Review: Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines
Fallen Too Far
(Too Far Trilogy, #1)
By: Abbi Glines
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: Dec. 14, 2012
Genre: New Adult Romance
Rating:
To want what you’re not supposed to have…
She is only nineteen.
She is his new stepfather’s daughter.
She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother.
But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no.
Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that…
Blaire just may have fallen too far.
I’m so disappointed that I didn’t love this book. I really wanted to love it. However, I think the bad editing really took away from the story for me. I didn’t find myself falling in love with the characters. I found myself more in a zombie state of mind while reading this than in a frenzy to find out what happens next.
I didn’t find the characters engaging and I didn’t find myself falling for Rush. In fact he kind of weirded me out. He starts off as this high and mighty “my dad’s a rock-star” attitude. First he kicks Blaire out of his house when she shows up. Then after his brother talks him into letting her stay, he places Blaire in the housekeepers “room” which is just large enough to fit a bed behind. I kid you not, to get to her “room” she has to go through a door that’s in the back of the pantry and that’s only half of it, it’s actually under the stairs! Blaire’s “room” is a 4×4 closet space under the staircase! Then Rush proceeds to screw every vagina in sight and treats Blaire poorly. By the time he started acting like a descent human being, I had lost interest.
I thought that Blaire was going to be tough and independent. At first she is, but then she starts falling for Rush and all common sense goes out the window. She finds herself giving away her virginity to a guy who’s treated her like crap and who she’s personally seen banging at least two chicks and those were just the two that she saw first hand. She knows that he’s hiding a secret and yet she still drops her IQ and turns into a lusting 19 year old all because he’s oh so sexy.
And the big bad secret… I didn’t find that all upsetting. I won’t go into details and ruin the story but I was expecting something insane involving Nan (Rush’s sister). Maybe, Nan was his adoptive sister and the two of them had been on again and off again for years, resulting in a baby who they raise under the disguise of being their sibling or something equally as shocking. Maybe it was just me but I found myself shrugging my shoulders thinking “So what? I don’t get it. Why are you freaking out?”
I don’t think that I’ll be continuing with the story. The ending didn’t really leave me clamoring for more but I am curious why Blaire comes back. My thoughts… she’s pregnant. Dun Dun Duunnnnnnnn
“Your instant reaction to being scared is to pull out a gun on someone? Damn girl, where are you from? Most girls I know squeal or some shit like that.” -Grant
Mr. September Throwdown
The six heroes from this month’s BRAZENS are battling it out to be your Mr. September. Who gets your vote?
Each day this week the six heroes are stopping by some awesome blogs to answer both sexy and sweet personal questions, so you can really get a taste of what they’re like 😉 Each day you get to cast your vote, and at the end of the week one sexy hero will be crowned the winner of the Mr. September Throwdown!
Remember, each vote also counts as an entry for one of SIX prizes so be sure to follow along and vote every day to increase your chances of winning! Visit Entangled in Romance for a recap on the awesome prizes!
Now, to meet the men competing in the Mr. September Throwdown!
Ian: Wicked Games by Samanthe Beck (part of the anthology)
Grayson: Seducing Mr. Right by Katee Robert (part of the anthology)
Landon: Tempted by His Best Friend by Cari Quinn (part of the anthology)
Derek: Protecting What’s Theirs by Tessa Bailey (part of the anthology)
Jett: Wicked Heat by Nicola Marsh
Trick: Dirty Trick by Christine Bell
Here are today’s questions for the men
Question #9: What kind of personality do you look for in a woman?
Ian: Confident, complicated, tough-on-the-outside but soft-on-the-inside, once she knows and trusts me.
Grayson: An independent woman who knows her own mind, and doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind.
Trick: Fun, easy-going, quick to laugh, loyal.
Derek: Feisty as hell, but soft when she needs to be. A woman who takes her responsibilities seriously, but also knows when to blow them off and spend the day underneath me in bed.
Jett: Killer sense of humor. It’s a huge turn-on to verbally spar with an intelligent woman. Great part of foreplay.
Landon: Fun, intelligent, someone who likes to laugh and love with equal intensity. A strong woman who matches me in every way. And if she likes to get a little – or a lot – freaky, even better.
Question #10: What’s your hottest “move” in the bedroom?
Ian: I’m a homicide detective, so I’ve always got the handcuffs handy.
Grayson: Ah, ah. As I said before, a gentleman never tells. However, I will say that it involves handcuffs.
Trick: I’m more of a hands-on kind of guy. If you give Gracie a call and have her come by, I’d be willing to demonstrate, though…
Derek: Pick one, baby.
Jett: Whatever pleases her. I like seeing my woman get off. Mouth, hands, the rest…I like to think of the whole package rather than one specific move.
Landon: Let’s just say I’m happy to spend a good long time on my knees before she gets on hers. Ladies come first in my book. And often.
Review: Bound by Night by Larissa Ione
Bound by Night
(MoonBound Clan Vampire, #1)
By: Larissa Ione
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: Sept. 24, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating:
A WOMAN OUT FOR BLOOD
Nicole Martin was only eight years old when the vampire slaves rose up in rebellion and killed her family. Now she devotes her life to finding a vaccine against vampirism, hoping to wipe out her memories—along with every bloodsucker on the planet. But there’s one thing she cannot destroy: her searing, undeniable attraction for the one man she should hate and fear the most . . .A VAMPIRE OUT FOR REVENGE
A member of the renegade vampire MoonBound Clan, Riker is haunted by demons of his own. When he recognizes Nicole and remembers how her family enslaved his loved ones, his heart burns for vengeance. But when he kidnaps Nicole and holds her in a secret lair, his mortal enemy becomes his soul obsession, his greatest temptation, and, perhaps, his only salvation—a hot-blooded lover who could heal him with her touch . . . or bury him forever.
Review: Caught by Menace by Lolita Lopez
Caught by Menace
(Grabbed, #2)
By: Lolita Lopez
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Published: June 21, 2013
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
Menace’s plan to catch a docile woman is shot to hell when he’s tackled by a dark-haired beauty who wants to save her friend from being Grabbed. Refusing to leave the planet’s surface empty-handed, Menace claims the spitfire with his collar.
Naya clawed her way off the streets of Connor’s Run and vowed to never let any man control her. She plans to make Menace so miserable he’ll set her free, but the ruggedly sexy warrior disarms her with his unexpected patience and kindness.
Against her better judgment, Naya surrenders to Menace’s masterful hands and mouth. Submitting to her new husband brings more pleasure and happiness than she’d ever imagined possible. For the first time in her life, she willingly trusts a man to protect her.
But when past misdeeds catch up with her, Naya puts the depth and strength of that love to the test. Determined to prove he’s worthy of her trust, Menace will stop at nothing to save her.
This book is perfectly fine being read as a stand alone. I say that because that’s exactly what I did, and I wasn’t lost. Of course the characters from the first book make appearances in this book, you don’t need to know what happened in the last book to enjoy this story. In fact, reading it as a stand alone allowed me to live in the moment with Naya.
Naya is a human who lives a rough life on her home planet. She’s gotten by as best as she could since she was abandoned as a young teen by her family. When her best friend’s number is pulled for the grabbing, she pays her way onto the list. Which isn’t really hard to do since no one really wants to be grabbed and mated to an alien. During a grabbing, aliens from a spaceship come to the planet in hopes of grabbing a bride. The women get a few minutes head start and soon the aliens follow. If they are able to grab a woman before she reaches the safe zone, they get to keep her and take her back to their ship. Which of course is where Naya finds herself, grabbed by an alien.
I liked the story and the sci-fi element of aliens and humans but I didn’t feel like it was sci-fi enough. The aliens were described as being really tall with pale hair and eyes. So of course I picture a blond haired, green eyed NBA star. I’m not saying that the aliens need to have tentacles coming from their neck or eyeballs on their biceps but at least give them horns, insane body colors or something to make it more sci-fi. I’d say even Jabba the Hutt would do, but let’s be honest here, there’s nothing sexy about that. All I’m saying is make them not appear to be human. I just felt like I was reading a futuristic novel about two humans and that really knocked the book down for me since I really wanted a heavy sci-fi element to this story, and I didn’t get it.
Aside from that, I did find the story enjoyable. I liked the suspense of the grabbing and the fact that some people from other, less fortunate sections look at being on the grab list as a blessing because of the horrid conditions that they live in while others are terrified of having their number drawn. The erotic parts were nicely written and evenly spaced out to where they didn’t overrun the story but complimented it with appropriate scenarios.
Is this a series that I’ll keep up with? I think if they become available for review, I definitely will. It was an enjoyable read.
“This would go down as one of the worst days of her life. She’s been abandoned by the last person she’s loves and trusted and captures by a man who didn’t even want her.”
Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
Alice in Zombieland
(White Rabbit Chronicles, #1)
By: Gena Showalter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Published: Sept. 25, 2012
Genre: Paranormal YA
Rating:
She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.
Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.
Her father was right. The monsters are real….
To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….
This is not a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. The only thing that is the same is that the main character’s name is Alice, there is a rabbit shaped cloud that appears when there’s trouble and her best friend’s name is Kat. Other than that, I saw no other similarities.
Alice’s father used to be a paranoid drunk. He was always going off about these monsters who kill people. He wouldn’t allow anyone to go out after dark and would keep watch over the house while everyone was asleep. Alice used to think he was just nuts, until the night she talked her father into going out at night so that the family could watch her younger sister’s recital. And that was the night when she saw the monsters eating her father. That was the night she lost her family.
The characters in this story weren’t shallow like a lot of young adult books. Instead, they all show strength in the face of danger. Alice decides to hunt the zombies that are terrorizing her. She has to learn to not only fight but to fight in the spirit realm. You see, these zombies are not the reanimated flesh and bones that we’ve come to know. These zombies are spirits that feed on the spirits of the living. So the general public have no idea that they are out there.
I liked that the drama that takes place in this book wasn’t over exaggerated. You had the typical issues between cliques but that was about it. There also aren’t any love triangles taking place. So instead you get a paranormal packed adventure from start to finish. And Gena knows how to write a story. She kept the storyline going at a steady pace with spikes up suspense throughout.
Considering that this book’s cover and title make you think that this is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland with flesh eating zombies, it was a bit of a let down. However, for being a paranormal young adult novel, it was pretty good. So don’t go into this book (like I did) expecting zombies or AiW because you won’t get it. Go into this expecting a young adult paranormal story and you shouldn’t have any problems.
“Truly living required risk.”
Excerpt: Winter Solstice Winter by E.J. Squires
Winter Solstice Winter
(A Viking Saga, #1)
By: E.J. Squires
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: July 8, 2013
Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance
Seventeen-year-old Ailia has vowed to find out if her recurring mare dreams, of what she thinks are glimpses into her previous life, are real. In her dreams, she is married to her soul mate, and an evil Empress named Eiess pursues and kills her.
Lucia, the heir of the Northlandic Kingdom, will be crowned Sun Queen – the Queen responsible for shifting the seasons each solstice. The eve before Lucia’s eighteenth birthday and coronation, Eiess storms the castle, taking Lucia and her Father prisoner. Eiess immediately instigates the prophesied three-year winter before the end of Midgard when she usurps the throne.
One day, and unbeknownst to her – nearly two years later – Ailia wakes up in a glacier cave cold, beaten, and far away from home. She doesn’t remember how she ended up there or even that she was abducted by the ruthless Vikings. When a healer named Soren rescues her, Ailia can’t help but think that she knows him from somewhere, and that they were fated to meet – and destined to fall in love.
And when Ailia, Lucia and Soren discover a shocking secret that intertwines their destinies, one of them betrays the other two – a betrayal that ultimately puts their lives, and the lives of humanity, in which they had sworn to protect, in grave danger.
“Are you the girl who is cursing Bergendal with all these Mare Demons?” A young redheaded boy, wearing a dog mask came up and asked.
“What?” Ailia said. She was stunned.
“My big sister says you are a bad omen, and she says that you are cursing Bergendal by bringing all these Mare Demons here,” the young boy continued.
Now Ailia recognized the boy. He was one of Ailia’s friend’s younger brothers – Siri’s brother. “I am not cursing Bergendal with anything,” Ailia said. She folded her arms across her chest and frowned. “It was just a scary dream.”
“My dad says mare dreams are messages from the dark realms, and that you are attracting beings from the dark realms here to Bergendal. He says you’re cursed.” He pointed his finger at her.
“Stop that!” Ailia said. “You’re embarrassing yourself, and you’re embarrassing me!”
“You are cursed!” he yelled, still pointing his finger at her. A few more people had arrived, stopping to stare. Ailia thought it strange that no one came over and reprimanded the misbehaving boy or came to stand up for her. Finally, Siri came over. Her light ash brown hair was pulled up in a braided up-do.
“Is it true? Did you really tell your brother that I’m a bad omen just because of my dreams?” Ailia asked her.
“I thought you knew by now, Ailia. We all believe that,” she said, stepping next to her brother. Her light brown eyes squinted. “You are a bad omen – and cursed.”
“What are you talking about? I’m still the same person. I can’t believe how shallow you are, if you are going to hold my dreams against me,” Ailia said.
“My Father has told me to stay away from you. I should have realized that you are cursed sooner. I mean, even your name is so strange,” Siri said.
“My name?” Ailia looked around the hall, and everyone who had arrived was staring at her. Even the musicians had stopped warming up their instruments and glared at Ailia across the murky room. Ailia smiled nervously. “I’m not cursed,” she said. “I’ve just been having some frightening dreams. That’s all.”
“And you said you believed that you have lived before, too. Our Chieftain probably wouldn’t be too happy to hear about that. He’ll be here later tonight, and if you stay here for the dance, I’m afraid I’ll have to tell him everything you told me,” Siri said.
Ailia couldn’t believe that Siri had ever claimed to be her friend. How could she do this? They had known each other for five years, and Ailia had worked so hard to help her feel welcome in Bergendal when Siri’s family moved here from another town. She didn’t want to continue to make a scene, so she decided to go home. Heading for the exit, she heard Siri yelling after her.
“Don’t think this is over, Ailia. You must turn from your ways, or I’ll make sure you’ll be banned from Bergendal for good.”
Evelyn Squires was born in Norway, the land of the Midnight Sun. In 1992, she moved with her parents and seven siblings (!) to the USA. She completed High School and continued College, majoring in Ballet and Comparative Literature. After marrying Aaron, she moved with him to Florida, where they currently reside and are raising their three children.
Covet (Entangled) Publishing One Day Sale
All of the books from Covet (Entangled) Publishing are only $0.99
There’s also a scavenger hunt for a Kindle Fire going on at their Facebook event page.
Review: Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren
Beautiful Bastard
(Beautiful Bastard, #1)
By: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: Feb. 12, 2013
Genre: Erotic Romance
Rating:
An ambitious intern.
A perfectionist executive.
And a whole lot of name calling.Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He’s exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.
Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family’s massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who’d been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he’s never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe’s so tempting he’s willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office.
As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they’re willing to lose in order to win each other.
Review: Fire of the Dragon by Lori Dillon
Fire of the Dragon
(Bestiary Series, #1)
By: Lori Dillon
Publisher: Amari Press
Published: April 21, 2013
Genre: Time Travel/Paranormal Romance
Rating:
Being sent back in time to the Middle Ages wouldn’t be so bad if the knight in shining armor who comes to your rescue didn’t swoop down in the form of a fire-breathing dragon. Unfortunately for Jill Donahue, that’s just the way things have been going in her life lately.A MaidenWrenched back in time through the magical power of an old dragon tapestry found in a vintage clothing store, Jill Donahue lands in an ancient medieval town where the villagers decide to sacrifice her to the local dragon. As if the threat of being eaten alive by a giant flying lizard isn’t bad enough, she learns there’s a curse surrounding the tapestry and she has to break it in order to get back to her time. But she isn’t the only one whose fate is tied to the ancient weaving…A DragonBaelin of Gosforth is a valiant knight who has been cursed by a vindictive witch to live as a dragon for eleven months out of each year. Now he has thirty days to break the curse or he turns back into a fire-breathing beast and, as much as he hates to admit it, he needs Jill’s help to do it.
And A Curse
Forced to face many challenges along the way—from the harsh world they travel through to the fiery passion they both try to deny—each is determined to break the curse so the other can get their happily-ever-after. And it just might work, if Jill can manage to overlook the fire-breathing, bat-winged remnants of Baelin’s dragon half long enough to see the man beneath the beast and get the job done.
While out looking for a last minute gift for her niece, Jill stumbles into a lady who owns a small shop. While in the shop Jill comes across an old tapestry and before she knows it, she’s waking up in the year 1214. In an area where every year the villagers sacrifice a maiden from their village to the dragon so that he will continue to guard the village and keep them safe. So when Jill falls from the sky, they decide to use her instead of one of their own. Which is how Jill finds herself in a cave with a dragon in a strange world trying to break a curse to return the dragon sifter into a man again.I liked the idea of this story. It was a fun read and there was always something happening to keep the readers interest. Baelin was captured by a dark witch and when he refused to serve her, she turned him into the one thing he despised and hunted, a dragon. In order to break the curse, a woman from his village is required to break the curse. He has no idea what’s required of the maiden other than it involves the knightly virtues honor, courage and bravery. He has spent 216 years trying to break the curse and had had no luck getting anywhere close. Normally the maidens cower in fear of him the entire month that he has as a man to break the curse, thus leaving him to become a dragon once more.
At first Jill is terrified of the dragon… I mean, who wouldn’t be? But the dragon never once attacks her and even seems to be looking out for her. For instance it warms up the cold pool of water in it’s cave when she’s shivering and wet. Regardless of how calm the dragon is acting, she still doesn’t allow it to come too close to her and makes sure that the thing knows she will defend herself if need be. So imagine her surprise when the dragon turns into a man with wings. Once Baelin explains his predicament, she agrees to help him but she still doesn’t trust him and has no intention of letting her guard down around him.
I thought the two characters were interesting. I really like Baelin’s character though. He has been through so much and every year he’s hopeful that he will finally break the curse. Jill is like no one he’s ever met. Not only is her speech odd but the way she carries herself is more dominant than the other maidens. He’s convinced that she has to be the one to break the curse.
I did have one problem with Jill though. Even after she realizes that she’s time traveled to the past, she still talks about 21st century things, like planes, cars and television shows, knowing that Baelin has no idea what she’s talking about. I found that a little annoying. It was as if the author was trying to show the readers over and over again time difference between Jill and Baelin’s worlds. I think it bothered me so much because I deal with language barriers a lot at my job. I come across a ton of international visitors where I work and once I realize that the visitor speaks little English, I try to use basic words instead of the every day slang we use. So for Jill to continually talk about technology and things of that sort and then go “Oh yeah. I forgot” got a bit tiresome after a while.
Regardless of the whole Jill thing, I still really enjoyed the story. I liked that the two of them were on a mission throughout the entire book trying to break the curse. Meanwhile coming across other dragons, dragon hunters and the dark witches goons. It was a fun time travel/paranormal romance and I cannot wait until the next story comes out in the Bestiary series.
“A knight’s word is his honor. Trust, once broken, is hard to regain.” -Baelin
