{Review} Mighty Mo by Alison Brown

Posted by Donna
Release Date:  September 1st, 2014
Finished Date: November 25th, 2014

Publishers: Tiger Tales
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Ages: 3-6 years 
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 32

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Mo the raccoon was bored. "There must be SOMETHING amazing I can do," he says. So he sets off to the zoo to find something to do. He tries serving ice-cream cones but ends up making a huge mess. He decides to give his friends new hairstyles, but that turns into a disaster. "Everything's gone wrong!" Mo sighs. Then he learns that someone has stolen a valuable statue from the zoo. It's up to Mo to save the day!

The Review: What a cute read! Might Mo sure does get up to some pretty cool things and with his big imagination it’s a fun packed read. We see him trying to serve ice-cream cones and giving his friend a new hairstyle. We see him try several different things and even though things don’t always go to plan, Mighty Mo NEVER gives up. That’s the message of this story. No matter what, there is something your good at and even though Mighty Mo fails a few things, he doesn’t even up until he can do something amazing and, that’s stopping Ron the Robber from stealing a statue – Mighty Mo to the rescue! 

I enjoyed reading this to my daughter. I noticed she was interested in seeing what adventures Mighty Mo got up yo and she enjoyed the story. I think I enjoyed it more than her though – I’m a big kid at heart. I just loved Mighty Mo and would love to see more tales from him. The story is colourful and bright with great illustrations. 

In all, a thoroughly enjoyable read for children and even for adults too! 

Thank you to Tiger Tales for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} Max and the Won't Go to Bed Show by Mark Sperring and Sarah Warburton

Posted by Donna
Release Date:  November 7th, 2013
Finished Date: November 25th, 2014

Publishers: HarperCollins Children's
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Ages: 3-6 years 
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 32

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

A fabulous bedtime show that's perfect for a bedtime reading adventure!

Join Max and his dazzling show! But in the end, even great magicians need to go to sleep.

Max the Magnificent is a daring magician. He can make cookies disappear, make animals appear, and even tame savage beasts! Cheer as he makes a cookie disappear (very slowly)! Gasp as he asks for ten (yes, ten) bedtime stories! Will he be able to accomplish the most difficult trick and put off bedtime?

The Review: Max and the Won’t Got to Bed Show is a funny, witty and very entertaining read and seriously perfect for you to read to your little one before bedtime!

We had so much fun reading this book. I didn’t know what to expect or what my daughter’s reactions would be to Max’s show, but I loved how much she and I enjoyed it. It’s a great book that reads as though you were actually at a show and it’s great to put on your ‘show’ voice to entertain your little one that much more.

The illustrations are bright and have so much colour bursting from the pages. Each page has so many different styles of fonts printed on the page and in such a fun way too.  And the way the story is printed on the page is so much fun.

Max is a great character and he has such a big imagination that any child can relate to him especially if they enjoy making up their own stories or role player. My daughter really enjoyed his show and it’s one we’ve read many times since the first time.

Thank you Max for a very entertaining show!

Thank you to HarperCollins for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} First Contact by Kat Green

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: August 15th, 2014
Finished Date: November 19th, 2014

Publishers: Crescent Moon Press
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery, Adult
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: 158

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Sloane Osbourne is a paranormal realtor in the business of selling haunted houses but, in truth, she's only searching for one ghost. And her time is running out. 

It's the 366th day after her fiance's death. Michael used to like putting things off for "a year and a day"-so tonight's the night. Sloane will do anything to make contact with him before the clock strikes midnight. 

When she gets a call to check out a home in Waukesha, Wisconsin, it's the last place she thinks Michael would contact her. Sloane is dead wrong. Michael appears...and tells her to get out of the house. Immediately."

The Review: I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in one sitting!
As the synopsis tells us – Sloane Osbourne became a paranormal real estate agent so that she could search for the ghost of her dead fiancé Michael. He had a thing where he would say put it off for a year and a day, so Sloane has a good feeling he will come through for her tonight, exactly a year and a day later and what better way to come through than a haunted house that has a potential buyer and Sloane is on the case. Once there she goes about her business with her paranormal detecting kit and waits….. then the banging starts…..then comes the cries for water…… then comes Michael and he tells her she needs to leave NOW!!! But does Sloane leave? No, she wants more time with Michael but what she uncovers could give her time with him…..permanently!
This book was just brill, I connected to Sloane straight away because she was grieving but being proactive about it by trying to hunt down Michael’s ghost. You can tell that she loved him a lot and that is what was driving her on her mission to make contact and the ‘year and a day’ rule was cute. In the beginning when she’s explaining how she came to be travelling to the potential haunted house, my suspicion was aroused straight away; I understand why she wanted to do it and that her focus on Michael was the driving force but alarm bells started  ringing straight away. When she makes contact on the first night and is given her warning she did exactly as I would have – delved right into it. The story that followed was an edge of the seat ride, very atmospheric and you could easily picture yourself as Sloane, sitting, waiting in the dark for contact, exploring the house with her detecting technology, finding a strange basement with a chair facing an unusually clean incinerator, hearing voices & banging and being scared beyond anything but knowing she needs to be right where she is if she hopes Michael will come through. She enlists the help of Michaels best friend who is not only sensitive to ghosts and has seen them but is also on the FBI payroll, he drops everything to get to Sloane because we all know something is not right which is furthermore proven when we meet the former owner of the house. As she starts to investigate we see that the house has a more sinister history than we thought but will its secrets be revealed? I also liked how as we go through the story that we get flashbacks to Sloane’s happy times with Michael which brought some insight into their relationship but also lightened up a very spooky story. You could be forgiven for thinking that this is going to be a typical love tragedy where one of the couple has died and needs to deal with unfinished business…….you would be wrong though. What this book is, is a whole lot more – filled with mystery, intrigue and suspense – and it would make an excellent movie. I urge you to give this book a read and be just as surprised as me by how great it is! 

Thank you to Kat Green for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Promo} Entangled Publishing's Black Friday Exclusive Sales

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Here's a selection of the books they have on sale!
 
  
 
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{Feature} Waiting on Wednesday (#95)

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Jess's WoW

Maybe Not
by Colleen hoover
Release Date: November 24th, 2014

When Warren has the opportunity to live with a female roommate, he instantly agrees. It could be an exciting change.

Or maybe not.

Especially when that roommate is the cold and seemingly calculating Bridgette. Tensions run high and tempers flare as the two can hardly stand to be in the same room together. But Warren has a theory about Bridgette: anyone who can hate with that much passion should also have the capability to love with that much passion. And he wants to be the one to test this theory.

Will Bridgette find it in herself to warm her heart to Warren and finally learn to love?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Jess's thoughts: Loved the first book, Maybe Someday. And although this is just a novella, I can't wait to read it and get more from these characters. 

Donna's WoW

Swept Away
by Michelle Dalton
Release Date: May 5th, 2015

Beachfront love blossoms in this refreshing summer romance, in the tradition of Sixteenth Summer and Seventeenth Summer.

Mandy Sullivan isn't exactly looking forward to the summer months as tourists invade her seaside hometown on the coast of Maine. Her best friend, Cynthia, has abandoned her for camp and her older brother just announced he'll be staying at college taking classes for the summer, leaving Mandy with nothing to do and no one to hang out with. Hoping to keep herself busy, Mandy takes a volunteer job at the Rocky Pointe Lighthouse. On her very first day, Oliver Farmingham asks for a private tour. A new and incredibly cute face in Rocky Pointe, Oliver seems more interested in Mandy than the lighthouse and its history.

Without her best friend at her side, Mandy is scrambling to act the right way and say the right things when Oliver is around. Cynthia not Mandy has always been the confident, flirtatious girl that everyone wanted to be around. As Mandy and Oliver spend more time together exploring the coast, biking through the woods, and attending the local summer festivals, their budding friendship becomes much more. But with Mandy's insecurities creeping to the surface, can she open her heart to someone who will only be in town for three months?

Donna's thoughts: I finished Michelle Dalton's Pulled Under over the weekend and loved it. Swept Away will be the third book I read of her's and I can't wait! Or maybe the fourth book if I get Fifteenth Summer before May! =)

<What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

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Grab the logo, post your own WoW entry on your blog, and leave your link at Breaking the Spine. 

Happy Reading!

{Review} Pulled Under (A Sixteenth Summer Novel) by Michelle Dalton

Posted by Donna
Release Date: May 6th, 2014
Finished Date: November 22nd, 2014

Publishers: Simon Pulse
Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance
Source: Gifted
Format: Paperback

Pages: 288

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

A shy teen befriends an attractive beach town tourist in this refreshing summertime romance, in the tradition of Sixteenth Summer and Seventeenth Summer.

In the small town of Pearl Beach, Florida, Izzy Lucas needs only her surfboard and the water to be completely happy. She wants nothing to do with parties, popularity contests, or showing her face around the clichéd touristy hangouts. Izzy’s tight group of coworkers at the local surf shop have tried relentlessly to break shy Izzy out of her (sea)shell. But Izzy isn’t interested…until the day Ben Barker walks into the store.

Ben’s from the city. He’s cute, charming, and wants her help adjusting to beach town culture. As the weeks of surfing lessons and pizza shack visits fly by, Izzy and Ben realize their attraction goes beyond mere friendship. But Ben is only in town for three months, and Izzy wonders if this amazing guy is worth stepping out of her comfort zone for what might be the perfect summer romance—or her first heartbreak.

The Review: Pulled Under is the second book I’ve read by author Michelle Dalton and she’s definitely becoming one of my favourite authors for writing the perfect summer read because Pulled Under is the perfect summer read!

Isabel Lucas lives in a small tourist town called Pearl Beach, Florida with her happily married parents, her two best friends whom she shares everything with and works with at the local surf shop but the most important is, that she lives right next to the beach so she can surf any time she wants. It’s during the summer holidays that her friends force her to take a risk and take a chance on the new guy in town, Ben who is spending his summer in Pearl Beach instead of his hometown of Wisconsin.
But Ben is only in town for 3 months and can Isabel take the risk of getting close to Ben, knowing full well that by the end of the summer she’ll be alone again.

I absolutely loved Pulled Under. I had planned to read it during the summer but didn’t have chance and even though it’s not summer here now in the UK, it was still a great read – one that could be read at any time of the year and one I’m sure you’d enjoy.

I had a smile on my face pretty during the whole of the story because of how fun it is. Isabel is a great character. She’s down to earth, fun and even though she’s shy, she’s not too shy that makes her not enjoy her life. She opens up and grows throughout the summer and yeah, most of that is down to Ben who opens her up to more experiences, but even without Ben, I felt as though she is still a good character to get to know. And Ben is awesome. Even though he does have a tough time during the story, he’s still lovely to get to know and just a little swoon-worthy.

In all, I’m dying to read more from Michelle Dalton. Fifteenth Summer is high on my wish list while I waited for the next Sixteenth Summer Novel – Swept Away!

{Review} Reclaiming the Wolf (Cascade Shifters #1) by Jessie Donovan

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: September 9th, 2014
Finished Date: November 14th, 2014

Publishers: Self Published
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: Unknown

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Female wolf-shifter clan leaders are rare, but Kaya Alexie thrives on the challenge and can handle anything the men of her pack throw her way. However, when the male cougar-shifter who broke her heart ten years ago shows up on her doorstep with a dead wolf-shifter in tow, her whole world goes off-kilter. She’s determined to ignore him, but when a virus threatens to decimate her clan, she has no choice but to work with her ex and his brother to survive.

Sylas Murray is sent by his brother to ask for the wolves’ help in solving the mystery of a recent wolf-shifter attack. There are a few problems, however. Not only is he a cougar-shifter among a pack of wolves, the clan leader is also his ex-girlfriend. To say they had a bad break-up would be putting it mildly—Sy’s actions nearly destroyed the truce his clan had with the wolf-shifters. But as a virus threatens the GreyFire wolves, Sy and Kaya must put aside their past to find a cure.

As they work together and race against the clock, Sy starts to wonder why he let Kaya go in the first place. Despite their past, will he be able to reclaim the wolf that captured his heart and start over?

The Review: With Reclaiming the Wolf, Jessie Donovan is definitely becoming one to watch in the paranormal romance genre as she brings a great story with great characters every time and this is no different.
Kaya and Sylas have history, the thing about these two is that they are both from rival shifter clans - with Kaya being a wolf and Sylas being a cougar - they were in a relationship when they were younger and it turned sour. Fast forward 10 years and Kaya is now the Alpha of her pack, a very strong capable woman who has pulled her pack back from disorder & bankruptcy and earned the respect of everyone around her. When wolves with purple eyes start attacking cougars and one turns up dead on their doorstep, Sylas is thrust back into her life and not wanting to risk the tenuous relationships between packs – Kaya is forced to co-operate with the man who stole & broke her heart all of those years ago. I love a story where the lead male & female have known each other beforehand and especially when they have had a relationship and parted on bad terms because usually, it’s a misunderstanding or someone has come between them in a meddling sort of way. I love these because there is always sexual tension and unfinished business which carries across to the story and that is exactly what we get here. The chemistry between these two is HOT! You can tell they still have the connection that they shared all of those years ago and these two are not about to beat around the bush when it comes to getting what they want – that isn’t to say that they don’t need to hash out the past to clear the air, because they do – but they both aren’t stupid when it comes to realising what they are to each other and what they could be again, which led to a lot of sexytime.

With the arrival of the purple eyed wolves it becomes apparent that someone is infecting the wolves with something and letting them loose on cougar land which could end up in either a war between the two clans or her pack being wiped out to the virus, so it makes sense that a representative from each side do the investigating. This is a perfect excuse to team Kaya and Sylas up giving them plenty of opportunity to get to know each other again, learn how each other operates and hopefully that they can trust each other again. The investigation gives us an insight into how Kaya saved the pack but also shows us that not everyone is as honest as they should be and when the virus spreads, it becomes a race against time to find a cure and uncover the culprit. I enjoyed the plot in this and thought the virus brought something new to the usual shifter stories we get, I also liked that it showed what the shifters did to stay afloat and how they’re actually helping humans in a way. I liked the investigative feel of it and how they went about doing it, there’s a little twist part way through too that will have you hoping against hope that a cure will be forthcoming and we see just how far the couple have come relationship wise in such a short time.
To sum it up – this was a great book, great story, great characters, lots of sexytime and everything I love in a paranormal romance and I’ll be looking out for more in the series.

Thank you to Jessie Donovan for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Feature} Showcase Sunday (#61)

Showcase Sunday is a new weekly meme hosted by Vicky @ Books Biscuits and Tea. We will now be taking part in Showcase Sunday instead of In My Mailbox. If you'd like to join see HERE for more details.

Bought:

Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings #1) by Jackson Pearce 

Sweetly (Fairytale Retellings #2) by Jackson Pearce
Banished (The Blackhart Legacy #1) by Liz de Jager

For Review:

The Love Game (The Game #1) & Playing for Keeps (The Game #2) by Emma Hart

Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

Pure (Covenant #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

Apollyon (Covenant #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Keep Me Safe (Slow Burn #1) by Maya Banks
SeaBEAN (SeaBEAN Trilogy #1) by Sarah Holding
SeaWAR (SeaBEAN Trilogy #2) by Sarah Holding
SeaRISE (SeaBEAN Trilogy #3) by Sarah Holding

Loan:

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

  

Thank you to the publishers for so many amazing books! I can't wait to read them and thank you to Misty for loaning me Tiger Lily! 

{Review} Otherworld Nights (Otherworld Stories #3) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: October 7th, 2014
Finished Date: November 3rd, 2014

Publishers: Orbit
Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Anthologies
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback

Pages: 353

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

 This short story collection will include many brand-new tales and others only previously available on Kelley Armstrong's website. Most of the stories will feature the werewolves of the Otherworld, Elena and Clay, Jeremy, Karl and other members of the American Pack. These are some of Kelley Armstrong's best-loved and most enduring characters, from bestselling books such as Bitten, Stolen and Frostbitten.

1) Demonology - Adam's mother discovers what he is
2) Stalked - Clay/Elena honeymoon story from "My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon"
3) Hidden - SubPress 2012 Elena/Clay novella
4) Twilight - a Cass story from "Many Bloody Returns"
5) Chivalrous - Reese's backstory from SubPress's long sold-out "Tales of Dark Fantasy 2" (the Dec'14 SubPress graphic novella picks up this storyline)
6) Lucifer's Daughter - Hope/Karl story from "Blood Lite II: Overbite"
7) From Russia with Love - Elena bonus story included with hardcover of "Thirteen"
8) Vanishing Act - brand-new Savannah/Adam novella set after "Thirteen"

The Review: Otherworld Nights is a collection of short stories from Kelley Armstong’s Otherwold series. I’m a huge fan of this series anyway so there was no doubt I would love this book. It was great to be back with the characters from the series again, they feel like old friends and I have missed the series since it ended. I had read all but two of these stories as freebies on the authors website over the years and appreciated them the second time around too. The two new ones that I hadn’t read were Chivalrous – where we get one of the packs newer recruits – Reese’s – background story and it gave a great insight into his character & totally explains why he is so skittish about the pack and why he was unwilling to trust any of them. The other one is Vanishing Act which was written for this book and featuring Savannah & Adam. It was great to be back with these two characters and see a little more of them in action, the story was great with a lot of action and characters crammed into the short space of the story and you can actually feel the maturity of Savannah now in how she deals with everything from her life, her love, her attitude towards the investigation and also her future with Adam. I was pleased we got a little more of their relationship because this one only started in the end book and it didn’t have much time to mature as say …Elena & Clay or Paige & Lucas etc. it was still new and I feel we didn’t get enough of them. In this however they speak of long term plans, Adams worry about the age gap and holding her back and Savannah’s worries about where her life should be going and where she wants it to go – so a nice balance of plot drama and relationship drama. This is a must read for fans of the series, it was great to be back with them – I only wish we had more books to look forward to because this really does whet the appetite for more.

{Review} Mercury Rising (The Adventures of Hermes, #1) (The Cursed Satyroi, #2.5) by Rebekah Lewis

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: October 31st, 2014
Finished Date: November 12th, 2014

Publishers: Breathless Press
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: Unknown

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Nymphs in peril, obsessive gods, females who literally cannot admit when they're wrong, and unruly satyrs. Just another typical day for Hermes.

When Zeus refuses to demand Apollo release Daphne from captivity in Olympus, the only option left is for Hermes to free the nymph himself. A simple task for a god with his skillset, but risking the wrath of Apollo never went well for anyone. 

However, imprisoned nymphs aren't distraction enough when a former flame crashes back into Hermes' life. It's been a long time since he laid eyes on Hybris, and the timing couldn't be worse. As the goddess of hubris, she has many quirks—such as being incapable of apologizing. And no matter how much she tries to assure him she can be trusted, the memory of her betrayal remains. 

As they formulate a plan to rescue Daphne, Hermes soon suspects no threat is greater than the tribulations of the heart. 

Don't miss the first part of The Adventures of Hermes, a companion series to The Cursed Satyroi.

The Review: Mercury Rising is a really good short story in the Cursed Satyroi series and also the beginning of The Adventure of Hermes. One of the stand out characters in the main series has been Hermes, not only is he a Greek god but he is Pan’s father too. He stands out because for all he is ancient, he is very current in his demeanour and comes across as if he’s a surfer dude, add to that a wicked sense of humour and this character is a hoot! He also has a heart of gold too and he always pops up to help the Satyroi in his own way, it’s like he adopted them and became a father figure to all of them, even if at times they seem more mature than him.
The purpose of this short story seems to be to set up Melancton & Daphne’s story (which I am very much looking forward to) and as we know from book 2 – Melancton promised he wouldn’t try to rescue his beloved nymph Daphne from Apollo anymore in exchange for his friend being able to be with his nymph. Melancton will make good on that promise but what if he doesn’t rescue Daphne? What if someone else does and gives her to Melancton? This is exactly the type of plot Hermes has in mind as he enlists all the allies he can get. One of those turns out to be the mother of Pan and someone who broke Hermes’ heart – Hybris – and with her arrival, he is reminded of what they had together but he wants her to make peace with Pan but with Hybris being the goddess of hubris…. She simply can’t apologise to anyone.
As Hermes goes about his quest, we see all of the things we love about him – humour, sarcasm, wacky dress sense etc. – but we also see a maturity that we hadn’t before and the paternal role he plays to the Satyroi in full effect, by doing this he risks everything to give someone happiness and he is also trying to reconnect his son with his mother who abandoned him. I think this showed more depth and feeling from this character and definitely made me connect with him more. The story has a bit of everything – humour, plotting, conflict and romance with Hermes getting some of his own sexy time – and I can’t wait for more. 

4.5 flowers!

Thank you to Rebekah Lewis for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling #1) by Erika Johansen

Posted by Donna
Release Date: July 17th, 2014
Finished Date: November 14th, 2014

Publishers: Bantam Press
Genre: Adult, Fantasy
Source: Bought
Format: Hardcover

Pages: 448

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Her throne awaits . . . if she can live long enough to take it.

It was on her nineteenth birthday that the soldiers came for Kelsea Glynn. They’d come to escort her back to the place of her birth – and to ensure she survives long enough to be able to take possession of what is rightfully hers.

But like many nineteen-year-olds, Kelsea is unruly, has high principles and believes she knows better than her elders. Unlike many nineteen-year-olds, she is about to inherit a kingdom that is on its knees – corrupt, debauched and dangerous.

Kelsea will either become the most fearsome ruler the kingdom has ever known . . . or be dead within the week.

Combining thrilling adventure and action, dark magic, mystery and romance, The Queen of the Tearling is the debut of a born storyteller blessed with a startling imagination.

The Review: The Queen of  the Tearling has got to be one of my favourite debut novel of this year because Erika Johansen did a fantastic job with the story, creating a marvellous and well written story that captivates you until the very end.

On her nineteenth birthday, Kelsea Glynn must claim what’s rightly hers – her throne and Kingdom. After being hidden away since birth, Kelsea has trained for this day and her future where she needs to be strong for her country, but with many secrets being kept from Kelsea, it’s not until she returns home that she truly finds out what has become of her Kingdom – a Kingdom that is full of fear and a who lotteries their people to the Red Queen so they can become slaves for her. Kelsea maybe young, but she’s determined to save her Kingdom….even if it kills her.

I’ve heard so many good things about The Queen of the Tearling and so I decided to give it a whirl too. Was that a good decision? Totally, I loved it! Usually with fantasy stories they have too many characters or too many different points of view, so that the story becomes complicated and hard to follow. Well not this book. Erika Johansen clearly knew what she was doing when she wrote this book because it’s easy to follow, it’s written well and yeah, it is a great read even though there are a few slow chapters.

I instantly loved Kelsea. She’s a very strong character who isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She takes being the Queen of a Kingdom seriously and, rarely complains about the situation she’s been put in. She’s down to earth and joys herself on the finer things in life, like books. She’s focused on educating the children in her kingdom; helping women better their own futures and helping men find work. She does have help from the Queens' Guard but even then she had to prove herself to them, like she has to prove herself to the Tearling. She really wants to make a different to and it definitely shone throughout this book. I loved her!

Now I’ve finished this book though, I am left wanting more. I want more of The Fetch – who wouldn’t want more? I’m curious about him as a character and as a love interest for Kelsea. There’s next to no romance in The Queen of the Tearling and I honestly didn’t mind, but I’d like to see more improvements in the next story. And of course, I want more of this fantastic world that has been created. A great read! 

{Feature} Waiting on Wednesday (#94)

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Jess's WoW

Confess
by Coleen hoover
Release Date: March 10th, 2015

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

Jess's thoughts: I love Colleen's books. I'm behind on a couple of her stories, but I can't wait to read this one. And look how amazing that cover is! 

Donna's WoW

A Wicked Thing
by Rhiannon Thomas 
Release Date: February 24th, 2015

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept. 

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before.

Donna's thoughts: I've not read a Sleeping beauty retelling yet, so hopefully this one is as good as it sounds!! =)

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{Review} A Fistful of Evil: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Madison Fox, Illuminant Enforcer #1) by Rebecca Chastain

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: August, 2014
Finished Date: November 4th, 2014

Publishers: Mind Your Muse Books
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: 273

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Madison Fox just learned that her ability to see souls is more than a sight: It’s a weapon for fighting evil. The only problem is she doesn’t have a clue what she’s doing. 

On the positive side, her money problems are over, she’s possibly discovered her purpose in life, and her coworker is smoking hot. On the negative side, evil creatures now actively hunt her, and deadly experiences are becoming the norm.

When she thinks it couldn’t get worse, a powerful evil sets up shop at a local hotel’s video game convention, and it’s got its eye on more than the gaming geeks: it is hungry for Madison’s soul. Madison needs to become an expert illuminant enforcer overnight to save her job, her region . . . and her life.

If Stephanie Plum fought evil with magic, it’d look a lot like this.

The Review: A Fistful of Evil was an interesting start to this new series featuring Madison Fox whose life is about to get a whole lot more complicated. The synopsis is spot on about what Madison will go through and it was a fun ride. Madison was a fun character, she has no clue what she’s doing but will wing it for all its worth but she does actually want to do well, she wants to learn and wants to be worthy but because she had been ignoring her gift she is totally inept. She has her eye on a couple of men but romance isn’t really the purpose of this book, it’s all about Madison’s introduction to fighting evil.
The storyline was really good and I thought the author has created something a little different to what the usual UF is about, I like Madison’s gift and how it can be used to fight evil. She is definitely flung in the deep end here and has to learn on the fly but that was an asset to the story because it was amusing to read of her trying her best, her thought process was fun too and she came across really well, so normal for a book character where you could imagine that her reactions would be the same as your own. I loved the species of demons throughout, we have imp demons, monkeys, hounds…. And they’re really just minion-esque for the bigger demons and what they do to unsuspecting humans will make you shiver. Obviously there will be a big bad demon for Madison to cut her teeth on and I had an inclining of where the story was going but when you add all of the action, danger, rescues, fighting…. Even parading around like Lara Croft – you get a fine UF book with tons of potential. My only grumble is that I would have liked a bit more romance in it but that’s personal preference and in no way detracts from the book as a whole. I’m glad I gave this a try and will be looking out for more.

{Review} The Return (Titans #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Posted by Donna
Release Date: February 17th, 2015
Finished Date: October 17th, 2014

Publishers: Spencer Hill Press
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal
Source: Loan
Format: Paperback

Pages: 335

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

The Fates are cackling their bony asses off…

It’s been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent and bloody–which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He’s got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.

Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy’s deal might be, but it’s a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.

But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.

Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.

Book 1 in the new adult paranormal TITAN series, spin-off to the best selling COVENANT series.

The Review: The Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my absolute favourite series ever, so when I heard that JLA was writing more based around Seth with a new series - The Titans, I have to say I was pretty damn excited. I've always had a love-hate relationship with Seth because if you've read the series you know why and if you don't, Seth was kind of a dangerous character so of course I went into The Return with caution. However, Seth is definitely not the same character we've met before and I was completely rooting for him throughout this book.

It's been one year since Seth made a deal with The Titans where he basically handed over his life to them to save the one person he's ever cared about. Now he's become their lackey, handing down punishment to the people that sided with Ares and his job isn't a nice one - it's violent and bloody but Seth's enjoying it because he knows it's what he deserves, especially with all the destruction he's done in the past. But when Apollo comes to Seth with a new task, he's now becomes the protector of a girl who has a massive role to play in trying to overthrow the escaped Itans.

Josie's life is suddenly turned upside down when Seth fills her in on her destiny - she's a demigod and her destiny is to defeat the escaped Titans, and Josie realizes that her crazy mother, might not be so crazy after all. Now she has to leave everything she's ever known and is thrown into a world of danger. But escaping with the hot stranger - Seth might not be so bad after all...right?

I honestly didn't know what to expect when I headed into The Return especially with it being a New Adult story but as normal JLA doesn't disappoint! It was easy to slip into Seth's head and get to know him more than what we have previously saw, especially with half the story being told from his prospective. Seth really wasn't how I knew him. He's definitely different and more aware of how his actions will affect people. If I'm honest, I just wanted to give him a big hug because he's suffered a horrible life when all he's ever wanted is acceptance and love. I really came to love him during this story and feel as though that was always JLA's plan.

With Josie being a new character and with her story being more surrounded the Titans, I enjoyed getting to know her and her story. It took me a little to warm up to her because even though she could see these strange things happening around her and of course it's explained what's her life will be like, it takes ages for her to really understand, for it to really in for her. It takes her a while and so she spends a lot of time thinking about Seth. I wanted her to focus more on her destiny, but once I reached the middle of the story, she changes and realizes that is real and she's needs as much help as she can get. I really enjoyed the connection she had with Seth - she sees the real him and so their story is quiet intense. They make a great team.

The plot of the story is engaging and intriguing, it's dangerous and exciting and did I mention hot? Oh yeah, it's hot! They story is also mixed with Covenant and Titan details and I loved that. It's was like getting the best of both world. And some of my favourite characters made appearances too - Deacon and Luke. It was good to see where they are at and how their world has changed since the event in Sentinel. And I'm hoping Alex and Aiden make an appearance soon. I'm eager to see how Seth will handle that.

In all, The Return definitely left an impression on me and I thoroughly enjoyed Seth and Josie's story and yep, I'm definitely left wanting more! Well done JLA for another fantastic story.

Thank you Kayleigh @ K-Books for loaning me your ARC copy!