Title: Playing Defense
Series: (Dallas Demons, #5)
Author: Aven Ellis
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing, LLC
Date Published: September 27, 2017
After a string of bad set-ups and boring dates, Reese Brannon is done with men. She’s focused on her job as a fitness model and blogger. Her life in the city is fun. She’s young. There’s no need to look for a man because she doesn’t want one. Especially when relationships usually end in heartbreak. Jean-Pierre Rochat—known as JP— is done with women. All this Swiss hockey player has ever wanted is to fall in love, but his relationships never end with a happily ever after. Believing he’s always going to be dealt the friend card, JP is over it. If he’s going to be stuck in the friend zone, he’ll keep things casual for his new endgame. But will one hot Dallas summer night change everything for Reese and JP? Because when the two meet again when JP returns for hockey season, Reese finds her attraction to him hasn’t waned since their first meeting. Charming and intelligent, JP is different in all the right ways, but Reese realizes letting him in will make her vulnerable, something that terrifies her. JP never forgot Reese from their initial introduction last winter, and the sparks fly for him even more so the second time. But with Reese, his thoughts are anything but casual . . . Can JP and Reese let their guards down to take a chance on love? Or will this simply be a game of playing defense?
Title: Save the Date
Series: Chicago On Ice, #3
Author: Aven Ellis
Publisher: Soulmate Publishing
Date Published: May 17, 2017
Chicago event planner Collins Brady knows how to make the magic happen for her clients. From elaborate weddings to cute baby showers, Collins knows what to do to make an experience breathtakingly perfect. In her mind, she adds the sparkle that makes everything shine. If only she had that same sparkle in her personal life. While she’s good at her job, her true career dreams lie elsewhere. If she could do anything, it would be to become an equestrian riding instructor. That dream, however, is shelved due to practicality. And that’s not the only thing Collins has shelved. After ending a relationship with her college sweetheart, Collins has taken her heart out of the game, too. She wonders if that magical kind of love can exist. But maybe it’s only a fantasy. Or is it? All of that changes the night she meets Luca Ballerini, the rookie goalie for the Chicago Buffaloes. Passionate and fiercely determined, Luca has only made time for hockey in his life—until he meets Collins. Her spark hasn’t escaped him, and now Luca wants something other than his hockey career. But following their dreams and hearts isn’t always easy. Can Collins and Luca find a way to live their dreams with each other? Will love get past them? Or will this goalie make a perfect save of Collins’ heart?
Title: Caraval
Series: Caraval, #1
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Date Published: January 31, 2017
Rating: 4-4.5 Stars
Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . .
Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.
Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.
Title: Always With Love
Series: Billy and Me, #2
Author: Giovanna Fletcher
Publisher: Penguin
Date Published: June 2, 2016
Rating: 4.5 Stars
The next much-anticipated romantic chapter in Billy and Sophie's love story from bestselling author Giovanna Fletcher.
Sophie's got used to being the girlfriend of Billy Buskin, the biggest movie star in the world. Sort of.
But when she and Billy take a trip to visit his family in Los Angeles, she quickly discovers she's totally unprepared for the chaos of Hollywood, the paparazzi and Billy's controlling mother.
And when Billy extends his stay in LA, leaving Sophie to fly home to Rosefont Hill alone, it seems there's more than just miles between them.
Now Sophie must decide if they can overcome their differences for good. Because not every love story lasts the distance . . .
Title: The Fill-In Boyfriend
Author: Kasie West
Standalone
Publisher: Harper Teen
Date Published: May 5, 2015
Rating: 4.5 Stars
When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.
The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.
Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.
Title: Love & Gelato
Series: (standalone)
Author: Jenna Evans Welch
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Date Published: May 3, 2016
Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.
But then Lina is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept from Lina for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.
People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.
Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.
Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.
Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.
Title: Perfekt Control
Series: The Ære Saga, # 2 (should be read in order) Author: S.T. Bende Date Published: February 9, 2016
Brynn Aksel is a valkyrie—a battle goddess tasked with protecting both the God of War and the future of Asgard. She fends off giants and dark elves with an iron fist, a glossy smile, and no less than perfekt control. She’s focused one-hundred-percent on rising through the valkyrie ranks, and not at all on her lifelong crush on Henrik Andersson—the one guy in all the realms who could be her undoing.
Henrik serves as War’s other bodyguard, and he’s too focused on protecting their shared charge to realize that Brynn’s a girl. When an unprecedented surge of darkness abducts the Goddess of Love, Brynn’s already-steely focus is singularly directed on her new assignment—accompany Henrik to recover the realms’ source of light before the cosmos descends into chaos.
While battling demons, dragons, and the not-quite-dead, it becomes clear that immortality does not equal invincibility. And when Hel herself puts a hit on Brynn, the valkyrie has to decide if staying in control is worth losing everything . . . or if it’s time to rule the realms.
Title: A Different Blue
Series: Standalone
Author: Amy Harmon
Date Published: March 29, 2013
Blue Echohawk doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know her real name or when she was born. Abandoned at two and raised by a drifter, she didn't attend school until she was ten years old. At nineteen, when most kids her age are attending college or moving on with life, she is just a senior in high school. With no mother, no father, no faith, and no future, Blue Echohawk is a difficult student, to say the least. Tough, hard and overtly sexy, she is the complete opposite of the young British teacher who decides he is up for the challenge, and takes the troublemaker under his wing.
This is the story of a nobody who becomes somebody. It is the story of an unlikely friendship, where hope fosters healing and redemption becomes love. But falling in love can be hard when you don't know who you are. Falling in love with someone who knows exactly who they are and exactly why they can't love you back might be impossible.
Title: Delayed Penalty
Series:(Pilots Hockey, #1)
Author: Sophia Henry
Publisher: Flirt
Date Published: September 1, 2015
Rating: 4.5 Stars.
She closed her heart long ago. He just wants to open her mind. For fans of Toni Aleo and Sawyer Bennett, the debut of Sophia Henry’s red-hot Detroit Pilots series introduces a hockey team full of complicated men who fight for love. Auden Berezin is used to losing people: her father, her mother, her first love. Now, just when she believes those childhood wounds are finally healing, she loses something else
Title: Fisher's Light
Author: Tara Fisher
Date Published: March 24, 2015
Rating:
Fisher, I guess this is it, huh? After fourteen years together, starting a life of our own on this island, five deployments and countless letters I’ve written you through it all, I finally go out to the mailbox and see something I’ve always dreamed of: an envelope with your handwriting on it. For one moment, I actually thought
I have had this series on my radar for quite some time. One day, I was in a mood for something darkish and different. While browsing through my shortlist, I spotted Sins & Needles, and that seemed to fit what I was looking for. I definitely made the right call on that! I ended up reading the whole series back-to-back, including the short story- On Every Street. I don't know if you're "supposed" to read this novella before or after Sins & Needles, but I read it after, and I'm glad that I did! It gave me some great insight about Ellie's past. There had been this mystery element while reading Sin's & Needles, and I kept wondering, "who is Javier and what exactly happened there?!" On Every Street answered my questions and was definitely an asset to the trilogy. I also liked being introduced to Camden before I was introduced to Javier.
Like I said, I ended up reading this series without really stopping much (except when I had to do my pesky homework). Rather than reviewing each book individually, I decided to just wait to share my general feelings as a whole, and to be honest, some of the elements and time tables of what happened were a little blurred because I did not review or take notes in between books. (Sorry about that, guys.)
At the same time, the fact that I did read the Artist Trilogy in one go, says a lot about it, does it not? I would describe this series as being dark, gritty, compelling, honest, and suspenseful.
The characters: Ellie Watt: I wasn't sure what to think about her at first. In the beginning, I thought that she was self-serving and selfish at times. She didn't really take a good look at the people around her and see them as individuals with feelings and a story. Therefore, was a wonderful to take a journey with Ellie and to see her grow and to learn things about herself. Camden: I really liked Camden. Yes, he was beautiful with all his tats, height, and muscle. I absolutely loved his artistic side and how he could see within people. He wasn't all that he appeared to be. Javier: I don't even know what to say about Javier, to be honest. He was so complex, conflicted, and really...crazy at times. Still, I found myself drawn to him and his mysteriousness. I kept wanting to read more scenes with him in them, even though he really scared me at times.
This was my first series by Karina Halle, and it certainly will not be my last! She has so much talent, and I love how she weaved together a captivating story and wrote about some interesting characters.
Since the dawn of time, Brudair, otherwise known as the Sandman to the world, has faithfully lived out his purpose, faithfully performed his duties. He has never questioned his lot among the immortals, until now, until her. Sarah Serenity Tillman, a consummate beauty both inside and out, is a high school senior five months from her graduation. She has great plans, dreams of leaving the small town of her childhood behind her forever. But destiny has other plans, and it’s the Sandman’s job to make sure those plans are fulfilled.
The tall muscular Sandman, known as Dair to his friends, dressed in black, wrapped in shadows, is more than a myth. And he has a job to do. His very existence makes him a creature of the night, because dreams, (yes the legends got that part right), were indeed his specialty. But his purpose was more than just weaving dreams for sleeping children. No, his dreams were made to influence, made to ensure that certain special individuals, those individuals who would change the course of history, actually accepted their chosen destiny.
Little does Serenity know that she is Dair’s next assignment. And the dream that he weaves for her, if she follows its influence, will change the course of, not only her life, but possibly the whole of history as well. But she isn’t the only one being influenced. The beauty inside of her was weighing on the Sandman, lighting up the darkness that was his constant companion. Her light was warmth, it was life, and he didn’t understand how he had survived the previous millennia without it.
The Sandman was indeed greater than anything humans had ever imagined, and his purpose was vital to the course of history. So what happens when the weaver of dreams gets so distracted by a mere human that he ignores his own duties in the immortal realm? How can an immortal who was never meant to have a mate, join a young woman in her destiny without irrevocably changing the lives of millions and potentially altering history in a way the Creator never intended?
Quinn lives in beautiful NW Arkansas with her husband, 2 sons, Doberman and cat (who thinks she is a ninja in disguise). She is beyond thankful that she has been blessed to be able to write full time and hopes the readers know how much all of their support means to her. Some of her hobbies include reading, exercising, crochet, and spending time with family and friends. She gives all credit of her success to God because he gave her the creative spirit and vivid imagination it takes to write.
I am very happy to have had the opportunity to read another book by Quinn Loftis. She's one of my favorite author's, so when I found out she was writing a book about the Sandman, I new I had to read it! I'd never read a book about the Sandman before. Of course, I had heard about him, but I knew very little about the legend. I have to say that I really liked Quinn's take on this, and the direction that she went with the story.
Dream of Me focuses on two very strong, female characters. Sarah Serenity, is about to finish high school, and wants to move away from her small town and see the world. She's not sure what's she's meant to do with her life, but she is seeking to find her purpose. She's torn, because she is one of the most unselfish and caring people out there, and she always thinks of others first. However, she feels guilty about leaving her aunt and uncle, and others who love and depend on her. Then we have Emma, an eight-year-old genius, whose life is somehow connected to Serenity's. I don't want to give away to much, but I would like to say that I hope that I can one day have as much strength as this child did.
Then, we have Brudair (Dair). Oh my goodness. Who knew that the Sandman would be so hot? Not only that, but he was also very wise and kind. I also admired his strength and his dedication; it couldn't have been easy at times. I am so glad that this is a series, as I would really like to know more about him.
Raphael. I don't know how I can justly describe him. I must admit that I teared up a couple of times because of his diligence and compassion, and for just being who he was. All I can say is that I hope that we all have a Raphael in our lives. I'd like to think that we do. ;)
Dream of Me is a beautiful story about love, kindness, spirituality, and trust. I am really looking forward to the next book in this series, and finding out what happens next!
By the way, isn't the cover for Dream of Me is absolutely gorgeous?! I love everything about it, especially all of the gold. I must order a paperback copy soon.
Dalton Black, a Canis lupis full of guilt and anger, never expected to find his true mate. Perhaps
already slipping into madness, he had resigned himself to the fact that he would walk the earth without
the other half of his soul. He was convinced that his sins were enough to keep the Great Luna from
giving him such a blessing. He knew it was probably better that way. His past was as dark as his name
and after three centuries of running from it, the memories were finally catching up to him. But all of
those resignations evaporated when he saw her broken and bloodied body lying on that alter. Though
the man didn’t recognize her, the wolf did. Through battle and bloodshed he was able to save
her from the evil that held her captive, but now he would need her to save him from himself. Jewel Stone was wholly unaware of the ancient bloodlines of Gypsy Healers, mates to Canis
lupis and protectors of the packs – much less that she carried that blood herself. But when a
beautiful but deadly woman showed up in her home and ripped her from her realm, she knew her life
would never be the same. Her mother, Gem, a fortune teller, had warned her that something was
coming, that her life was about to change dramatically, but like everyone else, Jewel had dismissed her
as a crazy person. Jewel was the laughing stock of her school simply because Gem was her mother. And up until
now, her life was one big disappointment after another. Instead of heeding her mother’s
warning, she hid in her books, burying herself behind knowledge, both fact and fiction. She escaped into
worlds created by others and filled her mind with facts of every kind in an effort to push away the
hurtful words that others bombarded her with. Despite all of her knowledge and all of her fantastical
stories, she never dreamed her own future would be full of adventure, danger, passion, and the
possibility of unconditional love. As she lay unconscious after her first bloody encounter in the fae
realm, her only chance of survival lay in the hands of a man scarred by his past, disfigured both
emotionally and physically, and beyond the reach of any who had tried to help him. Can two broken people, who carry the other half of each other’s souls, span the chasm
between them and restore the innocence ripped from both their lives? Will they let the promise of
healing love overcome the difference in age and experience, and the separation of species and realms?
Or will they give in to the fear and doubt that would keep them from one another for eternity?
Jewel could feel him. She didn’t know how she knew it was him, other than the warmth and
wholeness that flooded her from his nearness.
“It seems like forever since I last saw you,” Dalton’s voice penetrated the deep slumber she had fallen into.
“It can’t have been that long,” she told him and was shocked to see that in her mind’s eye he was
there standing before her. “Is this a dream?”
He chuckled and the sound sent ripples of pleasure down every nerve ending in her body. "That
was a new feeling," she thought. It was something she had read about in her many romance novels,
but not anything she had experienced firsthand―until now.
“You know it is not. We are talking through our bond.”
“But how can I see you. It’s as if you are really here before me, like I could just reach out and touch you.”
“Why don’t you?” His sultry voice dropped an octave and Jewel was pretty sure she had just
swooned for the first time.
“How?”
“Our mental bond can be used for much more than just words,” he told her.
Jewel was pretty sure that if she could blush while in a coma, then she had done just that. The
implication of his words was loud and clear.
He took a step closer to her and another until he was standing less than three feet away. He was
huge, at least a foot taller than her five-foot-four inches. She had to tilt her head back to look up at
his ruggedly handsome face. It was the first time she was seeing him, and she couldn’t understand
how one such as him could have picked her. He had dark brown hair that was messy in all the right
ways. His cool, pale blue eyes seemed to see straight into her soul, and she felt more vulnerable than
if she were naked before him. His strong jaw and high cheekbones were too hard to be considered
beautiful; he was masculine in every sense of the word. He seemed so capable as he stood there
with his shoulders back, his muscles bulging in his dark shirt and jeans. He was everything she never
thought she could have, not her, with the strawberry locks that she kept short, just below her ears
framing her face.
She was just plain Jewel, nothing nearly as glamorous as her name, and yet the male before
her claimed to be hers. She was pretty sure that it must all be something she had concocted in her
comatose state. Her reality would never be one so full of excitement and well, truth be told, utter
sexiness.
“You find me to be sexy?” he asked her as his head tilted ever so slightly to the side. His lips
quirked up in a crooked smile, and she was pretty sure that if she never tasted those lips she would
die of disappointment.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
“I thought you were going to try and give me some privacy,” she scolded.
“Yes, well that was before I realized how fascinating your thoughts would be.”
“Are you shameless?”
He laughed. “When it comes to you, apparently yes I am.”
Well, she thought, what was she supposed to say to that?
“I want to touch you,” he told her and again she was taken aback by his forwardness. The need in
his eyes was completely unmasked, and she wondered at his ability to be so open with her. Wasn’t
he afraid of rejection?
“You need me just as much as I need you; why should I be worried you will reject me?” He held his hand out to her and it took all of her limited self-control not to throw herself in his huge arms.
About Quinn Loftis
Quinn lives in beautiful NW Arkansas with her husband, 2 sons, Doberman and cat (who thinks
she is a ninja in disguise). She is beyond thankful that she has been blessed to be able to write full time
and hopes the readers know how much all of their support means to her. Some of her hobbies include
reading, exercising, crochet, and spending time with family and friends. She gives all credit of her
success to God because he gave her the creative spirit and vivid imagination it takes to write.
*please note that if you have not read the prior books in the Grey Wolves series, there might be some spoilers up ahead. The first book, Prince of Wolves, is currently free at most eBook retailers.
I am a big fan of Quinn Loftis' Grey Wolves series. Whenever one of her new books come out, I tend to drop whatever it is that I am currently reading at the moment, and start on her book right away. I have become deeply invested in the world that she's created and her characters have become like a second family to me.
In case you don't know, The Healers series is a spin-off to the Grey Wolves series. It takes place in the same world, however, we get to meet some new faces. We also get more time with Costin and Sally, who are my favorite characters in either series! By the way, I'm claiming Costin as my book boyfriend, just so you all know ;)
When we last left Peri and the gang, one of our new gypsies, Jewel, was not doing so well. Dalton was in a sense of denial and had been dealing with some deep issues. Wolf of Stone takes place soon after, Into the Fae, left off, and it had somewhat of a different vibe than Quinn's other books. Both of the main characters have some difficult issues that they are struggling with, and have experienced so much pain in their lives. Even though this book is not told in first person point of view, I really felt what Dalton was thinking and what he went through. My heart really went out to him because I felt his struggle.
As I mentioned, we get to meet some new characters in Wolf of Stone. I'm looking forward to getting to know them a little more! I love that each of Quinn's characters are so different, and often provide comic relief.
I was kind of bummed when it was over because 1) I was super invested in the story, and 2) there were three things I was dying to know. I have faith that Ms. Loftis will address these in her next Gypsy Healers book. I know I cannot wait to read it!
Eighteen-year-old Cora Jemison knows what it’s like to date a soul reaper. There are no Friday night movies, no school dances, and no stolen kisses between classes. It totally sucks! What makes it even worse, souls pop up when she least expects it. The last one is not her fault, but it all adds up to zero quality time with her super hot, scythe-carrying boyfriend, Echo.
Since Cora was etched with special runes by an evil Immortal, she understands why souls are drawn to her. She makes the best of it by helping souls find closure while Echo escorts them to the realm of the dead. Perfect partners, until a dark soul visits Cora in the dead of the night and Echo decides her soul-helping days are over.
Cora can either listen to Echo or follow her instincts. To make matters worse, other reapers start stalking her, demanding she hand over the soul. Even her Valkyrie friends think she’s gone too far. But something sinister is coming their way, and the soul is the key to saving her town, her friends, and her relationship with Echo. Can she convince Echo to see things her way before it’s too late?
WARNING: This is CORA'S story: This book may be considered NA (new adult) because it contains some swearing, violence and sex scenes: Suitable for ages 17 and up. A Clean Version will also be available on Amazon.
I was so excited when I found out I was to to be a part of the Souls blog tour! I'm a big fan of Ednah Walters' Runes and Grimnirs series, and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen to my beloved characters next!
Ok, so first off- if you haven't read any of the other books in this series, I encourage you start with Runes. You'll get a lot of the background info, and be introduced to most of the characters. With that said, I really enjoyed Souls! I think it just might be my favorite book in either series.
I'll be honest when we were first introduced to Cora back in Runes, I didn't really like her that much. I didn't feel like I could relate to her. But then I read Grimnirs, which is told from Cora's point of view, and I quickly grew to adore that girl! I finally understood her, and figured out why things she said and did just did'nt click with me before. I have to say, I now prefer the stories told from Cora's point of view as opposed to Raine's! (But only by a narrow margin).
I just love the way that Cora connects and interacts with those around her. She's quirky, fun, doesn't take crap from anyone, yet she's kind and compassionate! We got to see more of her character grow and blossom in Souls. She's not one of those characters who is perfect though- she does make mistakes, but she learns from them. The girl really does have a good head on her shoulders!
Now. Let me just talk about Echo for a moment (who is also my new book boyfriend...shh). Where do I even start? *sigh* He's gorgeous with his dark hair and green-gold eyes. He's also fierce, loyal, loving, and mysterious. Echo doesn't see those things within himself though. He has carried around a lot of guilt, burdens, and sadness for a long time. Some of the things he said broke my heart. He has faults, yes, but he knows that, and is trying to be a better person.
I loved that we got to hear more of Echo's story in Souls, as well as meet a few new characters! I hope we see more of them in the future books. Dev cracked me up and brought so much to this story. I was never bored while reading, and I was eager to turn the page to see what would happen next. There were times when I laughed, but there were times when I had a few tears in my eyes.
My only complaint was that I wish that Souls was just a little bit longer. I would've liked more resolution at the end, and I really wanted to know more about what happened that night. ;)
I am definitely looking forward to the next book Witches! As much as I love Cora's point of view, I need to know how Raine is dealing with everything. I can't wait!
Rating: 4.5 Stars
AUTHOR BIO
EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys
and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother
of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a
husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things
with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.
Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about
children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED,
the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave
reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher
Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, was released
March 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN. Visit her
at www.ednahwalters.com.
Ednah also writes YA paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new
series and there are currently three other books published in this series.
SOULS (Grimnir book 2 a side story to the RUNES series) and WITCHES book 4 will
release 2014. Read more about this
series and the world she's created here www.runestheseries.com.
Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW
BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011.
It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has
published five more books in this series. She's presently working on book seven. You can visit her online
at or www.ebwalters.com.
Title: Sekret (Sekret, #1)
Author: Lindsay Smith
Date Published: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Synopsis: From debut author Lindsay Smith comes an espionage thriller with a dash of both history and dystopia.
Yulia’s father always taught her that an empty mind is a safe mind. She has to hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive in Communist Russia, especially because she seems to be able to read the minds of the people she touches. When she’s captured by the KGB and forced to work as a psychic spy with a mission to undermine the U.S. space program, she’s thrust into a world of suspicion, deceit, and horrifying power where she can trust no one.
She certainly can’t trust Rostov, the cruel KGB operative running the psychic program. Or handsome Sergei who encourages her to cooperate with the KGB. Or brooding Valentin who tells her to rebel against them. And not the CIA, who have a psychic so powerful he can erase a person’s mind with his own thoughts. Yulia quickly learns she must rely on her own wits and power to survive in this world where no SEKRET can stay hidden for long.
My Thoughts:
I have a soft spot in my heart for historical fiction, so when I read the synopsis for Sekret- a young adult book that takes place in the former Soviet Union, during the Cold War, I knew I had to read it! You see, I grew up in the seventies and eighties, and vividly remember what it was like to live in the United States during the Cold War. There was so much tension, mistrust, and fear between the US and Russia. I didn't know what to believe sometimes, but I know I was curious about the people of Russia and what life was like there. Although Sekret is considered fiction, with a little bit of sci-fi thrown in, I was hoping to get a glimpse of the Russian society during that time. Let's just say, I wasn't disappointed.
Sekret takes place in Moscow, in 1963. A young, sixteen year old girl named, Yulia, has been in hiding along with her mother and brother, and have to sell things on the black market in order to eat and to survive.
"My fears are outweighed by one simple truth: I need something and Raisa needs something, and that will keep us safe. Capitalism is alive and well in our communist paradise."
Right away we discover that Yulia has a unique and special gift. Because of that she is chased down.
I was hooked after the first chapter. The title Sekret, is so appropriately named. Yulia has an especially big secret. She's also a secretive person in general, and like many during that time, she had to be VERY careful as to who she trusted and confided in. There were also top secret government projects. I was curious if Yulia would ever crack under pressure, or if she would ever find someone she could truly confide in.
There was so much excitement in this book, and I was often scared for the characters. I was always afraid that Yulia would get in trouble, and if so what would happen to her. She was forced to do things she didn't want to do, yet she did not give up on her goal. I really admired that about her!
The only reason why I did not bump this book up to five stars, was that there were a few times that I wasn't sure if the events were actually happening, or if the author was using imagery. I had to go back a page or so, and re-read to make sure.
I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series- Skandal. We left off with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I need to know if everything will be okay.
I am really excited to take part in the Where Life Takes You blog tour!
Title: Where Life Takes You
Series: Life, #1
Author: Claudia Y. Burgoa
Publication date: July 31st 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult
BECCA TRENT LIVED HER CHILDHOOD NEXT TO A CRUEL WOMAN—her mom—who lived to torment and neglect her. During her high school years, her mother married; bringing home not only a new husband, but a step sister her same age. The latter took over her Mom's role—making Becca's life miserable. Including stealing Ian—Becca's best friend and boyfriend—Lisa treated her worse than her mother had for the previous fifteen years. A couple years later, thing ended up in tragedy.
Becca buried that part of her life in the deep corners of her psyche, caught between sanity and nightmares. Between therapy, work and her constantly looming past she can't seem to find room to breathe. The memories of her late step-sister, Lisa, are her closest company.
Her best friend, Dan gives her that family love she always lacked. Everything was close to perfect, until everything and everyone from her past came back. Now she's trying to figure out how to survive and keep that bond which seems now to be held together by a thread.
Wow. I did not expect to become as emotionally involved in this story as I did. I literally devoured the whole book in one day. To be honest, it's been awhile since I have been so engrossed in a book that I barely even looked up from my kindle to complete my daily tasks. The time and pages just flew by!
Ok, first off, I have to warn you guys that this is a book that contains some sensitive material. The main character Rebecca (Becca, Bex), had been through a lot of crap in her life. She had such a hard childhood and there were a few times that I had to take a deep breath and dry some tears that escaped (damn it). I got angry, and I was appalled and sad at times. My heart ached for this girl, yet I had to smile when I saw the person that she had become was in spite of everything. Becca was cute, hard working, and quirky. Her best friend Dan (Daniel) was her rock, and helped her get on her feet and seek therapy. He was her person.
Dan, Dan, Dan...you know that I love you, but there were a few times you frustrated the heck out of me. You see- he also had a bad start in life, and he and Becca seemed to just gravitate towards each other from the moment they met. I believe Dan coped with his issues by controlling each and every aspect in his life. Sometimes that carried over to Becca's life too. I was a little surprised that it didn't seem to bother her more than it did (I know I felt a little smothered for her). At the same time, he did so with a good heart, and with the intentions of looking out for her. Becca, in turn, would sometimes use Dan as a crutch and to be her security. Either way, Dan was totally devoted and caring towards Becca.
There were other characters in this story that I grew fond of as well, and this story just reconfirmed that you don't have to be blood related to be family.
One thing that I wondered while reading Where Life Takes You, was why Danny insisted that Becca need a bodyguard at all times? What was she in danger of? I understood why he had one, but I was not clear as to why Rebecca would be in danger.
I really cannot wait for the sequel, Next to You, to be released! The ending of this book made my heart hurt. Truthfully, I can kind of see why Becca felt the way she did. Thankfully, I don't have to wait long (July 1) to find out what will happen next.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
About the Author:
Claudia lives in Colorado with her family and three dogs. Two beagles who believe they are human, and a bichon who thinks she’s a beagle. While managing life, she works as a CFO at a small IT Company. She’s a dreamer who enjoys music, laughter and a good story.
Hi! My name is Anna. I was born and raised in California, but moved to the Southwest in June of 2013. I have a wonderful husband and three fun, adventurous kids. I almost always have a book or an e-reader in my hands, and I am constantly adding to my to-read list. I enjoy all kinds of genres, such as young adult, paranormal romance, fantasy, historical fiction/romance, and chick lit.
