Author Archives: Kristin

Review: Crave by Tracy Wolff

10 April, 2020 1:04 am , 7 Comments ,

Crave
(Crave #1)
by Tracy Wolff
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Published: April 7, 2020
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult Romance
Rating:

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

 

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Posted in: YA Fantasy, YA Romance , Tagged: ,

Sneak Peek Wednesday: The Helmont Academy of Alchemy by Meg Kassel

8 April, 2020 8:28 am , 2 Comments ,

The Helmont Academy of Alchemy
(The Silent Sister #1)
by Meg Kassel
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: March 20, 2020
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult

If I had known my thoughts would kill her, I would have thought about something else.

When the sudden discovery of my mind control ability causes the death of my high school nemesis, my mom sends me to the Helmont Academy of Alchemy, a boarding school for kids with staggering IQs and supernatural talents.

My mom has a lot of secrets, including a connection to this school that makes its scary headmistress watch me like a hawk. When students who possess uncanny mental abilities (like mine), begin falling ill with a mysterious ailment and are “quarantined” on the forbidden thirty-third floor, I know something terrible is happening at this school. The terrifying reality is clear—The Helmont Academy wants more than just good grades from kids like me.

With the help of a pair of telepathic twins and a secretive, but fascinating boy who does wild things to my heart, I find myself navigating unlikely friendships and unraveling a secret society’s dark plot to develop my mind control ability into a devastating weapon.

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Posted in: Excerpt, YA Fantasy

Review: Warsworn by Elizabeth Vaughan

6 April, 2020 10:25 am , 2 Comments ,

Warsworn
(Chronicles of the Warlands #2)
by Elizabeth Vaughan
Publisher: Tor Paranormal Romance
Publication date: April 4, 2006
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Rating:

Lara is the Warprize

A powerful healer, she has sworn an oath of loyalty to Keir the Warlord, and his people. Now the Warlord and his chosen mate face enemies within the tribe and danger lurks on every hand as they journey toward Keir’s homeland.

When they reach a village marked with the warnings of the plague, Keir forbids Lara to heal the sick, commanding that she not risk her own life. But both Lara and Kier are strong of will and neither will bend easily, even for love; and when Lara disobeys, she pays the price: both she and Kier are plague-struck… and so is their entire encampment.

In the midst of the dying, Iften, a rival warrior, gathers his followers and challenges Keir for the right to rule their tribe. If Keir, weakened by the sickness, loses — he dies.

And so does Lara.

To save her love, her life, and her adopted people, Lara must find a cure for the plague — and fully embrace her sworn role as Warprize to her Warlord.

 

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Posted in: Fantasy, Romance , Tagged: ,

The Month of Mayhem

5 April, 2020 10:20 am , 7 Comments ,


I’m linking this post to Sunday Post, and It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

So last month was… yeah. I feel like I’m in a dystopian novel. I’ve never seen so many people panic before. One minute you’re at work and then *bam*, you’re laid off, grocery stores are barren, and you’re told you can’t leave your house, while the news just shows all the chaos in the world and the growing infected/death rate. So, yeah… last month was a bit intense. Something tells me this month is not going to be any better. Luckily mine and my coworkers jobs are safe for now… but only for a couple more weeks. Then who knows. I’ve been very fortunate that due to my husband’s job, he will never be laid off and will always get a steady paycheck. Not to mention the security needed to get on base has gone up, and you can’t even enter the commissary without verifying that you’re healthy and not at risk of getting others sick. However, it doesn’t negate that tingling sense of fear as day after day you tune into the same chaos on the news.

Due to Covid-19, I’ve found that I have a lot more time on my hands, as I’m sure we all do. I thought I’d get a lot of reading, gardening, and running/walking in… but then pollen happened and the winds picked up, and I’ve been stuck inside with all the windows closed itching to get out of the house. I don’t know about you guys, but for some reason I’m having a hard time focusing on books lately. Well, my focus has been shot on just about everything, if I’m being honest. Now I understand why my dog gets so excited about the happenings of outside, and goes nuts when he sees a rabbit or bird on the front lawn.

I hope that you guys are all well and staying safe. This is a crazy time, no matter where you’re from. Stay safe. Stay sane. Stay healthy!

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Posted in: meme

Sneak Peek Wednesday: Perfect Pending by Lucía Ashta (giveaway)

1 April, 2020 7:42 am , 2 Comments ,

Perfect Pending
(Witches of Gales Haven #1)
by Lucía Ashta
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: April 1, 2020
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Marla’s ancestors saddled her with frizzy red hair, sarcasm on tap, the Gawama last name, and the urge to run from her problems.

Her bloodline was also supposed to guarantee she’d be a powerful witch.

She isn’t, not by a long shot.

Only those with magic are allowed in her hometown. Now that her teenage children are awakening, and sparking enough power to be a fire hazard, she’s headed back.

Even if she isn’t ready. Even if she’s fresh out of divorce court.

Home is where her family is. Her nan is head of the council, and her aunts claim multiple orgasms are the source of their limber joints.

But then Marla and her kids all but blow up the town on day one. And her first boyfriend, the one who broke her heart long before her ex did, seems better than ever.

He has his eye on her…

So does everyone else.

Somehow it’s on her, and the magical creature who won’t get out of her head, to save Gales Haven. Before her former mother-in-law redecorates the town in baby pink … and breaks the centuries-old spell that keeps it safe and hidden.

 

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Posted in: Excerpt , Tagged:

Review: Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

30 March, 2020 9:37 am , 3 Comments ,

Epic Fail
by Claire LaZebnik
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: Aug. 2, 2011
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Rating:

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

– As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school–not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.
– As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

 

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Posted in: YA Romance , Tagged: ,

Review: War by Laura Thalassa

27 March, 2020 12:39 am , 2 Comments ,

War
(The Four Horsemen #2)
by Laura Thalassa
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: July 10, 2019
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Rating:

They came to earth—Pestilence, War, Famine, Death—four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.

The day Jerusalem falls, Miriam Elmahdy knows her life is over. Houses are burning, the streets run red with blood, and a traitorous army is massacring every last resident. There is no surviving this, especially not once Miriam catches the eye of War himself. But when the massive and terrifying horseman corners Miriam, he calls her his wife, and instead of killing her, he takes her back to his camp.

Now Miriam faces a terrifying future, one where she watches her world burn town by town, and the one man responsible for it all is her seemingly indestructible “husband”. But there’s another side to him, one that’s gentle and loving and dead set on winning her over, and she might not be strong enough to resist.

However, if there’s one thing Miriam has learned, it’s that love and war cannot coexist. And so she must make the ultimate choice: surrender to War and watch humankind fall, or sacrifice everything and stop him.

 

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Posted in: Romance , Tagged:

Sneak Peek Wednesday: Tempting Talk by Sara Whitney

25 March, 2020 12:16 am , 2 Comments ,

Tempting Talk
(Tempt Me #3)
by Sara Whitney
Publisher: LoveSpark Press
Publication date: March 18, 2020
Genre: Romance

Vivacious radio goddess + cinnamon roll accountant ÷ work stress x chemistry for days = an unexpected love song

Deejay Mabel Bowen rocks the morning airwaves, but once she signs off, she’s happy going home alone; a long-ago humiliation taught her that women in the public eye should be cautious about dating. Then she meets the Clark Kent-ish accountant overseeing the sale of her radio station and starts wondering if she should break her own “girl, don’t date him” rules.

Since he was teenager, Jake Carey has worked to lift his family out of poverty, and he’s now on the verge of a promotion that’ll secure their financial future. Why, then, is he so quick to set aside his spreadsheets whenever the gorgeous morning show host is around? After years of using work as an excuse to avoid searching for emotional connections, he’s now jumping at every chance to spend time with Mabel and her maple syrup voice.

Despite their initial reservations, Mabel and Jake move from conversations over coffee to flirty office lunches to a night out that obliterates all their previously drawn lines. Then a professional betrayal sends Mabel fleeing back to the safety of her single-girl rules. But Jake isn’t ready to give up on this once-in-a-lifetime love and sets out to balance their work/life books. Can he convince Mabel to turn up the volume on their future, or will she decide that the numbers don’t add up?

 

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Posted in: Excerpt , Tagged:

Review: The Fireman Who Loved Me by Jennifer Bernard

23 March, 2020 12:34 am , 3 Comments ,

 

The Fireman Who Loved Me
(The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel #1)
by Jennifer Bernard
Publisher: Avon
Publication date: May 2012
Genre: Romance
Rating:

Fearless, smoking hot, and single: meet the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel. These firemen might be heroes, but it’s their bad luck in love that makes them legendary.

News producer Melissa McGuire and Fire Captain Harry Brody couldn’t be more different, though they do have one thing in common: they’re both convinced they’re perfectly wrong for each other. But when Melissa’s matchmaking grandmother wins her a date with Brody at a Bachelor auction . . .

Sparks fly. Passion flares. Heat rises. (You get the picture.)

Add a curse, a conniving nightly news anchor, a stunningly handsome daredevil fireman, a brave little boy, a couple of exes, and one giant fire to the mix, and Melissa and Brody’s love may not be the only thing that burns.

 

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Posted in: Romance , Tagged: ,

Review: After by Anna Todd

20 March, 2020 12:14 am , 3 Comments ,

After
(After #1)
by Anna Todd
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication date: Oct. 21, 2014
Genre: New Adult Romance
Rating:

Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way.

But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.

But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.

He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?

Unless…could this be love?

Now newly revised and expanded, Anna Todd’s After fanfiction racked up 1 billion reads online and captivated readers across the globe. Experience the Internet’s most talked-about book for yourself!

There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER … Life will never be the same.

 

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Posted in: NA Romance , Tagged: ,