tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17773569464453523872024-03-17T20:02:23.713-07:00Lovely Books BlogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.comBlogger372125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-60952472541158944072015-06-25T10:00:00.000-07:002015-06-25T10:00:01.550-07:00Review: Flirting with Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title</b>: Hot in Chicago #1: Flirting With Fire<br />
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<b>Author</b>: Kate Meader<br />
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<b>Date of Publication</b>: March 24, 2015<br />
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<b>Formats Available</b>: Paperback, E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476785902/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1476785902&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=2ZJ2IWNU6PILJVYA">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1476785902" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis: The first installment in Hot in Chicago, a brand-new, sizzling series from Kate Meader that follows a group of firefighting foster siblings and their blazing hot love interests!</b><br />
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Savvy PR guru Kinsey Taylor has always defined herself by her career, not her gender. That is, until she moved from San Francisco to Chicago to be with her fiancé who thought she wasn’t taking her “job” of supporting him in his high-powered career seriously enough—and promptly dumped her for a more supportive and “feminine” nurse. Now, as the new assistant press secretary to Chicago’s dynamic mayor, she’s determined to keep her eye on the prize: no time to feel inferior because she’s a strong, kick-ass woman, and certainly no time for men.<br />
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But that all changes when she meets Luke Almeida, a firefighter as searingly sexy as he is quick-tempered. He’s also the second oldest of the Firefightin’ Dempseys, a family of foster siblings who have committed their lives to the service—if Luke’s antics don’t get him fired first. When Luke goes one step too far and gets into a bar brawl with the Chicago Police Department, Kinsey marches into Luke’s firehouse and lays down the law on orders from the mayor. But at Engine Co. 6, Luke Almeida is the law. And he’s not about to let Kinsey make the rules.<br />
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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I honestly hadn't been expecting much from this novel, in fact based on the cover and the synopsis I was expecting this one to be pretty bad. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself starting to enjoy the story. I loved how Meader created so many different intertwining plot lines and even a secondary romance with one of Luke's foster brothers; there was hardly a dull moment, and I loved that! </div>
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Though there was nothing earth shattering about this novel it was entertaining, in mindless reality television kind of way, but entertaining nonetheless. I loved reading about Luke and Kinsey and the drama surrounding their initial meeting. <i>Flirting with Fire</i> was full of surprising plot twists and I was surprised by how much drama Meader was able to fit into this novel, so often with contemporary novels I find myself getting bored because reading about day to day activities never interests me. From conflicts between Kinsey and her boss to the side story about Luke's foster brother Gage, there was plenty of story lines to keep me entertained. </div>
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As for the romance, Meader executed it astonishingly well for what it was. I've never been a fan of any kind of romance that starts with little meaning behind it, as was the case this time, but the way it was executed made me enjoy it anyway. Maybe it was because I could tell that both Luke and Kinsey were hiding their feelings, even from themselves, but I felt a connection between them that I don't usually feel in romances like this. Though I wouldn't call the romance raunchy it had plenty of perfectly placed steamy scenes and Meader was able to keep everything classy while still adding plenty of spice, something I always appreciate. </div>
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The only thing that irritated me a little bit about this book was how Kinsey and Luke made everything difficult for themselves through poor communication. I suppose there wouldn't have been much of a story if they didn't, but I got a little frustrated with them toward the end of the novel because I wanted everything for them to work out but they were making it so difficult. However, the conflict between them didn't go on long and I was happy to see the two of them work everything out. </div>
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In the end I would definitely recommend <i>Flirting With Fire</i> to those looking for something fun to read that doesn't require a whole lot of thinking. This is the perfect book to sit down with and de-stress at the end of a long day. Fans of contemporary romance have found a winner with Kate Meader. </div>
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4/5</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-81192116577852258352015-06-23T10:00:00.000-07:002015-06-23T10:00:04.885-07:00Review: Game On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title: </b>The Bod Squad #1: Game On<br />
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<b>Author:</b> Gabra Zackman<br />
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<b>Date of Publication:</b> April 6, 2015<br />
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<b>Formats Available</b>: E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LD1OJF2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00LD1OJF2&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=53YMGRF2KORUXNZR">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00LD1OJF2" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: Part caper, part romantic comedy, this hilariously entertaining book in the Bod Squad series features a sassy and sexy undercover operative, Susannah “Legs” Carter, and her Ocean’s Eleven–style team of private investigators.<br />
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From Washington, DC, to Paris, Legs is tailing Charles Oakley Palmer III, a white-collar criminal she’s determined to bring to justice. But will romance or betrayal blossom along the way? Find out in the first in a sizzling new series about a team of highly skilled investigators who go undercover to catch criminals—while juggling romance, world travel, and danger around every corner.<br />
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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Maybe I just picked this one up at the wrong time but, though I tend to force my way through every book I take on, I just couldn't force myself to get past 45% of <i>Game On</i>. The cheesy characters, the lackluster plot, and the relatively uneventful story line all came together to make this novel a particularly difficult one for me to finish.<br />
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One of the main reasons I couldn't force my way through this novel, despite it's measly 152 pages, was how completely ridiculous the whole story line was. This book uses every cliche ever created and doesn't even use them well. I was cringing at nicknames such as "Legs" and "Fingers". The second reason I had trouble with <i>Game On</i> was that Susannah was the absolute worst spy I've ever read about. She blows her cover within minutes, she's sleeping around with the enemy, and I just couldn't take anything about her seriously.<br />
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However, I could have lived with everything above if it hadn't been for the writing. The writing itself was what really brought this novel down and made me give it the rating I did. Impersonal and removed the writing offered no real insight into the characters and I felt like the author was telling me what was happening rather than showing me. Even though some of the plot twists were interesting I just couldn't get pulled into the story because I felt like I was watching from the sidelines, rather than living the story with the characters.<br />
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That's not to say that the whole story was bad, there were some enjoyable moments throughout, I enjoyed the tongue in cheek dialogue and the exotic locations. Though the plot twists were pretty easy to spot I still enjoyed the idea behind the premise and Zackman had some good ideas, though they just weren't executed in way that made me fall in love with this book.<br />
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Overall <i>Game On</i> just wasn't my cup of tea, though I can understand how it would appeal to those looking for a lighthearted action/romance.<br />
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2/5<br />
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*I received a copy of this novel in exchange for a free and honest review. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-31587607017180606162015-06-13T22:23:00.000-07:002015-06-13T22:23:00.117-07:00Review: Five Ways to Fall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1GocsCMTyzSF50G7lxnvi-uWG3O6zoN1GzxTTq6cNj3CfggEK7Oe2ZY12EFsq3XC8Sr2Devc3tPfMgF71PChI5uoyXUPjl60mM_KzOmAGR_N88G_I8wPPXhjUK_9NwhpOFz68B0rhPo/s1600/five+ways+to+fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1GocsCMTyzSF50G7lxnvi-uWG3O6zoN1GzxTTq6cNj3CfggEK7Oe2ZY12EFsq3XC8Sr2Devc3tPfMgF71PChI5uoyXUPjl60mM_KzOmAGR_N88G_I8wPPXhjUK_9NwhpOFz68B0rhPo/s320/five+ways+to+fall.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: Ten Tiny Breaths #4: Five Ways to Fall<br />
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<b>Author</b>: K. A. Tucker<br />
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<b>Date of Publication</b>: June 24, 2014<br />
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<b>Formats Available</b>: Paperback, E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476740518/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1476740518&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=WYPBQFWSEWQO43UH">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1476740518" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: Purple-haired, sharp-tongued Reese MacKay knows all about making the wrong choice; she’s made plenty of them in her twenty-odd-years. So when her impulsive, short-lived marriage ends in heartbreak, she decides it’s time for a change. She moves to Miami with the intention of hitting reset on her irresponsible life, and she does quite well…aside from an epically humiliating one-night stand in Cancun with a hot blond bouncer named Ben. Thank God she can get on a plane and leave that mistake behind her.<br />
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Football scholarship and frat parties with hot chicks? Part of charmer Ben Morris’s plan. Blown knee that kills any hope of a professional football career? So not part of the plan. Luckily Ben has brains to go with his knockout looks and magnetism. After three long years of balancing law school with his job as a bouncer at Penny’s Palace, he’s ready to lead a more mature life—until his first day of work, when he finds himself in the office of that crazy, hot chick he met in Cancun. The one he hasn’t stopped thinking about.<br />
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If Ben truly were a smart guy, he’d stay clear of Reese. She’s the boss’s stepdaughter and it’s been made very clear that office romances are grounds for dismissal. Plus, rumor has it she’s trouble. The only problem is, he likes trouble, especially when it’s so good-looking…<br />
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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The Ten Tiny Breaths series has been been an interesting series for me, I've given these books everywhere from five stars to two and I never know what to expect. Each of these books is always a gamble and unfortunately Five Ways to Fall is a gamble that just didn't pay off. While I didn't exactly dislike this novel there wasn't much about it I liked either. </div>
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Unfortunately for the most part, I was bored by the majority of Five Ways to Fall. Sure, the conflict between Reese and her ex-husband and his new wife was a little entertaining but the rest of the novel just didn't have much going for it. There wasn't a whole lot of romance, there wasn't any sort of major life changing conflict, there weren't even cameos of all the characters from the previous novels. Most of the novel was Reese floating through life on her motorcycle, fooling around with Ben, and thinking about how much she hated her ex and his new wife. While a few of her revenge tactics made me laugh the rest of the novel just didn't have any substance to it.<br />
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Even from the beginning of the series I haven't been a huge fan of Ben, he's okay but there was never anything special about him that really stood out to me. After reading this novel, I still don't see anything unique about him and maybe that's why I didn't like this one as much as I had been hoping. I was looking forward to watching Ben grow as a character, learning more about his past, and find out what makes him tick. However, he's the same womanizing man-whore he's always been for about 98% of the novel. No real character growth takes place until the very last pages of the novel and I was disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Ben after he grows up a little bit. </div>
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However, the thing that really brought this novel down was the romance, or lack thereof. Ben and Reese spend the majority of the novel fooling around with each other but without any kind of meaning behind it. I'm not a huge fan of one night stands or any kind of romance that doesn't have any real feelings behind it and this was a classic example of the type of romances I just can't stand. Though the end was a little better I wish they had realized their feelings sooner so there would have been more romance to go on, rather than impersonal flings. </div>
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Though Five Ways to Fall wasn't a terrible novel it definitely wasn't my favorite in the series. I would still recommend that fans of the series check this one out but don't expect it to be as good as <i>Four Seconds to Lose</i> or <i>Ten Tiny Breaths</i>. </div>
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3/5 </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-2170753942531151632015-06-10T19:07:00.000-07:002015-06-10T19:07:15.934-07:00Review: Never Seduce a Scot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKl62g_lTQdvo7_Trpn_H6YHkS1kZiwrgSO2P9BNsdeqWCGylGH-5a87qb29_tFP5FWTxN2cSGTxiOl4SQAZ4TFidGSH1K4uNxZTG-dWy_nSxUYslOdCHoY7FSR7umwsJG4UGLvsbcRU/s1600/never+seduce+a+scot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKl62g_lTQdvo7_Trpn_H6YHkS1kZiwrgSO2P9BNsdeqWCGylGH-5a87qb29_tFP5FWTxN2cSGTxiOl4SQAZ4TFidGSH1K4uNxZTG-dWy_nSxUYslOdCHoY7FSR7umwsJG4UGLvsbcRU/s320/never+seduce+a+scot.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: The Montgomerys and the Armstrongs #1: Never Seduce a Scot<br />
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<b>Author</b>: Maya Banks<br />
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<b>Date of Publication</b>: September 25, 2012<br />
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<b>Formats Available:</b> Hardcover, Paperback, E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345533232/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345533232&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=PFHHAU2NR6PXKBNB">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0345533232" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but outsiders consider her “touched.” Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn’t speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft. But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions.<br />
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Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.<br />
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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<i>Never Seduce a Scot</i> has been a priority on my reading list for a few weeks now. Because I started with the second book in this series I'd heard a lot of references to this novel and I was eager to go back to the beginning and see where it all began. With a disabled heroine, the promise of a heartfelt romance, and hints of plenty of action there was no way this book would disappoint. </div>
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First of all I have to start with the fact that I absolutely loved Eveline. There is a special place in my heart for disabled main characters and the more I read about Eveline and what happened to her the more I loved her. When I read about her near death experience that took her hearing I knew I was going to like her, and later when I read about everything she had to endure at the hands of the Montgomery clan, I knew I was going to love her. Banks created a villain I love to hate in Ian, and I loved seeing him in the flesh, rather than just the ghost of his actions lingering behind, like in the second book. Though he was undoubtedly evil the moments where he was around were the most exciting and I loved watching the drama unfold. </div>
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Romances with disabled main characters are quite possibly my favorite romances in the world. So it was no surprise to me that I adored the romance between Graeme and Eveline. The loss of her hearing added a whole new dimension to their relationship and I loved watching Graeme slowly fall in love with her despite everyone telling him not to. Though I didn't feel that Graeme was as fleshed out as Eveline I still enjoyed reading about him, I just wish I had been able to learn more about him. He was an interesting character, but overall he just fell a little flat. </div>
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Though overall I enjoyed this novel I was a little disappointed in that I thought there would be more action than there actually was. After reading so many references to events in this novel I thought <i>Never Seduce a Scot</i> was going to be full of action and excitement with a healthy dose of romance thrown in. However, this book moves at a more leisurely pace with the most exciting part of the novel only taking about one chapter toward the end. The pace ended up working for the story, and I enjoyed the chance to get to know Eveline during the slower beginning, but I just wish the exciting moments had been given a little more than just a chapter here and there. </div>
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At the end of the day <i>Never Seduce a Scot </i>is a fun and entertaining read that fans of historical romance will no doubt devour. I really enjoyed my first series by Maya Banks and I'm excited to check out more of her work in the future! </div>
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4/5</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-87747955318436440422015-06-02T10:30:00.000-07:002015-06-02T10:30:01.083-07:00Review: Archer's Voice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-CIHe5SmJT1-KFpu-jGceOoaaL10cPBtpo_M_taH4WlFBR9ur8DZSQIUm_Mu4CC2yuzOTZNSKhIO_hWRZezaqg91rjq2qvXvsYv9QWJogztVDg7RZrB_WJQgIFT30yXdBhocaeqxx14/s1600/archers+voice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-CIHe5SmJT1-KFpu-jGceOoaaL10cPBtpo_M_taH4WlFBR9ur8DZSQIUm_Mu4CC2yuzOTZNSKhIO_hWRZezaqg91rjq2qvXvsYv9QWJogztVDg7RZrB_WJQgIFT30yXdBhocaeqxx14/s320/archers+voice.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> Archer's Voice<br />
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<b>Author:</b> Mia Sheridan<br />
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<b>Date of Publication</b>: January 25, 2014<br />
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<b>Formats Available:</b> Paperback, E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I29VGMC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00I29VGMC&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=EY2N4FHR7KHFF564">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00I29VGMC" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.<br />
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Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.<br />
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<b>My Review:</b><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">After reading so many amazing reviews for this novel I just knew that I had to read it. It sounded like it had all of my favorite ingredients; a disabled hero, a cute romance, and a heroine trying to overcome her past. However, the farther I got into this novel the more I started to dislike it</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The number one reason I wasn't a fan of this novel was Bree. The more I read about her, the more I couldn't stand her. She was a stalker, and not a very good one at that. I couldn't help but cringe in second hand embarrassment as she just let herself onto Archer's property and basically forced herself upon him even though he clearly wasn't interested in her. Archer was slightly more bearable than Bree, but only barely. Instead of making him endearing his naiveté drove insane and I juts couldn't stand the silly little conflicts between him and Bree over basically nothing. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Not only was Bree annoying but the fact that everything was just so convenient and unrealistic kept me rolling my eyes throughout the whole novel. Archer can't speak? Well conveniently enough Bree's dad was deaf so she already knows sign language. Archer lived alone for the bulk of his life and never went to school? Don't worry, he taught himself sign language from a book. Bree only likes folded over potato chips? Well, good thing Archer is here to buy several bags of potato chips and pick them all out for her. I mean really,who does that? </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Finally, the writing was what really drove me insane. Sheridan tried really hard to use analogies and phrases that <i>just didn't work</i>. There were sentences that I had to read over again just understand what she was trying to say. The steamy scenes were especially hard to read, especially with phrases such as "the sex act" thrown in, they felt more childish than romantic. But finally, let me share the gem that made me realize this was going to be a particularly painful and cringe worthy read:<br />
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<b>"He had a crease in each cheek, not dimples exactly, just the way his cheek muscles moved when he smiled. I stared at those creases as if they were twin unicorns that he'd been hiding from me under his beard. Magical."</b><br />
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<div>
...and it was all down hill from there.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
2/5</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-64287619345475170872015-05-28T10:30:00.000-07:002015-05-28T10:30:01.573-07:00Review: Highlander Most Wanted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgJAfq2F-rNNfq_bvg-HxOdpw3Ba3ao1xRVVV18lZA1jcqGIpvhAZVX03-j7b8uEHujA73SAINNoafKrpoQChPndzPGhKj9K7ahc9N2OTjhGQ5OA8IfFbJILjrZi89ebIw4aQZMKNeDI/s1600/highlander+most+wanted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgJAfq2F-rNNfq_bvg-HxOdpw3Ba3ao1xRVVV18lZA1jcqGIpvhAZVX03-j7b8uEHujA73SAINNoafKrpoQChPndzPGhKj9K7ahc9N2OTjhGQ5OA8IfFbJILjrZi89ebIw4aQZMKNeDI/s1600/highlander+most+wanted.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b>The Montgomerys and the Armstrongs #2: Highlander Most Wanted<br />
<br />
<b>Author:</b> Maya Banks<br />
<br />
<b>Date of Publication:</b> March 19, 2013<br />
<br />
<b>Formats Available:</b> Hardcover, Paperback, E-book<br />
<br />
<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345533240/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345533240&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=TQ2RRP7W4L2TL424">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0345533240" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<br />
<b>Synopsis</b>: In Highlander Most Wanted, a reclusive woman content to live in the shadows shows a Highland warrior the true meaning of love.<br />
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Genevieve McInnes is locked behind the fortified walls of McHugh Keep, captive of a cruel laird who takes great pleasure in ruining her for any other man. Yet when Bowen Montgomery storms the gates on a mission of clan warfare, Genevieve finds that her spirit is bent but not broken. Still, her path toward freedom remains uncertain. Unable to bear the shame of returning to a family that believes her dead or to abandon others at the keep to an imposing new laird, Genevieve opts for the peaceful life of an abbess. But Bowen’s rugged sensuality stirs something deep inside her that longs to be awakened by his patient, gentle caress—something warm, wicked, and tempting.<br />
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Bowen seizes his enemy’s keep, unprepared for the brooding and reclusive woman who captures his heart. He’s enchanted by her fierce determination, her unusual beauty, and her quiet, unfailing strength. But wooing her will take more than a seasoned seducer’s skill. For loving Genevieve, he discovers, means giving her back the freedom that was stolen from her—even if it means losing her forever.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
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Yet again I find myself starting with the second book in a series, which seems to be my usual though it's never intended. Thankfully this is another series where it's not necessary to start with the first book and I had no problems understanding any of the plot. Though I wasn't expecting much from this novel it turned out to be a very enjoyable read and I ended up really enjoying the story and the great dynamic between the characters.<br />
<br />
I didn't immediately love our heroine, Genevieve, but I came around to her distant personality and quickly gained respect for her after learning what she had gone through. Banks created the perfect monster in Ian and his father Patrick and the horrors Genevieve went through chilled me to my bones. After reading about what she went through it was impossible to believe that she would ever be able to love again but Banks created the perfect hero in Bowen and I loved watching her transformation from a distant woman with a past full of horrors into the sweet and lovable woman she was at the end of the novel.<br />
<br />
The romance between Bowen and Genevieve was absolutely adorable. I loved watching her overcome her past and fall in love and I adored Bowen for being there for her every step of the way. Strong and protective Bowen was my favorite kind of hero and I was swooning throughout the whole novel. The perfect blend between sweet and sensual Banks created the perfect romance for Genevieve and I enjoyed watching every moment of her transformation. I'm definitely excited to see a cameo of her in future novels and see how far she's come!<br />
<br />
My only complaint about this novel was that Bowen and Genevieve constantly made every situation harder than it needed to be. I don't want to give anything away but, toward the end especially, they were driving me up the wall with how stupid they were being. I hate watching characters do everything the hard way and, while I guess it makes for a more interesting story, it just made me frustrated with the both of them. Thankfully they figured it out in the end but honestly, this book would have been 50 pages shorter if they had been smart in the first place, instead of putting themselves in the most difficult situation possible.<br />
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At the end of the day however this was an enjoyable novel and I'll definitely be picking up the first one in the series. I definitely recommend this novel to fans of historical romance with an exciting and original plot!<br />
<br />
4/5</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-80608045529064398692015-05-20T10:30:00.000-07:002015-05-20T10:30:02.478-07:00Review: Dragon's Lair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjypeWJkerHAAXPWaUmIm7UgeJKdHoI3Lu29U6aC3Ek1qtlV8tcMiyFl0Wf8PfNy_5shztqfhej8rpEit5J2W82PKdrlE5ap6srJLmagl7dQL7LgSMWw_d6SULYCnyfhW9qs0Mx23960/s1600/dragons+lair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjypeWJkerHAAXPWaUmIm7UgeJKdHoI3Lu29U6aC3Ek1qtlV8tcMiyFl0Wf8PfNy_5shztqfhej8rpEit5J2W82PKdrlE5ap6srJLmagl7dQL7LgSMWw_d6SULYCnyfhW9qs0Mx23960/s320/dragons+lair.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> Wind Dragons MC #1: Dragon's Lair<br />
<br />
<b>Author</b>: Chantal Fernando<br />
<br />
<b>Date of Publication</b>: May 12, 2014<br />
<br />
<b>Formats Available</b>: Paperback, E-book<br />
<br />
<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/150110618X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=150110618X&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=XW6BDVMJPYOPMI5Z">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=150110618X" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<br />
<b>Synopsis</b>: <i>The first in a new sexy romance series from bestselling author <b>Chantal Fernando</b> about the bad boys of the <b>Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club</b> and the women who fall in love with them.</i><br />
<br />
When I found my boyfriend cheating on me, I did something stupid.<br />
<br />
Or should I say, someone?<br />
<br />
Because of that mistake, I’m now stuck in a world I don’t belong in.<br />
<br />
I’m a law student. They’re criminals. He’s the vice president of a motorcycle club. I’m a good girl with a strict upbringing. He’s my ex-boyfriend’s brother.<br />
<br />
And I’m screwed.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Dragon's Lair</i> is not the type of novel I'd typically pick up, I'd never really heard of the motorcycle club genre before and though I'd seen this book in passing it wasn't anything I was excited to read. However, when I was offered a copy in exchange for a review I took a second look at the synopsis and decided to give it a try, and I'm super happy I did. </div>
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The first thing I have to do is applaud Fernando for how perfectly she executed the characters. Due to the nature of the motorcycle club, and the fact that Dex has a reputation to uphold as a bit of an alpha male, if his character had been written any differently he would have come off as abusive. However Fernando was able to write him in such a way that he came off as more concerned than anything else. Dex wasn't perfect, and he definitely had his share of jerk moments, but I ended up really liking him. He didn't always make the best decisions but I loved watching the relationship between him and Faye develop and how protective he was toward her.<br />
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Being unfamiliar with the world of motorcycle clubs this novel was super fun to read just because I'd never read anything else like it. With wars against rival gangs, murders, and plenty of illegal activity there was hardly a dull moment. Though I would definitely say this novel was a little on the gritty side it wasn't overly dark and I really liked that. I'm not a huge fan of dark novels and this one had just enough humor and lightness to even out the darker moments. I also loved the unique cast of characters Fernando created and even though they all had a history, I ended up likeing all of them in their own way.<br />
<br />
The most surprising thing about this novel though, was how much I loved the different dynamic between Faye and Dex because of her pregnancy. I tend to avoid novels with children or pregnancy but I was surprised about how well it worked for the story. I loved watching Faye and Dex bond over the baby and how much it ended up changing both of them. After reading this book I feel a strong connection to both of them and I'm excited to see cameos of them in the following novel!<br />
<br />
Overall I really enjoyed Dragon's Lair and I'm excited to continue with the rest of the series. Fernando has definitely won me over and I can't wait to get lost in the gritty world of motorcycle clubs and the women who love the men in them.<br />
<br />
4/5</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-23989397217652861132015-05-12T11:26:00.000-07:002015-05-12T11:26:10.457-07:00Review: Annie's Song<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3R8pNs9m763-JdEQRCpwurbQ6DyvogXJTWZS6xElMtqytbFZLL9kJCjLDMraUAaXwmmKn9CsisYT0rfbXJjq1BKUKl6IeNrioeMyx55ppX6mSOd1oujRRzMBfw-AqgncaQ540yxbRTE/s1600/annies+song.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3R8pNs9m763-JdEQRCpwurbQ6DyvogXJTWZS6xElMtqytbFZLL9kJCjLDMraUAaXwmmKn9CsisYT0rfbXJjq1BKUKl6IeNrioeMyx55ppX6mSOd1oujRRzMBfw-AqgncaQ540yxbRTE/s320/annies+song.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: Annie's Song<br />
<br />
<b>Author:</b> Catherine Anderson<br />
<br />
<b>Date of Publication</b>: January, 1996<br />
<br />
<b>Formats Available</b>: Paperback<br />
<br />
<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380779617/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0380779617&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=KISSBT6ZRZSWORXE">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0380779617" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<br />
<b>Synopsis</b>: Annie Trimble lives in a solitary world that no one enters or understands. As delicate and beautiful as the tender blossoms of the Oregon spring, she is shunned by a town that misinterprets her affliction. But cruelty cannot destroy the love Annie holds in her heart.<br />
Alex Montgomery is horrified to learn his wild younger brother forced himself on a helpless "idiot girl." Tormented by guilt, Alex agrees to marry her and raise the babe she carries as his own. But he never dreams he will grow to cherish his lovely, mute, and misjudged Annie; her childlike innocence, her womanly charms and the wondrous way she views her world. He becomes determined to break through the wall of silence surrounding her; to heal... and to be healed by Annie's sweet song of love.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
It's been a week or so since I finished this novel and I'm still trying to gather my thoughts in order to properly right a review, though I have a feeling it's going to take much longer and probably another reading before I can even begin to put how I feel about this book into words. I've never read a book that I've loved the same way I love this one, and I have a feeling I never will. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Reading <i>Annie's Song </i>is like riding a roller coaster of emotions, this book is sweet, heartbreaking, and everything else in between. There were times when I thought I was going to cry, because this book couldn't possibly get any more sad, then a few pages later I thought I was going to cry because it couldn't get any more sweet. Anderson really knows how to pull at your heartstrings and turn a depressing situation into an overwhelmingly sweet one. This novel could not possibly been executed any more perfectly and I have to applaud Anderson for writing a novel I literally cannot say one bad thing about. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
I instantly loved Annie and her naive outlook on the world. There was something endearing in her innocence and learning what she had gone through broke my heart. I've always had a soft spot for disabled main characters and the fact that Annie was so sheltered from the world made everything that happened to her even more devastating. I loved watching her grow from scared and child-like into a strong and confident woman, with Alex helping her every step of the way. Alex was an amazing hero and though he starts off a little gruff I loved watching the sweet and selfless side of him shine through as he began to learn more about Annie. Annie couldn't possibly have asked for a better, and more loving, hero than Alex. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
But in the end, what really got me was the romance. I've always loved the sweet romances more than the raunchy ones and<i> Annie's Song</i> is the definition of a sweet and heartwarming romance. Alex was the perfect hero, putting his needs aside and throwing everything he had into giving Annie the life she always deserved, but never had. Watching the romance develop between them, and seeing how much Alex loved Annie, was heartwarming and I loved every second of their time together; from the beginning when Alex thought she was simpleminded, to the moment he realized she was deaf, and the second he fell in love with her. </div>
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<i>Annie's Song</i> has easily taken the place as one of my favorite books of all time. It's rare that I finish a novel and have the urge to flip to the beginning and read it all over again, but I'm already trying to figure out when I have a break in my reading schedule to read this one again. Hands down one of the best books I've ever read.<br />
<br />
5/5</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-20964733798547128232015-05-08T14:29:00.001-07:002015-05-08T14:29:46.333-07:00Review: Prudence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2ZxRb7RfthWcsSnyNeGdpdWK-k77-Frh013Xu0fJCqbrg7qats56p_LmOyyYmUVSuIiIvItlcDl60anUX2OCXXOGK6IaFnNIRpEJ-xfid3Gm5z7ylBnBRFuCcgDqBNqXpcUpF9RGVy4/s1600/prudence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2ZxRb7RfthWcsSnyNeGdpdWK-k77-Frh013Xu0fJCqbrg7qats56p_LmOyyYmUVSuIiIvItlcDl60anUX2OCXXOGK6IaFnNIRpEJ-xfid3Gm5z7ylBnBRFuCcgDqBNqXpcUpF9RGVy4/s320/prudence.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: The Custard Protocol #1: Prudence<br />
<br />
<b>Author</b>: Gail Carriger<br />
<br />
<b>Date of Publication</b>: March 17, 2015<br />
<br />
<b>Formats Available:</b> Hardcover, Paperback, E-book<br />
<br />
<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316212245/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316212245&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=SPXVJI4WUU5V5ORH">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316212245" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<br />
<b>Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger comes a new novel in the world of the Parasol Protectorate starring Prudence, the daughter of Alexia Tarabotti.</b><br />
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When Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama (Rue to her friends) is given an unexpected dirigible, she does what any sensible female would under similar circumstances - names it the Spotted Custard and floats to India in pursuit of the perfect cup of tea. But India has more than just tea on offer. Rue stumbles upon a plot involving local dissidents, a kidnapped brigadier's wife, and some awfully familiar Scottish werewolves. Faced with a dire crisis and an embarrassing lack of bloomers, what else is a young lady of good breeding to do but turn metanatural and find out everyone's secrets, even thousand-year-old fuzzy ones?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Every author out there has a book that just didn't quite turn out. Some of them are horrendous failures, but some are just books that are obviously not the authors best work. <i>Prudence</i> is one of those books. While I wouldn't call this book a failure, I wouldn't say it was Carriger's best work either. Though the writing was fantastic, as it always is, everything else from lack of plot to poor character development really brought this novel down. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The number one problem in this novel was our heroine, Rue. Bratty, rude, and annoying, she was everything I hate in a main character and more. I kept waiting for her to show some shred of intelligence but instead I was subjected to her shallow inner dialogue making fun of everyone and their fashion choices. Prim, her best friend, wasn't any better but I wouldn't have minded a shallow best friend character if the main character had shown any amount of smarts, which she didn't. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The other major thing wrong was that this novel had almost no plot at all. Things do start to pick up toward the very end, but other than that I was completely bored by the majority of the book. Most of the book was spent listening to Rue and Prim compare fashions and make fun of Prim's twin Percy, both of which were entertaining every once and awhile but honestly got old fast. Not only that but, I quickly grew tired of Rue bumbling around looking for "tea" when she had quite obviously embroiled herself in a different conflict and was too dumb to realize. Though the story had the potential for conflict every time I thought something was going to happen, it just didn't.<br />
<br />
Though I couldn't stand any of the characters and the plot left much to be desired, there was one diamond in the rough and that was Quesnel. My favorite hero of Carriger's so far I fell absolutely in love with him and his rakish personality. The only bearable parts of the novel were the ones where he was around teasing Rue, dropping French endearments, and otherwise being completely swoon worthy. The only reason I kept plodding away at this one was so I could see more of Quesnel, and he didn't even play as big of a role as I would have liked.<br />
<br />
Though I'm willing to read the next book (only because I'm so in love with Quesnel) I wasn't impressed by the first installment of The Custard Protocol series. Hopefully Rue grows up a little in the next one, but really, I'll just be reading for Quesnel.<br />
<br />
3/5</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-29257828214535528392015-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:002015-05-05T10:00:03.440-07:00Review: Confess<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmw1rmtFeUTJ29iW9NHbKW5JrgnkBMt0eESeAB9jhPdRkF-irhBpmfb-ppb5CxTpvxWWBnom1jz3OH24esny8I0xYtV2E-qiKXAeaevek9jBLINisexk37UJIaxBjjbvDL0ZR9TOX75uc/s1600/confess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmw1rmtFeUTJ29iW9NHbKW5JrgnkBMt0eESeAB9jhPdRkF-irhBpmfb-ppb5CxTpvxWWBnom1jz3OH24esny8I0xYtV2E-qiKXAeaevek9jBLINisexk37UJIaxBjjbvDL0ZR9TOX75uc/s1600/confess.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: Confess<br />
<br />
<b>Author:</b> Colleen Hoover<br />
<br />
<b>Date of Publication</b>: March 10, 2015<br />
<br />
<b>Formats Available</b>: Paperback, E-book<br />
<br />
<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476791457/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1476791457&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=LZUTUIWP7U6K4HWC">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1476791457" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis:</b> <b><i>From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a new novel about risking everything for love—and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies. </i></b><br />
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Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.<br />
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For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.<br />
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The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Confess</i> is a hard novel for me to review because I still have such mixed feelings about it. I started off this novel thinking it was merely okay, then started getting bored and disliking it, and then making a complete 180 and loving it once all the secrets were revealed. I almost gave up on this one and I'm so happy I didn't, pushing though the first half was definitely worth it! </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
To be honest, I was completely bored for the first 150 pages or so. I didn't like Auburn, I didn't like Owen, and I didn't like how overly dramatic they were. The story was boring and reading was starting to feel more like a chore than something I really wanted to do. Nothing was happening, there wasn't any sort of drama or revelation, there wasn't even much character development. Not only that but I was extremely confused about the relationships between certain characters and events, after reading the end of the novel I realized it was intended to be this way, but it sure made the first half hard to get through. </div>
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However, once I got past the halfway mark this novel made a complete turn around and I found myself completely engrossed by the story. Learning the truth about Auburn and Owen changed my whole opinion of them and the things they had to go through made me respect them even more. Likewise most of the excitement didn't happen until the last half of the novel and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen between Auburn, Trey, and Owen. It's hard to review this novel without giving anything away, but trust me when I say the last half of this book definitely made up for the lackluster first half.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
One of the things that made rating this novel difficult was, even though I gained so much respect for Auburn and Owen once I found out their stories, I still didn't necessarily like them. However, though I didn't really like them, I still respected them and maybe that's what made all the difference. They both had so many things going on in their lives that were kept in the dark until the very end of the novel that it's hard to fully appreciate them until you've learned everything. Though they weren't my favorite I still ended up liking and respecting them in my own way. </div>
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Confess is unlike anything I've ever read, and though the story isn't necessarily anything new there's just something special about it. Though I wouldn't say it was my favorite it was an enjoyable read and I'm excited to try a few more novels by Hoover!<br />
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4/5</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-76845059723533819022015-04-28T10:36:00.000-07:002015-04-28T10:36:25.947-07:00Review: Oppostion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLN9tsxAbMgC90TlNN5JKRzbW4C107iwYH0ugjNnio1m6rxAxPDtl0L2Q36d8zDsAOhx_C9JoDZXbOiFg_n24DP860XKgzzpsB_8bYdiJNdxzGRWHYXr5yhNNb_mDbDbuW-ZU0GfmGmsQ/s1600/oppostion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLN9tsxAbMgC90TlNN5JKRzbW4C107iwYH0ugjNnio1m6rxAxPDtl0L2Q36d8zDsAOhx_C9JoDZXbOiFg_n24DP860XKgzzpsB_8bYdiJNdxzGRWHYXr5yhNNb_mDbDbuW-ZU0GfmGmsQ/s1600/oppostion.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: Lux #5: Opposition<br />
<br />
<b>Author:</b> Jennifer L. Armentrout<br />
<br />
<b>Date of Publication</b>: August 5, 2014<br />
<br />
<b>Formats Available:</b> Hardback, Paperback, E-book<br />
<br />
<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1622662644/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1622662644&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=BTKQOLYLCI72KETL">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1622662644" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<br />
<b>Synopsis</b>: Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.<br />
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She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.<br />
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Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.<br />
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They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.<br />
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War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Review;</b></div>
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The Lux series has been a long time favorite of mine and it's taken me entirely too long to finally get around to finishing this last novel. After how much I loved the previous one I had high hopes for this book and I couldn't wait to watch the romance develop between Katy and Daemon and finally watch the conclusion of the series unfold. Unfortunately, while this novel was still fantastic, it just wasn't quite all that I had been hoping for. </div>
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First of all, the plot was exciting and action packed, but it didn't have the same level of excitement that I was expecting. The Lux have come to earth looking to take over and this novel has a bit of an apocalyptic vibe to it, however despite all the danger surrounding them it felt like Katy and Daemon were sitting around doing a lot of talking, rather than taking part in the action. Of course there were some moments, like when Katy goes home to see her mom, but overall I just found myself getting a little bored during the parts where everyone was talking rather than doing. </div>
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The one thing I really missed was the romance between Katy and Daemon. In previous novels their romance was so sweet and heartfelt, but in this one it just fell a little flat. Because they were already married it felt like less effort was put into their romance and I missed the silly banter and romantic moments that I'd grown accustomed to in previous novels. It felt like their romance mostly centered around them having sex rather than having a deep and meaningful connection. Even though the romance hadn't quite lived up to my expectations I really enjoyed reading from both of their perspectives and the few moments they did have were absolutely fantastic.<br />
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Even though there were a few things I didn't like Opposition was still a great conclusion to the series and a wonderful read. Armentrout tied everything up nicely and I didn't finish this novel feeling unsatisfied or with any lingering questions. I loved watching Dawson and Beth finally get their happy ending and see how much everyone has changed since the very beginning of the series. Daemon was still the bad boy we've all come to know and love and Katy was still her sweet self, just with a lot more character development. I'm going to miss them!<br />
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Finishing up a series is always difficult and Armentrout did it with a lot of grace. Though it wasn't my favorite Opposition was a great conclusion to a fantastic series that I can't recommend enough. The first four books are some of my favorites of all time and Opposition doesn't fall far behind. One of my favorite YA series! </div>
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4/5</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-70142967110097030372015-04-25T10:00:00.000-07:002015-04-25T10:00:01.323-07:00Short Story Saturday: The Princess of Egypt Must Die<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcfM8hqarrkMDIQfjofrQYMIgWrXVhBUcKfxmPknVAqZ1DAy5M5vF61QeE6RwFCxW8MtL7xQ8yFYM51ve6foLc6UY3a27n539FYVg2kv4P8LU1TGJE-IUEIRkNjLHU3W0BpnjLOshfKc/s1600/the+princess+of+egypt+must+die.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcfM8hqarrkMDIQfjofrQYMIgWrXVhBUcKfxmPknVAqZ1DAy5M5vF61QeE6RwFCxW8MtL7xQ8yFYM51ve6foLc6UY3a27n539FYVg2kv4P8LU1TGJE-IUEIRkNjLHU3W0BpnjLOshfKc/s1600/the+princess+of+egypt+must+die.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> The Princess of Egypt Must Die<br />
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<b>Author:</b> Stephanie Dray<br />
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<b>Date of Publication:</b> December 5, 2013<br />
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<b>Formats Available</b>: E-book<br />
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<b>Number of Pages</b>: 56<br />
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<b>Buy This Book:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AE01M5S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AE01M5S&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=74YRUGA73AYDGZL3">Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AE01M5S" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<b>Synopsis:</b> Before she became one of Egypt's greatest queens, she was a lonely princess who ached to belong...<br />
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Princess Arsinoe came of age in the glittering court of Ptolemaic Egypt. Abused by her ruthless sister, a pawn in the dynastic ambitions of her father, and dismissed by the king who claimed her for a bride, young Arsinoe finds herself falling in love with a young man forbidden to her. She dreams of a great destiny, but if she is ever to rule Egypt, she must first survive the nest of vipers otherwise known as her family.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
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I've always been fascinated by Egyptian history so when I saw this short story for free on Amazon I just knew that I had to download it. I don't know as much about Egypt's history as I would like so I was excited to start this story and hopefully learn a little bit in the process. I've never heard of Arsinoe and her story was interesting and heartbreaking, unfortunately I felt like <i>The Princess of Egypt Must Die</i> just didn't quite do justice to what could have been a fascinating story.</div>
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Because of the short length I felt like the majority of the story was rushed and not very well put together. I was thrown into the world of Arsinoe without any prior knowledge and had to piece together little everything along the way. Additionally this story is a very dramatic one; full of lying, backstabbing, and deceit, however because of the rushed feel of the story I felt like a lot of the suspense and drama was lost because the author was in such a hurry to move from one event to the other. I felt like this story was a summary rather than an actual short story. </div>
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Even though Arsinoe was somewhat developed I felt like all the secondary characters were nothing more than shells. I barely knew anyone in the story other than Arsinoe and because of the nature of the story I felt like I needed to know the secondary characters a little more to truly appreciate it. There was lots to learn about each of the characters, and they each had their own angle, but they were barely skimmed over in order to move more quickly to the next event. </div>
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I wouldn't say this was a bad short story, just because of the original and fascinating premise, but it just wasn't long enough to make it truly amazing. Had it been a full length novel, which would have given each of the events enough time to be properly executed and allowed all of the secondary characters to develop more of a personality, I would have enjoyed it much more. Fans of Egyptian history will be interested by the story but this novel feels more like a summary than an actual work of fiction. </div>
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3/5</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-83750578727884241642015-04-23T11:59:00.000-07:002015-04-23T11:59:26.769-07:00Review: Bedroom Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrTFroD6oVY5O_M4wehOgo5VfpiNeuYsIUonXOyXLPAEPYcRQwScESNXx3-DqgJo88q-E_8L9ww9semXmtfKJOST8XbnWS-qVCc5XCRbJ1DLlvnPovYqVvYejGM-Dr7skB62L_BwgJTw/s1600/bedroom+games.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrTFroD6oVY5O_M4wehOgo5VfpiNeuYsIUonXOyXLPAEPYcRQwScESNXx3-DqgJo88q-E_8L9ww9semXmtfKJOST8XbnWS-qVCc5XCRbJ1DLlvnPovYqVvYejGM-Dr7skB62L_BwgJTw/s1600/bedroom+games.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> Games #4: Bedroom Games<br />
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<b>Author:</b> Jessica Clare<br />
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<b>Date of Publication:</b> November 4, 2014<br />
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<b>Formats Available</b>: Paperback, E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&index=blended&keywords=Bedroom%20Games&linkCode=ur2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=DH5ZNYSSV5HR2KJK" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: Kandis Thornton isn’t afraid to lie, scheme, and sneak her way to the grand prize money on the Reality TV show, House Guests. That prize money is the only thing keeping her mother from losing her house (and thus moving in with Kandis). She needs that money, and if she has to step on a few people to do so? She’ll do it. House Guests is a show all about outplaying your house-mates, after all, and she’s not there to make friends.<br />
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But Kandis didn’t count on the fact that someone else was going to be playing just as hard as her. And she didn’t plan on teaming up with her nemesis, or scheming their way to the top. Nor did she plan on sleeping with him.<br />
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But these things just happen when you’re stuck in a ridiculous house with nothing but time on your hands and a hot guy sharing your bedroom…<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
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Bedroom Games was hands down one of my favorites in the Games series so far. I ended up reading this one on a long plane ride (16 hours, ahhhhh!) and it was the perfect book for the situation. Light and fun this book doesn't require a huge amount of attention and it's super easy to get sucked into, making it the perfect book for a distracting atmosphere.<br />
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Even though this novel didn't take place in an exotic location the power challenges completely made up for it, were entertaining to read, and added a level of excitement that I missed in the last book. Though the challenges could be a little gross they added a little suspense to the story and I loved watching the characters react to each challenge. From bugs, to gross food, and everything in between there was hardly a dull moment when a challenge was going on.<br />
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I absolutely loved the character dynamics in this novel. From secret alliances, back stabbing, lying, cheating, and everything else in between there was plenty of drama to keep me entertained to the very end. Kandis wasn't afraid to use everything she had to lie and backstab her way to the top and I loved watching her set up her opponents and then bring them down, all while nobody was any the wiser. Though she was a little manipulative on the outside her intentions were good and I loved seeing the sweet side of her character when she was with Brodie.<br />
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Seeing Brodie again was one of my favorite parts of the series. In Playing Games he drove me absolutely insane but I liked seeing him from a new set of eyes and I'm glad he got his happy ending. The romance between him and Kandis can be described as nothing other than hot, and I loved every moment of their steamy romance. Even though their romance was hugely physical I could still feel the connection between them and I loved watching it develop from hate to love.<br />
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One of the best series in contemporary romance I can't recommend the Games series enough! Funny, original, and romantic this series has it all. Anyone looking for a fun contemporary romance series need look no further!<br />
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4/5Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-86077804466110266312015-04-21T10:00:00.000-07:002015-04-21T10:00:02.193-07:00Review: Secrets of a Summer Night <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mf_XfiCBa7bpbUz55Xl8RHyaMXLNKjE2jDwycUsp_0Xt9uhpO66SSbZYuX3_9sldFDXJQ3fNlRvPGfIUL99IggNb-j_6qRbQ4T81zrjnLkcSpltfUFeVLvoC8ovvO945LTrO1MaHQo0/s1600/secrets+of+a+summer+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mf_XfiCBa7bpbUz55Xl8RHyaMXLNKjE2jDwycUsp_0Xt9uhpO66SSbZYuX3_9sldFDXJQ3fNlRvPGfIUL99IggNb-j_6qRbQ4T81zrjnLkcSpltfUFeVLvoC8ovvO945LTrO1MaHQo0/s1600/secrets+of+a+summer+night.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> Wallflowers #1: Secrets of a Summer Night<br />
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<b>Author:</b> Lisa Kleypas</div>
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<b>Date of Publication</b>: November 28, 2006</div>
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<b>Formats Available</b>: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book</div>
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<div>
<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061259349/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061259349&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=CQLBWIBX2TD4H4WD">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061259349" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: Four young ladies enter London society with one common goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.</div>
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Annabelle Peyton, determined to save her family from disaster, decides to use her beauty and wit to tempt a suitable nobleman into making an offer of marriage. But Annabelle's most intriguing--and persistent--admirer, wealthy, powerful Simon Hunt, has made it clear that while he will introduce her to irresistible pleasure he will not offer marriage. Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition . . . but it is impossible in the face of such skillful seduction.</div>
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Her friends, looking to help, conspire to entice a more suitable gentleman to offer for Annabelle, for only then will she be safe from Simon--and her own longings. But on one summer night, Annabelle succumbs to Simon's passionate embrace and tempting kisses . . . and she discovers that love is the most dangerous game of all.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite historical authors, I just love her characters and the romantic regency world she always pulls me into. When I read the 4th book in the series (since I never end up reading the first book first!) I didn't remember seeing much of Annabelle but I loved getting to know her in this novel. She was so fun to read about and I can't wait to see cameos of her and Simon in future novels! </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
I ended up reading almost this entire novel with a goofy little smile on my face because I just loved the interactions between Annabelle and Simon. Though Annabelle starts of hating him Simon's quirky charm shines through and I loved watching Annabelle come to the realization that she loved him. I've always been a sucker for romance novels where the heroine hates the hero but he just won't give up on her, and this was a perfect example of one of my favorite devices. Simon was the perfect hero, even when he heard the worst about Annabelle his feelings about her refused to be swayed. Romantic and charming I fell in love with Simon right along with Annabelle and I couldn't help but swoon with every stolen moment. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Not only did this novel have a good romance but I really enjoyed the side story about Annabelle's difficulties regarding finances and what her mother had to go through to pay for Annabelle's season. Full of drama and compromising situations, not to mention the absolutely perfect villain, it was a little sad to read about, but made for a really good story. Plus the blossoming friendship between the Wallflowers was so fun to watch, since I ended up reading the 4th book in this series first I liked seeing how their friendship began and seeing each of the girls from a new set of eyes. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
One of the things I loved the most about this novel was that Kleypas included the story after the happily ever after. So often romances, especially historical ones, that end in marriage rarely continue with the characters after that point. However, a good fourth of <i>Secrets of a Summer Night </i>focuses on the time after the marriage between Annabelle and Simon. I loved reading about the time after their marriage, especially since it wasn't the blissful happiness most romance novels make marriage out to be. Annabelle and Simon had their share of problems, from fights to fitting in with each other's friends and family, but I really enjoyed seeing the story that comes after what we consider a "happily ever after". </div>
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Kleypas is one of the most talented historical romance authors out there and I just can't get enough of her novels. I would highly recommend any novel by Kleypas to those looking for a good historical read or looking to try out the historical romance genre. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
4/5</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-46533534623779256762015-04-16T10:47:00.000-07:002015-04-16T10:47:47.196-07:00Review: Ice Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrehKOGHuKvQsX-DP6OuX4FPmQD7FKhUQ3hhajDFcd5NiPYYKngFu4CR69M51s7Fq9nLuXuhap4ecxv-_FmTCoGY9wcIPd_PXMW0-zocaklaVsFN6-PHtXX3ZgBQRI6V15yIWk6HLJTA/s1600/ice+games.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrehKOGHuKvQsX-DP6OuX4FPmQD7FKhUQ3hhajDFcd5NiPYYKngFu4CR69M51s7Fq9nLuXuhap4ecxv-_FmTCoGY9wcIPd_PXMW0-zocaklaVsFN6-PHtXX3ZgBQRI6V15yIWk6HLJTA/s1600/ice+games.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b>Games #3: Ice Games<br />
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<b>Author:</b> Jessica Clare<br />
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<b>Date of Publication</b>: July 29, 2013<br />
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<b>Formats Available:</b> Paperback, E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E8HL59Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00E8HL59Q&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=OTD3TDKDCAHXPNZN">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00E8HL59Q" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis:</b> Zara Pritchard is a has-been. Once an Olympic darling, she's been reduced to skating in a dinosaur costume and giving lessons at the local mall...which is why she's excited when she's offered a chance to sub on a TV show, Ice Dancing with the Stars. If she wins the show, this could be the break she needs.<br />
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There's just one problem - her partner.<br />
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Ty Randall is a MMA bad boy looking to fix his image problem. Sure, he's got the nickname of 'Ty the MMA Biter'. Sure, he might have bit a guy's nose off in the cage. But putting him on a reality TV show? A skating reality TV show? He's not interested. He'll do the minimum to fix his image and call it a day.<br />
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But when wash-out meets flame-out, sparks fly and tempers flare. And Ty and Zara start to realize that maybe this partnership might be just as steamy off the ice as on it...<br />
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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The Games series is easily one of my absolute favorites in contemporary romance. Though there's nothing groundbreaking or amazing about any of these novels they're just plain fun to read, and thats why I love them so much. Though each book follows a similar story line I love watching the chemistry develop and the drama of being on a reality TV show.<br />
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That being said Ice Games was probably my least favorite in the series so far, just because it didn't have as exciting of a plot as the last two. Instead of being stuck on an island or running around the world Zara's and Ty's romance mostly takes place on an ice skating rink rather than any exciting locations. On the other hand I've never read a book that had anything to do with ice skating so it was a nice change of pace and I enjoyed reading about Zara's time as a Olympic figure skater and what happened to change all of that.<br />
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Though the Games series romances tend to focus on the more physical aspects of the relationship I loved watching the chemistry between Ty and Zara. They were such opposites, Zara being a tiny figure skater and Ty being a burly MMA fighter, that watching the two of them interact was easily the most entertaining part of the story. I loved watching their relationship go from hate to love and everything else in between. Even though their relationship was so physical I still felt like there was a strong connection between them and thats what I love about Jessica Clare. She manages to make a novel steamy but still forge that connection between characters that makes the romance believable.<br />
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Zara was one of the sassiest characters so far in the series and she wasn't afraid to tell anyone off or take matters into her own hands. Between Ty and his bad attitude, the judge that had it out for Zara, and the horrible skating instructor there was plenty of drama and Zara wasn't afraid to fight for what she wanted. I couldn't help but laugh as Zara went through the novel provoking Ty, firing members of the TV show crew, and otherwise being just plain stubborn. I loved Zara and I hope that she makes a cameo in one of the future novels!<br />
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The Games series is easily the best contemporary/gameshow romance series out there and I just can't get enough of it! Those looking for a fun, quick, and romantic read should definitely check out this fantastic series by Jesscia Clare!<br />
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4/5</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-58916128753791433362015-04-11T10:00:00.000-07:002015-04-11T10:00:04.899-07:00Short Story Saturday: Bitter Sweet Love<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DPAFPQG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DPAFPQG&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=PA7JCKTF5RHXAGTM" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bitter sweet love" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6255" height="300" src="https://lovelybooksblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/bitter-sweet-love.jpg?w=189" width="189" /></a><strong>Title:</strong> Dark Elements #0.5: Bitter Sweet Love<br />
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<strong>Author:</strong> Jennifer L. Armentrout<br />
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<strong>Date of Publication:</strong> December 1, 2013<br />
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<strong>Formats Available:</strong> E-book<br />
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<strong>Buy This Book</strong>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DPAFPQG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DPAFPQG&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=7MFF4AWBUVN6Z5Y5">Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00DPAFPQG" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0!important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<strong>Synopsis</strong>: <span id="freeText13456983626418868243">Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.</span><br />
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And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again...<br />
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<strong>My Review:</strong></div>
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After reading and loving the first two books of the Dark Elements series it only seemed natural that I had to pick up the prequel novella. Though I don't really remember Dez all that much I was excited to read more about Jas and Danika and see what life was like for a female warden. Plus, knowing Armentrout like I do, I was sure that we would get to see a cameo of Layla!</div>
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My biggest complaint about short stories is that I feel that sometimes the story just isn't fleshed out enough to make it enjoyable. It's hard to develop a whole world and characters in a short amount of time but Armentrout did it beautifully and I loved all the action and romance she managed to pack into such a short time. With a unique cast of gargoyles and demons, and even a new creature I've never heard of, Pukwudgies, Armentrout makes the most of her 105 pages, and I adored every minute of it!</div>
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I love books where two characters travel together and fall in love so <em>Bitter Sweet Love</em> was right up my alley. The romance between Jas and Dez was adorable and heartwarming. Even though Jas started off not trusting him, since he abandoned her, he quickly redeems himself and I fell in love with him right along with Jas. The road trip device gave plenty of opportunity for action and romance and from the streets of New York city, to a hilarious scene with a Pukwudgie, this novel had it all!</div>
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Fans of the Dark Elements series will no doubt fall in love with Jas and Dez and I highly recommend this novel to fans of the series or those wanting to try something by Armentrout without the commitment of a whole novel. Armentrout is one of the best writers in paranormal romance and I'm excited to see what she does next!</div>
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4/5</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-42656103828287648602015-04-07T10:00:00.000-07:002015-04-07T10:00:01.752-07:00Review: Fool Me Twice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOP24-HWG4flUzYNVRXcqV88vJHVt2z1CoSoozqt1TyLDA8l3h0ewBL0nKLBQiHaospIAMiHd-hOx8AzkNuN6k5YgPQbK9_jCdl0SJ1K6LX43tzgBS30nHWCe-dooNy0PtRN9tslO0PCM/s1600/fool+me+twice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOP24-HWG4flUzYNVRXcqV88vJHVt2z1CoSoozqt1TyLDA8l3h0ewBL0nKLBQiHaospIAMiHd-hOx8AzkNuN6k5YgPQbK9_jCdl0SJ1K6LX43tzgBS30nHWCe-dooNy0PtRN9tslO0PCM/s1600/fool+me+twice.jpg" height="320" width="195" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: Rules for Reckless #2: Fool Me Twice<br />
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<b>Author:</b> Meredith Duran<br />
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<b>Date of Publication</b>: March 25, 2014<br />
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<b>Formats Available</b>: Paperback, E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476741352/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1476741352&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=D447OLGLO732SRDY">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1476741352" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis:</b> Sensible and lonely, Olivia Mather survives by her wits—and her strict policy of avoiding trouble. But when she realizes that the Duke of Marwick might hold the secrets of her family’s past, she does the unthinkable, infiltrating his household as a maid. She’ll clean his study and rifle through his papers looking for information.<br />
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Alastair de Grey has a single reason to live: vengeance. More beautiful than Lucifer, twice as feared, and thrice as cunning, he’ll use any weapon to punish those who fooled and betrayed him—even an impertinent maid who doesn’t know her place. But the more fascinated he becomes with the uppity redhead, the more dangerous his carefully designed plot becomes. For the one contingency he forgot to plan for was falling in love…and he cannot survive being fooled again.<br />
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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<i>Fool Me Twice</i> started off with a lot of potential. I loved the idea of a maid searching the house of a rich Duke to clear her name; however as the novel quickly started to take on darker tones the less I started to like it. Though the writing itself was good I just couldn't get my self into the story because of how much I ended up hating the characters and lackluster plot.</div>
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The number one thing I disliked about this novel was our hero, Alastair. Cruel, abusive, and brooding, the more I read about him the more I hated him. There was absolutely no affection between him and Olivia and he spent the bulk of the novel plotting all the ways in which he wanted to hurt her and then (sort of) forcing her to have sex with him. Though she never said no she never said yes either and that bordered so closely to the edge of rape that I just wasn't okay with it. Not only that but Alastair didn't even feel a bit of remorse later, I might have had at least a smidge of respect for him if he felt bad later, but he only got more abusive as the novel went on, making me absolutely hate him. </div>
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Olivia wasn't as bad as Alastair but I didn't particularly care for her either. She had an interesting back story but I spent most of the novel just plain confused about what that whole back story was. I think Duran was going for a slow reveal of information to keep the reader guessing but she didn't reveal enough in the beginning of the story to make me curious about what happened next, I was just plain confused. Not to mention she was such a pushover when it came to Alastair; instead of standing up for herself she lets him use her over and over again. There were moments she was so dumb I wanted to throw this novel across the room. </div>
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Honestly, the only redeemable aspect of this novel was the cover, and maybe some of the side characters. Polly, Jones, and the other maids occasionally me laugh and even though they irritated me a little sometimes I enjoyed the banter between them and Oliva. They were the most real characters in the whole novel, though annoying they added at least a bit of lightheartedness to an otherwise dark and abusive tale. I didn't like them, but they were honestly the most likable characters in the whole novel.<br />
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Though the premise sounds interesting I just can't recommend this novel. Fans of <i>Fifty Shades of Grey</i> and the like may enjoy it but as someone who doesn't care much for semi- abusive characters and dubious consent I just couldn't enjoy this one.<br />
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1/5</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-19951015139205410732015-04-04T22:39:00.004-07:002015-04-04T22:39:56.581-07:00The Curse Keepers Round-up<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Missed a review of The Curse Keepers series? Click the links below to read all my reviews of the series so far!</b></h3>
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<a href="http://lovelybooksblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/review-curse-keepers.html" target="_blank">The Curse Keepers (Book 1)</a><br />
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<a href="http://lovelybooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/review-curse-breakers.html" target="_blank">The Curse Breakers (Book 2)</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GNK1Y0Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00GNK1Y0Q&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=3YNP3JTXEL3ZCQGW" target="_blank"><b>Buy on Amazon</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://lovelybooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/review-curse-defiers.html" target="_blank">The Curse Defiers (Book 3)</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JXVSNDS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JXVSNDS&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=6J3WLH5B2M4IMBPC" target="_blank"><b>Buy on Amazon</b></a><br />
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<a href="http://lovelybooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/short-story-saturday-this-place-is-death.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://lovelybooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/short-story-saturday-this-place-is-death.html" target="_blank">This Place is Death (Book 1.5)</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FT6OY0M/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00FT6OY0M&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=J3ZAU6YZLVCHK4SH" target="_blank"><b>Buy on Amazon</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://lovelybooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/short-story-saturday-this-changes.html" target="_blank">This Changes Everything (Book 2.5)</a><br />
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<a href="http://lovelybooksblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/short-story-satruday-this-is-your.html" target="_blank">This is Your Destiny (Book 3.5)</a></div>
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All six novels and short stories in one!</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PM995XC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00PM995XC&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=4TYYOVGNV2O43JMN" target="_blank"><b>Buy on Amazon</b></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-41523760742232852702015-04-04T15:35:00.000-07:002015-04-04T15:35:46.384-07:00Short Story Satruday: This is Your Destiny<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhfHAyzNNRSd5lFSfkL1Crh5htS75IqzZah3z3HiSELeRCawAsMtYp4q7-jWq2NHPfWBBTotmc5AAAMn3wfgSo6qLxR0h4jmVTYYY_EucOT7-__aoHOLlgkP4zIK1NAbestzQz_4lBC6U/s1600/this+is+your+destiny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhfHAyzNNRSd5lFSfkL1Crh5htS75IqzZah3z3HiSELeRCawAsMtYp4q7-jWq2NHPfWBBTotmc5AAAMn3wfgSo6qLxR0h4jmVTYYY_EucOT7-__aoHOLlgkP4zIK1NAbestzQz_4lBC6U/s1600/this+is+your+destiny.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b>A Curse Keepers Secret #3: This is Your Destiny<br />
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<b>Author:</b> Denise Grover Swank<br />
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<b>Date of Publication</b>: January 20, 2015<br />
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<b>Formats Available</b>: E-book<br />
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<b>Number of Pages</b>: 71<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N59YWWU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00N59YWWU&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=JT7GPM7LZYBP22RG">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00N59YWWU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis:</b> Collin Dailey is a trapped man: struggling to make a living as a fisherman, deep in debt to the gangster he does business with…and shackled to his destiny as a Curse Keeper. Sworn to guard the sealed portal to hell, Collin yearns to escape the dark duty that binds him. But his dream of outrunning his tormented life may be an impossible one. After all, he can’t turn his back on centuries of sacred tradition—or ignore his iron-fisted conjurer grandmother and her dire prophecies of a terrifying enemy bent on destroying him.<br />
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When the fearsome creator god Ahone reaches out with a tempting offer, Collin may not be able to resist. If he breaks the curse that barricades the demon realm, he’ll be liberated forever…as long as he can survive a confrontation with his deadly counterpart.<br />
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In the new prequel to the Curse Keepers series by New York Times bestselling author Denise Grover Swank, a young man must decide between seizing his own coveted freedom and sealing humankind’s doom.<br />
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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<i>This is Your Destiny</i> is another amazing short story tie-in to the Curse Keepers series, this time focusing on Collin and telling his side of the story and his involvement with the curse. I loved being able to learn more about Collin and finally see things from his point of view. This short story made me even more excited to get my hands on the 4th book of the series and see how things are finally going to turn out! </div>
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I absolutely loved getting the chance to read about Collin's childhood and this story gave a ton of insight to what it was like for Collin growing up. After reading about his abusive childhood and everything that he'd gone through I have a whole new respect for Collin and I love him even more than I did in the first place! We finally get to see what gave Collin his bad boy streak and what led him down the road to a life of petty crimes. Reading about his life, as well as the relationship between him and his mother and brother, really gave me a whole new perspective on Collin and parts of the series in general. </div>
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This short story also gives more reasoning behind why Collin allowed the gate to be opened in the first place and what drove him to his decision. While reading the full length novels about Ellie it's hard to understand why Collin would want to unleash the demons and gods behind the gate, but this story finally gives us reasons, and very relatable ones at that, as to why he allowed them all to go free. I feel like after this story I really understand Collin and everything about his life has made me just that much more sure that I want him and Ellie to end up together!<br />
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Another fantastic short story set in the world of the Curse Keepers I have no doubt in my mind about recommending this one to fans of the series. I loved the chance to get inside Collins head and see Ellie and the curse from his point of view. I'm hoping we get to read more from him in the future!<br />
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4/5</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-21184088113519554482015-04-02T10:00:00.000-07:002015-04-02T10:00:02.669-07:00Review: The Curse Defiers <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6XSLaeS9uR017TL_d-HWcngvegNIiD2tyYmLendKyzAnfrI-fbqZngYPvBtvlPhGpZ-xMdkZaCzTQk42u_zaxWSRqslgIyi771p0Kecd3MIUoVilONq02bwY3XWxTHSDztX5Ig535EI/s1600/the+curse+defiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6XSLaeS9uR017TL_d-HWcngvegNIiD2tyYmLendKyzAnfrI-fbqZngYPvBtvlPhGpZ-xMdkZaCzTQk42u_zaxWSRqslgIyi771p0Kecd3MIUoVilONq02bwY3XWxTHSDztX5Ig535EI/s1600/the+curse+defiers.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> The Curse Keepers #3: The Curse Defiers<br />
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<b>Author</b>: Denise Grover Swank<br />
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<b>Date of Publication</b>: September 30, 2014<br />
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<b>Formats Available</b>: Paperback, E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JXVSNDS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JXVSNDS&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=6KDF6PSZJWBJN7KO">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00JXVSNDS" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: For centuries the gods have waited—for the betrayal that will release them, for the traitors who will defend them, for the warrior who will challenge them. Now at long last the gate between the human and spirit worlds is open, and with it, an army of vengeful demons poised to swarm the earth. Only the Curse Keepers, Ellie Lancaster and Collin Dailey, can stop it…if they can break free from a tangled web of treachery, jealousy, and lies.<br />
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Torn between two men—her heart belongs to David, yet her soul is bound to Collin’s—Ellie no longer knows who she can trust. Demons slipping through the gate are leaving a trail of bodies in their wake, each death a chilling reminder of the power of the ancient spirits to bring humanity to its knees. Faced with an unimaginable future, Ellie realizes the time has come to turn her back on prophecy and choose her own destiny—even if it means defying the gods themselves.<br />
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In the thrilling conclusion to the Curse Keepers trilogy, humanity faces its final battle for survival!<br />
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this novel, since I had some mixed feelings about the last one, but I definitely wasn't expecting The Curse Defiers to be the best book in the Curse Keepers series yet! Though I was under the impression this was going to be the last book in the series it looks like there's going to be even more books about Ellie and Collin and I can't wait to get my hands on them! </div>
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The Curse Defiers was easily the most action packed and exciting novel in the series. With a new type of demon, the Raven Mockers, a jealous ex-girlfriend, and a kidnapping there was hardly a dull moment. I was glued to the page for the majority of the novel and I just love the references to Native American mythology. There aren't enough books out there that focus on this aspect of mythology and I'm so happy to see at least one that's doing it, and doing it right. The folklore and references to Roanoke continue to be one of my favorite parts of the story and I'm excited to see what Ahone and Okeus get up to next! </div>
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I was also pleased to see Collin playing a bigger role in this novel than in the previous novel. Even though he can be a bit of a jerk I really enjoy reading about him and I much prefer him over David. I love the connection between him and Ellie and though he knows that Ellie doesn't love him (right now anyway) he still continues to do everything in his power to help her, even if it means doing something he doesn't really want to do. This novel also gives Collin a little bit of a chance to explain why he did what he did and let the gate open, I was glad to finally see his side of things and now I finally understand, at least a little bit, what made him do it.</div>
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The only thing I didn't like was the ever present love triangle. For whatever reason David just drives me insane, I think he's just a little too perfect for me to properly connect to him. I don't really feel the connection between Ellie and David and though he's not a bad character I wish he was more of a friend than love interest. I could really see the romance going either way, especially with the connection Ellie and Collin have because of their marks. With all the secrets flying around between them I could see those two ending up together, even if it breaks David's heart. </div>
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Overall I would definitely recommend this series to fans of both historical and paranormal romance. Those who hate love triangles may want to be a little wary, but behind the love triangle is a wonderful series full of Native American gods, demons, and an action packed plot! </div>
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4/5</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-74121061475339515722015-03-31T10:00:00.000-07:002015-03-31T11:01:33.347-07:00Review: Dead Heat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVcVVSKpYdK192sSWW7fVr9Qy_jFK5QSYgMG3Y45EkqgbhKQu_Xf2llsPx9YGwW3d2PsaTnjy2jjYzMm4JjEzYhY9GYWAJ2M0_UIm6R27r8oXyRgFMKP0v9ISAeS_zF_1PJPOA7HoDak/s1600/dead+heat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVcVVSKpYdK192sSWW7fVr9Qy_jFK5QSYgMG3Y45EkqgbhKQu_Xf2llsPx9YGwW3d2PsaTnjy2jjYzMm4JjEzYhY9GYWAJ2M0_UIm6R27r8oXyRgFMKP0v9ISAeS_zF_1PJPOA7HoDak/s1600/dead+heat.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> Alpha & Omega #4: Dead Heat<br />
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<b>Author</b>: Patricia Briggs<br />
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<b>Date of Publication</b>: March 3, 2015<br />
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<b>Formats Available:</b> Hardcover, Paperback, E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425256758/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0425256758&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=XF62CYE2Q6YP2QD4">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0425256758" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal, as Charles plans to buy Anna a horse for her birthday. Or at least it starts out that way...<br />
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Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae’s cold war with humanity is about to heat up—and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire.<br />
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<b>My Review:</b><br />
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I've always been a huge fan of Patricia Briggs, so needless to say I had really high expectations going into this novel. I wasn't as impressed with the third book in the Alpha and Omega series so I was eager to get my hands on this one, but a little nervous as well. However, I had no reason to be nervous because, as usual, Briggs completely blew me away and I fell even more in love with Charles and Anna. </div>
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Anna has come a long way since the beginning of this series. She started the Alpha and Omega series as a quiet and broken character and I've loved watching her transform into strong and outgoing character she is now. <i>Dead Heat </i>really emphasized this change and I loved watching her take charge of situations and watching her and Charles work together. The dynamic between Charles and Anna has changed a lot, Charles has gone from more of a protector to a friend and I've loved watching the relationship between the two of them grow and evolve. </div>
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<i>Dead Heat</i> has one of the best mysteries in the whole series so far. The last book in the series left a little to be desired in the plot aspect, but this novel totally made up for it. The child stealing fae we're introduced to in this novel is terrifying and I was on the edge of my seat for the entire novel. From kidnappings to murder this novel had it all and I just couldn't get enough of it. I definitely didn't see the ending coming and I was kept on my toes the whole time. </div>
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Though the romance between Charles and Anna is subtle at best but Briggs knows how to make the most of the moments she orchestrates between them. Part of what make the romance between Charles and Anna so wonderful is the connection between them, because of their connection I don't feel like the romance is lacking even though there's so little of it. I also adored the chance to see inside both Charles's and Anna's minds, reading their inner commentary about each other was just adorable and I love seeing each of them from the other's perspective. </div>
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I wouldn't say the Alpha and Omega series is as good as the Mercy Thompson series but I would definitely recommend it to fans of paranormal romance. Briggs is one of the best writers in PNR today and I just can't recommend her enough. Amazing characters, a fast paced plot, and an adorable romance this book has it all! </div>
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5/5</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-1767973977119210582015-03-28T10:00:00.000-07:002015-03-28T10:00:02.932-07:00Short Story Saturday: This Changes Everything<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixV0KOi7HaD-aXh-shj4IHxP0aPohIuB1T3rwnZpwdQR1IH_hoVV-23sH75hQD6QUZgVEUVChPHShghozPdWKbNRrVYNkVqROmb_xcpH1BRR6jAYfD5Kw7mbZhKtA35ZGj_ZFnUgjofr8/s1600/this+changes+everything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixV0KOi7HaD-aXh-shj4IHxP0aPohIuB1T3rwnZpwdQR1IH_hoVV-23sH75hQD6QUZgVEUVChPHShghozPdWKbNRrVYNkVqROmb_xcpH1BRR6jAYfD5Kw7mbZhKtA35ZGj_ZFnUgjofr8/s1600/this+changes+everything.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: A Curse Keepers Secret #2: This Changes Everything<br />
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<b>Author</b>: Denise Grover Swank<br />
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<b>Date of Publication</b>: August 12, 2014<br />
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<b>Formats Available</b>: E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HUEVMS8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HUEVMS8&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=WKPAHDVUJ24GY723">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00HUEVMS8" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Number of Pages</b>: 48<br />
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<b>Synopsis:</b> Ellie Dare Lancaster is only eight years old, but the secret she carries stretches back four hundred years, to the doomed pioneer colony of Roanoke Island—and the dark pact made by her ancestor, Ananias Dare. Though her father has told Ellie of her heritage, and she knows she will one day become a Curse Keeper, she never dreamed how soon that day would come…or how dear a sacrifice her grim duty will demand.<br />
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After impulsively sharing the truth about her destiny with her best friend, Ellie fears she has summoned something dreadful, something that cannot be denied. But it’s her parents’ discovery of an eighteenth-century artifact—linked to the mystery of the vanished North Carolina settlers—that brings fear, and murder, into their once safe and happy home. Now, the unholy forces unleashed at the dawn of a new nation stir once more, to challenge another generation fated to wage the war between gods of good and evil.<br />
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A short story, This Changes Everything delves deeper into the world of Ellie Lancaster and the Curse Keeper series!<br />
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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<i>This Changes Everything</i> is the second short story in the Curse Keeprs world and focuses on Ellie as a child, as well as the night of her mothers murder. I went into this story know that it would be a sad one, but I wasn't expecting to learn so much about the curse and how this night impacted it. Though it was a hard story to read, especially since eight year old Ellie is so cute and endearing, it was easily my favorite in the series so far.<br />
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As I said, I absolutely loved this little story. At first I was a little nervous about reading it since I knew it wouldn't have a happy ending but Swank instantly drew me in and even though it was hard to read I absolutely adored it. Seeing eight year old Ellie was such a treat and I loved being introduced to the mother we always read about, but have never met. I also enjoyed seeing what Ellie's dad was like before the Alzheimer's took over and his views on the curse. <br />
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The appearance of Ahone and Collin's dad was completely unexpected and gave a whole new twist to the story that I hadn't been expecting. Ellie's mothers murder is mentioned several times in the main novels but since Ellie doesn't remember much of it the details are usually glossed over. However, this story went in depth about what happened that night and how it impacted the curse. Though the murder was gruesome and depressing it also provided a huge insight to the series and I would definitely say this story is a must read for those invested in the series.<br />
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Even though it was a sad read I loved this short story and it was my favorite story in the Curse Keepers series so far. Reading this story has only drawn me even more into the world of the Curse Keepers and I can't wait to read even more about Ellie, Collin, and the curse!<br />
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5/5<br />
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*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-81954757347984900832015-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:002015-03-24T10:00:01.020-07:00Review: Kushiel's Dart <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-581oVFQHxkBZj-dTet32yTaMElqyub-gw-NfHeJDCMl0iRlH2u182vXyaRqWo31zH1MqwcY37_XuyiAxoNCiAqaTKYIHuik4xgj5qcOHtRvXRXPAHmccf_W9ycwDIvqlIsTx9XRKEc/s1600/kushiels+dart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-581oVFQHxkBZj-dTet32yTaMElqyub-gw-NfHeJDCMl0iRlH2u182vXyaRqWo31zH1MqwcY37_XuyiAxoNCiAqaTKYIHuik4xgj5qcOHtRvXRXPAHmccf_W9ycwDIvqlIsTx9XRKEc/s1600/kushiels+dart.jpg" height="320" width="199" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: Phèdre Trilogy #1: Kushiel's Dart<br />
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<b>Author</b>: Jacqueline Carey<br />
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<b>Date of Publication:</b> May 31, 2001<br />
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<b>Formats Available</b>: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765342987/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0765342987&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=Q2VS4ABRJXZF2ADZ">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0765342987" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: When Love cast me out, it was Cruelty who took pity on me.<br />
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The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.<br />
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Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission...and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.<br />
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Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair...and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.<br />
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Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel's Dart - a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new.<br />
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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<i>Kushiel's Dart</i> is one of those books that, for some reason, I got in my head that I wanted to read and I couldn't stop thinking about it once I decided I wanted to take on the challenge. At over 900 pages this book is a big commitment. I was a little wary of starting this novel, because I knew it contained BDSM, something I'm not a fan of, but the rest of the story sounded interesting enough that I decided to give it a shot. </div>
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In the beginning <i>Kushiel's Dart</i> wasn't a bad book, a little slow maybe, but not bad. Phedre's back story was interesting and the world of Terre D'ange was an original one. There is a vast amount of information at the beginning of the novel, mostly about politics, that I never really understood. The writing is really hard to get into, Carey has a very flowery writing style that makes picking out the important pieces of information difficult. Though her writing could be considered beautiful I just wasn't a fan of how slowly and carefully I had to read in order to figure out the most important bits of information. However, the beginning wasn't bad and I read through it reasonably quickly.</div>
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Though slow moving the story really hit it's peak at about page 300 and I found myself getting really into the story. I really enjoyed the parts of the book that didn't focus so much on the political side of the novel, which were few and far between, and even the BDSM aspects didn't bother me much. Maybe it was Carey's writing but I wasn't as disturbed the be BDSM as I usually am, maybe because it was mostly hidden under so many extra words. Phedre was an interesting character, and though I wouldn't say I liked her I had a certain amount of respect for her. This was one of those novels that challenged me to look at certain characters and situations in a different way and I really appreciated that, unfortunately the rest of the novel was just so darn boring.</div>
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By page 500 I was so bored I was ready to be done. I've never much been one for political stories and this one was just too much for me. I found myself getting bored by the story and no longer caring about the characters or their mission. I skimmed the last 200 or so pages of this novel and because of the writing I didn't understand a bit of it. Though this novel had a lot of potential, I really liked the idea of Phedre being a spy and courtesan, it was just written in such a way that it was hard to really understand what it was she learned as a spy. Plus all of the characters had such similar and unheard of names I kept getting the mixed up and confused myself. Though this novel had a few things going for it, <i>Kushiels Dart</i> just wasn't executed in way that would make me enjoy it. </div>
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Fans of high fantasy and politics may really enjoy this story but it was just a little over the top for my tastes. I understand why this is such a popular novel, but it just wasn't for me. The writing, paired with the length, just didn't make this an enjoyable read for me. </div>
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2/5</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-64793206643140961002015-03-21T10:00:00.001-07:002015-03-21T11:28:49.294-07:00Short Story Saturday: This Place is Death<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMgJz5FUUPP_wYSo81zRoo0lyBKPOV4TtgPLbYFHaAjFJr7JKrBsCWUtv-csnRRw_ml0ZOrMTeR-OIGec9u7ET1wFywIT1psCpgZ2WRKSkPgQNySBt2LDRgo-7qUUa4N0XlMOSU4W9sk/s1600/this+p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMgJz5FUUPP_wYSo81zRoo0lyBKPOV4TtgPLbYFHaAjFJr7JKrBsCWUtv-csnRRw_ml0ZOrMTeR-OIGec9u7ET1wFywIT1psCpgZ2WRKSkPgQNySBt2LDRgo-7qUUa4N0XlMOSU4W9sk/s1600/this+p.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> A Curse Keepers Secret #1: This Place is Death<br />
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<b>Author:</b> Denise Grover Swank<br />
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<b>Date of Publication</b>: February 11, 2014<br />
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<b>Formats Available:</b> E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FT6OY0M/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00FT6OY0M&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=JO4V7TZBDDUM4HDB">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00FT6OY0M" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Number of Pages</b>: 53<br />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: It’s one of the most enduring mysteries in American history: What became of the English colony off the Virginian coast on Roanoke Island? Why, and how, did they vanish so completely?<br />
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No one suspected an ancient curse…<br />
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Ananias Dare and his expectant wife are among the pioneers who have come to brave an uncharted frontier. But conditions are harsh, and hostile natives have already spilled English blood. Only the peaceful Croatan Indians welcome the settlers. But when friend and guide Manteo has a haunting encounter deep in the woods, Ananias fears the colony faces a threat much darker than mortal enemies. As a brutal winter and an Indian massacre loom, Manteo and Ananias—and the dreadful secret they share—may be the settlers’ only hope of survival. But for the salvation they desperately seek, there will be hell to pay.<br />
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This Place Is Death is a short story revealing the chilling origins of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank’s urban fantasy series, The Curse Keepers. <br />
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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Ever since I started the Curse Keepers series I was fascinated by the events of Roanoke and the events that led up to the curse. Swank does an absolutely amazing job combining the mystery of Roanoke with the mythology of the Native Americans. The more I read, the more enchanting this series becomes. I just can't seem to get enough! </div>
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This short story was a great refresher for me and I only wish I had read it before I started the second book. I loved getting a first hand view of what really happened that fateful day the colony disappeared and meeting the characters that made it happen. I was a little mixed up on some of the characters who started the curse and it was great to meet Ananias and Manteo and finally get their roles in the curse straight.<br />
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Though Swank didn't have much time to work with she did a great job fleshing out the characters and fleshing out the story. I felt like I was right there with Ananias, Maneto, and the other settlers. The beginning of the story started off a little slow but once the events started leading up to the curse I found myself getting more and more pulled into the story. Swank even incorporated a bit of a villain figure in Ananias's father in law, which only made the drama in this story that much more exciting.<br />
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<i>This Place is Death </i>was a great short story in the Curse Keepers series and I really enjoyed reading it. I love all the history in this series and I loved being sent to the past to see where the series began. I'm excited to continue the series!</div>
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4/5<br />
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*I received a copy of this story from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15670136909806412039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777356946445352387.post-7761419471194675732015-03-19T10:00:00.000-07:002015-03-19T10:00:01.377-07:00Review: Lord of Misrule<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbZi28_1FPSe3_V6kCAbMF3j6d9RJZ-lXiTGuejwFkTBDQAeqcR-_KVIGtv850UlCi0iwNRdAXZSzhzDnLlE8OfcJQiYLJtI8OOpSoHhOWNV_aNBq3OtYw-ghr-FQ5_21zkhasz21KtE/s1600/the+lord+of+misrule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbZi28_1FPSe3_V6kCAbMF3j6d9RJZ-lXiTGuejwFkTBDQAeqcR-_KVIGtv850UlCi0iwNRdAXZSzhzDnLlE8OfcJQiYLJtI8OOpSoHhOWNV_aNBq3OtYw-ghr-FQ5_21zkhasz21KtE/s1600/the+lord+of+misrule.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b>The Morganville Vampires #5: The Lord Misrule<br />
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<b>Author:</b> Rachel Caine<br />
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<b>Date of Publication:</b> January 6, 2009<br />
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<b>Formats Available</b>: Paperback, E-book<br />
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<b>Buy This Book</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451225724/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0451225724&linkCode=as2&tag=lovbooblo-20&linkId=Y3C3ZQQZVVARV275">Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovbooblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0451225724" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: In the college town of Morganville, vampires and humans coexist in (relatively) bloodless harmony. Then comes Bishop, the master vampire who threatens to abolish all order, revive the forces of the evil dead, and let chaos rule. But Bishop isn’t the only threat.<br />
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Violent black cyclone clouds hover, promising a storm of devastating proportions as student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against elements both natural and unnatural.<br />
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<b>My Review</b>:</div>
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I've always been a huge fan of the Morganville Vampire's series. Each installment is a short, quick read and they all read like one continuous novel since each one picks up right where the last left off. I picked up my first Morganville book 6 years ago and even though so much as changed since then I still love this series and I just can't recommend it enough to fans of YA fiction. With action, excitement, and romance this series has it all and each of the books is more addicting than the last.</div>
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That being said, <i>Lord of Misrule</i> was probably my least favorite in the series so far. Though I enjoyed the action I really missed a lot of the character interactions that were present in the previous books. Claire, Shane, Eve, and Michael spent most of this book doing their own things and I really missed seeing the interactions between the four of them. There was barely a moment when they were all in the same room together and I especially missed seeing the romance between Eve and Michael. </div>
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However, what was lacking in character interactions Caine made up for in plot. <i>Lord of Misrule</i> is easily the most exciting installment so far and most definitely a turning point for the series. I absolutely devoured this novel; between the upcoming war between the vampires and the reappearance of Shane's father there was hardly a dull moment. The ending was especially exciting and with all the death and destruction, paired with the cliffhanger, I ended this novel already reaching for the next one!</div>
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Claire and Shane are always going to be one of my favorite fictional couples and even though interactions between the two of them were limited this time around I still loved every stolen moment between them. I was sad to see that the romance between them was a little light this time around but I've got my hopes up for upcoming novels, I just love the two of them together and I can't wait to see where it goes. Shane is one of those characters I just love even though he can drive me a little insane sometimes, especially when it comes to some of his life choices. However, Claire is his perfect match and when Shane decides to be sweet and adorable he sure does it right. </div>
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Overall Lord of Misrule wasn't my favorite in the series but it was still a fun and exciting read. The Morganville Vampires has always held a special place in my heart and if I had to recommend one YA vampire series it would most definitely be this one. </div>
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4/5</div>
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