body of a woman. Alec was sure that while Penelope was attracted to him, she wouldn’t get past that Alec was still a woman in body (not in heart or soul, though). Obviously, they get together but it was interesting to see Penelope’s thought progress and then her “who cares” attitude when she gave in.

The sex scenes between Alec and Penelope were hot but sweet. I literally laughed out loud when Penelope unloaded a bunch of sex toys from her magic bag….including the Hulk. I was dying when she described it. I actually laughed so hard that BK wanted to know what I was laughing at. When I told him, he just looked at me and went “ooookkkaaayyy”.

The Dragon High Council really were in rare from this book. From framing the Iron Claws to beating Penelope down and bombing her lab, they were really bad guys. But the bad can fall and I really can’t wait to read the last book!!

The ending was great. Alec and Penelope’s story ended and the Puff killing people storyline was ended (thanks to Alec and Penelope) but the Dragon High Council storyline is still there. I cannot wait to see how this series ends!!

How many stars will I give Her Hacker Dragon: 5

Why: While the sex was great, it was the transgender storyline that made this book.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, violence, language

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

Her Rock Star Dragon (Her Biker Dragon: Book 3) by A.J. Tipton

Title: Her Rock Star Dragon

Author: A.J. Tipton

Publisher: Unknown

Date of publication: January 8th, 2016

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Dragons

Number of pages: 94

POV: 3rd person

Series: Her Biker Dragon

Her Valiant Dragon – Book 1 (review here)

Her Delicious Dragon – Book 2 (review here)

Her Rock Star Dragon – Book 3

Her Hacker Dragon – Book 4

Her Alpha Dragon – Book 5

Can be read out-of-order from series: Yes but I would recommend reading them in order

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

This Rock Star shifter lives for his music and fights for his love.

Punk rocker Caesar de la Vega is a dragon shifter on the cusp of his big break. While performing a gig, he unexpectedly spots Nina, a one-night-stand from five years ago he can’t forget. But everything changes when a record label offers him fame, fortune, and a world tour which would send him far away. With his motorcycle club in constant peril from the Dragon High Council, Caesar must choose between stardom and those he loves.

Nina Alvarez is a successful freelance programmer who loves the freedom of her nomadic life. When Nina notices her old flame is back in town, she can’t resist checking out the sexy rock star from her past. When he shows he still cares about her after so many years apart, Nina believes they may have something special. But with danger closing in on the Iron Claws, can Nina still be a part of Caesar’s world?

This steamy novella for adults features power ballads, slippery assassins, and a romance that rocks.

My review:

When I saw that this novella was going to feature Caesar and I got really excited. Caesar really wasn’t talked about in the previous 2 books and that built an air of mystery around him. All I really got from the other two books was that he was a musician on the brink of stardom and that he used CD’s to sell Puff. Oh, and let’s not forget that he was deliciously hot. So I figured that this book would be mainly music-themed and I was right.

Like I said about, Caesar was hot and he was pining after the one who got away. The girl who taught him how to knit. He even wrote a song about her, “Knitting Girl”. So when Nina shows up at one of his shows, he decides to take his chance and run with it.

I thought Nina was so adorable. She truly loved Caesar but figured their time together (told in flashback) was just a fling. Another notch on Caesar’s belt, so to speak. She went on with her life but couldn’t contain herself when she saw he was back in town. She had to go and see him. I really liked when she met the Iron Claws. She fit right in with them.

The Dragon High Council was still skulking around, trying to take down the Iron Claws. I will say that their newest scheme was pretty ingenious and all I have to say is thank god Alec had such mad hacking skills and figured everything out.

I did like the tie into Alpha’s Mates. I was a little surprised at who Titus was to Caesar. Not a little surprised, a lot surprised (want to find out….read the book).

Nina and Caesar’s sex scenes were hot, hot, hot. But what I liked about these scenes was that they were truly in love (not that the other’s weren’t) and they waited 5 years to declare their love to each other.

Nina and Caesar’s storyline was resolved in this book but the storyline about Puff and The Dragon High Council was not. I can’t wait to see what will happen in the next book.

How many stars will I give Her Rock Star Dragon: 4

Why: Great read with memorable characters and out of this world sex scenes.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, language

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

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