Sweet Romance

Marry Your Billionaire by C.J. Anaya
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ugh! I had a full day planned! But NO!! I had to sit and read this book from start to finish. I could. Not. Put. It. Down. It was funny, sweet, frustrating and heartbreaking in all the right places.

Madelyn Knightly just wants to finish her Master's degree without kowtowing to her producer father. Brody Prescott is trying to repair his playboy image after a date gone wrong. Little do they know that both of their worlds are going to get a whole lot more interesting as they're coerced to appear on a reality dating show.

The plot does not slow down. There's no good spot to just put it down for a bit. It's not a super steamy romance but it is undeniably sweet and REAL. I am very impressed with this story and am looking forward to more from Anaya!

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Dystopian novel Inspired by A Tale of Two Cities

Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

(Free copy for review via NetGalley)

I never read A Tale of Two Cities. I think I might be the only one who hasn't! But still, I enjoyed this story immensely. It was bittersweet, heartbreaking, poignant, touching, etc.! I couldn't get enough of Ethan and Lucie's love. At the same time, you could see the love growing between Lucie and Carwyn and was rooting for them as well.

The world-building is fantastic. But even better is her character-building. Brennan has a fantastic way of creating unique and unforgettable characters (Kami/Jared/Ash and Nick/Alan/Mae). You can now add Lucie/Ethan/Carwyn to that list. Even supporting characters have incredible depth to them.

I could feel the build up to the end. It was predictable but no less dramatic and heartwrenching. The only downfall to the book is how much Lucie talks to herself. I understand all the questioning, second-guessing, doubting but it did get old listening to her rambling on and on about it. A time or two, I just wanted to shake her or slap her.

An engrossing book that tells a significant moral. Brennan has written another compelling young adult novel!

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Much Better Sequel

Wildfire by J.D. Wright
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

(Free copy for review via NetGalley)

Hmmm, what to say about this book...I definitely liked it more than the first book, Everealm.

Pros:

---Much better world-building this time around. I felt like I have a much better feel of Everealm as a whole.

---Interesting developments in Bree and Rowan's relationship. Honestly, didn't see that one coming!!!

---Fae are added in! Finally, something other than just magic is added to the story.



Cons:

---Still way too many characters/couples. And Wildfire only adds more. It's just too much and there's not a lot of character depth because of it.

---Writing is still quite choppy and I feel it jumps from topic/situation to the next with no flow.

---No scary villain, this time around. Silas was actually pretty darn scary in book 1. No one in book 2 compares.

---Problems are still solved pretty simply and without much fear of defeat.

Overall, a better venture the second time around. I think book 3 will be better now that Wright has gotten some writing experience under her belt.


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Surprisingly sweet story

Songbird by Sydney Logan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

(Free copy from author in exchange for honest review)

Songbird was NOT what I was expecting. The story starts as a one night stand and ends up as a sweet, loving relationship. Both characters - Callie and Devin - have had hardships but I loved watching them grow together as they learn from each other.

It never gets really heavy. There's never really any real threat to the relationship, except the baggage each of them brings individually. The issues are authentic and the emotion is heartfelt. There were quite a few poignant moments and some that really hit home with me and my own baggage/relationship.

Logan did a fine job breaking down some issues that threaten to hurt relationships. I found myself rethinking my view on a few issues of my own. It was a great surprise and I will definitely seek out more Sydney Logan novels.

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Fantastic Beginning, Disappointing Ending

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Wow! I started out absolutely loving the book. It was perfect Armentrout. Layla is a unique character and I loved her struggles to deal with her nature and her feelings for Zayne. Then throw Roth in the mix – watch out! It was fun watching her fall in love, even if she didn't know that's what was happening. Fast forward to the end. BAM! HATED IT! Hated the ending. I now know that the next book is about the 3 of them again but damn, I was not on board with the non-conclusion. At all.

I will read the next book like a dutiful JLA fan, but I am not happy about it.

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6 Great Romantic Suspense Series Book 1s

Dangerous Connections: 6 Romantic Suspense Series Starters + Bonus HEA Chapters! by Elisabeth Naughton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a great group of 6 thrilling stories by 6 great authors.

STOLEN FURY - Elisabeth Naughton - Great story to start out the collection. Lisa is an archeologist who's found one of three relics she's been looking years for, but it's stolen out from under her by a handsome thief. They'll have to team up to find the other two relics because they aren't the only ones on the hunt.

AGAINST THE DARK - Carolyn Crane - This one is fantastic! Love Angel and Cole! They work great together! Angel is done with her old life as a safecracker. For the last 5 years, she's been on the straight and narrow. One last job to help out a dear friend threatens to destroy her perfect life she's made for herself.

MORGAN’S HUNTER - Cate Beauman - This story was so thrilling! Beauman does a fantastic job of keeping the story fast-paced. The ending was a surprise and the characters were fun. I will definitely check out the sequel. Morgan Taylor is on a mission to discover why her research team were murdered. Her father, concerned for her safety, hires a bodyguard to be with her as she investigates. Hunter Phillips has met his match in his feisty new client. But they will both have to be on their guard when they stumble upon the reason her team was killed!

A COLD DARK PLACE - Toni Anderson - This the one I felt was a weak link in the armor. It just seemed to drag and honestly I skipped ahead about 5 or so chapters to the last 3 or 4 and read from there. Didn't really miss much of the story at all. It was still a great premise and the characters were interesting. Not sure, though, if I'd continue with this series.
FBI Agent Mallory Rooney is on a mission to find who abducted her twin sister when they were children. Former CIA assassin Alex Parker works for a secret organization determined to take out serial killers before they enter the justice system. He's tasked with watching Agent Rooney to make sure she doesn't get too close to the truth before he does.

CONCRETE EVIDENCE - Rachel Grant - This book was extremely interesting. The characters have great chemistry and it was humorous to watch the intern try to be an intern! There were a few surprises at the end, as well, that were quite good. Underwater archeologist Erica Kesling needs to clear her name. However, a sexy, new intern is getting in the way, in more ways than one! When secrets start coming out, will Erica be able to salvage her heart as well as her career?

WILD - Jill Sorenson - This one was interesting! Very different. It was like reading a 2 for 1 romance. It had a great apocalyptic feel to it and a different vibe altogether from the rest of the collection. Zookeeper Helena Fjord loves animals. Humans, not so much. And handsome, laid back security officer Josh Garrison is exactly the type of guy she despises. She always steers clear of his pranks until disaster strikes.

Overall, I will probably check out the next book in each of the series except for the one. This a great starter collection to get into some new authors!

(free copy in exchange for review)

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Stand alone should be made into a series

Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was afraid to read this book at first because I absolutely LOVED the Lux series and was subsequently disappointed with the first book of the Covenant series. I'm so glad I broke down and read Cursed!! It is a wonderful story – on the same level as the Lux series.

Ember shouldn't be here. She died in a car accident but her sister, who has a life-giving gift, brought her back. Now everything she touches dies. After she and her family are essentially kidnapped, she starts to learn that the car accident may not have been an accident at all – and that person still wants her dead.

Not a super fast-paced story but there were no wasted pages/words. This is a stand alone novel but I SO hope she decides to add to this book and make it a series! The characters are fantastic and the villain is actually damn scary!

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Unusual premise in this paranormal romance

Soulless by Gail Carriger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a hoot! Alexia is HILARIOUS! And Lord Adekama?! I can't get enough. The premise is extremely interesting – there are naturals (humans), supernaturals (vampires, werewolves, etc.) and then there are preternaturals (those with no souls). Alexia is preternatural and can neutralize the effects of supernaturals. Unfortunately for her, she's a woman living in Victorian England.

The writing style took a bit to get used to but that's typical of the era. The characters and London life were effectively described. The conversations between characters were comical. Lord Maccon and Alexia have great chemistry but Lord Adekama just may be my favorite.

The mystery was NOT predictable, which added to the joy of reading the book. I will definitely continue on with this series.

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