Spotlight and GIVEAWAY: The Innocent Assassins

Title: The Innocent Assassins

Author: Pema Donyo

Date of Publication: June 24, 2014

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis:  There are three rules to staying an assassin at the corporation of Covert Operatives: (1) your parents must be deceased, (2) your contracts must remain confidential, and (3) you must be under the age of eighteen.

After a murder mission goes awry a month before her eighteenth birthday, Covert Operatives assassin Jane Lu finds herself caught by the federal government and forced to spy for the CIA while remaining in Covert Operatives. Once her spying mission is over she will be allowed to live a civilian life without facing criminal consequences, a life she’s only dreamed of having.As Jane leaks information to the CIA, she uncovers secrets with enough power to both destroy Covert Operatives and her own boyfriend, Adrian King, who’s next in line to be CEO of the company. When her identity as a double agent for the CIA is discovered within Covert Operatives, she must decide where her allegiance, and her heart, truly lies.

Excerpt:

Rough cloth slid across my face and pulled down against my shoulders. I screamed. Someone yanked my wrists behind my back and tied them together with coarse rope. Another set of hands bound my legs. How many were there?

I struggled to make contact with a body, swerving from side to side with wild abandon in spite of my inability to see anything. What worried me most weren’t the people trapping my body or the sudden needle injected into my neck which slowed my thoughts and faded away my consciousness.

It was the voice next to my ear—cold, hard, and determined.

“You’re right on time,” Adrian whispered.

****
Freezing ice water snapped my eyes open.

I blinked away the unconscious haze, my hair and face dripping from the unwelcome drench. The first thing I noticed was the boardroom, similar to the ones I negotiated contracts in. But there was no contract here—only a long, empty rectangular table and looming executives and agents on either side.

In front of me stood Adrian, his expression unreadable as he studied me.

“I tried to stop you.” His voice reminded me of the cold water dripping from my clothes. “I warned you.”

“By hiring assassins to scare me? I thought you knew me better. Nothing scares me.”

“Death should.”

“You know I never wanted to be…” I swallowed hard. “This.”

“I changed Covert Operatives for you.” Emotion leaked into his voice, brimming with frustration. “I tried to give you what you wanted.”

“And force others against their will to work for CO their entire life?” I spat. “I think not.”

“When did you switch sides?”

“When I was arrested, Adrian. It was after our mission went wrong. The CIA gave me a choice. Go to prison and face the death sentence or work for them.”

He gritted his teeth. “The CIA? You’re afraid of the CIA? You know as well as I do CO can keep you away from them. I can keep you away from them.”

I glared at him. “And hide away for the rest of my life?”

His shoulders stiffened. “No one would be hiding.”

“I want a life removed from murder. The CO job was always temporary! It was never what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” I averted my gaze. “Don’t you know there’s only one way this can possibly end? Kill me or let me go.

~CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW TO WIN A COPY ~

Review: Jaz Parks #3: Biting the Bullet

Title:Jaz Parks #3: Biting the Bullet

Author: Jennifer Rardin

Date of Publication: February 5, 2008

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: This is a mission unlike anything my vampire boss, Vayl, and I have ever been on. It's not our usual take them out and run; it's an undercover mission that needs the whole gang: a psychic, an interpreter, and a weapons specialist. We're joining a Special Ops team to nail the Wizard, a major terrorist thorn in the military's side. We've never gone in with such heavy artillery before, but the more the merrier, right? Um . . . nope. At least not since Vayl and I learned part of our job is to ferret out a mole concealed in our unit. To add to our problems, we're being harried by a pack of reavers bent on revenge, and targeted by a Seer who wants to share Vayl's power - at any cost. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the army of demonic, soul-sucking parasites either. This is going to be a blast.

My Review:

Something about the Jaz Parks novels never fails to draw me in and bring me fully into a world of action, intrigue, assassinations, and mythical creatures. Biting the Bullet was another fantastic addition to the series, with an action packed plot and plenty of hints of romance between Jaz and Vayl I quickly became quickly engrossed in the exciting and original world that Rardin has created.

My favorite part of these novels never fails to be the relationship between Jaz and Vayl. Their personalities are so opposite that they complement each other perfectly and throughout every novel I'm always on the edge of my seat waiting for the pivotal moment in their relationship. While that moment didn't happen in this novel I know that moment is coming very soon. Biting the Bullet also provided quite a bit of background on Jaz and Vayl. With Dave making a larger appearance in this novel than any other Jaz's past came back several times to haunt her and we finally learned more about what made Jaz's and Dave's relationship what it was.

Biting the Bullet had a ton of fun quirks that made this novel really enjoyable to read. One of them being the relationship between Dave and Cassandra, I thought they made the most adorable couple ever and I sincerely hope that their relationship gets the chance to continue in future novels. Likewise I also enjoyed the Iranian setting, I'd never actually read a book set in Iran before so I really enjoyed the interesting setting and Rardin's take on that part of the world. With the introduction of the villain, the Wizard, and his abilities with necromancy it was interesting to see zombies play a role in the novel and the ever present action was always a huge selling point for me.

Even though I enjoyed the action in this novel I did have a hard time following the plot. There were so many different story lines right on top of each other that I kept getting them mixed up and forgetting important details because of all the information that was always thrown at me all at once. In the end I was able to piece everything together but there were some moments where I was flipping back through the novel trying to figure out what I missed, and failing to find anything at all.

Fans of the Jaz Parks series will not be disappointed by this novel and will no doubt turn the last page eager for the sequel. Rardin has a talent for creating fun characters and action packed plots that leave no reader wanting for more. Another great novel in an already fantastic series!

4/5

The Evolution of Mara Dyer Review

Title: The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2)

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Date of Publication: October 23, 2012

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-Book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: 

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

My Review:

I absolutely adored every second of The Evolution of Mara Dyer, full of moments that will leave the reader questioning their sanity right along with Mara and a beautiful and heartfelt romance this novel left my head reeling. Absolutely perfect in every way The Evolution of Mara Dyer was a fantastic addition to an already amazing series.

This novel is not a light read; full of terrifying events and the constant threat of insanity I felt like I was losing my mind right along with Mara. Jude was a terrifying stalker; taking pictures of Mara while she slept and leaving them in her bag, leaving dead cats on her doorstep, paying people Mara knew to give her horrifying notes and strange messages, all without leaving a trace behind. Compelling and suspenseful Mara struggles to stay sane while searching for answers about her powers.

As in the first novel I absolutely adored Noah. Complete with his apathetic attitude and British accent he was there for Mara throughout the entire novel. The calm on in every situation Noah is completely devoted to Mara and does everything in his power to keep her safe and help her discover the truth of their powers. Their beautiful and loving romance was one of my favorite parts of the novel, each of them being exactly what the other needs.

Ending with a shocking conclusion and horrible cliff-hanger I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the sequel. Hodkin's writing is beautiful and haunting; the story resonating long after the last page has been turned. Definitely not for the faint of heart these novels are shocking but amazing. Making this a series I plan to read over and over again for years to come.

One of my favorite series of all time I urge everyone to pick up these novels. If you plan on reading one series this year, make this series be it! The Mara Dyer series will not disappoint!

5/5

All Souls Trilogoy #1: A Discovery Of Witches Review

Title: All Souls Trilogy #1: A Discovery of Witches

Author: Deborah Harkness

Date of Publication: February 8, 2011

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-Book

Synopsis: In the course of her research on alchemy Diana Bishop requests a manuscript called Ashmole 782 which she quickly discovers is laced with magic. Coming from a long line of witches dating back to the days of Salem Diana's magical linage is unmistakable, but she wants nothing to do with it. After sending Ashmole 782 back to the stacks she discovers that it has been missing for centuries, and her calling it out has caused a major disturbance in the supernatural community drawing out a number of paranormal creatures, including the handsome and enigmatic vampire Matthew Clairmont. As witches turn against witches and Diana finds herself in more danger than ever Matthew takes it upon himself to protect her. As they fall in love their fates become entwined and they must discover the truth of Diana's power and why only she can discover the secrets of Ashmole 782.

My Review:

First off I would love to thank TheScientistAndTheHealthNut for recommending this book to me because I absolutely adored it! When I first started A Discovery of Witches I was a bit worried, at almost 600 pages it was a big commitment. However I quickly fell in love with the characters and the setting and found it nearly impossible to put this book down.

I am a complete history nut and I loved the history in this book, from Matthew's past ventures to the sprinkling of historical facts about alchemy, I devoured any mention of history. Part historical, part romance, and part supernatural A Discovery of Witches offered the perfect blend of all my favorite genres.

Diana was a great heroine; not the stereotypical witch her ways of using magic, such as witchfire and time travel, were refreshing. Unlike a lot of heroines I never found myself frustrated with her actions, she was brave when she needed to be and she was angry or broken when she needed to be. Diana's relationship with Matthew was steamy, but adorable at the same time; I couldn't help but root for them every step of the way.

I also loved Matthew's character. Fiercely protective, his devotion to Diana was mind blowing. I couldn't help but fall a little in love with him myself as he coddled and cared for Diana, pushing his predator nature aside to protect her. Just like Diana, Matthew is not a stereotypical vampire. Classy and sophisticated, Harkness blows a breath of fresh air into her vampire characters.

With extremely few dull spots the novel itself is full of action and romance. From kidnappings, torture, time travel, and magic to the copious amounts of romance it was completely impossible for me to put this book down. The perfect bend of action and beautiful detail this novel hardly left a moment for me to get bored.

Weather its romance, history, suspense, or the supernatural, A Discovery of Witches has something for everyone. I would recommend this book one hundred percent and would give it six stars out of five if I could. The only way to truly grasp how wonderful this book was is to read it for yourself. Which I heartily recommend!

5/5

Black Ice Review

Title: Black Ice

Author: Anne Stuart

Date of Publication: November 20, 2009

Formats Available: Mass Market Paperback, E-Book

Synopsis: When Chloe's roommate Sylvia offers her the amazing chance to make a lot of money by translating for business men at a secluded French chateau Chloe is hesitant to take the job. However, after longing for violence and danger Chloe accepts, hoping to put some excitement in her life. Little does Chloe know that she's going to get exactly what she asked for, the "business" men are not what they seem and when Chloe finds out too much they decide she must be eliminated. To her shock the cold and deadly Bastien Toussaint saves her life and takes her on a wild trip around France, evading those who want to kill her at every turn. Constantly guessing his motives Chloe knows that nowhere is safe, but it looks like Bastein is the only person who can save her life.

My Review:

When I first started Black Ice I wasn't sure what to think. I didn't immediately dislike it but I had a hard time relating to Chloe and most of the characters seemed to fall a little flat. However, once the story picked up it was easy to ignore the slight faults of the characters and get wrapped up in the action and suspense. Despite being a little unmemorable I ended up really enjoying Black Ice.

I wasn't a big fan of the romance between Chloe and Bastain, while it was an interesting aspect to the story their relationship was a little more on the forced side. By the end it seemed a little bit more real but I still had a little trouble believing that Chloe could really fall in love with someone who had done such horrible things to her and in front of her.

The plot made up for the strange romance however. Full of action and suspense I found myself completely engrossed in the novel, wondering what was going to happen, and who was going to die, next. As Chloe ran from one life threatening experience to the next I found it nearly impossible to put this book down.

Despite being a bit forgettable Black Ice is an entertaining and engrossing read. I really loved the action packed plot and the constant guessing of what was going to happen next. Hopefully I can get around to the other books in the series before I totally forget what this one was about!

4/5