Review of The Survivors by Amanda Havard





  In 1692, when witch trials gripped the community of Salem, Massachusetts, twenty-six children were accused as witches, exiled, and left for dead. Fourteen of them survived.

The Survivors is the first installment of the tantalizing tales of the fourteen ill-fated Survivors and their descendants, who have been content in hiding for over three centuries. Isolated on a Montana mountainside, only Sadie, the rogue daughter, dares to abandon the family's sacred hiding place. But no matter how far Sadie runs, something always pulls her back.

  On a muggy summer night in Tennessee, she witnesses a shocking scene that will change her life forever. It is the first in a sequence of events that will drag her from the human world she's sought to belong to for over a century and send her back to her Puritanical family and into an uncertain future filled with cunning witches, mysterious nosferatu shape-shifters, dangerous eretica and vieczy vampires, millennia-old mythology, and the search for her own mortality. After all...

HOW DO YOU KILL A SURVIVOR?

The Survivors will steal your heart and invade your mind. Fall into the pages of Sadie's life, a world so frighteningly similar to your own, you'll find yourself wanting to go to the Montana mountains to find the Survivors for yourself. 

And it is only the beginning. ~From GoodReads

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  At first glance, The Survivors seems like a simple(-ish) story about a girl who is a descended from a line of witches dating back to the Salem Witch Trials. And for the first third of the book, it is. But once you really delve into the book. It becomes so much more. I love when a book takes me by surprise. The Survivors is that book.

  The Survivors begins with a prologue set in 1692, the height of the Salem Witch Trials. Twenty-six children were exiled, taken out West in the dead of winter, and left for dead. But, fourteen of those children didn't die, they survived. They developed extraordinary powers and all stopped aging. They had children who also had those traits. Sadie, the main character is one of those children. She was born in the 1860s and stopped aging around the age of twenty-one. Sadie was never content wrapped in the isolation of the world the Survivors created. She wanted to know what exactly they were. The answers the Elders of her people gave were never enough. So, she snuck away. Determined to live in the outside world. 

  At first, I had a hard time connecting with Sadie. She views humanity through an "outside looking in" lens.  She seemed almost robotic, and she sometimes annoyed me. I mean, she's beautiful, extremely wealthy, and will be "forever 21". What's not to like, right?  Sadie is envious of the one thing humans have that she does not, mortality. Sadie spends her life on a world-wide mission. Traveling, trying to discover exactly what she is and how she and those like her can be destroyed. She is on a virtual suicide-mission. She wants to be able to stop another Survivor if they become evil, but the reason she seems hell-bent on killing herself never became crystal clear to me.

  Where the book becomes very interesting to me is when Sadie meets a man who appears to be like her. Then she meets his family of what appears to be more Survivors. One member of this family, Everett, shares an immediate connection with Sadie. They quickly discover that what they have is beyond a connection. They have a destiny together. When she takes this new family to meet hers, chaos ensues. Unable to get any real answers from Everett and his family and her own family of Survivors, Sadie is set off on a mission to discover the true source of the immortals. She encounters old-world lore regarding vampires, witches and shape-shifters.

  I have to say that Sadie's mission of discovery and the mystery surrounding it was my favorite part of the book. It seems the author, Amanda Havard, must have done an immense amount of research into European supernatural lore. The in-depth historical detail is fascinating. The mystery of what the Survivors truly are was gripping. The mystery of what Everett and his family are was jaw-dropping. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, everything changed and I was left scratching my head in wonder. The Survivors had me bound, right up until the very end. I can not wait to read the next book, The Survivors: Point of Origin,  due out in 2012.

* I LOVE great quotes. I always write them down when I find a great one. This is my favorite quote from The Survivors:

" 'Sadie, you're a strange girl, so I say this with love,' he said, his voice sincere. 'I need you to love me more than death,' he whispered."

The Survivors (The Survivors Series #1)

Paperback, 283 pages

Published March 29th 2011 by Chafie Press, LLC (first published March 28th 2011)

http://www.thesurvivorsseries.com
Find it on GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10470359-the-survivors



Review Law of the Lycan Trilogy by Nicky Charles

From Goodreads:

The Mating:
Elise had no idea when she came home that day that she'd end up mated to a complete stranger. A new Alpha and the need for an alliance between packs have made her a pawn in.... The Mating.

The Keeping:
Ryne Taylor was a sexy bad-ass Alpha set on establishing a new pack. Melody Greene was a journalism student researching his work as a photographer or so she said. But could Mel really be trusted or had she stumbled upon his secret? And if she knew, could Ryne save himself and the pack he'd left behind without enacting a deadly ancient law known as The Keeping?

The Finding:
She discovered a dark secret, witnessed a murder and fled into the night fearing for her life. Three years later, Cassie is still hiding from her past, haunted by a dream lover and fighting to control a terrifying beast that seems to grow stronger each day. When Bryan, pack Beta, appears to claim her, Cassie is forced to face the truth of her existence. Innocence, betrayal, greed and love collide with ancient werewolf laws in... The Finding

This was a very interesting trilogy, it was my first werewolf book so I didn't really know what I was getting myself into... but I have to say that I really enjoyed them. Each one had a different aspects that I enjoyed. I loved Kane & Elise in The Mating, the connection wasn't instant but the build up was great. This book offers you love, drama & mystery. The one major thing that I did not like about this book was all the grammar errors. The Keeping was my favorite. I know that is a little unusual because most love the first one, but I just loved Ryne & Mel! Once again the grammar was horrible, but the story line was great! Nicky Charles did a great job keeping you in suspense and laughing out loud. The finding was a great conclusion to the other two books. I liked Cassie & Bryan's story but this book was aggravating because it would jump from one story line to the next, at time there would be five stories going and each one would leave you hanging and then skip to the next. I did love how Ms.Charles followed up on Kane & Elise and Ryne & Mel, so after finishing The Finding I felt satisfied with all the characters endings.

Teaser Tuesday: Things to Do in Denver When You're Un-Dead by Mark Everett Stone

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

For ten years Kal Hakala has been the Bureau of Supernatural Investigation's top man, the longest surviving agent in its blood-soaked history. There has been no case he couldn't crack, no monster he couldn't kill. Until a plague of zombies in Denver turns into an investigation of a vicious serial killer dubbed The Organ Donor. Fueled by rage and a hatred of all things supernatural, he dives headlong into the one mystery that could finally kill him.
I was lucky enough to get an early copy of the book from Mark Everett Stone. I am so glad I did because this is a witty, very funny and fast paced read. I'll post a review when the book comes out in July. In the meantime, check out my teaser.
"Nearly three hours to kill before my meeting with BB, so I spent my time alternating between zoning out and fine tuning my final report on the zombie problem that brought us to Denver in the first place. Fortunately for the good citizens of the Mile High City, we came, we saw, and we kicked undead ass, ridding the place of a smelly, rotting menace."
Here is the link to check it out on GoodReads:http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11326685-things-to-do-in-denver-when-you-re-un-dead

Teaser Tuesday! The Survivors by Amanda Havard

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

In 1692, when witch trials gripped the community of Salem, Massachusetts, twenty-six children were accused as witches, exiled, and left for dead. Fourteen of them survived.

The Survivors is the first installment of the tantalizing tales of the fourteen ill-fated Survivors and their descendants, who have been content in hiding for over three centuries. Isolated on a Montana mountainside, only Sadie, the rogue daughter, dares to abandon the family's sacred hiding place. But no matter how far Sadie runs, something always pulls her back.

On a muggy summer night in Tennessee, she witnesses a shocking scene that will change her life forever. It is the first in a sequence of events that will drag her from the human world she's sought to belong to for over a century and send her back to her Puritanical family and into an uncertain future filled with cunning witches, mysterious nosferatu shape-shifters, dangerous eretica and vieczy vampires, millennia-old mythology, and the search for her own mortality. After all...

HOW DO YOU KILL A SURVIVOR?

The Survivors will steal your heart and invade your mind. Fall into the pages of Sadie's life, a world so frighteningly similar to your own, you'll find yourself wanting to go to the Montana mountains to find the Survivors for yourself.

And it is only the beginning.

" 'Well don't track me', he hissed again. He stepped toward me quickly, his mouth almost grazing my ear. 'If you value the lives of the ones you left behind, you won't', he said."

http://www.thesurvivorsseries.com

Winners!!

The "Thank You Giveaway" has been such a big success. Thanks to all of you who entered, especially those who follow the blog. We are up to 105 followers now. We are so excited and proud about that because the blog has only been up almost 2 months now. We were originally going to have 3 winners, but since we had so many entries, we will now have 5 winners! So, getting down to the real reason you're here.

The Winners Are:

Jacinda @ The Reading Housewives

Maurielle

Memrie

Katja

Marjie Pride

Congratulations! I will send an email to notify the winners, you will have to respond within 48 hours with your book choice. I will then gift it to you through Amazon. If you do not respond within the 48 hours, I will choose a new winner. Here is the list of books you can choose from:

*Meant to Be by  Tiffany King
*Released by Megan Duncan
*Stay by C.C. Jackson
*Across the Galaxy by Heather Hildenbrand
*Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand
*The Vampire's Warden by SJ Wright
*In the Storm by Karen Metcalf
*The Trouble with Spells (Of Witches and Warlocks) by Lacey Weatherford
*Glimmer by Vivi Anna
*The Soulkeepers by GP Ching
*Bloody Little Secrets by Karly Kirkpatrick
*The Royal Dragoneers by M.R. Mathias
*Rick Frost and the Alaskan Adventure by Todd Bush
*Play Fling by Amber Scott
*An Apple for Zoe by Thomas Amo (Adult Horror, not for the faint of heart)
*Being by TR Mousner

You can check out our reviews to help decide which book to pick.

Cover Reveal: The Onyx Talisman by Brenda Pandos

This is the very first cover reveal we've had on the blog. Yay! So...here is the very beautiful cover for The Onyx Talisman, due out November 16, 2011.

Gorgeous, isn't it? We also have a sneak peek to hold you over until November.

**WARNING SPOILERS**

All was perfect in Julia’s life until Nicholas had his vampire blood-lust activated by his mother Alora, her immortal enemy, turning him evil and bent on revenge. Heartbroken and out of choices, Phil and Julia ran away in the middle of the night, with Scarlett on foot, to Orange County to warn and plead Nicholas’ Godfather for help. Once arriving at Harry’s though, the local coven accosted them and they narrowly escaped.

After they returned home, there was a huge showdown between Phil, Nicholas, Scarlett, Alora, Katie and Julia. Alora almost got what she wanted—Julia’s vampire warding talisman—but Preston, Nicholas’ father, and Harry came to the rescue. They escorted Nicholas and Alora back to Beverly Hills, pledging to return Nicholas free from his blood-lust. But all Julia’s received in the past four months is a letter stating Nicholas missed her along with some song lyrics and promise of a quick return. That was a month ago.

Now Julia awaits Nicholas’ return with the Fab Five Coven: Phil and Katie—the sober vampires, Scarlett—the half-vamp/shape-shifter, and Tyler and Julia—the inducted humans. She’s stuck in Scotts Valley with Phil as her self-appointed chaperon and no way to return to Los Angeles to check on Nicholas. Only Scarlett and Julia know her fate ultimately involves the demise of all vampires, possibly including the ones she loves. When the time comes, will she even have a choice?

Find out in the final installment of the bestselling Talisman Series November 16, 2011!

The Onyx Talisman, third and final book in the Talisman trilogy.

Publisher: Obsidian Mountain Publishing

Tentative Release Date: 11/16/2011

Want to know more? Check out Brenda’s blog at: http://brendapandos.blogspot.com

Follow Brenda on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brenda-Pandos-Author/147707291958883

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10233236-the-onyx-talisman

Twitter: @brendapandos

Review of Being by TR Mousner

   For elite extraterrestrial pilot EBN-Reyoz-X, awaiting rescue while hiding out in a trailer park in Lancaster, California, is a grueling nightmare. She’s injured, lacks proper supplies and can’t blend in with the indigenous population because she’s seven feet tall and can’t control the trail of wildflowers blooming in the wake of her footsteps. She’s unprepared to begin sexual maturity in the alien land and when she develops feelings for Shale, the mute teenage boy next door, she’s convinced circumstances can get no worse.
Except rescue never comes and once word spreads that her touch holds miraculous healing abilities, EBN must find a way to fix her ship, evade capture by the United States Air Force and survive long enough to return home.~From GoodReads


  Being is an exciting new novel from TR Mousner. I’ll admit, science fiction is not my reading forte, but I thoroughly enjoyed Being.
   The book opens with pilot EBN-Reyoz-X on a mission aboard her space ship.  The drama begins almost instantaneously as the ship malfunctions and EBN crashes on Earth, specifically, California. Injured and alone, she must survive on her own with no medicine, food or supplies until help arrives. But, help doesn’t come.  EBN can not hide in obscurity because she is almost seven feet tall, can heal the injured or ill with a mere touch, and leaves a trail of wildflowers where ever she goes.  Along with EBN’s plight, Being also deals with the personal and political aftermath of the mission on her family, and the effect her arrival has on Shale and Harmony, who own the trailer park where EBN stays.
  TR Mousner did a terrific job of writing from an alien-on-Earth’s perspective.  The sense of desperation and isolation EBN feels is acute. As her health conditions worsen, the tension hits in a profound manner. As her transmissions back home continue to go unreceived, the panic is almost unbearable. EBN, along with the other inhabitants of her home planet, has a dim view of humans, whom they call Sents. The focus of their views on humans stems from the way humans treat their environment. They have no respect for a race that treats their planet and each other with such ill disregard, such as pollution and environmental disasters, war and general bad behavior.  In fact, the storyline occurs during the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and California wildfires in 2010. The fact Mousner used real examples of such disaster really helped drive the point home.
  Slowly, EBN, learns that not all humans are irresponsible and barbarous. One particular person who changes her mind-set is Shale.  Shale was a character that quickly touched my heart. He is a mute teenage boy who is dealing with the loss of both parents, one in a mysterious manner. In addition, he has a seems to have a nervous condition that causes him to have a facial tic and must endure constant bullying. Shale and EBN quickly connect and she has a profound mental and physical effect on him. In turn, the effect Shale has on her is quite profound itself. He shows EBN that not all humans are cruel and unfeeling.  Through Shale’s actions, she slowly recognizes that there is good amongst the bad: “When blessed with good fortune, Sent behavior ranged between questionable and reprehensible. Yet crises united Sents and brought out the best in them.”
  I enjoyed the anticipation that built in the last half of the book.  Will EBN be captured? Will she be able to return home? And most importantly, will she survive her injuries?
  Being, for me, sometimes read as a statement on the human condition. How can we have respect for ourselves when we have no respect for our home?Perhaps I’m overthinking here.  But it also had engaging characters and action. And wow, hold on to your seats because the cliffhanger ending is quite a doozy! Also, when you read the book, you will appreciate the genius of the gorgeous cover.
Here are some links for you to take a look at:
TR Mousner’s blog-http://www.trmousner.com/
GoodReads-http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10832421-being
Amazon-http://amzn.to/mqYz41

Teaser Tuesday: Being by TR Mousner

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

For elite extraterrestrial pilot EBN-Reyoz-X, awaiting rescue while hiding out in a trailer park in Lancaster, California, is a grueling nightmare. She’s injured, lacks proper supplies and can’t blend in with the indigenous population because she’s seven feet tall and can’t control the trail of wildflowers blooming in the wake of her footsteps. She’s unprepared to begin sexual maturity in the alien land and when she develops feelings for Shale, the mute teenage boy next door, she’s convinced circumstances can get no worse.
Except rescue never comes and once word spreads that her touch holds miraculous healing abilities, EBN must find a way to fix her ship, evade capture by the United States Air Force and survive long enough to return home.~From GoodReads

“The crowd surged toward me, anxious to see the reputed miracle-worker. My eyes swept over the sea of bodies. Sents stood in a neat line, three or four deep. I estimated the group exceeded sixty Sents and those were only the ones I could see.”

(Sents are humans)

I am really digging this book and hope to have a review up in a couple of days.

Here’s the link to check out Being at GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10832421-being

Review of Rick Frost and the Alaskan Adventure

 
 

 
 
 
 
It was supposed to be an adventure in the wilds of Alaska, a test of manhood for all the 14, 15, and 16-year olds signed up on the school trip. But the whole prepackaged thing was nothing more than a long hike through some pretty trees. That is until Rick Frost and his friend Ben Nakni see a plane about to crash into the forest. A real adventure has just found them.
The only survivors of the crash are Robert Blair and his daughter Alexis, who just happens to be the hottest teen actress in Hollywood. She was on her way to make a movie in the Katmai National Forest when the unthinkable happened. Rick and Ben pull Robert and Alexis out of the wreckage just as a team of assassins arrive to finish the job.
The crash was no accident. Someone wants Alexis Blair dead and that puts Rick Frost in the cross hairs. He wanted an adventure; he got a wild ride through the unforgiving wilderness of America's last frontier.
America, meet the newest action hero to arrive on the literary scene: Rick Frost! –From http://toddbushwriter.blogspot.com 
 
 
  Rick Frost and the Alaskan Adventure is the first book in a new series by Todd Bush.  The book/series centers around Rick Frost, a 14-year old prep school student. Rick’s life-long best friend, Ben, is his loyal sidekick and comic relief.  Rick and Ben, are on a school trip in the Alaskan wilderness, when they see a plane spiraling out of control.  Rick and Ben set out on their own hoping to find survivors, and adventure. Turns out, they will find more adventure than they could have dreamed of. The boys discover a spoiled Hollywood starlet, Alexis Blair and her father, Robert. Not only does the group have to survive their hostile surroundings, but also a band of ruthless mercenaries. Let the adventures begin!
  This book gets off to a fast, adventurous start. And the action and witty dialogue never lets up. Rick and Ben are so funny and honorable, you can’t help but love them. Alexis is entitled and haughty, but also has a vulnerability lurking under the surface.  Rick and Ben are totally unimpressed by the pampered princess, and usually put her in her place with sarcasm.  The author, Todd Bush, did an incredible job in writing these characters. Rick, Ben and Alexis are fully fleshed out.  They are so well-developed, I felt Bush knew each character down to their core. In fact, each aspect of this book appears to have been well-thought out. The action scenes were so real, the scenery description so vivid, I could actually picture the scenes in my head as a movie.
  Rick Frost and the Alaskan Adventure would be an excellent suggestion especially for pre-teen and teen boys. But, honestly, I think anyone would enjoy this book. The fast pace, witty dialogue and well-written characters are universally appealing.  The book is not very long, 164 pages, perfect for a lot of young readers. So if you’re up for the adventure, read Rick Frost and the Alaskan Adventure, available now. The next book, Rick Frost and the Sword of Calibum is due later this summer.
Rick Frost and the Alaskan Adventure is available for:
Nook http://tinyurl.com/3oozss9
Kindle http://tinyurl.com/3ec5kmq

Review of Play Fling by Amber Scott

Face Your Target... Brooke Munkle didn't leave a lukewarm marriage just to flounce into the first hot bed. Too young, too hot, Elliott Jovovich has no business distracting her from starting over. If only he'd get out of her fantasies. Maybe if she keeps things simple, she can allow herself one naughty indulgence. After all, who will know? Pull The String... Elliott sees through Brooke's stiff facade. Underneath her struggle to hold it all together, a vibrant, wanton woman is waiting to be freed. To win her heart, he'll play by her rules, which would be a a lot easier if her hostile best friend didn't fight so dirty. Sure, he has ammo of his own, but what he knows could hurt Brooke. Steady. Aim. Release... Millie Match isn't sure what she did to deserve this matchmaking hell. The sneaking around, the spying, compatibility issues, chemistry crises. Her target, Brooke, is keeping secrets. Elliott is definitely Mr. Wrong. And if Millie doesn't make true love magic now, she'll lose the one thing in this punishment worth fighting for. ~From GoodReads



Play Fling is a great story about a woman who came to a crossroad and decided that settling in her marriage and playing it safe is what she no longer wants…and what comes after. Starting over in life and love is tough enough, but when the new man is 10+ years younger, there is a whole other set of problems.

  How much did I love Play Fling, let me count the ways…

1) Brooke- Brooke is insecure but brave. She always puts her best face forward. She seems like a real “Ice
                 Princess”, but behind closed doors, she’s a tigress!
2) Elliott- Elliott is smart, witty, and sexy.  He is a hard-working young man who has made the best of a  
              difficult background. He pursues Brooke, but never becomes stalker-ish. He is a man who can read
              a woman, and always knows when to back off and when to push through the walls around her
              heart.
3)Millie- Millie is funny and sometimes so clueless.  Millie thinks that only she knows what’s best for Brooke.
             She’s is determined to right the wrongs in Brooke’s life. Sometimes to hilarious and disastrous
             effect.
4) Chemistry- The chemistry between Brooke and Elliott is intense. Think fireworks on the Fourth of July
                      you’ll get the picture.
5) Buildup- Throughout Play Fling, the stakes continually build. Will Brooke learn her ex-husband’s secret? 
                  Will Millie complete her mission? Will Brooke let down her defenses? And most importantly,
                  will Brooke and Elliott end up together? I honestly was not sure of the answers to those 
                  questions. Amber Scott did a terrific job building suspense in the book. I found myself reading 
                  faster and faster because I had to know what would happen.  It was excruciating!
6) Romance- This is last, but certainly not the least. The love scenes in Play Fling are so smoking hot, I 
                     thought I may combust! I can not say this emphatically enough: the passion in Play Fling is
                    worthy of it’s own 5-star rating!
  
I’ve tried to list how much I loved Play Fling, but honestly my list could go on and on.  It has been quite a while since I have read a romance novel. I was a little hesitant, but Play Fling quickly roped me in.  I’m heading over to www.amberscottbooks.com as soon as I finish this review to check out all the other books she has to offer. And if you want to read a terrific book, you’ll go do the same. 

I want to leave you with my favorite passage of the book:

“He refused to give in or rush. He wouldn’t let her ignore the emotion coursing between them. Every caress, every kiss, could be a word to express his feelings for her. He couldn’t tell her, but he would let her feel his love.”

Review of The Royal Dragoneers

  Hold on to your dragon! You’re about to journey through a brave new world of hearty survivors straight into a dragon riding, troll fighting adventure for the ages.

  After struggling for more than two centuries to tame the inhospitable dragon infested Islands where they washed up, the descendants of the survivors of a lost passenger ship are now striving to tame the Mainland they have found.

  But the Goblin King, an Ivory antlered demon called Gravelbone, has a different plan for the men who are invading his territory. He and his Nightshade are rallying the trolls to defend their lands. With the help of the dragons, goblins, and orcs they plan on rendering the wall the humans have built useless so that they can drive man back to the islands from where they came.

   When stubborn King Blanchard finally accepts that the kingdom is under attack it may be too late, and the only ones who can save the people on the Mainland have been locked away in the dungeon.

   Join some brave young men and their mentor, a grizzled old King’s Ranger, and a particularly clever young magic wielding woman, as they traverse the wild frontier and sail to King’s Island to warn the King of the warring trolls. Then hold on for your life as you tear through the pages, because the pure blooded dragons they have befriended have another plan all together. ~From GoodReads


  I just want to start by saying, maybe this wasn't the book for me.
  First, the things I liked about the book.The author did a very good job with world building. With the opening scenes in the forest, you become quickly thrust into the story. Very, very descriptive writing. There were also some likable characters. I liked Zah, Lemmy & mainly the dragons. The dragons ability to feel love and sadness were the only truly moving points of the story for me. The one thing that I can say I liked the best about the book was the dialogue. I actually laughed out loud in a few spots.
  Some things that I struggled with. The Royal Dragoneers is told from many points of view. Moving back and forth so often caused me a challenge with really latching on to one particular character. I also felt that in some portions of the story, the description & world building went on a little too long, in particular one long scene describing a castle.

On the whole, I want to emphasize, for my tastes, The Royal Dragoneers was just an" okay" book.

Teaser Tuesday: Play Fling by Amber Scott

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

 

It’s been a while since I’ve read a romance that hasn’t involved vampires, witches, faeries, etc. So I’ve had to adjust to reading a straight-up romance novel. I’m only on Chapter 2, but so far I’m liking Play Fling.  I’m going to give a little backstory: Brooke is a 30-something student spending time in a coffee shop/book store before class. A handsome younger man sits beside her, and attempts conversation with Brooke, but she brushes him off. She leaves for class, leaving behind some books she was browsing through on the table. The man chases her down and presents her with the books, apparently buying them for her.

“ “I can’t take these-what?’ Brooke didn’t know what to do.

The afternoon sun lit his chiseled features. ‘They aren’t stolen. They’re a gift.’

He ended his bow with a flourish, then strode away, leaving Brooke speechless for no less than the fourth time in her entire thirty-she-wouldn’t-admit-something life. Worse, she couldn’t possibly remember when the other three had been.”

 

Here is the link to check out Amber Scott: http://amberscottbooks.com

Review: Two Moon Princess by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban

To Andrea, the life of a princess is not a dream; it's tedious and stifling. But the certainties of her life, both good and bad, are thrown into chaos when she accidentally travels to an alternative world, from a cave on a forbidden beach in her family's kingdom to the warm and carefree life of Southern California. Then a careless visit to the cave results in terrible consequences: a brewing war between kingdoms, her sister's love for the wrong man, Andrea's own conflicted feelings for an enemy leader, and dark family secrets exposed. Andrea needs to act to resolve problems which she helped to create, and she faces many difficult choices, torn between duty and desire on so many levels. Readers will enjoy the mix of traditional elements of the fantasy genre,with fresh ideas and a look at our culture through the eyes of a stranger. ~From NetGalley

 Two Moon Princess is the story of Andrea, a princess in an alternate world, who longs to break free from the confines of the royal life. If I understand correctly, the people of Andrea's world are the ancestors of the Spanish people. I found the fact that Andrea is, for all intents and purposes, a Latina heroine, to be a nice change. As there are far too few Latina main characters in most of the books I read.
 Two Moon Princess got off to a fairly slow start for me. I found the description of the daily life of a princess to be a little boring. But as the interaction between the two worlds increases, so did my interest. The author did a great job of portraying the confusion Andrea feels as she experienced the modern world. Imagine not knowing what a watch or television are. The confusion was portrayed well.
  I have to admit, Andrea was the only character who appealed to me at all throughout the first two-thirds of the book. Her parents were distant. Two of her sisters were sweet but rarely used in the story. The other sister was cruel, almost beyond redemption. The man who Andrea thinks she loves in the first half of the book is clueless.
  But, this book was redeemed by the last 100 pages. Andrea becomes a strong, worthwhile hero in her own right. A man who I completely dismissed in the first portion of the book becomes gallant and loveable. There is tons of adventure, wrongs that are righted, and misunderstandings explained. Two Moon Princess had an ending that I felt was "just right".
Go check it out at http://www.carmenferreiroesteban.com/

Review: The Vampire's Warden by SJ Wright

From GoodReads~
I couldn't seem to contain the inferno burning inside me, being that close to him. Even knowing the danger he posed and the gruesome scenes that must have been caused by him, I still felt a burning inside me every time I heard his voice or felt his hot gaze on me.

But I was the Warden. He was one of the damned. We were destined to be at odds. Enemies.


Sarah Brightman, having just lost her father to cancer, is stunned to discover that the mother she thought was dead is actually still alive. She also finds out that the legacy her father left her is a lot more than just an Inn on the outskirts of Nashville, Indiana. She has a frightening new responsibility.

This is part one of a three-part series. It is 30,420 words long.

  I love vampire-themed books. I have read many, many vampire books over the last few years. But I've never read any quite like The Vampire's Warden.  Sarah, the main character, is a Warden, charged with guarding vampires who have broken the laws of the council. The Vampire's Warden has an intriguing opening, involving the mystery of  Sarah's mother's supposed death. Is she not dead? Where is she? Why did she leave?
  Sarah was a nice character to read. She felt like a real person with real reactions. Every time a new turn was thrown at her, she didn't just shrug and roll with it. Sarah was reactive. She became angry, violent, and skeptical.
  The Vampire's Warden has not one, but two sexy, mysterious guys, Alex and Michael. Each man affects Sarah in a curious way. The mystery surrounding Alex and Michael is never quite solved, and I was left not quite knowing who was the good and bad guy.
 At times, I felt confused as to what was going on in the plot. But, I accepted that because Sarah never quite knows what is happening. I just went with it as "part of the ride", and I'm trusting that all of the questions I had will be answered as the series continues.
 All in all, I liked The Vampire's Warden quite a bit. The mystery was continually ramped up throughout the book, leaving me wanting to read more. And I'll definitely give SJ Wright credit for writing an ending that left me in serious suspense. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, The Vampire's Curse.

Go check out SJ Wright's website: http://www.vampireswarden.blogspot.com/

"Thank You" Giveaway!

 The Bookish Babes have had a blast these first few months of blogging. We can not believe we have 74 followers! We appreciate each and every one of you so much! So, to say "Thank You", we are going to have a giveaway. We will have three winners. Each winner will get their choice of an ebook we have reviewed (or will review before end of giveaway) on this blog, via Amazon. The contest will run May 4- May 20. This is going to be super-duper simple. Just fill out the easy form. Good Luck and Happy Reading!!

Here is the list of books you can win:

*Meant to Be by  Tiffany King
*Released by Megan Duncan
*Stay by C.C. Jackson
*Across the Galaxy by Heather Hildenbrand
*Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand
*The Vampire's Warden by SJ Wright
*In the Storm by Karen Metcalf
*The Trouble with Spells (Of Witches and Warlocks) by Lacey Weatherford
*Glimmer by Vivi Anna
*The Soulkeepers by GP Ching
*Bloody Little Secrets by Karly Kirkpatrick
*The Royal Dragoneers by M.R. Mathias
*Rick Frost and the Alaskan Adventure by Todd Bush
*Play Fling by Amber Scott
*An Apple for Zoe by Thomas Amo (Adult Horror, not for the faint of heart)
*Being by TR Mousner

Any books we review before May 20 will be included in available choices.

Tuesday Teaser: The Royal Dragoneers by M.R. Mathias

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

" 'Liar," she almost purred the word into his ear, causing his blood to tingle with both fear and arousal at the same time. Her breath smelled of cinnamon and ginger, and she radiated a soft inviting heat like a woodstove."

Go check out The Royal Dragoneers at http://www.mrmathias.com/