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"A room without books is like a body without a soul." - Cicero

Thursday, July 31, 2014

100th Review Celebration - Giveaway! 2 Books by Sabrina York

It's been a long time coming, folks! 100 reviews. Had some rough years, a lot of hiatuses, name changes, lost all our readers; but we're back and we're strong and we're not going nowheres! It can only get better from here on out.

So in celebration of Book Verse's 100th review, and as a thank you to both new and returning readers, we are holding our very first raffle(s)! Squeee - am I the only excited one here? Free books, can I get a hellz yeah!? I went back and looked through the reviews from the last couple of months and picked a few of our 4 and 5 star rated books to give away. 

We have a total of four different books, by four different authors. I say this calls for a little author spotlight! So for the next four days, we will give you guys some general information on each author, some stalking links. And we'll also relay any special interactions we've had with them. Entering is super easy, just scroll down to the rafflecopter widget and follow the steps to get entries. We will be verifying entries, so no cheating! :)

We thank you again for your support and hope you'll stay with us for future reviews, author interviews, and other fun stuff!

 ***

Welcome to our 4th and final day of our 100th review celebration. Don't forget to enter the raffle for our day 1 prize - an ecopy of Balustrade by Mark Henry, day 2 - two ebooks by Dakota Cassidy, and day 3 - an ecopy of Unlovable by Cynthia St. Aubin. What better way to wrap things up than with the lady that set this whole celebration in motion; Her Royal Hotness herself, Sabrina York!

Sabrina's too hot for a real picture. ;)


About Sabrina (taken from her website): Her Royal Hotness, Sabrina York, writes naked erotic fiction for fans who like it hot, hard and balls-to-the-wall, and erotic romance and fantasy for readers who prefer a slow burn to passion. 

An award winning author of over 20 hot, humorous stories for smart and sexy readers. Her titles range from sweet & sexy erotic romance to scorching BDSM.

I met Sabrina, I believe also through Mark Henry. In fact, it might have even been the same FB event where I met Cynthia - listen, I go to A LOT of events, I can't keep track of all of em' - don't judge me.

Sabrina seemed like a nice enough individual; her books looked good too. I added some to my TBR list. Then I started bumping into her a lot at different events, and shortly after meeting her I won one of her books. I'm a sucker for free books. I was excited, but I had so many other books I had to get through before I got to hers - I bumped it up as far up as I could, but with ARCs and other prior responsibilities (my word is my bond) her book had to wait. When I finally got around to it, I completely understood why she was known as Her Royal Hotness. But more than hot steamy reads, her books are intelligently written - because she's a smart lady - and if there's something I love more than a good sex scene, it's a well written book.

But Sabrina is so much more than her books, as I soon learned. She is an amazing individual. She's funny, she's nice, and so generous. She gives tiaras away, people! How much more generous can one get!? Oh, and she loves bacon. Anybody that loves bacon is top notch in my book.

She has quickly become one of my favorite authors and one of my favorite people.

Stalker Links:

Website: http://sabrinayork.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SabrinaYorkBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sabrina_york
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sabrinayork/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/sabrina_york
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sabrina-York/e/B00856PDEO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Today I will be gifting an Amazon kindle copy of Rebound. It's the first book in her Tryst Island series and the first book I read. Sabrina, the generous individual that she is, has also decided to donate a second ebook to the winner (see what I mean?) - winner's choice, as long as it's a single title. So go ahead and enter below.

And that's a wrap people! Thank you so much for participating, and don't forget all raffles will remain open for 7 days from the day they were first posted - so keep sharing, keep retweeting, and we'll see you during our next review. ;)


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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

100th Review Celebration - Giveaway! Unlovable by Cynthia St. Aubin

It's been a long time coming, folks! 100 reviews. Had some rough years, a lot of hiatuses, name changes, lost all our readers; but we're back and we're strong and we're not going nowheres! It can only get better from here on out.

So in celebration of Book Verse's 100th review, and as a thank you to both new and returning readers, we are holding our very first raffle(s)! Squeee - am I the only excited one here? Free books, can I get a hellz yeah!? I went back and looked through the reviews from the last couple of months and picked a few of our 4 and 5 star rated books to give away. 

We have a total of four different books, by four different authors. I say this calls for a little author spotlight! So for the next four days, we will give you guys some general information on each author, some stalking links. And we'll also relay any special interactions we've had with them. Entering is super easy, just scroll down to the rafflecopter widget and follow the steps to get entries. We will be verifying entries, so no cheating! :)

We thank you again for your support and hope you'll stay with us for future reviews, author interviews, and other fun stuff!

***

Welcome to day three of our 100th review celebration. Don't forget to enter the raffles for day 1 (copy of Balustrade by Mark Henry) and day 2 (copy of Fangs Of Anarchy Part 1 & Talk Dirty To Me by Dakota Cassidy)



Today I want to talk about a very beautiful, very sweet, kinda bonkers individual. Her name is Cynthia St. Aubin and she's the type of person I would have loved to have as a friend in high school - because she would GET ME. Don't let that pretty, normal looking picture fool ya; she's one quirky lady!

About Cynthia (taken from her website):

I like gravy.

This has nothing to do with the rest of my bio, but I thought you ought to know.

About the writing thing...

I wrote my first play when I was six and made my brothers perform it for my parents. I charged gum wrappers for admission (a steal, in my opinion, considering I had handed out the gum wrappers ahead of time). While I seriously doubt you'll be seeing any of my formative work on Broadway anytime soon, I can credit these early experiments with the first of many important lessons I learned about writing: no matter how brilliant your manuscript is, some kid can go streaking butt-ass nekkid across the living room, and totally undermine your vision.

Everyone watches the naked kid because running across the living room with your cheeks flapping in the breeze is friggin' hilarious. 

Cue the lightbulb moment. People like funny stuff!

I never quite gave up on the writing thing, even as I tried my hand at being a dusty academic turned Executive Assistant (they paid me to nag! How cool is that?), but in those quiet moments when expense reports had been filed and to-do items checked off, the funny people in my head kept talking to me. 

Yes, I know they have medication for that. It's called vodka.

Since they discourage drinking at work, I started writing instead. What came out was an amalgamation (vocabulary!) of all the things I love: funny stuff, art, psychology, food, people, and paranormal critters!

​Et voila! The Case Files of Dr. Matilda Schmidt, Paranormal Psychologist were born.

When I'm not sitting in my office watching cat videos and pretending to write, I like cooking, knitting (badly), and reading anything that makes me laugh (like my bank statements).

I live in Colorado with my brilliant husband and three surly cats.


You see what I mean? Cynthia was born to write creatively. 

I met Cynthia, I believe through Mark Henry at one of his events (and I actually met Mark through Dakota, lol). She was yammering on and on about unicorns and unicorns pooping all kinds of sweets (and rainbows) and she asked for people who were interested, to join her street team. I was very intrigued. I joined. And boy, am I glad I did! It's probably my favorite street team I'm on. It's very hands on, both Cynthia and her minions (that's us) support one another and we laugh and have a good time. We talk about books, and manly men, and food that Cynthia likes to attack with her face - which I think is all food at this point. Also, I think her lunacy is contagious. Which is fine by me because I was already labeled eccentric long before I ever met her.

Stalking links (she LURVES stalkers) 



Reading her series, The Case Files of Dr. Matilda Schmidt is a blast. I've read the first two books in the series and they are so creative, so funny, and hot too! Cynthia combines her kookiness with her appreciation of hot men and makes some really interesting stories. (I wonder when she'll incorporate all that food...) I wanted to help her share her stories with the world, so today for our raffle, Cynthia has donated an e-copy of her first book, Unlovable. It's a short read and I know I was disappointed when it ended because I was so into it, that I just wanted to keep going. So go ahead and enter below for your chance to win!


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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

100th Review Celebration - Giveaway! Two books by Dakota Cassidy

It's been a long time coming, folks! 100 reviews. Had some rough years, a lot of hiatuses, name changes, lost all our readers; but we're back and we're strong and we're not going nowheres! It can only get better from here on out.

So in celebration of Book Verse's 100th review, and as a thank you to both new and returning readers, we are holding our very first raffle(s)! Squeee - am I the only excited one here? Free books, can I get a hellz yeah!? I went back and looked through the reviews from the last couple of months and picked a few of our 4 and 5 star rated books to give away. 

We have a total of four different books, by four different authors. I say this calls for a little author spotlight! So for the next four days, we will give you guys some general information on each author, some stalking links. And we'll also relay any special interactions we've had with them. Entering is super easy, just scroll down to the rafflecopter widget and follow the steps to get entries. We will be verifying entries, so no cheating! :)

We thank you again for your support and hope you'll stay with us for future reviews, author interviews, and other fun stuff!

***
Welcome to day two, readers! For those of you who missed day 1, a copy of Mark Henry's Balustrade is up for grabs - don't forget to click here to enter.




Today I am giving away one of Dakota Cassidy's ebooks. Here is a little bit about her (taken from Amazon): Dakota Cassidy is the national bestselling author of more than a dozen books of contemporary and paranormal romance. She lives for a good laugh in both her life and her writing.
Her goals are simple: banish the color yellow forever, create world peace via hot rollers and Aqua Net, and nab every tiara in the land by competing in the Miss USA, Miss Universe, and Miss World pageants. And of course, write really funny, sexy, romantic books! Dakota lives in Oregon with her dogs and her husband, who puts the heroes in her books to shame.

I have been a fan of Dakota's for years. I was at Borders once during one of my many book shopping sprees and I passed by Dakota's The Accidental Werewolf. The purple cover immediately caught my attention and when I actually saw the cartoon character on the cover I stopped and grabbed it. I'm a fan of those cute cartoon covers, I always pick em up. ;) I read the blurb, thought it sounded funny and took it home with me (I paid for it, of course). Nothing could have prepared me for the story written in those pages. I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more - that is what Dakota does, she makes you feel. 

I found her on Facebook a few years ago and sent her a friend request which she accepted (yay) and I kind of quietly stalked her - because I would never actually TALK to her, she's Dakota freaking Cassidy! I liked a bunch of her posts and then one day actually responded to something she posted. You guys, she responded back! I couldn't believe it. I was happy. I retreated back into the shadows, sure it was a one time thing. Then I got the opportunity to join her street team and I jumped - boy did I jump - at the chance. That's where I got to know the real Dakota Cassidy; not the super famous, aloof author I had created in my mind, but the funny, sweet, down to earth, hummingbird obsessed gal she really is. I went from being a fan to being a fan AND virtual friend. Who would have thought, huh?

Stalker links. She really does love to talk to her fans. :)

Website: http://dakota324.wix.com/dakotacassidy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DakotaCassidyFanPage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DakotaCassidy
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/108007.Dakota_Cassidy
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dakota-Cassidy/e/B001ILKCFI/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1406464969&sr=1-2-ent


Today I am giving away an Amazon Kindle copy of the first part of her Fangs Of Anarchy serial. Serials aren't usually my thing, I find them torturous, and though it was agonizing for me to read these books, it was totally worth it. This book (the entire serial) is "jam packed with pure awesomeness," that's what I said in my review and I still stand by it.

Also, I would like to point out that Talk This Way, the prequel to her Plum Orchard series is FREE on Amazon. This is an amazing series, I went through sooooo many tissues. Did I mention it's currently FREE? So go get that and then enter below for your chance at Fangs Of Anarchy: Forbidden Alpha (Part 1) Alpha Down 


And because I'm feeling generous and because Dakota is so awesome AND because her Plum Orchard series is super great, I also decided to giveaway an e-copy of Talk Dirty To Me! :D This book is on my "keeper shelf forever" list. And I want to share the wonderful experience of reading it with the rest of you. One winner will take both books - enter beloooow.







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Monday, July 28, 2014

100th Review Celebration - Giveaway! Balustrade by Mark Henry

It's been a long time coming, folks! 100 reviews. Had some rough years, a lot of hiatuses, name changes, lost all our readers; but we're back and we're strong and we're not going nowheres! It can only get better from here on out.

So in celebration of Book Verse's 100th review, and as a thank you to both new and returning readers, we are holding our very first raffle(s)! Squeee - am I the only excited one here? Free books, can I get a hellz yeah!? I went back and looked through the reviews from the last couple of months and picked a few of our 4 and 5 star rated books to give away. 

We have a total of four different books, by four different authors. I say this calls for a little author spotlight! So for the next four days, we will give you guys some general information on each author, some stalking links. And we'll also relay any special interactions we've had with them. Entering is super easy, just scroll down to the rafflecopter widget and follow the steps to get entries. We will be verifying entries, so no cheating! :)

We thank you again for your support and hope you'll stay with us for future reviews, author interviews, and other fun stuff!

*** 

Our first author spotlight is for the witty and sick in the head (in the best possible way) Mark Henry. If you're a sensitive flower, I suggest you walk away now.


 About Mark (taken from his Amazon page): Mark traded a career in the helping profession to scar minds with his fiction. He attributes his ideas to premature exposure to horror movies, and/or witnessing adult cocktail parties in the '70s. His development has been further skewed by surviving earthquakes, typhoons, and two volcanic eruptions. Despite being disaster prone, he somehow continues to live and breathe. Residing in the oft maligned, yet not nearly as soggy as you'd think, Pacific Northwest, with his wife and two furry monsters that think they're children.

I've had a few encounters with Mr. Henry - I'm lucky enough to be on his street team. He is a very intelligent man and it shines through in his sense of humor; both of those things shine through in his books. He is the author of the Amanda Feral series, and also writes YA under the name Daniel Marks. He is a very down to earth guy and is very uncensored, which is probably what I like most about him. Who else can you talk cock cozies with? When you read Mark's books you will encounter zombies, weresharks, voyeurism, and many many more fun things. If any of these things appeal to you, check him out!

Stalker Links:

Website: http://burlesqueofthedamned.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glamazombies
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mark_henry
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mark_henry/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/848968.Mark_Henry
Instagram: http://instagram.com/mark_henry/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Henry/e/B001ILME6I/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1


I'm giving away an Amazon Kindle copy of Balustrade. An erotic horror story that is one helluva mindfuck. As I said on my review, it was "bewitching." I was "literarily seduced." I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book. And now is your chance to win yourselves a copy! Ready. Set. Goooo!







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Sunday, July 27, 2014

Training Tess by Sabrina York

When Jared spots his sister’s very vanilla assistant in a BDSM club, he can hardly believe it. He’s lusted after Tess for years but didn’t think she could handle his darker needs. Like his predilection for cuffs. And whips. And spanking. Hell, for domination of every kind. But as soon as he sees her wearing a collar, he’s lost to his desire. He vows to claim her for his own. 

For Tess, dressing up as a sub while researching an article she’s writing is a lark—until she sees Jared in the club. She may be new to the Dom/sub scene, but she knows what she wants. With Jared—and only Jared—can her deep, primal desires come to light and be fulfilled. Let the lessons begin. 

Reader Advisory: One of the heroine’s lessons involves some sexy touching from a feisty Domme. 

***
 
I've had this book on my TBR list for some time now. The cover caught my eye; it's my favorite Sabrina York cover. I got this book as an early birthday gift and decided I needed to read it ASAP - I waited long enough. Reading this book just solidified my love of Sabrina York. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors. It's as if she's writing these books just for me - they contain everything I like in a hot steamy read and even things I thought I wouldn't like. She has a way of making scenarios I never cared for, enticing. (Gonna have to revisit those scenarios at a later date, hehe.)

I am enamored with Jared. He is a Dom with a playful attitude; but don't you date touch his woman! This playful man will quickly be replaced by a ferocious beast, and he will pummel you. I kinda love that in a man, so of course I was hooked. Tess, to me, was your average heroine. I didn't anything special about her. But the way Jared viewed her - that I liked. That all consuming need to have her, and not just in his bed for a few nights, but to have all of her forever. The way he resisted her, thinking she was too vanilla for him. His vow to make her his when he saw her at that BDSM club. Seeing Tess through Jared's eyes was amazing.

Is it weird to be jealous of a fictional character?

I enjoyed all of the characters in this story, even Dennison. He served a purpose and without him we wouldn't have the great scene at the end. I am very curious about Jared's sister, Marla. Especially after the Epilogue. I hope there's a story with her as the lead - I'm going to have to check on that.

Fantastic read. I highly recommend. You guys, it's really good! Sabrina York doesn't hold the title of Your Royal Hotness for nothing!


Uncensored comments from Kindle:

  • I'm not a fan of mirrors but I too like to have a mirror in front of me while my partner is doing things behind me. It is such a freaking turn on! (TMI? Screw it, it's my blog!)
  • Still, before he drifted off he gently tucked the covers around her and wound the end of her leash around his fist. So she couldn't slip away in the night. - Favorite line.
  • "No one else will even notice." - Yeahuh, ok.
  • Jared is so naughty! And a smartass too! Love it!

Took half a star off because I wanted more story. I wanted to see how Jared dealt with waiting for Tess to come around - he was sure of himself, but he wasn't sure of her and it was too soon. Sometimes it's a double-edged sword writing a really good book. ;)


GUESS WHAT!? THIS WAS OUR 100TH REVIEW!!! COME BACK TOMORROW FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL. 

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Author Interview: Rhys Christopher Ethan


I am very excited to welcome Rhys Christopher Ethan. He is a very creative individual – in addition to writing LGBT retellings of classic fairy tales, he also writes sci-fi, is a screenwriter, and an actor. Many hats, indeed! The first book in his new sci-fi serial, Blood & Roses, came out yesterday and he has been in celebration mode since. In addition to his blog tour - which I participated in (click here for that post) he is also throwing an ongoing Facebook event. You can check that out by clicking here.


You can find him in the following links:

Website: http://rcethan.com

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/rcethan

Facebook: http://facebook.com/rcethan1

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Rhys_Ethan

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/rcethan



And now on to the interview...

Firstly, what do you prefer we (the fans) call you? Rhys? Rhys Ethan? Christopher?

My name is Rhys, so Rhys is the way to go. It's pronounced /ri:s/ or Reece. But I'm easy. You can call me Chris, Christopher or Ethan. Whatever suits your fancy.

How did you get the idea to retell classic fairy tales from an LGBT point of view?

I was watching Once Upon a Time and thinking how idyllic love is in fairy tales and how they have affected my way of thinking and how they may have played a small part in accepting myself, so I got the idea of classic fairy tales with gay love stories and how it had to be written so that lgbt youth has something to turn to and read something that resonates with them, and if they manage to help in the self-coming out process than Queerky Tales have succeeded.

Your new serial, Blood & Roses, is a totally new sci-fi serial, but I have to ask – is your Dorothy inspired by Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz?

My Dorothy's only similarity is that she is also looking for her way home. But otherwise the story is quite unlike The Wizard of Oz. It's more mature for starters and it follows the journey of Yv in her attempt to find where she belongs in the universe and dealing with the trauma that her little Odyssey inflicts upon her psyche. She is a small, weak girl and through the hardships and the tragedy in her life has to learn to be strong and fight for what she believes is right.

What draws you to the sci-fi genre?

I think fantasy in general is a great way to reflect on reality and present the problems that may arise from our actions. On the other hand it's also a great way to escape said reality. It's a way to explore human experience in a very metaphorical and literal way that genre fiction can't accomplish.

We’re seeing more and more serials popping up. Can you explain to us this new craze? Why do you think it’s gotten so popular all of a sudden? What do you think is the appeal for both readers and writers?

Hmmm...never really though about that to be honest, but the only way I can explain it is to put the blame to good television. In the last decade we see more and more quality tv shows and I think it has started affecting how movies are made and naturally how books are written. May I remind you that the episodic format began with literature which was published weekly or monthly in newspapers, in segments. So it's not something completely alien for the literary world. Another reason that they are popular, I think, is because readers hate to wait so long for the next book in a series, so serials offer a great way to quench that thirst for more.

Out of all of your creative outlets, which one do you find most rewarding, and why?

Writing is most definitely the most rewarding one. It's a way to explore your own self and put yourself in the shoes of others. Let me tell you what a challenge it is to find what drives a villain and relate with them so that you can write more realistically about them. It's tough, but it's also one hell of a ride. 

Acting is my other rewarding outlet. It's almost similar to what writing offers me but in a more act-ive way.

Haha, I see what you did there. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

In a mental health asylum for sure. But I hope I can manage to make a living out of my writing and acting. So if you see me in the big screen don't be surprised (I know I will), I'm here to stay.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

Probably being an indie writer...and indie anything. It's incredible and ludicrous how much work you've to put on and you got to be crazy to do it.

Tell me about it... Is there anything you would like to tell your readers (current and/or future)?

Don't let anyone judge you from what you chose to read. Reading is a spiritual experience whatever you read and no one has the right to criticize you.

Be honest, not just with my books, but with everyone's, but be constructive. There's nothing better than an author taking a 5-star review but we are more thankful for the one star review that tells us what we need to work on (rather than just saying this was horrible. Avoid).

Lastly, enjoy.


Wow, that was very insightful! I want to thank Rhys for taking the time to answer my questions. I learned a lot about the person that he is. And I am so happy that he was Book Verse's very first author interview. We wish Rhys all the success in the world and will continue to support his career in any way we can.

Blood & Roses: Harvest OUT NOW!

http://www.amazon.com/Harvest-Episode-1-1-Blood-Roses-ebook/dp/B00M3CEOY6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1406379303&sr=1-1&keywords=blood+and+roses+harvest
 

Friday, July 25, 2014

Blog Tour: Harvest - Episode 1.1 by Rhys Christopher Ethan

Blood & Roses Episode 1 FinalBook Title: Harvest, Episode 1.1

Book Series: Blood & Roses: A Sci-Fi Adventure

Author: Rhys Christopher Ethan

Dorothy meets universe in this stellar adventure of pain, survival and freedom and in the middle of all, a girl trying to find her place among the chaos and death that threatens her politically corrupt galaxy.

Yv is forced out of her home planet after a tragic incident, but before she has time to grieve for her loss, she is up against the lethal flora of the moon she is imprisoned at.

Yv is completely unprepared for the wonders and treachery of the universe. Will a childhood memory save her life or get her into bigger trouble than she already is?

Rhys Ethan presents Blood and Roses, a sci-fi serial adventure like nothing you have ever read before.

goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47

      
 


Author Pic 2  

About the Author

Rhys Christopher Ethan is by no means a scientist, but he is an architect of his own fantasy worlds; an illustrator of emotional and multi-dimensional characters; a doctor of creativity and inspiration and a chemist of genres; mixing two or more, to find the perfect fit for his creations. He lives in a small, dusty lab he calls Home in London and works hard to bring his experiments out into the world. His companions (for now) are his pet-Laptop and his coffee-Booster and a bunch of notes, digitized and paper-wise.  

LINKS

Monday, July 21, 2014

Unlucky by Cynthia St. Aubin

Accused of stealing gold from an infamous Irish street gang, Paranormal Psychologist Matilda Schmidt will die in exactly five days if she doesn’t cough it up—guilty or not. With minutes ticking away and her office overrun by a leprechaun who's loopier than he is lucky, Matilda makes a deal with a demigod—give him one night in her bed and he’ll help her locate the missing gold.

But when Matilda’s recent one-night stand shows up with inside information about the heist she’s being framed for, she finds herself caught between a hit man and a demigod both offering to protect her—if they don’t kill each other first.

If Matilda’s luck doesn’t change soon, death might be the only thing waiting for her at the end of the rainbow.


***

I thought the first part of this series was funny, but I was not prepared for the hilarity of Unlucky! I guess leprechauns are funnier than Cupid. And with a name like Felicitous Firecratch McWhiskeybottom it's no wonder. From the get-go Cynthia St. Aubin had me laughing. This lady has one helluva sense of humor; and if aliens are abducting humans and conducting experiments, I think they should abduct Cynthia and take a peek at her brain - she's insane and I say that in the most loving way possible.

Unlucky takes place only a few days after the events of Unlovable which was a nice surprise for me, since I thought the second part would take place a little bit later. I feel bad for poor Dr. Schmidt, having to go through  more life threatening and supernatural adventures when she still hasn't fully recuperated from the first round. But where there's danger and magical beings, there's Liam and Crixus. I was team Liam after reading the first book. Now that I've read the second, I'm still team Liam, though I must admit, at times Crixus almost got me to switch sides (but he's cheating, I'm sure he's using his demigod powers!)

Not much I can say about this story without spoiling it for everyone, so I will just say, if you're looking for a quick read that is smart, funny, hot, sweet, and super imaginative, then I suggest you pick this book up. You will not be disappointing!

Uncensored comments from Kindle:
  • Crixus didn’t kiss. He conquered. - I just found that line so hot!
  • “That a leprechaun in your pocket? Or are you just happy to see me?” - LMAO!
  • "He killed you." "What?" - WHAT!?
  • “Don’t ask questions if you’re not ready for the answer.” - This is getting gooood! Liking Crixus a lot more this time around.
  • Such a naughty little book! I love a good innuendo - and there's plenty here.
  • If Crixus conquered, Liam persuaded. - Mmm, hell yeah! Get em, Liam!
  • *snorts* Who calls shotgun to bed? LOL!
  • Aww. How did Cynthia manage to make me feel bad for Crixus?

Bravo!

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Piracy Alert! Please Share With Authors

UPDATE: Both the blog and the FB page have been removed. Thanks to everyone who reported, alerted, and shared.

There is a website and FB page that has come to my attention. This girl is uploading ebooks for other people to read for free. That is piracy and it is illegal. Please do the reading/writing community a favor and report her. Let all of your friends know, and let your author friends know.

http://cuddlingwithbooks.blogspot.in/

https://www.facebook.com/cuddlingwithbooks?fref=ts


Please do the right thing and support your favorite authors by buying their books. I understand that sometimes we don't have the money, but that is what contests are for! Don't take money away from others, especially when you love what they write. :)

Monday, July 14, 2014

True Love by Jude Deveraux

Just as Alix Madsen is finishing up architectural school, Adelaide Kingsley dies and wills her, for one year, the use of a charming nineteenth-century Nantucket house. The elderly woman’s relationship to the Madsen family is a mystery to Alix, who accepts the quirky bequest, in part because so she can plan her best friend’s storybook wedding. 

But Adelaide had a specific task for Alix: to solve the strange disappearance of one of the Kingsley women more than two centuries ago

If that wasnt troubling enough, Alix must contend with the arrogant (and extremely good looking) architect Jared Montgomery. The chemestry between them is undeniable. But Jared harbors secrets, which, if revealed, may drive a wedge between the pair. With a glorious Nantucket wedding on the horizon, sparks fly,an ghosts reveal themselves , some of them literally. finding their lives entwined with the turbulent fortunes of their ancestors, Alix and Jared discover that o nly by righting the wrongs of the past can they hope to be together. 

***

My first thoughts while reading this book was that it had elements that reminded me of two movies I had seen - both that I love. The first one being The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. In The Proposal, Ryan's character was from a town in Alaska. In that town, his family owned everything; the general store, the supermarket, gift shops, you name it, his family owned it. It was almost like he was a celebrity in town because everyone knew him and his family. This novel is set up that way when they introduce Alix to Nantucket. Everyone knows everyone, and most are family.

The next movie is Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer. This particular movie was very much like this novel in the sense that the main character was traveling to a house to become a governess. Not knowing exactly what drew her there just knowing that that's where she had to be. The town in the movie was called Collinsport and had a rich history with the Collins family, who (also) owned most of the town. What reminded me most about the novel was the house; both the novel, and the movie had a really old house that held a lot of mystery.

I really liked that even though the book is set in recent times, there's an old school flare to it. The way that Nantucket is explained makes you feel like you have seen it before. Deveraux's style of writing and details leave you with the urge to travel to Nantucket just to feel the old textures of structures to see if they match her descriptions.

There were also a lot of intriguing moments. Things that kept the story from being monotonous and similar to other books. I appreciated that. There is romance, mystery, comedy, and even a hint of paranormal! I loved it all. I like Ghosts in stories and the fact that there was one very prominent ghost really kept me entertained. His name is Captain Caleb and he was very well executed. I loved his character, he was able to do impossible things.

Although all of the characters were well written and interesting, there was one particular character I didn't care for as much. Her name is Victoria and she is the main character's (Alix) mom. While all of the other characters were lovely in temperament, I found her to be overly gaudy, a little rude at points, nosy and kind of selfish. I guess every story has to have one of those characters in it. I will say, though, that just because I feel she is those things, it doesn't make her an antagonist in the story. She does actually have a heart, underneath all the money and fame and bougie attitude.

I liked Alix because she is even tempered despite her mother. Probably because her father was very mild tempered. Alix, on her way to become an Architect, took a trip to Nantucket as a way to relax and take an extended vacation. When she and her friend Izzy arrive to Nantucket, it was like a light switch was turned on in Alix's head and she suddenly remembered everything about this place that she was unsure she even should know. When she entered the Kingsley house it was like she arrived home. Even though she felt unsure about was about spending a whole year in someone else's home house sitting, she found ways that she decided would make living there bearable. For example, it was the perfect opportunity for her to get to her designs and work on her portfolio for when she would start looking for jobs. Also, she thought it would be the best place to set up her best friend's wedding.

Funny what happens though as her and Izzy are walking down the street one of those first days. They see the famous and handsome Jared Montgomery, a mega architect that both Izzy and Alix have studied their whole college career, and they think to themselves, "what are the odds?" Imagine both girls's surprise when they realize that the old house and the resident of it, Jared Kingsley, and the famous architect, are one and the same! It leaves Alix feeling nervous and excited all at once.

Izzy leaves shortly thereafter to return to her fiance, leaving Alix alone with the wondrous man, a mystery she had yet to even know was upon her, and a years worth of getting used to a new place...although that last part she had actually accomplished the minute she entered Kingsley House.

Jared Montgomery Kingsley - I find it important to put his whole name out there because it sounds so regal, so strong. I love his character because he is so hard when you are introduced to him. He wasn't happy about having Alix there for a year. He wasn't so keen about having someone he didn't know perusing the house while he twiddled his thumbs for a whole 12 months. Knowing that she was an architect major, right out of college had him running for the hills as he contemplated a full year of questions and googly eyes. He didn't want someone worshiping him or looking up to him, making him seem better than he was. He was also very skeptical that Alix, someone who hadn't even been there since she was four years old, would be able to find out the mysterious disappearance of Captain Caleb's love, Valentina.With all of these feelings in tow, he decided he would leave to New York and spend the year working and getting his mind off of the situation.

Not knowing that Alix had arrived a few days earlier, the two happen to meet and get acquainted. It was a surprise meeting for them both in the kitchen. Jared, astounded that Alix had been there a few days but knew where everything in the house was, tried to keep his cool around her, treaded with caution when speaking of his identity, or of anything that would make him seem that he was cool with the situation. Alix sensed this and was equally as careful, not wanting to seem like she knew who he was or do anything that would ruin the moment.

I like how they met. I imagined it as two people inside an elastic band, slowly backing up in opposite directions...the pull getting stronger and stronger despite the distance between them. I like how Deveraux made it so that the attraction was there at the very moment they met, but there was a lot to be done before they could actually fall in love. It felt like I had to work for the juice in this story. I also liked that there is a big age difference between the two main characters. Alix being 26 and Jared being 40. It adds a sensuality to Jared for me, I have always been intrigued by older men.

It was good to see that all of the characters in this book were very prominent. While reading, it was as if every character was the main character for a segment. It left me curious as to who would actually be the star of the plot. It kept me guessing, and kept me wondering. Captain Caleb was an amazing character; a two hundred year old ghost, but very alive in his own way. He was a sailor, so he has that brash demeanor. He had me smiling a lot because he and Alix had a bond, even though she could not see him. She would talk to his portrait and in one event, she thought she felt a light kiss on the cheek while conversing with him. Not really understanding that he was a real ghost, she kind of thought it was just her imagination. Every time Caleb would appear in the book, I had a spooky feeling, like the scene was surreal. He would talk to Jared normally, his multi great grandson, and it was said that all the men in the family could see him but were not allowed to tell the women of the family...though some of the women could see him too. I found how he became a ghost, very romantic and tragic, though I won't divulge any of that as I feel it's a great part of the book. The one thing I will say is that the importance of finding Valentina before the year is up was crucial because Captain Caleb was set to leave the world on the date Alix set for her best friend's wedding.

To bring it back to Alix and Jared, they found a way to work together without him having to leave or her making herself scarce by staying out of his way. Once established that she did in fact know who he was, they were able to side step the awkward moments and actually focus on something they both understood - structural designs. I know it doesn't sound romantic, it almost sounds nerdy, but in between all the working, where he finds her skills brilliant, they have stolen glances, dinners together and eventually, they wind up exactly where they should be. In bed and in love. Although it seems almost perfect, their relationship is far from safe. Jared has been forced to keep secrets that could both end their romance and ruin her relationship with her family.

Reading this novel gave me such a rush. I love how many turns there were, I loved that despite the plot turns the romance seemed so natural, so "now-a-days" where the sex comes first, but there's no crime to that. I loved how it was written and how rich the family history was that left me wondering if she would write more books about what happened in the past. It was my favorite read thus far and I can't wait to read the next installment of this trilogy, For All Time which actually just released. Stay tuned!

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Fangs Of Anarchy: Forbidden Alpha (Part 5) Revelation by Dakota Cassidy

Oh, Claire’s really done it now. As if her week hasn’t been bad enough, what with the blood and the drowning and the head bashing and the intense sex… Okay, that last one was pretty awesome. But now she’s gone and got herself caught in the clutches of a paranormal so evil, he makes Satan look like a sissy. This baddest of all baddies is her key to beating a murder rap—if he doesn’t kill her first.

Where’s a bloodsucking knight on shining chrome when you need one?

Tonight, at long last, fangs will flash, fur will fly, heads will roll, and dastardly deeds will be revealed in this heart-pounding, breath-holding, secret-exploding final episode of Fangs of Anarchy—Forbidden Alpha!


***

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Yay, the end! That sounds bad, like I didn't enjoy this serial - and that is SO not true! It's because I loved it so much that I was tortured by having to wait for each installment. I'm happy that I finally get to the end and things are almost all wrapped up.

I say almost because Dakota has decided to do a sequel (YAY or BOO depending on which side of my brain is thinking about it) and even though Gannon is dead and gone we still got a big bad to catch! Liam and Freya's story is next and I am most excited. I didn't get enough Freya to know if I'll like her or not, but I really liked Liam and I'm glad he gets his own story.

But back to Irish and Claire...it was touch and go for a minute there with Claire. Being captured and all. There may have been some torture, that may or may not have happened to her. ;) But in the end Irish saved the day, and Claire saved the day - it was a group effort, really. We finally got all the details of the night Gannon was murdered and how exactly Claire did it. Some of it came as a  bit of a surprise, but other parts I had actually guessed on and was correct. Overall it was a great ending to a great serial.

There was a question I had at the end. Unfortunately, I can't really say what part left me baffled because then I would be spoiling the ending. But I decided to go straight to the source - Dakota Cassidy herself and ask her about it. She is an extraordinarily down to earth person if you guys don't know, and she's very active with her fans. Anyway, I asked her about it, and she told me that she would be going more into detail in the sequel - things will be explained further. That made me even more excited for the sequel. ;)


Shout out to Hadley, my favorite secondary character of Fangs Of Anarchy.


Sunday, July 6, 2014

Bad Girl Lessons by Seraphina Donovan

Evangeline Harper has been everyone's good girl. But after being dumped at the altar by her fiancé, Evie decides it's time to stop playing by the rules and have some fun. There's only one problem... she doesn't know how. But one of her oldest friends, Jackson Cope, is just the man to teach her. Hotter than a Georgia tent revival in July, Jackson has had a starring role in every erotic fantasy Evie has ever had. Can she convince the local bad boy to help transform her from a slightly pudgy, former debutante into a wanton, sex kitten?

Jackson's been secretly in love with Evie since they were kids, but she was always off limits to the likes of him. Now she's offering him everything he's ever wanted, but only as friends with benefits. Planning to seduce her into his life on a permanent basis, he starts out with hot, steamy lessons on how to walk on the wild side. When Evie's former fiancĂ© shows up, trying to woo her and her trust fund back to save his sorry hide from the Dixie Mafia, it's up to Jackson to protect her from danger. But who will protect him from a broken heart?  

***

Slight Spoilers

Bad Girl Lessons by Seraphina Donovan is the first book in a two part series called Gresham County. The premise to this story was good; longtime friends who had secret feeling for one another finally get together - I'm a sucker for that type of story, so of course I had to read this book.

It was a decent read. It went the way I expected it to. Unfortunately, it didn't "wow" me. There were a ton of grammatical/spelling errors, and that's a big no-no for me. I can ignore one or two, but this book had a lot of mistakes and it kept taking me out of the story. Also, the story itself I feel could have gone through another round of editing. Some parts didn't have a strong enough voice for me, personally.

There were a few things in the story that were glossed over, that I wish they would have discussed, like the fact that Jackson had been in love with Evie since he was fourteen. It was mentioned to her twice, and both times the character decided not to give it a second thought. You would think if the man that you have been secretly pining for all these years confessed that he had been doing the same thing, you would have some type of reaction. And even if you didn't believe him, and thought he was just saying that to get into your pants, then the fact that one of his friends told you the same thing later on would make you think that maybe there was some truth to it.

As the title suggests, this is an erotic romance and as far as the sex scenes go, they were fine. Not great, not terrible, just fine.

I did enjoy the two main characters, and even the villain of the story - Trevor. This book had some heavy scenes with Trevor and Evie. I'm used to bad guys trying to kill the heroine and whatnot, but I'm not used to almost-rape or domestic violence type scenes. I actually enjoyed them, because they made the story real. These things happen; ex boyfriends come after their ex girlfriends and manhandle them and beat them if they refuse to get back together with them. The author gave just enough detail to keep you riveted but not so much that you were disgusted and had to walk away - so kudos for that!

Uncensored comments straight from Kindle:
  • Now I know what too much head hopping can really do. This book serves as a lesson and reminder.
  • They're like practically best friends and she didn't realize he was a sweet guy?
  • Not a fan of the word "sheath" - and to my chagrin, she used it multiple times.
  • “Yeah, you’re good at that. There’s never been a woman you couldn’t walk away from.” - Well, that came out of nowhere. The author doesn't really go into much detail about their past, how they grew up, the fact that Jackson was a womanizer, how Evie felt about it, etc. So for Evie to just throw that out there without any sort of preamble really caught me off guard. It didn't fit.
  • Are you F-ing kidding me, Trevor!?
  • Where the hell is Reed!?

As I said, overall, it was a decent read. I wouldn't mind reading another one of her stories. Maybe I'll read the second part of this series.


Thursday, July 3, 2014

Blog Tour & FB Event - Sign up!

I have a few announcements. Since they're all for the same author/serial, I figured I'd put them all into one post.

1. Calling all bloggers and reviewers: Author Rhys Christopher Ethan is putting together a blog tour for his new serial, Blood & Roses. The tour will last 4 weeks with a week's interval in between each week. Book bloggers, sci-fi bloggers, reviewers, etc. are encouraged to sign up. You can either review, post blog entries (which the author will supply), or do an interview. If interested, please fill out the document below.

 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Gy49U47DcTIA5JZeHxItsHhcP8PS_Xvcdy15m8ocgv8/viewform


2. Calling all authors, bloggers, reviewers, cover artists, etc (basically anybody in the book world): Rhys Christopher is also having a HUGE FB event - 40 days long. We are in need of people to take over certain days and/or times. You can do giveaways, contests, promotions for current or upcoming releases, whatever your little big heart desires. If interested, please fill out the document below.


https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16qOgpREvh36XcJ70ing7JtMse81Tebdw0cExG-vIsbw/viewform


3. We also need bodies! If you don't want to or can't participate, can you attend the FB party? There will be lots of fun things, the more people that sign up, the more fun it'll be. So join the event, invite your friends! :D Click on the picture below and it'll take you to the event page.

https://www.facebook.com/events/534263280008094/


4. While you're at it - Rhys' author page could use some more likes. Go like his page! ;) Link below.

https://www.facebook.com/rcethan1



That's it! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to Rhys or to me. I am on his street team and can ask him any questions you may have. :)

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Infamous by Irene Preston

Four years ago it was pure Hollywood - the windswept beach, the whirlwind romance, the runaway marriage. Unfortunately, the ride into the sunset didn't survive the publication of the bride's tell-all book two months after she said ''I do.''

Reclusive venture capitalist Morgan Riley isn't interested in fame. He prefers a quiet life in the suburbs. For his daughter’s sake, he agrees to give his notorious wife another chance to be part of their family. Even though she's back at home and fulfilling all his late-night fantasies, he can't help wonder if she misses her high-profile lifestyle and famous friends.

Everyone knows Jessica Sinclair. She’s that girl on the cover of all the tabloids. As a Hollywood insider, Jessica has spent her life partying with A-list celebrities, shopping on Rodeo Drive, and living through scandal after scandal. When her estranged husband offers her a second chance at an 'All-American' lifestyle, she can’t pass up her shot at real happiness. Back in suburbia, Jessica spends her nights in sexy role-play hoping Morgan will overlook her deficiencies as a homemaker. She spends her days attending P.T.A. meetings, burning cookies, and asking herself, ''What would June Cleaver do?'' More to the point, what will Morgan do when Jessica winds up back in the tabloids - with his teenage daughter right next to her?


***

I hated reading this book as much as I loved reading it. I found the whole thing so sad. I cried in places that others might not cry in. Both characters resonated so profoundly with me. This is what happens when people don't communicate, when they let their pride get in the way, when they fight for control instead of the actual relationship - misunderstandings. That has been the case for me my entire life; people misunderstand and like Jessica, I learned at a very young age that people don't want to hear the truth. They will believe what they want, and it's usually the scandal that they choose to believe. When you spend your entire life being what others perceive you to be, pretending you're winning because you're not letting them see you sweat, that armor becomes part of you. It's hard to take it off. It's hard to know who to take it off for and when. But if these two characters had been more open about their feelings for each other, and actually said the words they needed to say instead of beating around the bush, they wouldn't have wasted 4 years.

I'll admit my heart ached for Jessica a lot more than it did for Morgan. He seemed a lot more cold and his mask better in place than Jessica's. When the book was in Jessica's POV, I thought Morgan was so cruel to her, I even wondered if Jessica was doing the right thing by trying to salvage their marriage. Once I was privy to Morgan's thoughts, I understood him a bit more, but still I think he was a lot more cruel than Jessica. I think he lashed out worse and I don't think his motives were as just. For such an intelligent man, he sure was a bit dense at times. To believe gossip articles and pictures taken out of context without hearing it from the person themselves is wrong. To assume Jessica had a thing with Mason based on her book which was a work of FICTION, and not even bother to tell her what he though, wasn't smart or fair. I feel he did things to humiliate Jessica, and Jessica didn't do things to humiliate him, rather, gossip columns wrote untrue things about her and Morgan felt humiliated by them. Those two things aren't the same. There was one particular scene that was almost too much for me to handle; I had to take a few minutes to cry before I could even continue.

Don't get me wrong, I did want them to end up together because they did love each other. But because of his actions, I just felt like Morgan should have suffered more once he realized he was wrong. I wanted to see him truly realize all that he did to her. I wanted to see him apologize, to grovel for doing those horrible things to her and for believing in gossip columns instead of his wife. I feel like that didn't happen. All Morgan had to say was that he now believe Jessica and that he loved her and that's it. To me, that wasn't enough. So I was a bit let down on the ending for this reason.

I know my review probably sounds like it was a bad story, but it wasn't. I did love it. It was so well written, and the characters were very real, they were flawed, and I did like that. It's because these characters came alive for me that I felt the way I did while reading it and cried for them. It was so sad to see two people who truly love each other keep fucking up. Their relationship was on the brink and they wanted to hang on but kept doing everything wrong. The part of me that was completely immersed into the story feared that they wouldn't make it, even though obviously I knew they would. I kept looking to see how many pages I had left because I wanted to get to the end where they got their happily ever after, even though I really didn't want the book to end because I really liked it.

I am glad that I read this book. I feel like it changed the way I read romance a little bit. And I will definitely read the next book by this author.