Thursday, April 30, 2015

Forged By Battle (WarVerse, #1) by Patrick J. Loller

Forged By Battle (WarVerse, #1)Aliens changed the world. 
Portals changed reality. 
Shadows will destroy us all. 


The year is 2042, and in the wake of alien contact and rapid expansion, Humanity and her allies find the multi-verse is not a welcoming place. Portals have opened around the colonies and throughout critical systems. Gateways to realities where shapeshifting Elves, monstrous Elementals, and impossible magic hold sway. As the Joint Fleet battles the unbelievable, rapid advancements in technology are pressed, blending the lines between machine and men. 

On the front lines of the conflict a techno-phobic snub-fighter pilot tries to forget his loss, a captured surgeon struggles to save the unending wounded, and an exiled psionic commando infiltrates the fleet. Their paths lead to the planet Hecate, where they discover that something darker than magic or technology is growing, feeding off the chaos. 

Forging an alliance seems impossible, but if they should fail it will not mean the loss of a colony or system, it will mean annihilation. The real war has begun among the shadows, and every reality will feel the impact in WarVerse.

REVIEW: ***

The author requested I review this book and I was happy to do so. 

I had a hard time getting into this book at first..the first few chapters were confusing and a bit dry. There was no real references to anything I would be familiar with and no background to explain what was going on. It was a difficult few chapters to read but I pushed through. 

The story itself was interesting and the writing was done well. Once I plowed through the first few chapters the book became more interesting and the characters more real to me. It took time though. And I was still a bit confused at times over what was happening and who the players in the story were and how they related to the main characters. Like I said...no background at all. There was no real explanation of who the "elves" were or the other alien races they talked about. I had no idea why they were fighting or what caused the conflict to begin with. I wish the author would have spent some of those pages in the book explaining things a bit more. It helps to have a point of reference in a science fiction story that helps relate what is happening to something you can actually understand. 

I did enjoy the book overall. The story was different and intriguing, if a bit short on explanation. 

Book Finished: 03-20-2015

Levitate by Kaylee Ryan

LevitateTrust. Five Letters. One Word.

I'm the girl who doesn't let anyone in. My world was shattered and turned upside down in one night. Since then I've been trying to live, if that's what you call it, but fighting the anxiety of what happened and trusting others is hard. Each day is a struggle to reach for the unknown.

Truth. Five Letters. One Word.

I watched my father give my mother the world and the stars. She took everything from him, then left him as a broken man with nothing to live for. I told myself I'd never fall in love. I'm guarding my heart and emotions, only looking out for number one. The only way to have truth in any relationship is to stay true to yourself.

Just when you think you've got it all figured out, you realize your puzzle is unfinished. You find a piece you never thought you needed until everything changes with one touch.

After that...you levitate.
 

REVIEW: ****

This was a heartfelt book. Very emotional and easy to read. The characters were easy to understand and relate to and the romance was sweet. It did not move overly fast (I hate it when they fall in love in less than a day or two), but it was a steadily building relationship. It was well written and well paced throughout the entire book. I did think some of the things...like her fathers quick acceptance...was a bit trite but it did not diminish from the story. 

Finished book: 04-26-2015

Monday, April 27, 2015

His Proposed Deal by Sandi Lynn

His Proposed DealTHREE MONTHS. IT WAS ONLY FOR THREE MONTHS.
My name is Emma Knight and I’m a twenty-four-year-old woman who was moving from Miami to New York to pursue my dream of attending Parsons School of Design. My plan was set in motion. I was packed and already on my way when I met a man and received an email, both of which altered my plans and changed the course of my life.
Max Hamilton, a twenty-five-year-old, panty-melting, rich playboy who was being groomed to take over Hamilton Securities, told me it was for only three months. His proposed deal was that I had to pose as his fiancĂ©e until his twenty-sixth birthday so he could collect his trust fund. I’d help him and, in return, he’d help me achieve my dream. It was a win-win situation, right? 
WRONG.
Love was never part of the deal and neither was the secret that Max could never find out about.


REVIEW: **

I am not a big fan of this book. It felt totally unemotional. I could not really get into the characters - any of them - at all. It felt forced, not free flowing. I think it was the way the author wrote...it felt more like a teenager writing than an adult. It was choppy at times and very basic. Even the sex scenes were not all that sexy. I got no real feeling of connection between the two and there was no real tension (either sexual or otherwise) in the book. 

I have no idea how one author can evoke multiple emotions out of a reader and another one can hardly stir up an interest in a character. Its not my thing since I am not an author, but this book fell flat. Even the issue at the end (I don't want to spoil it) but that evoked no tears, worry, tension etc. I really just did not care too much what happened. 


Book completed: 04-27-2015

Chubby Chaser by Kahoko Yamada

Chubby ChaserSara Krason, still reeling from the loss of her mother and still suffering from the psychological scars caused by her classmates bullying her over her weight, just wants to finish her last year of high school in peace, but that is made impossible when she starts tutoring Jason Pruitt, an arrogant, handsome high-school football star, who, unbeknownst to her, has made a bet with his friends that he can win her affections, the shrewish, homely, overweight girl no one at school likes.


REVIEW: *

I did not really like this book at all. It was billed as a romance...or at least the blurb implied it would be a YA romance..even the title implicates it was. But THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE by any means so if thats what you are looking for then do not read this book. The characters were horrible people. Arrogant, Cruel, nasty, bullies etc. If I went to a high school like this I think I would have quit. This story is more of what happens to someone when they are bullied and harrassed for years. It is violent, very sexual in nature and not recommended for anyone under 18. Personally I don't recommend this to anyone.

I noticed that there is now a warning on the Goodreads site about this book not being a romance.  (WARNING: This is not a romance novel. It is a young-adult tragedy. There is mature content (sex and violence). Reader discretion is advised. )  

I wish that warning was there BEFORE I picked this one up. 

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

An Officer's Duty (Theirs Not to Reason Why #2) by Jean Johnson

An Officer's Duty (Theirs Not to Reason Why, #2)
Jean Johnson—the national bestselling author of the Sons of Destiny novels—returns to the world she introduced in A Soldier’s Duty with a terrible vision of the future... 

Promoted in the field for courage and leadership under fire, Ia is now poised to become an officer in the Space Force Navy—once she undertakes her Academy training. But on a trip back home to Sanctuary, she finds the heavyworld colony being torn apart by religious conflict. Now Ia must prepare her family and followers to secure the galaxy’s survival. Her plan is to command a Blockade Patrol ship. Her goal, to save as many lives as she can. But at the Academy, she discovers an unexpected challenge: the one man who could disrupt those plans. The man whose future she cannot foresee... 


REVIEW: ***

This is the second book in the series and it picks up right where the first book left off. Again it was a good book, but a bit shallow on the supporting characters and a bit long winded in descriptions of the ships/weapons which bores me a bit. It did move the story forward..but it feels like the real story hasn't really started yet. Book 3 is on my list next so we will see how that one stacks up. 

The Hawk and His Boy (The Tormay Trilogy #1) by Christopher Bunn

The Hawk and His Boy (The Tormay Trilogy, #1)One night in the city of Hearne, a young thief named Jute is instructed to break into a wizard's house and steal an old wooden box. It sounds like a straightforward job. Climb down the chimney, creep through the house, find the thing and get out. Unbeknownst to the boy, however, the box contains the knife that killed the Wind. Overcome with curiosity, Jute opens the box, setting off a chain of events that soon has him on the run from the wizard, his old masters in the Thieves Guild, and their client, who happens to be the Lord of Darkness himself. On his odyssey of escape, Jute is aided by an unlikely assortment of friends, including a guilt-ridden assassin, a reluctant wizard, and a hawk who just might be able to teach him how to fly. But the Darkness will do anything to find Jute, even if it means plunging the whole land into war.


REVIEW: **

So so book. It was a bit slow and boring in places. I did not like that its supposed to be about a young boy and his friends, but you barely saw the boy (Jute) in this book. Only a few small chapters of his role. The rest of the book was taken up with those I suppose are to be his companions in this "epic quest" story, but not a single one met up with the others. The whole book felt like one long set up to meeting and then ended without any of them actually meeting up or doing anything. Not sure I want to continue with this series. 

Monday, April 20, 2015

A Soldier's Duty (Theirs Not to Reason Why #1) by Jean Johnson

A Soldier's Duty (Theirs Not to Reason Why, #1)Ia is a precog, tormented by visions of the future where her home galaxy has been devastated. To prevent this vision from coming true, Ia enlists in the Terran United Planets military with a plan to become a soldier who will inspire generations for the next three hundred years-a soldier history will call Bloody Mary.

REVIEW: ***

This is the second time I have read this book. It is a good, solid story...if a bit too descriptive of weapons and ships etc. at times. I went back to re-read it since I obtained the second book in the series and needed to remember more details from the first book before starting the second. 

It is an interesting story line about a woman who can see the future and how she deals with it to prevent a future of desolation. She is trying to save the universe, and her character is well fleshed out and fun to read about, but the side characters are flat, less filled out and easy to forget. Ia does not develop any real relationships, not deep ones anyway, and it makes the lesser characters less as well. 

Overall a good read. 

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Dragon Fate (War of the Blades #1) by J.D. Hallowell

Dragon Fate (War of the Blades, #1)Dragon Fate, the debut novel by J.D. Hallowell, is a heroic fantasy adventure in the classic tradition of the genre. Delno Okonan is a young former soldier eager to put the swords and strife of war behind him, when a chance encounter leaves him inextricably entwined in a tangled web of dragons, magic, and intrigue, as he struggles to find his place among dragons and men, and stave off a plot by renegade dragon riders that threatens all he now holds dear.

REVIEW: ****

Excellent first novel. The characters were well rounded and fun to read about. This was a classic fantasy novel with dragons and magic and a young man who sets out on an adventure of a lifetime.  A quest type of fantasy that seems to be lacking in the stores these days. It was fun to read and I highly recommend this one. 

Friction by L.D. Davis

FrictionNoa was trampled and nearly killed by hundreds of horny female fans at a concert for a band she didn't even like, but Alden, the bad boy lead singer of the band, saved her from the trampling tramps. Alden is used to getting what he wants, especially women, but Noa can't stand the cocky, pelvic thrusting rock star. 

Some things should remain in the dark, but by grudgingly spending time with one of the biggest superstars in the world, every dark corner of Noa's life will be illuminated under the spotlight. Will she be able to survive it? Will Alden be able to survive the consequences of Noa's past? Will Noa be able to survive the sexy, brash, and talented Alden Breck?


REVIEW: **

Not sure I really liked the characters in this book. It was well written, but I could not get behind either main character. The hero was a bit of a Man-whore while the heroine just seemed to be bitchy all the time and downright mean to the hero most of the book. There were some good scenes between them, but not enough in my opinion. More fighting than loving.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Tattoo Thief (Tattoo Thief #1) by Heidi Joy Tretheway

Tattoo Thief (Tattoo Thief, #1)22-year-old Beryl doesn't know why Gavin Slater trashed his penthouse, abandoned his dog and fled the country. But as his house sitter, she must pick up the pieces for the front man of the white-hot rock band Tattoo Thief. 

When ultra-responsible Beryl confronts the reckless rock star, she wants to know more than just what to do with his mess. Why is he running? What’s he searching for? And is he responsible for the death of his muse? 

New York newbie Beryl must find her footing in Gavin’s crazy world of the ultra-wealthy to discover her own direction and what can bring him back.

Steamy, sassy and tender, Tattoo Thief is a story of breaking from a comfort zone to find a second chance.

REVIEW: ***

Very short on the actual romance side of things. It was a good book, but it mainly told of Beryl's (the heroine) move to New York and how she coped with all the changes in her life. She and the Hero emailed/texted each other a lot, but nothing really felt romantic until the end. They did not even meet face to face until the last 50 pages or so of the book. It seemed very slim on the reasons why they loved each other and online romance is okay...it works, but you need to have a face to face relationship before you really KNOW you love each other. Believe me I know this, as online is how I met my husband. But even after 2 years of online conversations I did not really know him until we met face to face and learned each others quirks, habits etc. Its one thing to write about them, another to live with. 

The writing was good, the author did a great job of telling the story. I just wish it had been more involving.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Cassandra's Challenge (Imperial #1) by M.K. Eidem

Cassandra's Challenge (Imperial, #1)Cassandra Chamberlain has always stood out. It's hard not to at 6’1” and 165 pounds with jet black hair and sapphire blue eyes. And if that wasn’t enough she is also brilliant, graduating from Harvard at fifteen, teaching at MIT at nineteen and up for the prestigious Magellan Award at twenty five. But she’s never really fit in. Not with her peers, not with her contemporaries, only with her family. But everything changes when the Earth is attacked and Cassandra and her niece Victoria are the only survivors. Suddenly the smartest woman on the planet has to relearn everything. Everything she’s believed to be true is challenged and she has to learn to survive, not only for herself but for Victoria, because someone wants them dead.
Admiral William Zafar is the youngest Admiral ever in the Coalition fleet, the hero of the Battle of Fayal. At 7’1” he’s 325 pounds of Carinian male in his prime who is feared and respected throughout the fleet. He is a royal from the House of Protection, carrying its birthmark and considers its King one of his oldest friends.
But when the Regulians destroy a previously unknown planet leaving only two survivors he finds he's willing to risk it all to protect the woman he loves from the Regulians and the Carinian traitor that wants her dead.

REVIEW: ***

The story was good. The editing sucked. There were a LOT of misspelled words, dropped words in a sentence. Grammar was terrible...wrong words were used in a sentence...like the words (to or too). The characters names would be spelled incorrectly (Marat or Marot), overall it sucked to try to read through the mess that this book was. I really liked the story though and kept reading over all the mistakes. This author can tell a good story...she just needs to re-read it herself to correct all the errors or find a good editor to do so. I mean they were all quite obvious errors, not just a missed comma or something. Terrible Editing. I hope her next book is not this bad or I will give up on it. 
 I did not mark my review based on the editing or it would be a one star. 

Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1) by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1)So wrong for each other …and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. 

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. 

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

REVIEW: ****
Excellent book. Echo and Noah were great characters. It was an emotional roller coaster, very well written and I hated when it ended. I loved the characters of this book and the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a wonderfully told story with lots of emotional ups and downs.

Silence (The Queen of the Dead #1) by Michelle Sagara

Silence (The Queen of the Dead, #1)"It began in the graveyard... " 
Ever since her boyfriend Nathan had died in a tragic accident, Emma had been coming to the graveyard at night. During the day she went through the motions at her prep school, in class, with her friends, but that's all it was. For Emma, life had stopped with Nathan's death. But tonight was different. Tonight Emma and her dog were not alone in the cemetery. There were two others there--Eric, who had just started at her school, and an ancient woman who looked as though she were made of rags. And when they saw Emma there, the old woman reached out to her with a grip as chilling as death.... 

REVIEW: ****

Unexpectedly good book. I went into this thinking it was just another YA I see ghosts story but was pleasantly surprised. This book had a unique take on the premise and the main character was a strong, decisive character. Not a whiny angsty teen. The story was fast paced and the writing was well done. 

Friday, April 10, 2015

The Silver Ships (Silver Ships #1) by S.H. Jucha

The Silver ShipsAn explorer-tug captain, Alex Racine detects a damaged alien craft drifting into the system. Recognizing a once in a lifetime opportunity to make first contact, Alex pulls off a daring maneuver to latch on to the derelict.

Alex discovers the ship was attacked by an unknown craft, the first of its kind ever encountered. The mysterious silver ship's attack was both instant and deadly.

What enfolds is a story of the descendants of two Earth colony ships, with very different histories, meeting 700 years after their founding and uniting to defend humanity from the silver ships.


REVIEW: ****

I received this ebook directly from the author in ARC format in order to provide a review. I must say I was really impressed with this first novel. I had no idea what the book was about as I had not even seen a synopsis for it. It caught me right away and dragged me in. I finished it in one day.

The writing was tight, the characters were easy to understand and relate to and the story line was believable. I only regret I will have to wait months for the next book in the series.

The main character is a young tug pilot that rescues an alien ship which turns out to be human, not alien after all. I liked the premise of this, it's not one I've seen often in sci fi books. Two sets of human colonists meeting up for the first time and how they relate to each other. There are aliens in this story, but they are not primary yet. It's a character driven story...it does not go into exhaustive descriptions of ships, weapons and battles. A lot of sci fi seems to over describe those things and it overwhelms the story itself I think. This book did not do that. The characters were the story.

It was a great book that I would recommend to anyone who likes a science fiction/space adventure stories.
 

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram

Cinder & EllaIt’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder. 
… 
Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancĂ©e—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.

REVIEW: *****

Loved this book! I am so glad I picked this one up..I wasn't sure from the blurb if I would really like it but I am SOOO glad I did! This was a wonderful story full of emotion, humor, love. I laughed out loud at parts and cried like crazy at others. It was a fantastic read. 

Some Boys by Patty Blount

Some BoysSome boys go too far. Some boys will break your heart. But one boy can make you whole.

When Grace meets Ian she's afraid. Afraid he'll reject her like the rest of the school, like her own family. After she accuses the town golden boy of rape, everyone turns against Grace. They call her a slut and a liar. But...Ian doesn't. He's funny and kind with secrets of his own.

But how do you trust the best friend of the boy who raped you? How do you believe in love?

A gut-wrenching, powerful love story told from alternating points of view by the acclaimed author of Send.

REVIEW: ****


This was an excellent book. It highlighted a topic that is not spoken of much in books and I think should be discussed more often with young girls. Its tragic, but true that the stereotypes of rape victims, or what exactly constitutes rape is often blamed on the victim herself. I think this was well written, with a pertinent topic in todays world. recommend this one highly.

Cemetery Girl by David J. Bell

Cemetery GirlFour years after Tom and Abby's 12-year-old daughter vanishes, she is found alive but strangely calm. When the teen refuses to testify against the man connected to her disappearance, Tom decides to investigate the traumatizing case on his own. Nothing can prepare him for what he is about to discover.

REVIEW: ****


This was a first read giveaway from Goodreads. It was a very well written book, given from the father's perspective which is unusual in this type of book. I liked it very much. However I had a hard time being comfortable with the book. the whole premise twists me up a bit being a mother of two small boys. Just the thought of what a parent goes through when something like this happens is enough to make me feel ill. 

It raised a lot of "what if" type of questions in my mind that were not comfortable, but the story itself was well written, grabbed me from the first page and kept me reading it very quickly - basically in one day. Highly recommend this book, but don't expect it to be comfortable, just good.

Right There with You (With You #1) & Stronger with You (With You #2) by R.J. Sable

Right There with You (With You, #1)Jamie-Lea Carter has been living under the thumb of her older brothers for eighteen years. Having finally moved out to start her new life as a university student she tries to faithfully follow the strictly ordered life they've lain out for her. These rules haven't been an issue for her before because she knows she owes them everything. More than any sibling can ever owe. 

She dutifully follows these rules until she meets Jason Reed and the biggest one becomes a problem. No boyfriends. Torn between her loyalty to her brothers and the sizzling attraction to the intriguing ladies' man, Jamie-Lea finds herself on dangerous standings with her overbearing and somewhat aggressive brothers.

Jason Reed isn't intimidated by the Carters. He knows what he wants the moment he sees it and nothing is going to come between him and the girl he never expected to fall for.

With the odds stacked against them, where will this forbidden romance take them?

REVIEW: ***

I am not really sure I liked this book. I kept reading, but there were many times I just wanted to toss it in the trash. I really did not like the heroine in this one. She had no backbone whatsoever and I kept waiting for her not to be so stupid. The Hero was great though. 

The abuse of the heroine by her brothers was something I really, really hated. Not sure how anyone can think they are hero's and can't wait for their books - anyone who would abuse a child or a woman is no hero in my book. I understand why the heroine was wimpy, but at the same time I really wish she had learned how WRONG it was for her brothers to treat her that way and stand up for herself. 

Anyway the book WAS well written, its the storyline itself I wasn't crazy about. But the author does know how to write and I would like to read more from her in the future.


Stronger with You (With You #2)

Stronger with You (With You, #2)Jamie-Lea CArter and Jason Reed have been through the mill. Jason has been there for her in every way he could be. After a tough start to her life at university, Jamie-Lea is only now coming to realise who she really is. She makes a resolution not to let herself get pushed around as much but that's easier said than done as part of the Carter family.
Guilt still plagues her for everything that her family has been through but, with Jason's support, she's growing stronger in more ways than one. She loves her brothers whole-heartedly but deep down she knows things aren't right and never really have been. What has to give for something to change? 

REVIEW: ****
The author is a great writer..drags you right into the story. I still am not crazy about the characters in this book. I think abuse of any kind is reprehensible and I don't understand why the main heroin can't see what was done to her as abuse. But at least she started to stand up for herself a bit in this one. Made it much easier to read. 

The author sent me an advanced copy of this book, but it took me a while to actually read it..I had a hard time with the first book since I could not relate well to the characters, but as promised I did read it and liked this one much better than the first. Hopefully the next will be even better. :)

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Red Team by J.S. Abilene


Red TeamAva Rowan is a nerdy high school senior who dreams of becoming a successful journalist. After interviewing the popular captain of the school’s football team, she passes out and wakes up to find herself on a deserted island with him and a number of other equally confused 18-year old males and females from all around the globe. Ava soon discovers that life as she knows it is a lie and that she had been trapped in a deadly competition with terrifying implications for world peace and order. She must battle her opponents, her teammates, and her own fears to save them all and challenge the otherworldly organization that threatens Earth itself. 


REVIEW: **

Not a great book. Tried too hard to be like Hunger Games I think without the good writing. There was no real emotion, anticipation, fear, love etc. The book was too short for one...which is how I managed to read the whole thing...but there was no room for character building/growth, real emotions, etc. It seemed the author was rushing through and was confused on what type of book she was writing. One minute its a sci-fi thing, the next a romance (although the romance part really sucked)and the backstory to put it bluntly was terrible. It was confusing. And why would perfectly normal 18 year old kids take it so easily that they were to kill off each other? totally unrealistic. No anguish over doing it, just matter of factly killing others. Maybe they were all psychopaths..but I don't buy it. It just did not ring true even in a science fiction story.

Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire #1) by Mark Lawrence


Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire, #1)Before the thorns taught me their sharp lessons and bled weakness from me I had but one brother, and I loved him well. But those days are gone and what is left of them lies in my mother's tomb. Now I have many brothers, quick with knife and sword, and as evil as you please. We ride this broken empire and loot its corpse. They say these are violent times, the end of days when the dead roam and monsters haunt the night. All that's true enough, but there's something worse out there, in the dark. Much worse.
From being a privileged royal child, raised by a loving mother, Jorg Ancrath has become the Prince of Thorns, a charming, immoral boy leading a grim band of outlaws in a series of raids and atrocities. The world is in chaos: violence is rife, nightmares everywhere. Jorg has the ability to master the living and the dead, but there is still one thing that puts a chill in him. Returning to his father's castle Jorg must confront horrors from his childhood and carve himself a future with all hands turned against him.

REVIEW: ****

This was a well written and easy to read book. However I must say that it is not your typical fantasy novel. The main character - Jorg - is not your normal hero type. He is more of an anti-hero. He seems to have no redeeming qualities at all and is vicious, blood thirsty and cold. I did not think I would end up liking him at all, but somehow I did find myself rooting for him. It was an odd type of book but excellent.

Peace Warrior (The Peace Warrior #1) by Steven L. Hawk

Peace Warrior

Six hundred years after his death, SFC Grant Justice is re-animated by a team of scientists. Grant awakens to a civilization that has abolished war. A civilization that has outlawed violence and cherishes Peace above all else. A civilization that has been enslaved by an alien race called the Minith. Grant is humankind s final hope against the alien menace. He must be the Peace Warrior. 

REVIEW: **

I think this could have been an excellent book, but the story was way too brief. Putting an army together in 3 days? no way. Having humans so "peaceful" they won't stand up for themselves? again...no way. It is a basic human instinct to fight when they are backed into a corner or threatened in any way. Its pure, basic, back brain instinct. and 300 years (or even 3000 years) would not breed that out of humans. 
If the author had taken the time to flesh out a believable background (humans putting down weapons of mass destruction, going a peaceful route etc. would be believable) but not the extreme of throwing a rock putting you in prison for life. Not to the extreme of bowing down before a 100 aliens and letting them take over our world. Totally unbelievable. But if the author had stretched it out a bit, put in more details etc. it could have been a more believable story. 
The premise of this book is good, just not detailed enough. There was no real emotions evoked when they took on the aliens...it was just too darn easy for the passive humans to take them out and no real sense of relief, happiness etc was evoked at the end. 

Not sure I will read the next 2 in the series...just don't want to pay for a book that is too basic to be really entertaining. 

Wanna Bet? (Finding My Way #1) by R.S. Burnett

 4 of 5 stars

Wanna Bet?Brooke Daniels lives life with her head down. This isn't because she's shy, quiet or lonely, she's actually the exact opposite.
They say everyone has a secret, Brooke has more than one and will do whatever she can to keep them hidden, even if that means wearing clothes far too big for her and not making any friends.

So when the campus playboy, Tucker Lloyd decides to be Brooke's new best friend, everything changes.
No longer aware of who her real friends are but perfectly aware of who her enemies are, Brooke struggles to find balance in her new life.
Add in two best friends, one who wants Brooke to have fun, the other too overprotective and you have a recipe for disaster. 
The girl who used to move around unnoticed now finds herself in the spotlight for more reasons than one. It seems everyone wants a piece of her and the ultimate question is..

REVIEW: *

Terrible. It was like a train wreck...you just cant look away even though its a horrible book. The story line would have been ok, but the hero was a real a@@..he had no redeeming qualities whatsoever as far as I could tell. The heroine was an idiot to take him back over and over...how she could love him was beyond me. 

The story flow sucked as well...it skipped over whole days/weeks/years with barely a pause. The writing was choppy in places and the story was hard to follow at times. The spelling, grammar etc. was horrible as well. I wonder if these writers even bother to re-read what they have written. This one sure didn't. The errors were obvious to anyone who can read a sentence. I did finish the book..like I said..it was kind of like a train wreck..I just couldn't look away from the horror of it. :)

The McClane Apocalypse: Book One (The McClane Apocalypse #1) by Kate Morris3.93 of 5 stars

The McClane Apocalypse: Book One

“The end of the world doesn’t happen with a bang. It takes slightly longer than that but not by much. Research projects, Gross Anatomy class, tests and fancy coffee drinks will cease to be important. The fight for her life will become the only thing that matters.”

Reagan McClane is a prodigy med school student on the brink of a brilliant career, but the United States and the rest of the world are headed towards total economic and social collapse. And it doesn’t take more than a few hours for mass crime, looting and pillaging to spread across the country like a plague. A brutal attack at her university leads to a fight for her life before Reagan barely makes it home to the safety of her awaiting grandparents and sisters on their family farm in Tennessee.

Three sexy Army Rangers, one of whom is married to Reagan’s eldest sister, will join the McClane family to build their farm into an impenetrable fortress that they will fight to keep, no matter the cost. Reagan will find that defending her hardened, scarred heart against ever letting anyone in again will prove even more difficult than survival as one Ranger in particular tries to invade it.

The McClane Apocalypse is a story of love, survival and the importance of family during the worst of times imaginable.
 
Review: *
I think this could have been a pretty good book, but honestly I hated the heroine and I hated all the switching from character to character. It would not have been so bad if it was switching from the two main characters that this story was supposed to be about, but it covered every character in the book and you did not see the main characters nearly as much as you should. 

I also hated the female heroine. She was whiny, weak and bitchy towards the males. I thought she would be a strong character, and the author tried to make her seem strong, but it did not come off that way. It felt more like a pouting teenager who didn't get her way. Just all around bad character. And the males seemed a bit weak too. I mean these are ex Rangers...they should have been tough, no-nonsense types but they felt weak as well. Not sure exactly how, but that's how they came across on the pages. 

I got about 3\4 of the way through and finally just gave up.

The Assistant by Elle Brace

The Assistant
“Don’t worry, I won’t try anything… Even though I want to.”

Emily Johnson needs this job. What she doesn’t need, is all the aggravation that comes with being the assistant of the world’s most eligible bachelor.

25-year-old billionaire Adrian Kingston, Emily’s boss, is known for being difficult. He works late at night and early in the day – and expects his assistant to do the same. The only thing he does for fun is, well, women. The spoiled, wealthy playboy gets whatever he wants from whomever he wants.

Some mornings, women swing in and out of his office, one after the other. And as if he couldn’t get enough girls, he even tosses his flirtation and sexual innuendo Emily’s way.

Good thing Emily knows how to keep her priorities straight. A flirty, devastatingly handsome boss? His jealous girlfriends? Her demanding workload? Emily has enough on her plate! She really doesn’t need all the headache. What she doesn’t understand though, is this:

Why does Adrian seem to need her?

After all, Emily Johnson, while beautiful, is not exactly Adrian’s usual type. What could he possibly want with her? Is this just another game played by a bored, rich billionaire trying to win the only girl who has the guts to tell him ‘No?’ Or could Adrian Kingston really be falling in love with The Assistant?

*A sweet, sexy contemporary romance for new adults.
 

Review:  * 

OK I had multiple problems with this book. The characters were shallow, felt like she was about 14 and he about 16 with their childish behavior and little girl "cutsie" attitude. and Adrian was a walking Sexual Harassment Suit just waiting to happen. I mean what type of "boss" hits on a total stranger in an interview? get real! And If I had been her I would have slapped him, walked out and filed a complaint about it. Not turned around and accept the job!

He was cruel to her at times, deliberately scaring her or embarrassing her. He showed no real genuine feelings for her and she was a doormat..she just kept taking the comments, touches etc. I mean really what 24 year old woman would just give in and do everything he tells her to? A doormat. The scene where he basically tells her he is going to prostitute her out for a night just about did me in. And whats with all the blushes and embarrassment whenever he kisses her or touches her or makes a comment? No one at that age is that naive and stupid. Hell she wasn't a virgin so whats the deal with that? I know the author was trying to show inexperience, but that felt like he was hitting on a 10 year old the way she behaved. 

And His father - if my future father in law spoke to me like that I would be offended and probably have hit him. It was creepy, not funny. 

The writing itself was ok, a bit sporadic and it felt like the author was jumping around a bit, but I think with practice and time she could be decent at writing...but her story definitely needs to improve. 

I really did not understand where all the 4 and 5 stars were coming from. He was not an alpha male, he was psychotic if you ask me.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

The First Days (As the World Dies #1) by Rhiannon Frater

The First Days (As the World Dies, #1)
Katie is driving to work one beautiful day when a dead man jumps into her car and tries to eat her.  That same morning, Jenni opens a bedroom door to find her husband devouring their toddler son.

Fate puts Jenni and Katie—total strangers—together in a pickup, fleeing the suddenly zombie-filled streets of the Texas city in which they live. Before the sun has set, they have become more than just friends and allies—they are bonded as tightly as any two people who have been to war together.

During their cross-Texas odyssey to find and rescue Jenni’s oldest son, Jenni discovers the joy of watching a zombie’s head explode when she shoots its brains out. Katie learns that she’s a terrific tactician—and a pretty good shot.

A chance encounter puts them on the road to an isolated, fortified town, besieged by zombies, where fewer than one hundred people cling to the shreds of civilization.

It looks like the end of the world. But Katie and Jenni and many others will do whatever they have to to stay alive. Run, fight, pick each other up when they stumble, fall in love…anything is possible at the end of the world.
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Review: ****
Surprisingly good book. I am not much a fan of zombie fiction, but this ebook was free so I decided to try it. Loved it. The author wrote very well and the characters were ones you could relate to and sympathize with completely. It sucked me right into their lives and their struggle to survive.  Looking forward to reading the next in this series.

Quarter Share (Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #1) by Nathan Lowell

Quarter Share (Golden Age of the Solar Clipper, #1)
THE GOLDEN AGE OF SAIL HAS RETURNED -- IN THE YEAR 2351 

When his mother dies in a flitter crash, eighteen-year-old Ishmael Horatio Wang must find a job with the planet company or leave the system--and NerisCo isn't hiring. With credits running low, and prospects limited, he has just one hope...to enlist for two years with a deep space commercial freighter. Ishmael, who only rarely visited the Neris Orbital, and has never been off-planet alone before, finds himself part of an eclectic crew sailing a deep space leviathan between the stars. 

Join the crew of the SC Lois McKendrick, a Manchester built clipper as she sets solar sails in search of profit for her company and a crew each entitled to a share equal to their rating.

Review: ****

Excellent Book. It was very well written and I loved reading such a simple, classic type of story. There was no angst, vampires, werewolves, love triangles etc.

 It was a classic, simple story of a young man making his way in the world. Set in the future of course, but the world building was good. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.