Sunday, September 10, 2017

Sunday Post #179

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

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I hope all that have been in the multiple hurricane paths are safe! This has been one crazy few weeks with nature. I hope all have found safe harbor and have homes to return to. Just, wow. I'm sorry.

I've been on the low side this week. As you probably noted, I didn't post anything this last week. That was a blend of two things. I didn't have much ready to post and life has been moving fast. The audio books I've been listening to have been ten hours in length. Those take me a week to get through at work. It's a long time, but with phones and co-workers it takes longer to get through. And my evenings have been full as I've started going out. I know, shocker! One day this week was a ten year celebration for the hair salon I go to. It was great. I've also been busy with for pay work on editing. I've also got photography to get touched up and ideas to capture. So, yeah, I've been working to keep busy.

I think when winter settles in I'll slow down and stay home more. But I need firewood! So I can cozy up at the fireplace. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Fit Booker:

Goal:  Workout in any form of exercise (or on Wii Fit) 2x's a week. (to feel better and hope to drop a few pants sizes)

How did I do last week... Seriously!? What's exercising?!?! lol. It's been to chaotic around here to get exercising in. How do others do this? Raise a family, work, AND exercise? O.o


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What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:
Of Flame and Fate by Cecy Robson
AND Content Editing work

Current Audiobook:
Paying the Price by Terry Mixon

Current Podcast Book Listen:
Stonebriar Casefiles: Bad Alchemy by Laura Nicole Spencer (You can listen for free too!)


Finished Last Week: 
Nothing yet.


Audiobooks from Audible:
Nothing Yet.



Finished Podcast Book Listen:
Nothing yet.


DNFed:

~~~~~~~~~~

Last Two Weeks on the Blog:


Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)




Guest Posts:



Posts:

Spellbound in a Flash:
Kaelber


Spellbound in a Flash now has a Facebook Page!
Football season has started, so you can catch my photos of the games at the Facebook Page.

Challenged Writers:
(I need to update)


Around the Internet...



Reviews:



Podcast Review:




Mama Bitchstress Reviews:



GIVEAWAYS:


~~~~~~~~~~

This Week to Come on the Blog:


I will write up two reviews and schedule.



~~~~~~~~~~

Received In Last Two Weeks:
(Note: Links to Amazon are buy links where I could earn commission, in case you are interested.)


For Review Consideration:



Audio Books Requested for Review:





Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:
Book:
Demonic Contract by Catherine Banks
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Tora's been on a lot of awful blind dates. All she wants is to find someone who loves her for who she is, which might be a tall order considering she's part demon.

But then she goes out with the gorgeous Edan, and the pair immediately hit it off. Edan's forthcoming about being a dragon, and royalty, to boot, which only makes Tora even more reluctant to risk ruining things by telling him about her demon heritage. However, no matter how hard she tries, she can't keep it a secret forever.

Celestial Mates Complete series (Books 1-5) by C.J. Scarlett
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Complete Box Set of Celestial Mates, a collection of 5 titles that have all the romance, action, and drama to leave you hooked.

As you read Celestial Mates, you’ll travel to exotic planets with hot alien men and experience the touching stories of 5 brides and their quest to be with the ones they love.

Book 1 – Ambassador's Bride
Book 2 – Fire Princess Returns
Book 3 – Clone's Bride
Book 4 – Imperial Bride
Book 5 – Warrior's Bride

Content Warning: Explicit love scenes. Intended for mature audiences only.




Audio:



Free Ebooks:
(On my Kindle and Nook App) Links to books under title. They may or may not be free at this time.
Pumpkintown Perils Volume 1 by Aubrey Law
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
You say WITCH like it's a bad thing...

"This is fine comedic writing that raises suspicions as much as it tickles the funny bone. Hop on for a ride that proves ‘witch’ is NOT a bad thing. Very entertaining and unique stories." - Grady Harp, Amazon Vine Voice & Hall of Fame reviewer

Living near a village of gnomes in the enchanted forest called Jagged Wood, Wanda Tempest owns a magic supply shop, practices witchcraft, drinks hard liquor, and does her best to keep peace with the local two-thousand pound Wood Trolls. She also happens to be a promising, if only part-time, Private Investigator. She’s talented, attractive, and has earned the respect and admiration of the equally talented, though far less striking, Pumpkintown Police Inspector Sam Shamrock, a tobacco-tainted, lascivious, and loud-mouthed leprechaun. Sam's crazy about Wanda… she’s crazy about her cat-food-hating whiskered companion, Jinxy.

Join this formidable, if mismatched, crime-solving duo, as they tackle mysteries ranging from the suspiciously scandalous to the supernaturally strange. Tormented talking trees, naughty gnomes, terrible trolls, and homicidal humans will keep Wanda and Sam fighting for justice, and their very lives.

Curse Breaker by Melinda Kucsera
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Secrets threaten, but magic kills.
Plagued by sanity-twisting magic, Sarn must unravel a deadly mystery. But he’s prevented at every turn because his life is not his own. Haunted by one of the victims, Sarn must find out what happened before the ghost drives him mad. As plans collide beneath ensorcelled boughs, one thing is certain. If Sarn can’t get his magic under control, he’ll never discover why enchanted trees committed murder. How far is he willing to go to find the answer? The search might cost more than his sanity. Exposing the truth might claim his life and destroy the secrecy protecting his son from a killer. Something lurks in the enchanted forest and its sights are set on Sarn and the magic in his blood. First in a new series, Curse Breaker: Enchanted is a fast-paced, character-driven fantasy tale with a murderous twist. Sarn’s story unfolds over three action-packed days in his double life leading to a breathtaking finale.

Where Lore Resides - anthology
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Do you have what it takes to survive the adventure? 

Enter into hidden realms and journey across fantastic lands where dragons devour, kingdoms rule, and magic goes awry. Dive into Where Lore Resides, an incredible collection of 10 short fantasy stories by USA TODAY Bestsellers and award-winning authors, all of which feature coming-of-age characters.

Zombies devour, witches cast spells, psychics consult with the dead, and djinn grant wishes gone wrong. In this suspenseful, action-packed collection, heroes battle darkness in epic fights against evil. Romance ignites, heroes battle, and love 
conquers all. But be careful— there’s danger around every corner, and betrayal is lurking in the shadows.

Includes exclusive content never released before! This bonus content can’t be found anywhere else! Includes both young adult and new adult characters, perfect for teens or college-age readers. 

Don’t wait! Find your courage and summon Where Lore Residestoday!

Echo in Time by Lindsey Fairleigh
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Their love is destined to shatter the boundaries of time…

Archaeology grad student Alexandra Larson’s world is turned upside down when her mother shares her deepest, darkest secret—that she doesn’t know the true identity of Lex’s father. The revelation sparks a change within Lex, and her dreams become far too real. She sees things she shouldn’t be able to see…knows things she couldn’t possibly know. Terrifying things. Deadly things.

To distract her from the surreal changes taking over her life, Lex leaps at the chance to join an Egyptian excavation run by Oxford’s enigmatic Professor Marcus Bahur. But the distraction might be more than she bargained for. While deciphering the secrets of a mysterious stone tablet, Lex falls headlong into a prophecy created by a dying god over four millennia ago. She must rely on her frightening new psychic powers to dig up the truth. And it doesn’t take long for her visions to convince her that both Professor Bahur and his excavation are much more than they seem…

The past clashes with the present in this paranormal tale of ancient prophecies and warring gods. If you like Egyptian mythology, steamy romance, and headstrong characters who won’t give up until they discover the truth, then you’ll love the first installment in author Lindsey Fairleigh’s sprawling time travel adventure. 

Soul-mate by Anna Santos
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Annabel is a bad-ass hybrid hunter, seeking revenge from the vampire who killed her parents and put her brother in a coma. Arriving in a new town with an undercover identity to protect and the mission to find a pureblood vampire to save her brother’s life, the last thing Annabel needs is to fall in love with the sexy, persistent werewolf who thinks she’s a helpless human in need of a knight in shining armor.

Shane is a dominant werewolf who also happens to be the local sheriff. He has almost lost hope of finding his better half. So when his beautiful soul-mate shows up and rogue vampires try to kill her, he does what any smart wolf would do: he saves her and takes her home, hoping to convince her that they belong together.

When sparks fly between them, Annabel has to decide if she tells him who she really is or runs the other way to protect her secrets.


Rook: Bridge & Sword by JC Andrijeski
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Apocalyptic. Psychic Romance. 

“You are the Bridge…” 

Allie Taylor lives in a world populated by seers, a second race discovered on Earth at the beginning of the 20th Century. Psychic, hyper-sexual and enslaved by governments, corporations and wealthy humans, seers are an exotic fascination to Allie, but one she knows she’ll likely never encounter, given how rich you have to be to get near one. 

Then a strange man shows up at her work –– then another –– and pretty soon Allie finds herself on the run from the law, labeled a terrorist and in the middle of a race war she didn’t even know existed. Yanked out of her life by the mysterious and uncommunicative Revik, Allie discovers her blood may not be as “human” as she always thought, and the world of seers might not be quite as distant as she always imagined. 

When Revik tells her she’s the Bridge, a mystical being meant to usher in the evolution of humanity––or possibly its extinction––Allie must choose between the race that raised her and the one where she might truly belong. 

A psychic end of the world story with romance, a cyberpunk flair and apocalyptic, metaphysical leanings akin to the Matrix. 

NOTE: An alternate version of this book was previously published as book 1 in the “ALLIE’S WAR” series (this version has been heavily revised/edited prior to re-release). 

Standalone novel. No cliffhanger. 

*Warning: this book contains graphic language, sex, and violence. Mature readers only. Not intended for young readers.* 

ROOK is book 1 in the Bridge & Sword: Awakenings series - a series set in the Bridge & Sword World. It is also related to the Quentin Black World, and takes place in the wider history/world of the seers. 

Next in the Bridge & Sword world: SHIELD (Bridge & Sword: Awakenings #2) – coming soon! Or if you’d like to read more about seers, check out BLACK IN WHITE (Quentin Black Mystery #1), which occurs in a version of Earth much closer to our own. 

THE BRIDGE & SWORD WORLD encompasses a number of dark, gritty science fiction and apocalyptic story arcs with romantic (and sexy) elements, starring Alyson Taylor and her partner, dark and dangerous infiltrator, Dehgoies Revik. For fans of gritty, character-driven science fiction and fantasy worlds, filled with twists and turns and backstabbing betrayals, with heroes and villains who can be equally relatable (and sometimes the same people). The Bridge & Sword books span continents and historical periods as Allie and Revik try to save the human and seer races from destroying one another, and keep their friends and loved ones alive in the process.

Chieftain of Andor by Andrew J. Offutt
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
An outcast, beleaguered and betrayed. Now, he will live again… 

Robert Cleve does not belong. On Earth, he is out of his depth – a semi-barbarian, an atavist in the modern world. 

But one day, he answers an ad that will change his life forever. 

He is offered an opportunity to live in another man’s body – on another planet, many parsecs away. A man with no ties, decisive mind, and sound body, Cleve is selected to take over the body of warrior chief Doralan Andrah, who is pivotal on his world of Andor, but whose mind is dying. 

Cleve’s adjustment to the semi-primitive world is hard and fast – just how Cleve thrives. 

He quickly adapts to the new body and skills, learning to become the warrior he knew he always could be. 

But his memories of Earth and our treatment of sorcery leaves him vulnerable in a way he never anticipated. 

Soon, he finds himself surrounded by a cloud of confusion, assaulted from all sides by unfamiliar and unalloyed powers. 

His odyssey begins into the deepest depths of Andor, but he is woefully underprepared for the nameless terrors that await him… 
Chieftain of Andor is a gripping sci fi/fantasy adventure, as one man finds himself beset from all sides in a world that is not his own. Will he thrive, or will Andor claim him as its prize? 

Touching Infinity by Erin Hayes
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
In the future, corporations rule the galaxy. And they’re willing to pay a hefty price to get ahead of the competition.

Enter the downlooters—space pirates who have no affiliation with any corporation. They’ll steal any information for the highest buyer. It’s dangerous work, but for some, it’s the only way to make a living.

It’s how Clementine Jones has spent most of her life. As first mate of the Pícara, she’s more robot than human and the one who downloads classified information to her storage banks.

After years of making successful downlooting runs, she thought she was prepared for everything. She was wrong.

During a particularly easy run, she accidentally downloots a virus unlike anything the galaxy has ever seen. It’s already killed hundreds of thousands at a space port, and it wants to spread even further.

Worst of all, it wants to do it through Clementine.




Free Audio Books/Stories:


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Reviews to Come:

Soulless by Skyla Dawn Cameron
The Sentinel by Chris Lester
The Muse by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Making the Cut by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Whispers in the Wood by Chris Lester
Lex Talionis by Starla Huchton
Spark by Starla Huchton
Heir to Kale by K.L. Bone
Tales from the Archives Vol 4 #5 - Old Sinner's Bones
The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan
Fantasy Online: Hyperborea by Harmon Cooper

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Sunday Post #178

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy Labor Day.

The week is slow at work but flies by when at home. I'm so glad it's a holiday weekend because I can use Monday off work. Lots of great things happening though, all exciting.

Football season is officially underway. We went to our first game yesterday. I do so enjoy the games. I've been working on editing work and pictures I've taken. So many amazing things!

I'm hoping after today I get to relax at home working on things I have on my to do list.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Fit Booker:

Goal:  Workout in any form of exercise (or on Wii Fit) 2x's a week. (to feel better and hope to drop a few pants sizes)

How did I do last week... Seriously!? What's exercising?!?! lol. It's been to chaotic around here to get exercising in. How do others do this? Raise a family, work, AND exercise? O.o


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:
Of Flame and Fate by Cecy Robson
AND Content Editing work

Current Audiobook:
Will start a new one Tuesday.

Current Podcast Book Listen:
Stonebriar Casefiles: Bad Alchemy by Laura Nicole Spencer (You can listen for free too!)


Finished Last Week: 
Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews


Audiobooks from Audible:
Fantasy Online: Hyperborea by Harmon Cooper



Finished Podcast Book Listen:
Nothing yet.


DNFed:

~~~~~~~~~~

Last Two Weeks on the Blog:


Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)




Posts:


Around the Internet...



Reviews:
To Beat the Devil by M.K. Gibson

"I found the story very interesting as it's taking place years after God left. There's a reason for why he left, you get to know it. I liked this concept and spin on the world."


Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

"Hahaha. Nevada and Mad Rogan. I love the banter between these two. Of course he gets off on a bad footing when they first meet, but Nevada won't take any of his crap. I love this as she's a strong personality. Mad Rogan has gotten under her skin though."



Podcast Review:




Mama Bitchstress Reviews:



GIVEAWAYS:


~~~~~~~~~~

This Week to Come on the Blog:


I will write up two reviews and schedule.



~~~~~~~~~~

Received In Last Two Weeks:
(Note: Links to Amazon are buy links where I could earn commission, in case you are interested.)


For Review Consideration:



Audio Books Requested for Review:
The Biscuit Witch by Deborah Smith
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Dear Dr. Firth:
I know you are in your cups at this time, drinking and sleeping under trees, but I have some experience rehabilitating lost souls in that regard, and so I am enclosing a box of my biscuits and a cold-wrapped container of cream gravy for dessert. Please eat and write back. 
We need a veterinarian of your gumption here in the Crossroads Cove of Jefferson County. 
—Delta Whittlespoon, proprietress of The Crossroads Café

Biscuit witches, Mama called them. She’d heard the term as a girl. She’d inherited that talent. My mother could cast spells on total strangers simply by setting a plate of her biscuits in front of them. –Tal MacBride

Welcome back to the Crossroads Cove where new loves, old feuds, and poignant mysteries will challenge siblings Tal, Gabby, and Gus MacBride to fight for the home they lost and to discover just how important their family once was, and still is, to the proud people of the Appalachian highlands. 

Tallulah MacBride hasn’t been back to North Carolina since their parents’ tragic deaths, twenty years ago. But now, Tal heads to cousin Delta Whittlespoon’s famous Crossroads Café in the mountains above Asheville, hoping to find a safe hiding place for her young daughter, Eve. 

What she finds is Cousin Delta gone, the café in a biscuit crisis, and a Scotsman, who refuses to believe she’s passing through instead of “running from.” He believes she needs a knight in shining flannel.

When a pair of sinister private eyes show up, Tal’s troubles are just beginning. 

For Tal’s brother and sister—Gabby, the Pickle Queen, and Gus, the Kitchen Charmer—the next part of the journey will lead down forgotten roads and into beautiful but haunted legacies.




Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:
Book:
Winning package of book, candy, and socks.
Betrayal at Iga by Susan Spann
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Autumn, 1565: After fleeing Kyoto, master ninja Hiro Hattori and Portuguese Jesuit Father Mateo take refuge with Hiro s ninja clan in the mountains of Iga province. But when an ambassador from the rival Koga clan is murdered during peace negotiations, Hiro and Father Mateo must find the killer in time to prevent a war between the ninja clans. 
With every suspect a trained assassin, and the evidence incriminating not only Hiro s commander, the infamous ninja Hattori Hanz, but also Hiro s mother and his former lover, the detectives must struggle to find the truth in a village where deceit is a cultivated art. As tensions rise, the killer strikes again, and Hiro finds himself forced to choose between his family and his honor.


Audio:
The Sand Prince by Kim Alexander
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Two worlds, divided by a door. 

On the war-ravaged demon world of Eriis, Hellne, the fierce young queen, fights to keep her people alive... 

On the green and gentle human world of Mistra, the demons have faded into myth. Only a handful of old men and children still guard The Door between the worlds... 

Rhuun, the Prince of Eriis, uncovers a forgotten book written by a human, sparking an obsession with the other world. When he is forced to flee Eriis, he must escape through The Door or pay the price in blood. 

The humans of Mistra are not what Rhuun was expecting--and one insufferable young woman in particular is about to find out that the demons of Eriis are not mythological after all... 

In Kim Alexander's debut novel she weaves a witty, epic fantasy brimming with diverse characters and plenty of intrigue.



Free Ebooks:
(On my Kindle and Nook App) Links to books under title. They may or may not be free at this time.
The Dragon Lord by Peter Morwood
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
The wizard Gemmel and Dewan, master strategist and captain of King Rynert's guard, journey into the heart of the Drusalan Empire to rescue Aldric Talvalin, after he is betrayed and abandoned by Rynert.

The Shattered Orb by Samuel E. Green
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
For a thousand years, the orb held evil at bay. . .
. . .then someone shattered it.


Hiroc is an orphan disdained by Indham's people. A turn of fate brings him into the Holy Order as an acolyte, winning the people's trust. But on the day he's to make a sacrifice, he finds the altar defiled and its guards impaled. A battle against a cloaked stranger ends with Hiroc summoning fire from the sky, thus ending his life as an acolyte forever.

Commanded by the high priest to keep the news of the shattered orb and his newfound gift a secret, Hiroc is ensnared in a web of treachery and deceit that might just be the end of him and the land itself. When evil encroaches from the North, Hiroc must learn to harness the powers of an Old God. 

Can he save the people who once hated him? Or will the taint of sorcery prove too difficult for one young man to overcome?

Seduced by the Sea Lord by Starla Night
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synposis:
Hot mermen are coming! These tattooed shifters are climbing out of the secret depths to claim their soul mates and save their race.

Determined warlord Torun cannot wait to claim lush captain Lucy, who mistook him for a shipwreck survivor and pulled his injured body from the ocean. All his instincts tell him she is his soul mate. Now she must join with him and give him a child.

Lucy can’t believe the words coming out of this dominant male. He insists her destiny is to become a mermaid queen and mother to his future children. The one thing “destiny” forgot to mention was that Lucy’s a broke divorcee who can’t even have a child. It’s really too bad, because his gorgeous lips are all too kissable, and she’d love to see his iridescent gold tattoos moving as he flexed those broad, hard pectorals under the water...

But Torun’s in more immediate danger than a bad bump to the head, and Lucy is the only one who can save him. Their choices will either save the entire race of mermen, or destroy it forever.

This is a complete novel with a happy ending. Also, it features steamy mer shifter love scenes, underwater gun fights, and a giant female octopus named Mr. Huggles. For mature readers only, please.

Struck by Amanda Carlson
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
When Phoebe Meadows gets struck by a strange light in the stockroom of Macy’s, life as she knows it flies out the window. As if being hit by lightning isn’t bad enough, she’s accosted in the subway by a man with a missing hand, arrives home to find a raven on her kitchen counter, and her neighbor, Ingrid, shows up dressed like a gladiator hell-bent on protecting her.

Before Ingrid can shuttle her to safety, Phoebe is kidnapped and tossed into one of the Nine Worlds where she’s quickly forced to come to terms with what she is: A valkyrie. The only problem is, she has no idea what that means.

After a narrow escape, she finds an unlikely ally in Loki’s son, Fenrir. Together the valkyrie and the wolf must battle their way back to New York City and reach the valkyrie stronghold where Ingrid is waiting for her. But with danger and obstacles at every turn, she might not live long enough to learn the full truth about who and what she really is…

Day of the Viking by J.F. Penn
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
A ritual murder on a remote island under the shifting skies of the aurora borealis. 
A staff of power that can summon Ragnarok, the Viking apocalypse. 

When Neo-Viking terrorists invade the British Museum in London to reclaim the staff of Skara Brae, ARKANE agent Dr. Morgan Sierra is trapped in the building along with hostages under mortal threat. 

As the slaughter begins, Morgan works alongside psychic Blake Daniel to discern the past of the staff, dating back to islands invaded by the Vikings generations ago. 

Can Morgan and Blake uncover the truth before Ragnarok is unleashed, consuming all in its wake? 

Day of the Vikings is a fast-paced, action adventure thriller set in the British Museum, the British Library and the islands of Orkney, Lindisfarne and Iona. 

Set in the present day, it resonates with the history and myth of the Vikings. If you love an action-packed thriller, download a sample or buy Day of the Vikings now. 

Day of the Vikings features Dr. Morgan Sierra from the ARKANE thrillers, and Blake Daniel from the London Mysteries, but it is also a stand-alone novella that can be read and enjoyed separately.

Scales by Pauline Creeden
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Verona is a bottom feeder. She is the one mer in her clan who is considered the ugliest and least intelligent. Growing up with the constant bullying and abuse wasn’t the worst of what her kind had in store for her. At seventeen years old, she must now endure “The Reckoning.”

The scales will measure her worth to her clan. Will she endure thirty days as a land-walker to gather information and knowledge to appease her clan and return a valued member? Will she wait three years, until she is twenty, and find a mer of her kind to accept her and marry her? Or will she suffer exile for the rest of her life?




Free Audio Books/Stories:


~~~~~~~~~~
Reviews to Come:

Soulless by Skyla Dawn Cameron
The Sentinel by Chris Lester
The Muse by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Making the Cut by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Whispers in the Wood by Chris Lester
Lex Talionis by Starla Huchton
Spark by Starla Huchton
Heir to Kale by K.L. Bone
Tales from the Archives Vol 4 #5 - Old Sinner's Bones
The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan
Fantasy Online: Hyperborea by Harmon Cooper

Friday, September 1, 2017

Book Review: Burn for Me

Burn for Me

By:  Ilona Andrews

Publish Date:  October 28, 2014

Format:  400 pgs

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st book in Hidden Legacy series

First Impression:  Strong magic world with family oriented character, and a new "friend".

Synopsis:
Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career—a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn’t sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.

Then she’s kidnapped by Connor “Mad” Rogan—a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run or surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.

Rogan’s after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she’s getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world.

First Sentence:
In 1863, in a world much like or own, European scientists discovered the Osiris serum, a concoction which brought out one's magic talents.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository 

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I read this book for my own enjoyment.

I love that Nevada has a great family. There are 2 sisters, 2 cousins, her mom, and her grandma all living together. They have strong and different personalities. But they are also the reason Nevada takes the job she does. She wants to take care of them all, being the oldest child... and maybe some guilt in there too. But she loves them and wants they cared for as best as possible.

Hahaha. Nevada and Mad Rogan. I love the banter between these two. Of course he gets off on a bad footing when they first meet, but Nevada won't take any of his crap. I love this as she's a strong personality. Mad Rogan has gotten under her skin though. She finds his eyes, and maybe other parts, attention holding.

Then there's the sexy yet "guilty" party that Nevada's to bring in. Adam Pierce. Oh he is a hoot. He's so full of himself. Then there's Mad Rogan. Oh my. He is a man to dream about. And what his magic can do... Well, it's dangerous. He's definitely got a few other issues though. But that makes him a good contrast for Nevada. It's like she's teaching him to be a human being as the story goes. I love how Nevada's view on these two different men are written and perceived from Nevada's eyes. This influences how we feel about them, though I do still smile at Adam's flirting as Grandma just loves him.

I enjoyed the story and the strong personality interaction with Nevada and Mad Rogan, after I let the kidnapping go in my mind. The kidnapping... ugh. It was rough, but it ended well. I *guess* Mad Rogan isn't as bad a guy as thought. But once I was past this, I can see why women are attracted to Rogan.

The book had a few great points to make that felt to hit the heart. Nevada is a strong willed woman. She sees things and points them out. Like the woman that still fall over Mad Rogan because of who he is, looks like, and can do even after he's cruel to them. Seriously. Nevada even points out the response to his mean actions and woman are better than that. That the woman should care more about herself and he doesn't need to act like that. Even family points, loving each other and caring for each other. Nevada's sisters and cousins are still in school (of some sort). It's great at advice that's given at times when those characters are in the scene. I love the family aspect.

The magic system is complex and we get to learn it as we go. This author team gives us the pieces we need of the system with each scene so we can learn it through the characters and world instead of dropping it all in our laps. This works better for me as a reader. And I know there's more to learn, which will come with each book.

The beginning felt like the story wasn't going anywhere. No, not that. It felt as the case Nevada was put on was going to go nowhere. There were no leads, no tips, nothing to work with. Nevada has contacts and makes things happen though. We still didn't get the whole picture of what's going on. We get a solution to Nevada's one purpose on the case, but we are left holding the bag wanting to know the BIG picture. The ending felt really fast for me. I'll have to reread the epilogue and last chapter again and pull it apart.

Am I excited for the next book? Absolutely! I enjoyed Nevada and her life adventures. I'm curious as to what the bigger picture is and what troubles will be in the near future. I'll be picking the next book up.



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