Author Archives: Kristin

Review: Crash Into Me by Tracy Wolff

21 December, 2013 8:14 am , Leave a Comment ,

18489553Crash Into Me
(Shaken Dirty, #1)
By: Tracy Wolff
Publisher: Brazen
Published: Oct. 14, 2013
Genre: Erotic Romance
Rating:
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Jamison Matthews has lusted after Ryder Montgomery since she was a preteen. But now that Ryder and her brother’s band, Shaken Dirty, has made it huge, she’s just one of many pining for the brooding lead singer. Too bad Ryder still sees her as a little sister. Not that it matters. Her brother would never allow it, and the last thing Jamison wants is to be another notch on a rock star’s bed post. Even if it’s Ryder’s.
Ryder doesn’t deserve happiness. After his fame destroyed his last girlfriend, he swore he’d never fall in love again. So when Jamison, the girl he’s been in danger of loving for years, joins the band on the road, he’ll do anything to deny the sparks between them–even after one hot night together. But Jamison is determined to show Ryder that he’s worthy of love–her love–and that she’s all grown up and ready to play.

 

1thoughts

Crash Into Me is a best friends little sister romance with a rock star twist. Jamison has had a crush on Ryder since they were little kids and Ryder knows it. However, her brother and Ryder’s best friend has made it very clear that his baby sister is off limits. However, when Jamison loses her job and becomes the banks chef, the tight quarters become too much for Ryder to handle and pretty soon they find themselves in the one spot that Ryder didn’t want to end up in.

I’m a sucker for these types of romances. I just love them and I don’t know why. Plus, I’m always a huge fan of celebrity romances. So when you combine the two it comes out as one awesome story.

The story doesn’t just focus on Jamison and Ryder though. Since Jamison is on tour with the guys, we get to see their struggles with fame. Jamison’s brother struggles with the separation from his fiance, another band mate struggles with drug use, and another is just so far into the rock star fame that he doesn’t care about anyone or anything around him.

The romance was steamy and by far the best part of the story. This is a great book to read if you’re looking for a sexy romance to read. I will definitely be keeping up with the Shaken team.

 

1favequote“He was playing with fire. He knew he was. Just like he knew he was going to get burned-this was Jared’s sister, after all. Little Jamison, the same girl he’s helped teach self-defense to before her first date and how to drive a car when she turned sixteen.”

kRISTIN

Posted in: Erotic Romance

Review: Burned by Nikki Duncan

20 December, 2013 9:25 am , Leave a Comment ,

15059076Burned
(Whispering Cove, # 4)
By: Nikki Duncan
Publisher: Samhain
Published: July 17, 2012
Genre: Contemp. Romance
Rating:
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Vic Hayes is content with life in Whispering Cove. She owns a successful salon, has great friends and her perfectly manicured nail is on the pulse of the town s gossip. For real happiness, she s only missing one thing a man. Settling for less than the perfect man, though, isn t in her nature. He just has to see her as more than his best friend.

Widower Hauk Michaelsen always dreamed of escaping Whispering Cove, until single fatherhood, too young, made it impossible. He enjoys his life as owner of the small town pub. Friends, gossip, and his young daughter keep things jumping. He would do anything for his little girl, but he can t give her the one thing she desires most a mother.

When Vic and Hauk are teamed up for a Fall Festival project, sparks ignite suppressed flames. Testing boundaries they ve never crossed, they find themselves eager to risk more if Vic can convince Hauk that history won t be repeated if he takes another chance on love.

 

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Posted in: Romance , Tagged: ,

Review: Becoming Alpha by Aileen Erin

17 December, 2013 7:40 am , 3 Comments ,

18242939Becoming Alpha
(Alpha Girl, #1)
By: Aileen Erin
Publisher: Ink Monster
Published: Dec. 17, 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Rating:
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Tessa McCaide has a unique talent for getting into trouble. Then again, it isn’t easy for a girl with visions to ignore what she sees. Luckily Tessa and her family are leaving California and moving halfway across the country, giving her the perfect opportunity to leave her reputation as “Freaky Tessa” behind.

But Tessa doesn’t realize that kissing the wrong guy in her new Texas town could land her in far more trouble than she ever imagined. Like being forced to attend St. Ailbe’s Academy, a secret boarding school for werewolves.

Even if the wrong guy did accidentally turn her into one of “them” and doom her to attending the weirdest high school ever, Tessa can’t help her growing attraction to the mysterious Dastien Laurent.

When vampires attack St. Alibe’s and her visions pinpoint an enemy in their midst, Tessa realizes that boy drama and her newfound canine tendencies might just be the least of her problems.

 

1thoughtsTessa’s life has not been easy. Ever since she was little she’d get visions/memories from a person when she made skin-skin contact with them. So suffice to say, she doesn’t have any friends. When her father gets a job in Texas, resulting in their move, she finds herself starting over. No one knows about her freakish ability or why she wears gloves. So she’s now making friends and hiding her abilities pretty well. But when a boy from the local St. Alibe’s school kisses her a little to roughly, she finds herself the outcast again. That’s not the worst part though. She’s sent away to St. Alibe’s which is a school for werewolves. Which is exactly what Tessa is now. Like she didn’t already have enough on her plate as it was.

Tessa’s had a very lonely life. So when everything goes down and she finds herself in St. Alibe’s, she starts to make friends. She isn’t the weird one anymore. However, it does take her sometime to get used to the school and there are a couple of times where she tries to run away. Which is where the cover comes in. There’s a scene where she’s running through the woods being chased by Dastien and other wolves to stop her from running away. (I just love when a cover connects with the story)

Dastien wasn’t my favorite as far as “heroes” go. He would be strong and stoic one minute and then turn tail abandon Tessa and run the next. Oh and the whole thing with him hanging out with his ex-girlfriend/best friend or whatever the heck they were was not okay. I liked Tessa’s character so much more for not only standing up to Dastien but to the girl as well. She showed a lot of backbone and she got a lot of respect from me for it.

Aileen’s debut novel is pretty awesome. The world building is stellar and the characters, whether likable or not, really shone through. I’m interested to see what comes next for Tessa, Dastien and the gang. This is a great addition to the young adult paranormal romance genre.

 

1favequote“My face was intently hot as he laughed. Holy Freudian slip, Batman. Leave it to me to tell the hottest guy ever that one of my favorite song’s chorus was a guy yelling about how he wants to fu– ‘do’ them like an animal.”

kRISTIN

Posted in: YA Fantasy

Review: Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits by Andrew Schloss

16 December, 2013 8:54 am , Leave a Comment ,

17355265Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits
By: Andrew Schloss
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Published: Oct. 16, 2013
Genre: Cookbook
Rating:
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What do you get when you add flavors and sweetener to vodka, brandy, whiskey, or rum? Homemade liqueurs! You’ll be delighted by how easy it is to make your own versions of popular brands such as Bailey’s, Triple Sec, and Kahlua, as well as dozens of original flavor combinations.

Andrew Schloss shows you the basic techniques for making a liqueur – typically as simple as combining fruit with liquor and sugar, letting the mixture sit for a week, straining, and enjoying – and then provides more than 150 recipes organized by types of flavoring, which include fruits, herbs, spices, nuts and seeds, vegetables, coffee, tea, chocolate, cream, caramel, honey, and butterscotch. Schloss also shows you how to make infused spirits, which are flavored but don’t contain sweeteners.

And finally, he offers 80 recipes for irresistible cocktails you can make with your homemade liqueurs and infused spirits. Cheers!

1thoughtsThis book has a lot of recipes in it. The author not only gives you recipes but takes time in the beginning to go over the basics with you. We get the rundown of what glassware to use, shakers, utensils and he even goes over the simple syrups that you will be using for the recipes. He really broke it all down for you in the beginning before throwing you right into the recipes.

I found a lot of great recipes that I wanted to try but unfortunately wasn’t able to find the ingredients needed. I’m sure you can find them in other areas but with where I live, obtaining items like cacao nibs just isn’t happening unless I order them online. However, a lot of the recipes sounded delicious and I was able to try a few of them with ingredients I was able to find out here. I tried one called Orange Dreamsicle which was a creamy orange vodka and it tasted just like the popsicle. I’d say that one was my favorite.

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This is a great book to have on hand if you are interested in creating your own liqueur. Not only is it self gratifying to know that you made it but I think it tastes a lot better compared to the stuff you buy on a shelf that’s been sitting there for who knows how long. It would also be an amazing holiday/housewarming gift to give someone their own custom made liqueur. I’d love to revisit the book again when I’m living in an area with more shopping options available.

 

1favepartThe recipes. HaHa There were a lot of various recipes and just about all of them sounded amazing.

kRISTIN

Posted in: cookbook

Sunday Wrap-Up #27

15 December, 2013 2:06 am , 10 Comments ,

Sunday Wrap-Up is all about sharing the books and book related items that I’ve picked up recently. I also recap what went on last week and let you in on what’s coming up. I link up my post to Sunday Post, Bought, Borrowed & Bagged, Showcase Sunday, and Stacking the Shelves.

 

Last week on BSA:
Darkness Awakened by Katie Reus (Review)
Viking Fire by Andrea R. Cooper (Guest Post)
Betwixt by Melissa Pearl (Review & Giveaway)
The Professional: Part I by Kresley Cole (Review)
Crash Into You by Katie McGarry (Review)

 

This week on BSA:
Edge of Darkness by J.T. Geissinger (Review)
Becoming Alpha by Aileen Erin (Review)
14 Days of Christmas Giveaway Hop
Burned by Nikki Duncan (Review)
Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits by Andrew Schloss (Review)
Crash Into Me by Tracy Wolff (Review)

 

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Believe
By: Erin McCarthy
Genre: Contemp. New Adult
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Robin used to be a party girl… until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend. Now she’s faced with being THAT girl, and couldn’t be more disgusted with herself. She can’t even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that’s good and oh, so bad…

Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin’s house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he’s drawn to her quiet demeanor, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn’t care that he’s done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist.

But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it’s a naïve dream to believe that his record won’t catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present…

 
 

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Tell Me When
By: Stina Lindenblatt
Genre: Contemp. New Adult
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Amber Scott should be enjoying life as a college freshman. She should be pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She should be working hard to make sense of her precalculus math class.

She shouldn’t be waking up her college roommate with screaming nightmares. She shouldn’t be flashing back, reliving the three weeks of hell she barely survived last year. And she definitely shouldn’t be spending time with sexy player Marcus Reid.

But engineering student Marcus is the only one keeping Amber from failing her math course, so she grudgingly lets him into her life. She never expects the king of hookups will share his painful past. Or that she’ll tell him her secrets in return, opening up and trusting him in a way she thought she’d never be able to again.

When their fragile future together is threatened by a stalker Amber thought was locked away for good, Marcus is determined to protect her. And Amber is determined to protect Marcus…even if that means pushing him away.

 
 

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Escape From Eden
By: Elisa Nader
Genre: Dystopian Young Adult
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Since the age of ten, Mia has lived under the iron fist of the fundamentalist preacher who lured her mother away to join his fanatical family of followers. In Edenton, a supposed “Garden of Eden” deep in the South American jungle, everyone follows the Reverend’s strict but arbitrary rules—even the mandate of whom they can marry. Now sixteen, Mia dreams of slipping away from the armed guards who keep the faithful in, and the curious out. When the rebellious and sexy Gabriel, a new boy, arrives with his family, Mia sees a chance to escape.

But the scandalous secrets the two discover beyond the compound’s façade are more shocking than anything they ever imagined. While Gabriel has his own terrible secrets, he and Mia bond together, more than friends and freedom fighters. But is there time to think of each other as they race to stop the Reverend’s paranoid plan to free his flock from the corrupt world? Can two teenagers crush a criminal mastermind? And who will die in the fight to save the ones they love from a madman who’s only concerned about his own secrets?

 
 

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Eversea
By: Natasha Boyd
Genre: Contemp. New Adult
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When his co-star and real-life girlfriend is caught cheating on him with her married and much older director, A-list hottie, Jack Eversea, finds himself in sleepy Butler Cove, South Carolina. Jack hopes the sultry southern heat in this tiny coastal Lowcountry town will hide him not only from the tabloids and his cheating girlfriend, but his increasingly vapid life and the people who run it. He doesn’t count on meeting Keri Ann Butler.

Keri Ann has relied on herself so long, dealing with her family’s death and the responsibilities of keeping up her family’s historic mansion, that boys and certainly the meager offering of eligible boys in Butler Cove, have never figured into her equation. But fate has other plans. Suddenly face to face with the man who played the movie role of her favorite fictional character, Jack has Keri Ann yearning for everything she has previously avoided … and Jack must decide whether this funny, sassy girl is worth changing his life for, before his mistakes catch up to him.

 
 

bought
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Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: The Jungle Book
By: Mark L. Miller
Genre: Graphic Novel
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A pirate ship carrying four children crashes on the shore of a mysterious and merciless jungle. Each child is taken by a separate tribe of animals as a means to keep the peace between the species. It is a peace that will not last. Fifteen years later, the children have now become young adults and each will have to face the destiny that awaits them. In an unforgiving jungle, four human children will be tested to the limits of survival.

 
 

won
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Otherspere
By: Nina Berry
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
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Dez thought she knew who her mother was, who she was. Thought she had friends, a boy who loved her, and a school where she finally fit in.

But across the veil linking our world and the next lurks a monster which can annihilate. . .or liberate her. Now she must confront it there with help from one boy who loves her and one who can’t stand the sight of her.

Dez thought she understood her tiger form, her deepest self. But in this treacherous place, she’ll have to choose between the two halves of her soul–and determine which world survives.

Othersphere is the third and final installment in Nina Berry’s acclaimed young adult Otherkin series, which blends romance, fantasy, and action in a powerful story of friendship and self-acceptance.

kRISTIN

Posted in: meme

Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

14 December, 2013 8:41 am , 1 Comment ,

17233800Crash Into You
(Pushing the Limits, #3)
By: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Published: Nov. 26, 2013
Genre: Contemporary YA
Rating:
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The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that’s who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers…and she’s just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can’t get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they’ll go to save each other.

 

1thoughtsIn the first book we read about Noah, Isaiah’s roommate/best friend. Then we got Beth’s story who was staying with her aunt and uncle who just so happened to be Isaiah’s foster parents and also where Noah lived. This time we finally got Isaiah’s story and it was well worth the wait.

In the previous two books it was no secret how Isaiah felt about Beth. However she broke his heart in the last book and he’s still pretty pissed over the whole thing. So he’s not looking to hand his heart over to some rich chick who doesn’t even know how deep she’s in when she shows up to do street racing. But when they find themselves in really hot waters over that night, that’s exactly what ends up happening.

I’m really excited that we finally got Isaiah’s story. I felt so bad for him in the last book. He still has it really rough in this book and you dive more into his time in child services but he finds someone to help him through the pain. I really liked getting an inside look at his character because he’s very loyal to those around him even though he’s been through some horrific situations.

“‘Did you really meet her inside a dumpster?’
When he doesn’t answer immediately, I sneak a peek out of the corner of my eye. His hands are on his hips as he stares at the floor. ‘Yeah. We were both looking for food.’
I close my eyes as my heart aches. I can’t imagine what his life has been like.”

I even enjoyed Rachel’s character. At first when the story starts off with a rich girl who wants to race her car, I thought to myself that she was going to be one of those high and mighty chicks. However, she likes to get down and dirty with cars. She hides this side of herself from her family since they want her to be someone who she isn’t but deep down she’s a really cool chick and was a pleasure to read.

I think the family drama that the author introduced to the readers on Rachel’s side was a bit bizarre. I mean, who has a replacement child for one that they’ve lost? And the fact that everyone plays along with it was weird. I suppose that in the end it added an extra layer to the story but it was just weird.

I will say that the drama aspect between Isaiah and Rachel trying to come up with $5,000 within a couple of weeks was a huge plus. There were times where my heart was racing wondering if they’d ever make the money in time before the head honcho street thug, Eric, came to collect. Whether is was money or bodies, he was going to collect in the end. Yup, that part definitely loomed over my head the entire book and the author made sure that you never forgot about the impending doom.

“On her own? She’ll get herself killed, and that’ll take my already-serious problems with Eric into the realm of lethal. If he hurts her, he’ll die. And then his boys will hunt me like a dog and take me down. My goal is to get us the fuck out of this situation without all that Romeo and Juliet bullshit.”

I wish there was more hashed out in the end since there’s still more left to their story in my opinion. Hopefully since the next book deals with Rachel’s brother, West, we will get more Isaiah and Rachel and I will get more closure with them. Or the author could write a follow-up story on them. I’d be totally cool with that too.

 

1favequote“Maybe this is what happens when you fall in love. On the outside a lighter is nothing amazing, but it holds all the ingredients that can create something wonderful. With a few pushes in the right direction, you can inspire something so brilliant that it pushes back the darkness.”

kRISTIN

Posted in: YA Contemporary

Review: The Professional: Part I by Kresley Cole

13 December, 2013 4:46 pm , 2 Comments ,

18223667The Professional: Part I
(The Game Maker, #1)
By: Kresley Cole
Publisher: Pocket Star
Release Date: Dec. 16, 2013
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
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He makes the rules . . .
Mafiya enforcer Aleksandr “The Siberian” Sevastyan’s loyalty to his boss is unwavering, until he meets the boss’s long-lost daughter, a curvy, tantalizing redhead who haunts his mind and heats his blood like no other. Ordered to protect her, Sevastyan will do anything to possess her as well—on his own wicked terms.

Rules are made to be broken . . .
PhD student Natalie Porter had barely recovered from her first sight of the breathtakingly gorgeous Sevastyan before the professional hit man whisks her away to Russia, thrusting her into a world of extreme wealth and wanton pleasures. With every day she spends under his protection, she falls deeper under his masterful spell.

Are you ready to play?
Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy’s reach, Sevastyan spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-wealthy in Paris, the two lovers will discover that even their darkest—and most forbidden—fantasies can come true…

 

1thoughtsNatalie has always wondered who her biological parents are. She’s hired a private investigator in the hopes of finding them but when her PI goes missing she finds herself back at ground zero. So imagine her surprise when a hot Russian shows up demanding that she leave with him to meet her father. Fast forward her kidnapping and a private jet to Russia, she finally gets a chance to meet her father. A father who just so happens to be Mafia.

The characters were really interesting to read. Natalie is a girl who’s very perceptive when it comes to men. Even though she’s still a virgin, she calls them like she sees them. However, when Sevastyan walks into the bar she draws a blank. Little does she know that he’s been watching over her for a month. A bodyguard sent by her biological father to protect her. But Sevastyan isn’t all that he seems. As the story progresses you start to get bits and pieces about his past as well as new developments about his character. Even at the end, the man is still a mystery to me. A mystery that I’d love to solve.

Even though the whole kidnapping, flying to Russia was a bit far fetched… it was highly entertaining and amped up the suspense. Not to mention that all the guys on her father’s estate walked around with rifles, ready to kill. However, regardless of the surroundings, her father was really mellow and friendly. I still don’t fully understand what his title is in the Mafia other than the “Clockmaker”.

This is the first book by Kelsey that I’ve read so I can’t really compare it to her other work which I know is really popular. But I’ll be honest, this definitely won’t be my last. Not only is her story telling on point but the characters are really likable. There’s great humor throughout the book and when the woman says this is erotica, she delivers! Holy cannoli! *Fans herself* There were a handful of hot and steamy moments.

Will I be continuing with the series? Hell yeah! It had everything that I look for in an erotic story. Sexy scenes, likable characters and an awesome backbone of a story to back it all up. Yup, I will not only be waiting impatiently for the next book to come out but I’ll also be running to the library to see if they have her other books as well. Might as well brush up on her other work while I’m waiting for Part II.

 

1favequote“Probably gets more ass than a toilet seat. But he got you to look twice, which makes him a rare and wondrous creature, this bar’s very own unicorn. Requires closer investigation, don’t you think?”

kRISTIN

Posted in: Erotica

Review: Betwixt by Melissa Pearl

12 December, 2013 8:47 am , 4 Comments ,

Betwixt

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Betwixt
(Betwixt, #1)
By: Melissa Pearl
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: Nov. 5, 2012
Genre: Paranormal YA
Rating:
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Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Beautiful, wild-child Nicole Tepper is hit by a car and left for dead. But when she wakes the next morning, Nicole finds herself in bed without a scratch. Perhaps she was more intoxicated than usual, as her mother is giving her the silent treatment and her friends are ignoring her as well.

Things take a turn for the weird when Nicole soon discovers she is actually hovering between life and death. Her body is lying in the forest while her spirit is searching for anyone who can hear her. Unfortunately the only person who can is Dale Finnigan, the guy she publicly humiliated with a sharp-tongued insult that has left him branded.

Desperate, Nicole has no choice but to haunt Dale and convince the freaked-out senior to help her. Will he find her body before it’s too late? Or will the guy who tried to kill her with his car, beat him there and finish her off before anyone finds out?

 

1thoughtsWhen walking home from a party one night, Nicole is hit by a car and left for dead in the middle of nowhere. She finds herself having out of body experiences where no one can hear her except for Dale, the guy who she humiliated 4 months ago. He’s the last guy that would want to help her but he’s her only chance at getting help before it’s too late.

This was definitely an interesting story that balanced between paranormal, romance and thriller. You have Nicole who’s essentially a ghost, the awkward attraction between Dale and Nicole and the fact that when Nicole wakes up in her body, there are people looking to kill her so that she can’t tell the authorities what happened. It was a nice combination of the three.

However, I couldn’t really connect with Nicole. She was so ridiculously bitchy. She was mean to everyone, even Dale who was trying to help her. She was very insensitive and stuck her nose up at everything, even if it meant saving herself. I understand that something bad happened to her to make her lose control but her personality was not one that I enjoyed reading. I sort of felt bad for Dale who was being haunted by her. I’d have totally understood if this were a short story ending with him just ignoring her.

Dale however was the saving grace for me. Even though Nicole humiliated him and started his new nickname “Scarface”, he still decides to help her. Since call him Scarface, everyone in the school calls him that, which leaves him with very few friends in the school. So again, I wouldn’t have faulted him if he’d just pretended like he couldn’t hear Nicole when she came calling for help. But he was the bigger person and did everything he could to try to save her, even if she continued to insult him while he was doing so.

This was definitely a fun read. I liked that even though I didn’t like the main character at the beginning, or even through the majority of it, she starts to come down from her pedestal and starts to see what her actions have been causing. She realizes she has a lot going for her and that she was throwing it away. After a while she starts to come around full circle and isn’t such an annoyance to read.

I wouldn’t say that I was surprised by who the driver was but I was a little surprised by the ending. I felt like it was a tiny bit rushed. I mean we build up to this one moment and then when everything is all said and done, they are walking around acting like they’ve nothing to worry about because nothing happened. I don’t know, I just felt like it needed a little more oomph at the end.

 

1favequote“I hope no one can see him. What kind of moron randomly opens their front door, shirtless, and waves to the air?”

 

 

authorunnamed

Melissa Pearl was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but has spent much of her life abroad, living in countries such as Jordan, Cyprus and Pakistan… not to mention a nine month road trip around North America with her husband. “Best. Year. Ever!!” She now lives in China with her husband and two sons. She is a trained elementary teacher, but writing is her passion. Since becoming a full time mother she has had the opportunity to pursue this dream and her debut novel hit the internet in November 2011. Since then she has produced four more books and has a YA fantasy trilogy coming out this year. Unknown and Unseen (The Elements Trilogy) out now!

Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

1giveawayunnamed

Betwixt
Beautiful, wild-child, Nicole Tepper, is hit by a car and left for dead. But when she wakes the next morning, Nicole finds herself in bed without a scratch. Perhaps she was more intoxicated than usual, as her mother is giving her the silent treatment and her friends are ignoring her as well.

Things take a turn for the weird when Nicole soon discovers she is actually hovering between life and death. Her body is lying in the forest while her spirit is searching for anyone who can hear her. Unfortunately the only person who can is Dale Finnigan, the guy she publicly humiliated with a sharp-tongued insult that has left him branded.

Desperate, Nicole has no choice but to haunt Dale and convince the freaked-out senior to help her. Will he find her body before it’s too late? Or will the guy who tried to kill her with his car, beat him there and finish her off before anyone finds out?

Before
In this prequel to Betwixt, find out who Dale Finnigan was before he became known as“scar-face”—the unassuming hero everyone underestimates.

Beyond
In this sequel to Betwixt, find out how Nicole Tepper proves to Dale that she loves him beyond all common sense.

 

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Posted in: YA Fantasy

Guest Post with author Andrea R. Cooper

10 December, 2013 7:16 am , 33 Comments ,

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Growing up in Houston, Texas, Andrea has always created characters and stories. But it wasn’t until she was in her late twenties that she started writing novels.

What happened that ignited the writing flame in her fingers? Divorced, and disillusioned by love songs and stories. They exaggerate. She thought. Love and Romance are not like that in the real world. Then she met her husband and realized, yes love and romance are exactly like the songs and stories say. She is now a happy wife, and a mom to three kids (two boys and a girl).

Andrea writes paranormal and historical romance. When not writing or reading, one may find Andrea dancing in Zumba.

She believes in the power of change and counting each moment as a blessing. But most importantly, she believes in love.

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Viking Women were lucky

As I write this, Thor 2 The Dark World is the 2nd top grossing movie. Is there an appeal of Vikings besides their swords, shields, and muscles?

Yes.

Even during the Dark Ages, several factors set Vikings above their counterparts.

1. Hygiene – Viking men were known for their regular bathing and grooming. They bathed at least once a week – compared to the near monthly baths of others. “English cleric John of Wallingford complained bitterly of the Viking men who combed their hair, took a bath on Saturday, and changed their woolen garments frequently, and they performed these un-Christian and heathen acts in an attempt to seduce high-born English women.”1

2. Viking women had rights – They could inherit property, request a divorce, and reclaim their dowries if their marriage ended.2 Widows were free to select their own mates. If a woman’s brothers sought maliciously to keep her from marrying, the woman could marry the third suitor whom her brothers refused.3 All this might not seem like much, but at this time period, women were thought of as property had didn’t have these rights elsewhere.

3. Shieldmaidens – Many sagas and other histories describe women warriors. History of the Dane by Saxo Grammticus in the 12th century references a number of women fighting: Sela – women warrior and pirate; Lathgertha – Ragnar Lothborg’s wife (her and her husband are represented in the History Channel’s Vikings), Hetha, Vebiorg, and Visna who fought the battle of Bravellir, and the Irish mentions of the Red Haired Maiden. Johannes Skylitzes, Byzantine historian, chronicles women fighting alongside men in 971 Bulgaria when Sviatoslav I of Kiev confronted the Byzantines. Afterwards, the victors were stunned at finding armed women among the fallen Varangian warriors. [4]

So Viking women not only enjoyed privileges that their counterparts did not, like inheriting property. They possibly could become warriors. Their men not only had muscles, but also were the best groomed (and no doubt smelled better) than European men at the time. I say that made Viking women lucky.

Bibliography
1 Gwyn Jones. A History of the Vikings. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1968. p. 177.
2 http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-vikings
3 (Ibid., pp. 38-39; Jacobsen, Position of Women, p. 38)
http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/hairstyl.shtml
[4] Harrison, D. & Svensson, K. (2007). Vikingaliv. Fälth & Hässler, Värnamo. ISBN 978-91-27-35725-9. p. 71

 

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Viking Fire
By: Andrea R. Cooper
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Published: July 29, 2013
Genre: Historical Romance

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856 CE, Ireland is a land of myth, magic, and blood. Viking raiders have fought the Irish for over half a century. Rival Irish clans promise only betrayal and carnage.

Kaireen, daughter of Laird Liannon, is suddenly forced into an arranged marriage with her sworn enemy, a Viking. She refuses to submit. With no mention of love, only land and the protection of her clan, she endeavors to get her betrothed banished from her country. Will love find its way around her stubborn heart?

Bram, the Viking, finds himself without future or inheritance as a younger son in his family. A marriage to the Laird’s daughter would grant him land if he swears fidelity and if his men will fight along with the Liannons against any foe—Irish or Viking. However, the Laird’s feisty daughter only holds animosity for him and his kind. Is marriage worth the battle scars of such a relentless opponent?

With the blame for a rival laird’s death treacherously set against the Liannons, Kaireen and Bram must find a way to lay aside their differences as an unforeseen darkness sends death snapping at their heels.

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Review: Darkness Awakened by Katie Reus

9 December, 2013 7:49 am , 2 Comments ,

18688106Darkness Awakened
(Darkness, #1)
By: Katie Reus
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: Nov. 3, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating:
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Years ago he ended things between them to protect her…

As leader of one of the fiercest werewolf packs in the south, Finn Stavros is in full battle mode 24/7. He has no choice—he’s one of the few beings strong enough to fight the Akkadian demons, whose mysterious escape from hell threatens the entire world. With the battle turning bloodier by the second, Finn is ready for anything…until his vampire long lost love shows up on his doorstep in desperate need of his help, sending his heart into a tailspin. He agrees to help her, unaware that she carries a shocking secret that will turn his life upside down.

This time, he’s not letting her go…

Vampire Lyra Marius curses the day she met Finn. The ruthless werewolf promised to love her forever, but he rejected her instead—before she could share her life altering news. Pregnant, kicked out of her coven, and cast aside by the love of her life, Lyra struggled to raise their rare shifter-vampire daughter Vega alone among humans. When the 16-year-old is kidnapped and used to fulfill a frightening prophecy, Lyra swallows her pride and turns to Finn for help. But how long can she fight her feelings for him and keep him from guessing the truth about who Vega really is? As they race against the clock to save their daughter, they must defeat the lethal threat imposed by demons infiltrating the human world and a hell gate that could not only reveal their existence to mankind, but destroy the world in the process.

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