Friday, June 9, 2017
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Shift by Karina Espinosa Review Blitz
Title: SHIFT
Author: Karina Espinosa
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Cover Designer: Laura Hildago
Editor: Daniella Brooks
Publisher: Black Quill Publishing
Blurb:
It's hard enough being an undergraduate student, an intern at Downtown Manhattan's police station, and a bouncer at a local bar. Add her now ex-boyfriend who recently dumped her for the school's resident bimbo—oh, and she's a werewolf.
Mackenzie Grey meets her match when she is kidnapped by the Brooklyn Pack and tossed between Sebastian and Jonah—the Alpha and the Beta. Being a lone-wolf in the city is dangerous, and now that the Pack has found her, so can every supernatural being in the Tri-State area. And not even her sarcastic, smart mouth can get her out of this.
When a string of kidnappings involves Mackenzie in supernatural politics, she questions her new acquaintances and finds unlikely allies. Can she escape Pack law and keep her freedom—or will she be condemned to an unwanted path?
Karina Espinosa is the Urban Fantasy author of the Sins of the Fallen series and the Mackenzie Grey novels. Infatuated with travel, pop culture, and the need to write everything down, she spends much of her days in front of a computer working on her next book, shopping online, and listening to music. With nomadic tendencies, she is currently resting her head in South Florida until the itch to move strikes again. You can usually catch her on Facebook, Instagram and live-tweeting during episodes of Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Orphan Black. Follow her on social media!
Author Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2rQFsj2
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TweetsByKarina
Buy Links:
SHIFT: http://amzn.to/2rQGs6M
CAGED: http://amzn.to/2r2fR2u
ALPHA: http://amzn.to/2rxim0m
OMEGA: (Releases August 11th, 2017)
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
YA Book Review: Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts
Title: Royal Bastards
Author: Andrew Shvarts
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pub Date: May 30, 2017
Pages: 352
My Copy: Courtesy of Disney and NetGalley for review
Book Summary:
Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.
At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax’s floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father’s side, resplendent in a sparkling gown, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who’s been in love with Tilla since they were children.
Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards’ Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness.
Rebellion is brewing in the west, and a brutal coup leaves Lyriana’s uncle, the Royal Archmagus, dead—with Lyriana next on the list. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries; their own parents have put a price on their heads to prevent the king and his powerful Royal Mages from discovering their treachery.
The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart—if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey…
Book Review:
A really fantastic story that definitely was a very wild ride. I definitely found myself loving Tilla and all of her friends as well. Tillandra is definitely a character who goes through a lot of changes as things change in her life and not by her choice. She has to rely on herself and her friends to get through this terrible situation they are in.
One of the things that I like is that we get to see these characters at the start of the book enjoying their lives. We also get to learn why Tilla is a bastard. This history lesson that we learn at the beginning of this book is important as it helps us understand the mentality that these characters have, because they have royal blood, but are out of wedlock, they are royal bastards. Now everything for these bastards is complicated.
You have a lot of other families visiting her father’s castle for something that is going on. Her father tells her that she needs to come to the banquet and that he loves her. Lord Kent, Tilla’s father married his wife because he needed the alliance to protect their borders. So he tells her that things will change after this dinner. Her half brother doesn’t like the formal banquet’s much either as he prefers to stay in the stables. So of course when they see who’s at the banquet things get mighty interesting.
The banquet has some interesting developments as they meet some more interesting people and meet the Princess Lyriana and her uncle. The princess decides to stay at the Bastards table, not knowing it is that table. When she does, it causes a stir, because some people don’t like the bastards. They find it to be a disrespectful thing in Kent and the princess didn’t know that. The princess’s uncle is an arch-mage, which means he has magical powers and abilities.
One night, the bastards along with Lyriana decided to have a little mischief and instead find themselves in a dire situation. This is a situation that changes everything for all of them. Tillandra’s father decides to kill Lyrianna’s uncle and a bunch of other mages so that the west can be free and rule everything for their freedom. He feels like the west and other small provinces have been under the arch mages rule for too long. Of course their little outgoing gets seen by someone and they are forced all to flee.
They are fleeing and trying to escape. We also find out that after the princess Lyriana uncle is killed, that she manages to find her magical abilities which do come in handy. Of course they try to find different people to help them through out the book and return Lyriana to her people, but instead realize that trying to stop a war might be pointless. They have a lot of things that come up. Tillandra didn't know that she had been promised to Miles and this causes all kinds of things to happen to that relationship.
This book takes on so many twists and turns. I felt like there was always a surprise and something you never expected. We also learn a lot more about Zell. He is far more complex, Tillandra thinks than she ever thought. His backstory was something else. Plus everyone realizes that they have to choose a side. So when Miles betrays them it’s a very bad situation.
Miles jealousy is something that no one can see. He wants Tilla and to be a lord himself. Tillandra thinks things through. She doesn’t want Miles in the same way he wants her. She wants Zell and he feels attracted to her as well. Things happen that make things so much worse between all of them. The attraction and then a kiss make Miles so angry as he sees them together and reads too much. Also the fact that these four people learn a lot about each other. Also Lyrianna comes to be much more than what she seems. I like that she has magic and finds how to use it.
I really love how these four individuals change and find that they all have to make decisions, good and bad. Plus the conversations are very well done. I enjoyed the way this book unfolded. I love how there really wasn’t a happy ending but a rather open ended one as some actions can’t ever really ever be undone. You make your choices and live with them. The way this was left opened, I’m hungering for a sequel… A very good book.
Rating:
4.5 Hearts
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Stacking The Shelves, Bought Borrowed and Bagged-Book Expo America Edition....I got new pretties....
Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews and Bought, Borrowed and Bagged is hosted by Braine over at Talk Supe Blog.
The last few days I went to Book Expo America, that's a trade show where we connect with the publishers, other bloggers and pick up some of the upcoming title...
So hence, we got a lot of goodies this week
No Netgalley/Edelweiss books this week
Book Expo America Haul
The last few days I went to Book Expo America, that's a trade show where we connect with the publishers, other bloggers and pick up some of the upcoming title...
So hence, we got a lot of goodies this week
No Netgalley/Edelweiss books this week
Book Expo America Haul
1.Warcross by Marie Lu-YA
2. Beserker by Emmy Laybourne-YA
3. Refugee by Alan Gratz-YA
4. Shadowhouse Fall by Daniel Jose Older-YA
5. Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi-YA
6. Orphan Agent Prima Pawn by Elizabeth Kiem-YA
7. The Red Abbey Chronicles-Naondel by Maria Turtschanoff-YA
8. Everything Must Go by Jenny Fran Davis-YA
9. This is Not A Love Letter by Kim Purcell-YA
10. The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani-YA
11. The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee-YA
12. Disappeared by Francisco X Stork-YA
13. The Whizbang Machine: Tunney's Curse-YA
14. Bonfire by Kristen Ritter-Adult Thriller, Supsense
15. The Hearts we Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones-YA
16. Gunslinger Girl by Lyndasy Ely-YA
17. Mask of Shadwows by Linsey Miller-YA
18. Lies Jane Austen Told Me by Julie Wright-Historical Romance
19. Stay with Me: A Novel by Ayobami Adebayo-Adult Fiction
20. The Devils You Know by M.C. Atwood-YA
21. Reign of the Earth by A.C Gaughen-YA
22. Tool of War by Paolo Bacigalupi-YA
23. Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco-YA
24. My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent-Adult with YA Crossover themes
25. The Immortalist by Chloe Benjamin-Adult
26. The World of Tommorow by Brendan Matthews-Adult
27. Roar by Cora Carmack-Finished Copy-NA
28. Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi-YA
29. The Address by Fiona Davis-Adult Historical Fiction
30. Jade City by Fonda Lee-Adult Fantasy
31. All Rights Released by Gregory Scott Katsoulis-YA
32. Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings-YA
33. All By Myself, Alone by Mary Higgins Clark-Adult Fiction
34. Life After Juliet by Shannon Alexander-YA
35. Blood Queen by Toi Powell-Adult Fantasy with YA Crossover Fiction
Note: This One I Did Pay for because it was a self published author
36. Invictus by Ryan Graudin-YA
37. A Secret History of Witches-Adult
38. The Breakdown by B.A. Paris-Adult Mystery
39. Thornhill by Pam Smy-Middle Grade, Upper MG, Possibly light YA
40. Blue Ocean Shift by W. Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne-Adult
41. Release by Patrick Ness-YA
42. Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble-Adult
43. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black-YA
44. Wild Beauty by Anna Marie McLemore-YA
45. Dream Me by Kathryn Berla-YA
46. The Case of The Green Dressed Ghost by Lucy Banks-YA
47. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover-NA Finished Copy
48. Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp-YA
49. The Reaction by Helena Coggan-YA
50. Shadow of the Lions by Christopher Swann-Adult
51. Fire Blood by Elly Blake-YA, this is the sequel to Frost Blood
52. Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
53. Secret of Souls by Aubrie Nixon-YA
54. There's Someone Inside Your House-YA
55. Odd & True by Cat Winters-YA
56. Trell by Dick Lehr-YA
57. No Is a Four Letter Word by Chris Jericho-Wrestling
58. Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner-YA
59. Brass by Xhenet Aliu-YA
Overall, 59 Books which is my smallest haul ever to come from BEA. I'm extremely happy with everything that I got...
Coloring Book Haul....
Lacy Sunshine's Superhereos Coloring Book
Mermaids by Jade Summer
Romantic Country I Coloring Book
Sweet and Simple Whimsy Girls
Twilight Garden Coloring Book
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
NA Book Review: All Lined Up by Cora Carmack
Title: All Lined Up
Author: Cora Cormack
Series: Rusk University #1
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: William Morrow
Pub Date: May 13, 2013
Pages: 320
My Copy: Paperback from my Too Be Read Pile
Book Summary:
In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.
Dallas Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.
But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.
Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated.
Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter.
And neither of them know how to walk away from the attraction they feel.
Book Review:
Totally fell in love with this book right from the start. Dallas and Carson are great together. Dallas and Carson are characters who in many ways find that they need each other in more ways than they can ever imagined. I also like how this book is about more than just football even though a lot of it revolves around football.
I like that Dallas seems a little bit reserved. Her roommate Stella seems to be the one that pushes her to go out and have some fun. Dallas needs to since her father seems to be very controlling of her life. So Dallas listens to Stella and at a party she meets a very interesting guy who turns to be Carson. We find that a lot of the people Dallas knows are at this party including her ex-boyfriend who she wants to run from. Things get pretty intense when she encounters Carson. Carson and Dallas feel a spark that is unlike anything they have ever known.
Carson really wants to move up the ladder on the football team. He works really hard on and off the football field. It shows through out the book, but he can’t get the sexy red-head girl off his mind, Dallas. Carson really feels like this girl gets him in a way that no one else has in a long time. Plus there seems to be something about her that makes him go crazy. Carson is working even harder.
I felt that as Carson and Danielle are working on their relationship or trying to do, Dallas issues start to come to a head. She wants her independence, but her dad doesn’t think she is ready for that. Her dad in some ways holds her back from doing the thing she really is passionate about is dance. Dallas really wants to pursue dancing. Plus going to Rusk wasn’t her first choice. She wants to go to New York and really follow it, but something happens that no one expects. This development majorly changes everything for both characters.
The thing that happens to Dallas and some of the other characters really changes people’s perspectives and attitudes about what other people need. Sometimes incidents and breakdowns happen so we can re-evaluate the direction that we are going in. I totally love how Carson doesn’t let Dallas push him away. Dallas and Carson really do care for each other deeply and don’t let those obstacles get in their way. Dialogue between all the characters is really strong and wonderful.
Totally loved all the characters, the chemistry, the friendship that Cora Cormack has built at Rusk University. I want more of this universe.
Rating:
4.5 Hearts
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Into Your Arms by Chelsea M. Cameron Release Blitz
INTO YOUR ARMS by Chelsea M. Cameron
SMP Swerve
Publication Date: May 30, 2017
eBook ISBN: 9781250125187; Price: $3.99
Description
Get fired up for Into Your Arms, the first book in the sexy new Squad Stories series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Chelsea M. Cameron!
Freya has secrets she doesn’t intend to share. Not with her new friends on the cheerleading squad at Maine State University, and certainly not with sexy lumberjack-look-alike Rhett. Just because sparks flew between them at a bar one night doesn’t mean he gets to know why she transferred to MSU. When Freya dares Rhett to come to cheerleading practice, she never expects to see the dark-haired lumberjack again.
Except Rhett is the last person to turn down a dare, especially when it comes from a pixie-sized blonde. When Rhett wows the squad and becomes Freya’s stunt partner, his hands come far too close for comfort. But as Freya and Rhett’s hot post-practice sessions bring them closer, she risks her secrets being revealed. Can Freya chance exposing who she really is to the guy who wasn’t supposed to win her heart?
Freya has secrets she doesn’t intend to share. Not with her new friends on the cheerleading squad at Maine State University, and certainly not with sexy lumberjack-look-alike Rhett. Just because sparks flew between them at a bar one night doesn’t mean he gets to know why she transferred to MSU. When Freya dares Rhett to come to cheerleading practice, she never expects to see the dark-haired lumberjack again.
Except Rhett is the last person to turn down a dare, especially when it comes from a pixie-sized blonde. When Rhett wows the squad and becomes Freya’s stunt partner, his hands come far too close for comfort. But as Freya and Rhett’s hot post-practice sessions bring them closer, she risks her secrets being revealed. Can Freya chance exposing who she really is to the guy who wasn’t supposed to win her heart?
Author Bio
Chelsea M. Cameron is a New York Times/USA Today Best Selling author from Maine, whose books include Deeper We Fall. She's a red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car, tweeting (this one time, she was tweeted by Neil Gaiman) and playing fetch with her cat, Sassenach. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.
Author Links
Website: www.chelseamcameron.com
Twitter: @chel_c_cam
Instagram: www.instagram.com/chelccam
Buy Links
Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVJRS1T
iBooks: itunes.apple.com/us/book/into-your-arms/id1208262338
Google Play: books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9781250125187
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Stacking The Shelves, Bought, Borrowed and Bagged, Coloring Book Updates
Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews and Bought, Borrowed and Bagged is hosted by Braine over at Talk Supe Blog.
Coloring Book Haul
Note: The Japanese Coloring Book I bought off of Etsy and took a good month for me to get it...
Note: I'm not doing as well as I would like since the weather goes from cold to hot, hot to cold, it's really messing with my sinuses and it causes me to feel very slow and sluggish. Glad to see that Book Expo is right around the corner... So happy to go, so next weekend it probably will be a bigger haul than usual...
NetGalley/Edelweiss
Coloring Book Haul
Note: The Japanese Coloring Book I bought off of Etsy and took a good month for me to get it...
Alice in Wonderland Coloring book
Chibi Girls by Jade Summer Coloring Book
Jasmine Becket Griffith Coloring Book
Mythomorphia Coloring Book
Pop Manga Coloring Book
Romantic Country I Coloring Book:
Sweet and Simple Whimsy Girls Coloring Book:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)