Book Review of Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles Book 1) by Marissa Meyer

Book Title: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)

Genre: YA Fantasy/Fairytales

Pages: 404

Author: Marissa Meyer

Date Published: 5 January 2012

Synopsis:

A forbidden romance.
A deadly plague.
Earth's fate hinges on one girl . . .
CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

This is not the fairytale you remember. But it's one you won't forget.

Review:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in the Lunar Chronicles. I have been wanting to read this book for some time. I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner because I loved it!

Cinder Lihn is a wonderful character, I really liked her. She has a strong will and determination to succeed, even though her stepmother treats her as a slave. Cinder has lived with the Lihn's since being eleven years old, when her adopted father brought her to New Beijing. Now sixteen, she finds herself working as a mechanic in the market to make ends meet. When Prince Kai visits her market stall with a malfunctioning robot, her life is thrown into turmoil and it will never be the same ever again.

This is a fantastic retelling of the classic fairytale, Cinderella, and is set in the future where a terrible disease called letumosis is ravaging the world for which there is no cure, and cyborgs are seen as abominations. It's a story that completely hooked me from the first page and took me on a huge emotional roller coaster ride from start to finish. This book is full of action, adventure, heartbreak, romance, mystery and danger and is told through the eyes of both Cinder and Prince Kai for the most part, but a few other characters have a say too.

I loved meeting the various characters, even Cinder's stepmother, Adri, and her stepsisters', Pearl and Peony. Adri, I feel, blamed Cinder for the death of her husband, even though he died of letumosis. This bred resentment and she took this out on Cinder.
I also fell in love with Prince Kai. He's another wonderful character. He is only eighteen, but he has a good head on his shoulders, even if he acts like a jerk at times. However, there is a lot of responsibility on his shoulders too, so I suppose one could forgive him for it.
Adri may be horrible, but there is one character that is downright scary. She is called Queen Levana and is the ruler of Lunars, who are descendants of an Earthen moon colony which was established several centuries before. However, I found her thaumaturges to be even more dangerous and scary.
There is one character that I really enjoyed meeting, her name is Iko and she is a housekeeping droid in the Lihn household. She is almost human in personality and is Cinder's friend and companion.

As I said above, I found myself completely captivated by this story. I raced through this book at a rate of knots and completed it in one day. It's not exactly a small book either. I normally have a huge love/hate relationship to cliffhangers, so I was actually glad that I had the second one ready and waiting on my bookshelf, because when I reached the end I found myself eager to find out what happens next.

Marissa Meyer has written a fantastic retelling of a classic fairytale. I love her world building, which is extremely believable and scarily realistic. Her characters are well developed, though I would have loved to get to know Peony better, and her writing style is incredibly fast paced, though it didn't feel rushed. The flow was wonderful too. This author has found another fan and I have added her to my favourite authors list. I am now looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

As this is a YA novel, I highly recommend this book to young readers. However, depending on reading age, I feel this book would suit readers aged 11 upwards even though its recommended for 9-12 year olds. I also highly recommend this book to adults who love reading fairytale retelling's or books in the YA genre. - Lynn Worton

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About The Author:

Marissa Meyer is a fangirl at heart, with a closet full of costumes, a Harry Potter wand on her desk, and a Tuxedo Mask doll hanging from her rear view mirror. Han and Leia are still her OTP. She may or may not be a cyborg.

Marissa writes books for teens, including the NYT bestselling series: The Lunar Chronicles.

Follow her blog or sign up for her newsletter at http://www.marissameyer.com.

Other Author Links:

Amazon Author Page ; Goodreads ; Facebook ; Twitter

New Release & Giveaway: I Wanna Get Laid by Kade by Nikki Ashton & Victoria Johns @NikkerAsh @victoriajohns75

☆.•°☆.•°*°•.☆ NEW RELEASE & GIVEAWAY ☆.•°*°•.☆°•.☆ 

I Wanna Get Laid by Kade is out now! Check out the new contemporary romance everyone is talking about, written by duo Nikki Ashton & Victoria Johns. Head on over to https://www.facebook.com/NikkiAshtonBooks/ to enter their release day giveaway.

 

Synopsis


If you lived on the streets and someone offered to change your life, would you? Of course you would, who wouldn’t? But, what if changing your life ruined that of the one person who cared about you? The one person who you cared about in return.

That’s what happened to me, Kade Sutton.

I became the star of a reality TV show, a show that was a catalogue of lies and duplicity. The show meant I got to spend time with Daisy Ingles, a girl whose beautiful smile brightened up my day, every day. This show also meant that I betrayed her. This show gave me many things, but I lost an awful lot too.

Set within the world of reality TV, ‘I Wanna Get Laid by Kade’ will have you hissing and booing at the bad guys, and cheering on the good ones. Kade will make you fall in love with him and Daisy will make you want to fight her corner.

With love, sex and betrayal this is a book you just can’t miss – it’s the path you’re meant to take.

Get it now - Mybook.to/NAVJKade


Check out the reviews on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33918780-i-wanna-get-laid-by-kade?from_search=true




Connect with Nikki Ashton


Website – https://www.nikkiashtonbooks.co.uk 

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NikkiAshtonBooks

Twitter – https://twitter.com/NikkerAsh 

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/nikkiashtonauthor

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7085471.Nikki_Ashton 

Pinterest - https://uk.pinterest.com/davnikash


Connect with Victoria Johns


Website – https://www.victoriajohnsbooks.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/victoriajohnsauthor

Twitter – https://twitter.com/victoriajohns75

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5072971.Victoria_Johns?from_search=true

Blog Tour: One More Night by Sarah O'Rourke @SarahORourke99

One More Night by Sarah O'Rourke - Blog Tour

Crenshaw Jacobson met the woman of his dreams...and he was determined to spend every night possible with her. But Waverlee Armstrong was leery of commitment, having been abandoned by her family at an early age. She knew that she loved Shaw...but can she learn to trust him and spend just one more night?

Instalove *** Novella *** Standalone

Written as part of Fiona Davenport's Sex, Vows & Babies Kindle World!

 

Shivering against him as she parted her lips to speak, Waverlee moaned as his tongue swept forward, stealing the opportunity to deepen their kiss. And holy moly, the man could kiss. And not just any old kiss either. It was the-steal-your-breath-I-can’t-live-without-his-touch-because-nothing-else-in-the-world-matters kind of kiss a girl spends her life dreaming about. Their tongues danced together for long minutes as everything else faded away. The people. The noise. Everything took a backseat to the fierce passion Shaw created with a simple touch of his mouth to hers. Forcing herself to find her voice when Shaw lifted his mouth from hers to take a deep breath, Waverlee flashed a furtive glance up at his darkened eyes. “Wow,” she breathed shakily, clutching handfuls of his light blue dress shirt in her fists as the world seemed to spin at warp speed, “I..I...don’t think I’ve ever felt anything like that before,” she whispered, the words catching in her throat as his finger swept against her lower lip. “Then you best hold on real tight to me, baby, ‘cause I’m just getting started,” he replied, dropping his head to steal another deep, wet kiss from her lips as he curved one big hand around her neck, wrapping her silky hair around his fist and tugging gently.

Click HERE to buy One More Night by Sarah O'Rourke on Kindle!

What is the Sex, Vows, and Babies Kindle World?

From sexy stories with married couples fighting against outside forces to keep their happily ever after in the Sex & Vows series to unexpected pregnancies that lead to happy marriages in the Yeah, Baby series… the Sex, Vows & Babies world is full of over the top alphas, sassy heroines, insta-love, wedding bells, and growing families. Although the wide cast of characters in both series have managed to find the loves of their lives, there’s bound to be plenty more out there who could use Sex, Vows & Babies in their lives. A creation of the fabulous Fiona Davenport, the Sex, Vows & Babies Kindle World is filled with creative stories from amazing authors who pay homage to the original books!

Click HERE to check out all of the books in the Sex, Vows, and Babies Kindle World!

Sarah O'Rourke is actually TWO besties who live three states apart and write at all hours of the day and night! Born and raised in the Southern United States, they are overly attached to their one-click accounts, can’t make it through the day without copious doses of caffeine, and spend way too much time on the phone with each other. Between them, they have four children and twenty-four years of marriage. They hate empty chocolate wrappers and writer’s block, love to talk to readers...and oh, by the way, they write about strong, kick-ass women and hot alpha heroes!

Contact Sarah today....she loves to chat!

Buy One More Night today! Click here!

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A Creation of Sarah O'Rourke Productions

Book Review of Valen (Guardians of Hades Romance Series Book 2) by Felicity Heaton

Book Title: Valen (Guardians Of Hades #2)

Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance

Pages: 262

Author: Felicity Heaton

Date Published: 25 February 2017

Synopsis:

Prince of the Underworld and Lord of Lightning, Valen was banished from his home by his father, Hades, two centuries ago and given a new duty and purpose—to keep our world and his from colliding in a calamity foreseen by the Moirai.

Together with his six brothers, he fights to defend the gates to the Underworld from daemons bent on breaching them and gaining entrance to that forbidden land, striving to protect his home from their dark influence. Cursed by Zeus to never know love again, Valen has brought up barriers around his heart to protect it, but with each new barrier he creates, the dark hold his power has over him grows, becoming all he needs.

Until the night he finally crosses paths with the assassin who has been watching him from the shadows, a bewitching mortal possessing the name of an angel and the skills of a devil—a woman who awakens his passionate heart and stirs dangerous desires.

Eva has built a fearsome reputation for herself in Italy’s underworld, but her latest job in her beloved city of Rome has left her feeling that she has stepped into a dangerous world and this mission might end in her death—either at the hands of her mysteriously seductive client or by the blade of the wickedly alluring warrior who is her target.

As the threat from the daemons escalates and more than just the Rome gate becomes their target, will Valen be strong enough to face the fears in his heart and the ghosts of his past to claim everything he desires or will they lure him deeper under their spell and into the darkness?

Review:

Valen by Felicity Heaton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book in a new paranormal series written by this author. I loved it!

Valen is a wonderful character, I liked him a lot even though he has a bit of a self-pity party going on. He is one of the seven brothers born to Hades and Persephone, and has been banished to live in the mortal realm as a guardian to the portal into the Underworld in Rome. His brothers guard other gates around the world. Cursed by Zeus to never know love, he finds himself intrigued with a mysterious woman who has been sent to assassinate him.

Eva is an intriguing character, I liked her a lot too, She is a deadly assassin and has been tasked with gathering information on Valen. When her client changes her orders in the middle of the mission, she finds herself caught between her duty to her employer and her growing desire for her mark.

I love reading the Eternal Mates series, but this new series may give it a run for it's money. This story takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end. I must admit that I felt sad for Valen. He didn't deserve the treatment he received at Zeus's hand. Granted, he was angry and full of grief at the time, but the "curse" that Zeus placed on him left him with a "woe is me" attitude and his self pity blinded him to the truth. Frankly, I was more angry at his parents (even though Persephone did try to get through his thick skull) for not convincing their son that he would find love and that he WAS loved. Even his brothers never expressed their love for him. No wonder his self-worth was deflated.

The villain of the story, Benares, is an incubus, but I never got an "evil" vibe from him; he was more of a smooth operator with an agenda. Jin, his sister, was a completely different issue. However, they are both desperate to get through the gate back into the Underworld; this made them dangerous. The story arc is beginning to take shape, with even more dangerous enemies hiding in the wings. As I reached the end of the book, I found myself becoming even more excited for what is to come. I am now looking forward to reading Esher's story as soon as I can.

Felicity Heaton has written another fast paced, sexy paranormal romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. I love her fast paced writing style, which flows effortlessly from scene to scene. She is on top of my favourite author's list.

Each book of this series could be read as a stand-alone, as this one does not end in a cliffhanger, though I would recommend reading them in order. I do not recommend this book to younger readers due to the extremely HOT and explicit sexual scenes. However, I highly recommend this book (and series) if you love sexy paranormal romances full of gods and daemons. - Lynn Worton

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Purchase Links:

            

About The Author:

Felicity Heaton is a NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY and International Best-Selling Author writing passionate paranormal romance books and series for adults.

In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, her best-selling Her Angel romance series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm romance series or any of her stand alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try her Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series. Or if you like hot-blooded alpha heroes who will let nothing stand in the way of them claiming their destined woman then try her Eternal Mates series. It’s packed with sexy heroes in a world populated by elves, vampires, fae, demons, shifters, and more. If sexy Greek gods with incredible powers battling to save our world and their home in the Underworld are more your thing, then be sure to step into the world of Guardians of Hades.

Fans of paranormal romance books by authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter, Larissa Ione, Kresley Cole and Christine Feehan will love Felicity's books too.

Author Links:

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

Website  Blog  Facebook  Twitter  Tsu  Pinterest  GoodReads  Amazon

Book Review of Sigil of the Wyrm: Volume 1 (Into the Weirding) by A.J. Campbell

Book Title: Sigil Of The Wyrm

Genre: YA Science Fiction / Dark Fantasy

Pages: 312

Author: A.J. Campbell

Date Published: 14 June 2015

Synopsis:

Richard Lampton never believed in fairy tales, so when a stunning stranger at his uncle’s funeral warns him of an ancient family curse, he pays no heed—until a very real wyrm attempts to destroy him. Now, with the help of a homeless runaway, a fledgling jackdaw, and a key none but he can use, Richard must find the courage to meet his death or his destiny as he plunges headlong Into the Weirding.

Review:

Sigil of the Wyrm by A.J. Campbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in the Into the Weirding series. I really enjoyed it!

Richard Lampton is an interesting character. I really liked him a lot. He's an ordinary man (or is he?) thrown into an extraordinary adventure. I love watching characters grow in stories and Richard definitely does. When his Uncle Tom dies from a supposed heart attack, Richard finds himself inheriting a deadly curse that has plagued his family for centuries. Being a rational man, he dismisses it as fantasy at first; that is until he's attacked by a monster. As he tries to break the curse, he unwillingly ventures into a dangerous and unknown world.

I love reading YA dark fantasy and when I read the blurb of this book, I was intrigued. I started to read this book and I didn't put it down until I finished it. I devoured it! I found myself hooked from the first page.

There are several interesting characters that are introduced in this tale. However, there are a couple of them that I am still not sure of their motives. The first one is Katherine (Kate) Avery. She is still a mystery to me and I must admit that I didn't like her at first. The second one is Robin, aka the Baron. The author never really tells us much about him, so the reader is left to wonder about his identity. I did, however, like meeting Dawlish. She's a teen runaway who has been taken under the wing (so to speak) by Kate and the Baron and has the ability to talk to birds. Speaking of birds, I love Bobble, the fledgling Jackdaw that is taken in by Richard when he accidentally flies into the window and is knocked out. He has a personality and character all of his own. Crows, ravens, jackdaws, mocking birds and magpies all have an intelligence and curiosity that is sorely underestimated by us humans. This intelligence makes them extremely interesting to me. Then there is Jenny. She has a secret past that, as it was revealed, surprised me.

The story takes the reader on an adventure full of danger, magic and suspense. The explanation for the curse and how John Lampton's actions all those centuries ago had consequences that reverberated down through the years is woven intricately into a tale of personal growth for Richard. It takes an extraordinary man to do the impossible and undo the mess John made, and Richard steps up even though he has no idea what he's getting himself into. However, I couldn't blame John for his actions, as his choices were not exactly easy and were heartbreaking. I would have loved to have more background to Kate and the Baron, so I am hoping that as the series progresses that we get to see more of them and get to know them better. As I reached the end of the story, I had mixed emotions; I was sad that it had come to the end, but happy at the way it concluded. I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

A.J. Campbell has written a fascinating debut novel. I love her fast paced writing style and the flow is wonderful. I would definitely consider reading more of her work in the future.

Although this is a YA dark fantasy, I do not recommend this book to young readers under the age of 15 due to some scenes of violence. I do, however, highly recommend this book to older teens and adults who love YA dark fantasy or urban fantasy. - Lynn Worton

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About The Author:

Born and raised in the wilds of Northumbria, Campbell was brought up on a diet of stories and local folklore, of which the Legend of the Lampton Worm was a perennial favourite. She eventually left her hometown to study English and Creative Writing at the University of Warwick, and now lives in Hampshire, (which she persists in calling the “wrong” end of the country), with her fiancé and a succession of dead houseplants. At weekends she can often be found dressing up and pretending to be other people, immersing herself in the lives of fictional historical characters—or as it is better known, “LARPing”. She makes her own costumes and has a weakness for detective stories.

Author Links:

Goodreads ; Amazon Author Links

Book Review of Eye of the Storm by Frank Cavallo

Book Title: Eye Of The Storm

Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy

Pages: 402

Author: Frank Cavallo

Date Published: 11 August 2016

Synopsis:

On a research mission in one of the most remote regions of the world, former Navy SEAL Eric Slade and Dr. Anna Fayne are caught in a mysterious storm. Catapulted through a rift in space-time, they are marooned on a lost world. Struggling to survive and desperate to find a way home, they must confront the dangers of this savage land—a dark wizard and his army of undead—a warrior queen and her horde of fierce Neanderthals that stands against him—and a legendary treasure with the power to open the gateway between worlds, or to destroy them all: the Eye of the Storm.

Review:

Eye of the Storm by Frank Cavallo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is an intriguing science fiction / fantasy story. I really enjoyed it.

Dr. Anna Fayne is an intriguing character and I did like her. However, I felt she was under-utilised in the story and was not as developed as she could have been. She is an anthropologist working for a non-profit research and natural history organisation. When the body of a neanderthal is found in a remote area of Kyrgyzstan whilst the rescuers were searching for a plane that crashed/disappeared in the area, she finds herself on a dangerous adventure into an unknown world, along with an ex-Navy Seal and a group of other scientists.

Eric Slade is also an intriguing character. However, I didn't like him much at first. He is a typical alpha male, with a tendency towards arrogance. An ex-Navy SEAL, he is now a paranormal investigator on TV. Sent to cover the expedition into the mountains to investigate where the neanderthal came from, he finds himself trapped in a strange world where danger threatens in every corner.

I received a complimentary print copy of this book from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review.

I love reading fantasy novels, so when I was contacted about reading this book, I jumped at the chance. This story is told through the eyes of several characters. And what intriguing characters they are. Threya is the new queen of the land of Tulkoras. Kerr is a servant to Threya and is afflicted with leprosy; I really liked this character and I felt sorry for him for several reasons. Azreth is Threya's priest/dragon keeper and has his sights set on ruling Tulkoras himself. Tarquin is known as the wizard of the black sun and has the ability to control the black fire/flames that create the storm anomalies on Earth. He is an enemy of the Tulkoras people. He also has the ability to use the flames to bring the dying back to life. However, they are more like vampires (though they don't drink blood), or reanimated corpses, and become immortal.

I found this story to be an intriguing mix of science fiction and fantasy. So why the three stars? As I was reading the story, I found similarities to Jules Verne's 'Journey To The Centre Of The Earth', though there were differences too. The world building was interesting and it had a mish-mash of different elements, from prehistoric animals to sword-wielding warriors and futuristic-though-long-abandoned buildings filled with technology created by the 'founders'. The black sun seems to be a portal to/from various different worlds and transports animals and people from either different worlds or dimensions, and they end up trapped on the planet. The 'founders' either abandoned the planet or were killed millennia ago, so the buildings are all that remain of them. At one point, I wasn't sure where the story was heading. However, I found myself intrigued enough to keep reading. The plot has several twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and I was taken on a roller coaster ride of emotion. There is action, adventure, danger and romance within the pages. Some of the scenes felt a little 'dry' though, especially the ones with Anna and Tarquin. I don't know if this is because they were both scientists (of a sort), so I didn't feel any connection to them. In fact, the only characters that seemed to have a connection that sparked any emotion in me was the friendship between Eric and Kerr. Eric and Threya's relationship didn't seem to have the romantic spark or even any heated passion either. I didn't feel it, even though they obviously were in lust. The ending seemed a little anti-climatic after a huge battle between Azreth and Kerr, and it left me wondering if there will be another book or not, as it concluded in a vague manner that had me feeling rather let down. Having said that, if there is another book, I would consider reading it.

Frank Cavallo has written an interesting and intriguing science fiction story. I love his fast paced writing style, and the flow was wonderful. However, I felt that his characters needed more depth to them. Some of the dialogue was a little clunky in places too. Nevertheless, I would consider reading more of his books in the future.

Although there are scenes of a sexual nature, they are not explicit and fade out. Nevertheless, I do not recommend this book to younger readers or those of a nervous disposition due to the use of violence and bloodshed that may affect some readers. I do, however, recommend this book if you love science fiction/epic fantasy. - Lynn Worton

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Purchase Links:

               

About The Author:

Frank Cavallo's latest novel "Rites of Azathoth" has just gone on sale. He is also the author of "Eye of the Storm," "The Lucifer Messiah," "The Hand of Osiris" and the Gotrek & Felix novella "Into the Valley of Death."

His work has appeared in magazines such as Another Realm, Ray Gun Revival, Every Day Fiction, Lost Souls and the Warhammer e-zine Hammer and Bolter. He was born and raised in New Jersey and now resides in Northeast Ohio.

You can visit him at www.frankcavallo.com

Other Author Links:

Amazon Author Page 

Goodreads

Breakfast in Bed (Bed and Breakfast) by Sandra Brown - NOT RECOMMENDED

1 * Rating

Honestly when I almost immediately got a bad taste in my mouth when I started this book I was still wondering if I have a case of acid reflux or if my usual dislike of romance is the reason I simply could not make myself like either main protagonist.

But hey, lets recap. Within seconds she tingles in her secret place after opening the door to a man who is looking her right in the breast... I mean eye. No. I mean breast. And this is how true love starts? 

I hope not.

He is her best friends fiancé. He is the fiancé. Now he is marrying said friend out of an obligation to said friends deceased husband. Oh how noble. 

I mean, yes, that is totally plausible is it not? Marry a widow with children .... because you are ever so noble.

Now I am expected to use his OBLIGATORY status as a valid reason why he actively pursues said fiancé's best friend the second he is out of her sight. 

Then when the friend does not want to sleep with him he turns passive aggressive, aggressive and abusive in a few sentences and naturally then smooth's everything over by being charming, caring, and oh yes, noble.

You can dress up their motivations any which way you want. You can use the end to justify your excuses for TRUE LOVE but as her eyes found him as if she was beckoned to be so.... oh please. 

Ironically. This is well written. But if you cheat you cheat and no excuse is acceptable. It took me about 5 pages to fall completely out of love with both of our main protagonists and another ten pages to actively dislike them and thinking...now ain't you made for one another? Good thing romances end on a happy ending because with a man like this, a woman like Sloan I can see the future with black and blue eyes and a lot of cheating.