Desert Rose

I've seen many of Lacey Weatherford's book around book sites and stores, and they all seem pretty interesting. This is the first one I've read from her though, and am now even more interested in her various series.

This particular book follows Vance Mangum, a teen on the run with his aunt, avoiding his estranged and dangerous father. The book starts off with a bang of excitement and energy, and doesn't loose much of it throughout the book. Vance's character is explained, as well as his past, and his "story" if you will. We also get to see his aunt, a girl he's fallen hard for, and the town he's moved into.

The plot is interesting, and you immediately feel connected and intrigued by Vance and his life. Mrs. Weatherford is a talented writer, and easily draws her reader in with an interesting plot, fascinating characters, and exciting situations. I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to fans of paranormal romance.

*I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author via Girls *Heart* Books Tours, to read in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to check out my blog post for this book! Includes excerpt, book info, and for a limited time, a giveaway!! Check it out here!

For the most part, fiction books can be put in one of two categories: those that are completely original, and don't sound like other books; and those that remind you of other series, and seem somewhat parallel in plot. Most of the time, the latter category annoys me. I enjoy a book that's original, and doesn't sound copied from something else. Now, after reading Firebolt, I have a book that fits in the second category, but is one I actually really enjoyed.

The main points of this plot remind me, in multiple ways, of the Harry Potter story. Several other details of the story and plot were reminiscent of the Firelight series, by Sophie Jordan, which is one of my favorite series. The combination is awesome, and made for a wonderful adventure. While I could easily see the similarities to other the stories, this book is still original enough to be very interesting, and left me craving to know what will happen next.

Most of us miss the Harry Potter phenomenon, and wish more books about his story would be written. That probably won't happen, so instead, all of us H.P. fans have a new series- The Dragonian Series! Following a girl instead of a boy, this book introduces a world hidden from our every-day view, but still effected by humans. Because of a mark that makes her unique and special, she finds herself in an extraordinary school, with new friends, learning that supernatural, paranormal fairy-tales really do exist. Braving all odds, she does what few others have been able to do, and is able to help save the world from ultimate evil...for now. The adventure she sets out on is exciting, nerve-wracking, and will cause some serious nail-biting.

I enjoyed Adrienne Woods's writing quite a bit. She kept the story flowing very well, and created a solid foundation for this series. I enjoyed all of the characters, and several of them surprised me throughout the book. I enjoyed the light romance between Elena and Lucian, and enjoyed the mystery and danger surrounding Blake. I also loved the "For the love of blueberries" lines- the cute humor Mrs. Woods adds to the story is wonderful. I am looking forward to the sequel, and can't wait to see what happens with these fascinating characters! I would recommend this book to any YA, Paranormal, Supernatural, Harry Potter, Dragon or magic fan- basically, anyone who enjoys a good adventure.

*I was given an eARC copy of this book, from the author via Read Between the Lines Book Tours, to read in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to check out my blog post for this book! Includes teasers, excerpts, extended plot info, and for a limited time, a giveaway!! Check it out here!

This story has been exciting from the beginning of the first book, but this sequel has catapulted it to new levels!

Seraphina, as always, has found trouble and adventure, in ways that seem impossible. As much as she makes me shake my head, and bite my nails in worry, I love her determination and independence. Bishop has become a guy I really enjoy reading about- I love finding out what he's going to do next, especially in reaction to the things Sera does, and the scenarios she causes. The other part of her Wandering Team, Samantha, has grown on me quite a bit as well. She's tough, for being so young, and has a heart I admire.

This adventure keeps getting better with each book, and I can't wait to finish this trilogy. I love Michelle Warren's writing, and the way she's created this world-behind-the-world. This is definitely a book I'd recommend to any YA Paranormal Fantasy fan, although I'd say you should for sure read Wander Dust first, so you know what's going on in better details.

*I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author via Girls *Heart* Books Tours, to read in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to check out my blog post for this book! Includes book trailers, teaser pics, a quiz, book info, and for a limited time, a giveaway!! Check it out here!

I have a weakness for stories about secret societies- it's rare that I'll dislike a book with a good dose of secrets, riddles and mysteries. This book is no exception- it is fantastic!

Seraphina is a fantastic lead character. I connected to her personality from the first pages, and really enjoyed her outlook on life. She's honest, strong, and independent, which are all great qualities to have in a leading-lady. Her "perfect match" in this book, is her intense "stalker boy." When his identity is finally revealed, he turns out to be just as strong, independent, and incredibly mysterious, which are great qualities for a main guy's character. The other characters surrounding these two are so unique, it's difficult to describe them. They're all quirky and different, they're able to bring a sense of wonder to the story.

The adventure and fantasy world Seraphina finds her self is one I could see becoming a popular story. The new world and reality she finds herself in, is one I think most people would dream about. Filled with danger, head-spinning twists, and a good dose of "no-way!" moments, this is a book I've quickly fallen in love with. The writing is fluid and quick, keeping the story moving at a great pace. I'm excited to read the sequel, and would recommend this book to any YA Paranormal Fantasy Fan.

*I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author via Girls *Heart* Books Tours, to read in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to check out my blog post for this book! Includes book trailers, teaser pics, a quiz, book info, and for a limited time, a giveaway!! Check it out here!

Greek mythology, myths, and legends. Many books focus and circle around these themes- some good, some ok, and some not-so-good. Before I say anything else, let me say this: the two star rating, to me, means “it was ok” per Goodreads star rating standards, and my personal site's “Rose Rating” where two roses equals “just ok.” This book was exactly that- meh, just ok.

That being said, here's what I thought of this book. The main character, a variation and distortion of the goddess Artemis, chaste huntress and protector of young women, was infuriating. Her entire presumption was that, not only does she deserve to take Zeus's (her father) place, but that anyone she goes to for help in overthrowing the thrown will help her, if she pouts and bats her eyelashes. It reminded me quite a bit of a spoiled little girl, who wants more power, and doesn't mind hurting people to get it. Which, perhaps that's the author's point, I'm not sure.

The biggest problem I had with this story, however, is the very thin plot. Artemis has very little reasoning to justify her actions, therefore creating a somewhat boring story. Half of it is filled with her flitting around creation, asking for help to find out info about Callidora, while keeping her desire to overthrow Zeus a secret. The other half of the story is filled with her having promiscuous and/or sexual encounters with her twin brother and cousins- ew. That, and describing her private baths in detail- again, ew. I didn't care for those things being thrown in there at random, and it simply added to the feeling that the plot was too thin to hold itself up. I felt like the book was saying “Here's a random story, with very little going on, and to avoid this only being 20 pages long, lets throw in some inappropriate incest and masturbation, because hey, sex sells!”

Now, to clarify, I'm not saying the author is a bad writer- she's not. She is actually a good writer, and with a bit deeper plot to work with, I think she could come up with an entertaining story. This one, however, at least as far as this reviewer is concerned, was just ok. I was able to read the whole thing, was mildly curious as to what was going to happen, but when it was over, I didn't feel a sense of loss, or desire to read it again. I didn't hate it, it just didn't dazzle or impress me. I would recommend it, if you think it sounds interesting (it does have a LOT of mature content though, so be prepared). Overall, this was ok, a quick read, and I'm ready to move on.

*I was given an ARC eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.

What a roller-coaster this series has been!! The term "roller-coaster" is used often in the various synopses and blurbs for this series, and it really does fit. The back and forth surprises Amelia and Mitchell go through are enough to give anyone whiplash-of-the-imagination!

This book is certainly entertaining, though, and not one that's easy to put down. It fits right along with the previous books of the series, by taking what you thought you knew from the ending of Book #3, and flipping it upside down. Then it twists sideways, turns around a few times, curves a little, til dropping you back down with a "thump" at the end. Nerve-wracking, exhilarating, exciting, and completely entertaining- this book had me hooked from the very beginning.

The writing, as always, is very good. Ashley Stoyanoff is a natural writer, and I thoroughly enjoy every book I read from her. I can't say much more without giving away spoilers, so I'll say this: if you're a fan of angsty, surprising, roller-coaster romances, full of vampires, witches and laughs, then this is a book, and series, you'll enjoy.

*I was given an ARC eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.

Good mermaid stories tend to be difficult to find. With the "Dagonians" and Triton filling the synopsis, this book either had the potential to rock, or bomb. It seemed obvious it would be a variation of a mermaid story, with Greek, and possibly Roman, mythology. I didn't know whether I'd like all of that mixed, but after finishing this book, I'm completely in love with this story!

I think Xanthus is one of my new favorite book heroes. Gorgeous, strong, powerful, honorable, and the perfect image of an epic warrior, what's not to like? Balancing out this herculean Dagonian, is the sweet little Sara. While she's got heart and spirit, she is so incredibly beautiful, kind, sweet and vulnerable, you just want to hug her and make her some cookies. Together, they make a perfectly balanced couple, who take readers on an incredible adventure.

Along with the fascinating match between Xanthus and Sara, this is a story full of danger, complications, action, and a lot of fish. Holly Kelly's writing is hilarious, and incredibly talented. She is able to be jovial and humorous, then glide seamlessly into action and suspenseful events, with writing that flows beautifully. She is a writer who could easily be both an inspiration to other writers, and a favorite author by any reader.

If you haven't guessed, I loved this book, inside and out. I'd recommend this to anyone, but especially fans of love stories, merpeople, mythology, and suspenseful adventure.

*I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author's publisher, Clean Teen Publishing, to read in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a fan of most retellings, if they're done well. The idea for this book sounded interesting, and seemed like it could be entertaining. It was, for the most part. It's a good book to sit down with on a lazy afternoon.

The characters are interesting, and certainly fairy/fae-based. Most of the humans are fairly typical, focused on a well-rounded group of characters. The fae are interesting, and described well, in their uniqueness. The writing was pretty good, and I liked the fact that the author explained and described things in detail, instead of assuming the reader knows exactly what she's talking about.

So, why do I "like" this book, as opposed to "really like" or "love" it? Well, it was quite predictable. I knew what was going to happen a quarter of the way into it, which is fine, but didn't dazzle me. I did like this book though, and did enjoy the afternoon of entertainment. I would recommend it to fans of fae or fairy-tale retellings.

*I was given a copy of this book, from the author via Reading Addiction Book Tours, to read in exchange for an honest review.

Review to come soon :)

I've always been a huge fan of mythology, and have spent many years studying Greek and Roman mythology, in particular. I love learning about "the gods" and their stories, personalities, and powers. To read a contemporary adventure, with all these mythical beings as main characters? I couldn't ask for a better story!

Persephone has always been one of my favorite goddesses. Reading this book, seeing her story played out in our time, through her eyes, is completely fascinating. It's wonderful to have Hades as a main character as well. I've always loved reading stories about him, and seeing him depicted the way he is in this book, is truly refreshing- no flaming hair or pointy teeth!

Kaitlin Bevis has come up with a very clever way of mixing these ancient myths into our modern world, never losing the mysterious and supernatural qualities that make the mythological deities mesmerizing. This is a book I know will be at the top of my "fav mythology books" list for quite a while. I'm excited to read the sequel, and see what happens with the incredibly exciting story.

*I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to check out my blog post for this book! Includes a dream cast, character bios, excerpts, an author interview, and for a limited time, a giveaway!! Check it out here!

Wow. That's really all I can say after finishing this series- wow.

This incredible adventure Persephone and Hades have been on together, has been simply fantastic. With so many ups and downs, the drama of their story is wrapped into this final book. The grief, pain, angst, love, and loss in this series, and especially this book, is perfect for a Greek tragedy. I found myself shocked, happy, sad, and in the end, torn and simply left emotionally exhausted, in the way a great book leaves you.

It's always difficult to write a review for the third book in the series, when trying to avoid spoilers. Following Greek mythological creatures, in a modern world, makes for a fascinating story. These characters are famous in their own rights, and after this story, you'll never think of any of them the same way again. This is obviously a book you can read only after reading the first two in the series. It is, however, a series and a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys dramatic adventures, based on Greek mythology.

*I was given an eBook copy, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to check out my blog post for this book! Includes a dream cast, character bios, excerpts, an author interview, and for a limited time, a giveaway!! Check it out here!

Continuing on with the story that was started in Persephone (Daughters of Zeus #1), this book gives further glimpses and insights into the mythical characters introduced. While some questions were answered from the last story, so many more questions were raised, and the adventure became deeper and even more exciting.

While I love these characters, and Persephone is one of my favorite mythological goddesses, she showed more of her naivete, which was somewhat infuriating. On more than one occasion, I found myself saying "It's so obvious, how can you not get that!" to her character's lack of understanding, or connecting dots I thought were a bit obvious. However, having the story dotted with clear signs and clues made it easy to create things for Persephone to figure out later in the story. It also helped bring the story together, keeping the plot flowing with clues that needed discovering, which is necessary, but kept me somewhat annoyed with her. The other characters are all deeper, and the addition of a few new characters added some intense relationship drama for most of the main characters.

I enjoyed this installment to the series quite a bit. The increase in angst, mystery and danger was entertaining, and the writing style and voice are great to read. I'm looking forward to reading the next book!

*I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to check out my blog post for this book! Includes a dream cast, character bios, excerpts, an author interview, and for a limited time, a giveaway!! Check it out here!

I am in love with this book! This author is so talented, creating such a fantastic story, writing it so well, and drawing such fabulous illustrations to go with it! I have never read a book like this before, both in story, and style. I'm still fairly new to stories of fae and fairies, but this one is definitely at the top of my list.

The characters in this story are simply wonderful. There were so many surprises and twists with each of them, I was constantly gasping and shocked. I'm not sure what I was expecting this story to be when I first started reading it, but after finishing it, I am so thrilled to have had the opportunity to experience this adventure. The illustrations are beyond amazing, and added such wonderful depth to the story, it will be difficult to read a book without them after this.

Well written, full of emotions and surprises, clean in it's subtle romance, and full of humor, this book is sure to entertain any reader, and leave you wanting more. It did me, and I'm so glad there is another book in the series, because I'm not ready for this story to end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and will be eagerly looking forward to reading the sequel.

*I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to check out my blog post for this book! Includes book trailer, book info, and for a limited time, 2 giveaways!! Check it out here!

I loved this story! I don't like to use the word “inspirational,” because it sounds cheesy but, this story was... heartwarming and fun.

This story follows the inner-journey of a woman desperately reaching for her lifelong dream of music. She discovers, that who she thinks she is, and what others perceive her as, are two different things.

The character fights physical, mental, emotional, and relational obstacles to her dream, but soldiers on.

The writing is active, and keeps your focus locked-in until the very end. It's funny, honest, and downright true, the way the author describes the life of someone not cut out for their dream.

Anyone can identify with this character, and this story. This is truly a good read for any audience. I think “indie” truly describes this short-story. I recommend this book, to anyone that likes urban drama, or appreciates the life of aspiring artists.

Sincerely,

Ken Wallin

Danger, adventure, mythical creatures, paranormal circumstances, and supernatural powers- all the ingredients for a fantastic adventure! The first book of this series was one I enjoyed, and this book was even better! Everything I liked from Days Gone Bad was still there- the humor; the interesting characters; the feeling of being connected to the story, because I've lived in the place this story is set; all the paranormal and supernatural creatures; and the danger. In addition to all that, we have wolves and zombies...

I'm not generally a fan of zombie stories, but this one was actually very entertaining. With the basis for the characters already established, we're able to jump right into the story, and a whole new set of problems. The intensity of this story seems to be even higher than the last book, although that could be because zombies really freak me out! Either way, this book was incredibly entertaining. Mr. Asher, yet again, had me on the edge of my seat, while managing to make me laugh at random times, with his wry sense of humor.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, zombies and all. This is a series I've enjoyed reading, and I hope there will be a third book in the future. Mr. Asher is an author I'd read just about anything from, and this book is one I'd recommend to any zombie, paranormal, or dark fantasy fan. It isn't one where I think you need to read the first to know what is going on- it could be stand-alone, so if it sounds interesting, be sure to give it a try!

*I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to check out my blog post for this book! Includes the book soundtrack, playlist and excerpt!! Check it out here

Reading the synopsis was enough to make me want to try and read this book. It was funny, had interesting elements, and I could already tell, the writing was going to be entertaining. Luckily, I was right- this was an entertaining book.

From the first page, we dive straight into the world of Damian, and all the crazy characters he deals with on a daily basis. We see his humor, his day-to-day life, and the people important to him. Then, we're taken to a dark and dangerous world, full of surprises and nail-biting adventure.

What really surprised me, is the fact that I've lived in the location this story is set in. It was cool to read about places I've been, and feel even more a part of the story. Knowing where the author was describing gave me a unique look at his writing, and I was impressed by his ability to describe a real place very well, then mix it with a supernatural, paranormal fantasy. I don't know if I'll be able to look at those places the same way after his book!

Along with being impressed with Mr. Asher's descriptions of locations, I was very entertained by the characters he came up with. I enjoy his writing style quite a bit, and am looking forward to reading the sequel. I would recommend this book to any paranormal fantasy fan.

*I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to check out my blog post for this book! Includes the book playlist, soundtrack, and excerpt!! Check it out here!