Title: Dream So Dark
Series: Dream Makers, #2
Author: Quinn Loftis
Date Published: November 7, 2017
**Warning: Dream So Dark is book 2 in this series and darker than book 1. Child trafficking is mentioned though not graphic. No explicit explanations but themes of sexual violence and healing after are explored. Thank you for considering my book for your next read.**
He was created to be a messenger and guider of dreams. He has traveled the earth for centuries upon centuries fulfilling his purpose. Until her. Serenity crept into his existence as seamlessly as the dreams he wove and just as effortlessly, she stole his heart. Their future is still unclear, but Dair knows he doesn't want to spend even another hour without her.
Meanwhile Emma Whitmore, a brilliant young girl whose overcome so much at her tender young age was dropped in both their laps, but for what purpose neither is certain. Taken from the people she's grown to love and put in a home with a man who has no love to give, she fights to survive. She just has to hang on until she can be returned to the adoptive family who has already claimed her.
Three lives, unsure of what is to come, fighting the darkness that is closing in all around them. If they are to have any future together, then evil cannot prevail. But at what cost to them?
Title: The Trouble with Angels
Series: Angels Everywhere, #2
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Harper Collins
Date (originally) Published:
November 1, 1995
A Wing and a Prayer
When irrepressible angels Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy set out for the City of Angels to grant three rush Christmas prayer requests, they are sure they can help without resorting to, er, divine intervention. But they soon find it will take more than one miracle to teach their precious lessons of love--as well as make three special holiday dreams come true!
Title: A Season of Angels
Series: Angels Everywhere, #1
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Harper Collins
Date (originally) Published:
Dec 28, 1993
Wishes for love bring hope from above.
Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy—three willing but sometimes wayward angels—are each given someone's prayer to answer . . .
Shirley: She's sent to help nine-year-old Timmy Potter, who longs for a new father. And although his mother, Jody, has vowed never to trust any man, Shirley is determined to help her love again.
Goodness: She knows Monica Fischer longs for a husband and home of her own, but the young woman has practically given up on finding the right man to stand by her side . . . until Goodness steps in to help.
Mercy: Can Mercy bring hope back into Leah Lundberg's life? This maternity nurse desperately wants a child to fill up the home she's made with her husband, Andrew.
But there's just one catch: Each angel must teach her charge a memorable lesson before the prayer can be granted . . .
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.
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!
“My mom had always told me – when you meet “the one”, you’ll know; they’ll captivate your heart the moment you lay eyes on them. I had always wondered, though, if my mom’s words of wisdom were finite – if they applied to everyone. Maybe those who had found their one great love were the lucky few, and maybe the rest of us would have to settle for less than earth-shattering.”
Seventeen-year-old Kat Walsh is a Gifted – a human with paranormal abilities. With her mom a former Angel and her dad a dream prophet, it’s always been in her genetic make-up to be extraordinary. But, unfortunately for her, the world can’t handle the strange or unusual. So when she slips up and uses her powers at her high school in Ireland, the entire student body treats her like a freak – even the ones she thought were her closest friends.
Broken, but hopeful for a fresh start, she allows her parents to enroll her in a boarding school buried deep within the forests of a small Colorado town. At Midland Pines, School for the Gifted, she feels as though she can finally be herself; she makes new friends and even has the attention of the most popular guy in school – Levi. Everything feels normal again… or does it?
Not long after her arrival, weird dreams of an alluring boy whom she’s never met surface during the night, and the eerie, shadowy trees encircling their school seem to call to her. As these disturbing, yet enticing developments intensify, other bizarre occurrences happen – students and staff turn up missing, and mystery visitors leave gifts while she sleeps. With all of these other things fighting for her attention, a desperate Levi has to fight even harder to keep her interest. But with the dreams of the attractive boy slowly captivating her heart, Kat has to make a choice – will she settle for ‘great’ Levi, or will she search for her elusive dream visitor, possibly stumbling across ‘amazing’?From the author of the Alyx Rayer Chronicles, comes a refreshingly different Young Adult series with plenty of love, suspense, and a new take on the Paranormal.
Recommended for readers 16 and up due to mature content.
RIGHT NOW YOU CAN PURCHASE CAPTIVATE ME FOR JUST $0.99!
Captivate Me by S.J. Pierce Publication date: April 1st 2014 Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
My Review:
I really enjoy paranormal, Young Adult books, so when I read in the synopsis of Captivate Me, that the main character, Kat, goes to a boarding school for kids with special powers, I was super intrigued and knew that I just had to read it.
This story had a slightly different take then I thought it would. Surprisingly the students at Kat's school are friendly and supportive. You do not see that very often in young adult books! I also loved the dynamic that Kat had with her family. Although her parents were far away, you still got the sense that they were supportive and there for her. There was an honesty and a trust between them, and I liked how Kat felt like she could talk to them. It was just really refreshing to see!
Sometimes I did get frustrated with Kat, and the love triangle hurt. Honestly, I didn't know which guy to root for as they were both incredibly sweet! I think my heart broke a little for the 'other' guy. I was really surprised that there wasn't more tension in the end because of how things went about. Also, I'm not sure how I feel about how the main love story came to be. It all seemed so quick and sudden. Hopefully in the book(s) to come, he (who was chosen) and Kat will get to know each other more.
I really enjoyed the banter of Kat's guy friends! They really cracked me up. I think my favorite character in Captivate Me was Ronnie. I loved his personality, confidence and his humor. I always looked forward to when he was in the scenes, because you never knew what he was going to say or do.
I have to say, that the author surprised me at the end! Throughout the whole book, I had this thought that a certain character had a hand in the crime. So I have to tip my hat to S.J. Pierce for pulling a fast one on me!
Author Bio: Susan James Pierce has a degree in Marketing Management, works for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, Georgia, and devotes her precious, spare time to writing Fantasy, Paranormal and Sci-fi novels.
Nora and Patch thought their troubles were behind them. Hank is gone and they should be able to put his ugly vendetta to rest. But in Hank's absence, Nora has become the unwitting head of the Nephilim and must finish what Hank began. Which ultimately means destroying the fallen angels - destroying Patch.
Nora will never let that happen, so she and Patch make a plan: lead everyone to believe they have broken up, and work the system from the inside. Nora will convince the Nephilim that they are making a mistake in fighting the fallen angels, and Patch will find out everything he can from the opposing side. They will end this war before it can even begin.
But the best-laid plans often go awry. Nora is put through the paces in her new role and finds herself drawn to an addictive power she never anticipated.
As the battle lines are drawn, Nora and Patch must confront the differences that have always been between them and either choose to ignore them or let them destroy the love they have always fought for.
My Thoughts:
I remember reading Hush, Hush (book one) last year and really enjoying it. Although I liked the second and third books of this series, I didn't find them as captivating as Hush, Hush. Finale, however, managed to draw me in and I was happy to find that I really liked it! It was a great ending to a fun series.
We pick up shortly where we left off in Silence. Nora has gotten herself in a situation that she really does not want to be in. The Nephilim have sworn to go to war with the fallen angels, and that includes Patch. Therefore, Nora must walk a thin line between what she wants to do and what she should do.
I must admit, I found it kind of hard to believe that Hank would entrust the care of his Nephilim army into the hands of such a young girl, especially when he knew that she didn't want the job and didn't know what she was really doing. Did he really expect the Nephilim to blindly follow her? Despite all this, Nora seemed competent and confident, and did not outwardly show her insecurities, but to a few trusted friends. I found myself adoring Scott throughout this whole book, and I think I many have even liked him better than Patch! Scott was there for her without any questions asked and gave everything he had to help her when she needed him. Patch was great in this story too. He really loves and trusts Nora, and tries to protect her, even when she disagrees with him. Sometimes Nora did come across as rash and naïve, so I'm glad that Patch did what he needed to do.
Although parts of Finale made me sad, I think that the series ended in a good way (which is saying a lot, since I am often afraid of finishing any series). There were also a couple of big surprises that I didn't see coming! I also loved the prologue and felt comfortable with how the story ended.
**This time, I decided to listen to the audio version of Finale, and I'm so glad that I did! I was really impressed with the reader, Caitlin Greer, as she did a fantastic job, and her voice was very pleasant. I hope to find some more audio books narrated by her.
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.
