The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski Review

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

I've been wondering why it took me almost three weeks to finish this book and I think I figured out why. I'm not a fan of forbidden love. I tolerate it, but when the odds seem to be 100% against the couple I find that I can't enjoy the book fully. I need some kind of hope. While reading The Winner's Curse I didn't see any hope for Kestrel and Arin. He's a slave she's the enemy, that's it. I was afraid for them. Afraid that I was going to end up loving these characters only to have my heart broken in the end. There was a point in the book where I wish I could hate them. But that was impossible.

This book made me feel confused. I knew what side (of the war, can you call it that?) I was on but I couldn't help but love and care for some of the characters in the other side. Just like Arin I fell in love with Kestrel, she was kind and real and so unlike her kind. Arin was an amazing character, as well. I also want to see more of the secondary characters in the next book, they gave this book life. Even the characters that weren't so good made this world real.

One of the things that made this book a great read was the writing. It was so beautiful! I do have to say, though, that the pace was a little slow for my taste, but it goes well with the story. I can't wait to see what happens next.

My final verdict is that this book is worth it. I started to see hope in the end and that makes me excited for the next book. That last sentence made me want to cry, it was so beautiful and to the point. I just love when books end in a powerful note.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge Review

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Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

I’ve written this review many times. I’m not happy with any of them. Let’s see if this one makes sense. I think I’ve been having a hard time reviewing this book because I really don’t know what I feel. One of the factors I am very confused about is the heroine. Nyx wasn’t likable in my opinion. She’s not your typical selfless heroine that would do anything for her family. No, Nyx is bitter and complains a lot. It gets to the point where she gets a bit annoying. BUT thinking about her as annoying makes me feel guilty. Why? Because I would be complaining and blaming the world for my misfortune.  I think anyone in her position would feel this way.

Also, what makes me feel a little weird about this book was the weirdly unique love triangle and the first kiss. I felt nothing for Shade. I thought that whatever was happening between him and Nyx was very odd and I had this bad feeling about him from the get go. I didn’t get it. Ignifex was what made the book interesting, and I wish he had a bigger story line. I actually loved the chemistry between Nyx and Ignifex. They made me chuckle and sigh a few times. Why the author made this weird love triangle out of the love story in this book, is beyond me. Nyx and Ignifex were amazing together.

The plot was interesting enough to keep me reading. I figured out the main twist pretty early on in the book. The ending caught me by surprise, though. I thought Hodge did a good job with  how things get solved. I don't know if this is a series or stand alone. But I kinda want to read what Hodge comes up with next.

Blog Tour: Survivor Roundup by Angela Scott Review and Giveaway!!!

Get the Zombie West†Omnibus†on 

Amazon. Add the†Zombie West Omnibus†to your Goodreads to-read shelf!

Red always knew she would have to face the man who nearly destroyed her. She just didn’t figure it would happen so soon...

With the plague sweeping across the nation, destroying many and turning others into walking corpses, survivors head West in search of a chosen land, a place designed to keep the infected out, while sealing survivors inside. In theory, the idea seems the only way to keep humanity alive. In practice, it doesn’t matter whether a person is on the inside or the out—there is no humanity.

...And even though John Gatherum hunted her down and instigated their reunion, Red’s no longer the passive girl he once manipulated. This time, she has a hidden agenda of her own.

Kill him. Save her family. Save herself.

I fell in love with Angela's writing when I read the first book in the series Wanted: Dead or Undead. She has this gift to engross the reader from page one. Her books are hard to put down. Like the first book in the series Survivor Roundup is full action and zombies! At times I thought the suspense would kill me. It was that amazing! I'm actually not a big fan of zombie books but I'll always make an exception for Angela's books.

I was surprised at how easy details from book one came back to me. I read the first book in 2012, and thought that it would be hard to get into this one but it was so easy to get lost in the story. I loved that we got the same kind of awesomeness, suspense and action from book one. We see new and old characters in Survival Roundup and they are all fascinating. Red like always was such a strong character and so fearless! River was amazing also. This little girl was so mature for her age but at the same time you could feel that she really was a little kid.

I'm in love with this series and wish it was more popular because whoever hasn't read these books are missing out big time! 

About the†Zombie West†Omnibus

The Wild West is hard enough to survive with its native territory, wanted outlaws, and harsh terrain, but with a plague turning civilized people into brain-eating monsters, survival becomes nearly impossible. Red has lost everything to the fast-spreading disease: her family, her trust in mankind, and her hope for a better tomorrow. When she meets Trace, a smooth-talking gambling man whoís more city boy than cowboy, sheís forced down a path sheíd been avoiding for years. Until his arrival, sheíd lived by a certain set of rulesódonít ask names, keep to yourself, donít let anyone too closeóbut the jackass of a man wonít let her be, and he has an uncanny knack for appearing at all the wrong times and in all the wrong places. Each, with a secret of their own, will need to learn that only by working together do they have any chance of surviving The Zombie West. That is, if they donít kill each other first. [Angela Scottís†Zombie West†Omnibus†includes the three books in the†Zombie West†series†WANTED: DEAR OR UNDEAD, SURVIVOR ROUNDUP, and DEAD PLAINS. Find these books on†Amazon,†Barnes & Noble,†iTunes,†Kobo, and†Smashwords.] Genre classification:†YA/Western Romance/Action and Adventure/ with added zombies for utter mayhem.

About Angela Scott

Angela Scott hears voices. Tiny fictional people sit on her shoulders and whisper their stories in her ear. Instead of medicating herself, she decided to pick up a pen, write down everything those voices tell me, and turn it into a book. Sheís not crazy. Sheís an author. For the most part, she writes contemporary Young Adult novels. However, through a writing exercise that spiraled out of control, she found herself writing about zombies terrorizing the Wild Wild Westñand loving it. Her zombies donít sparkle, and they definitely donít cuddle. At least, she wouldnít suggest it. She lives on the benches of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains with two lovely children, one teenager, and a very patient husband. She graduated from Utah State University with a B.A. degree in English, not because of her love for the written word, but because it was the only major that didnít require math. She canít spell, and grammar is her arch nemesis. But they gave her the degree, and there are no take backs.

  Find Angela Scott on her

†website,†Facebook,†Twitter, and†Goodreads.

Get the book!

Find the†Zombie West†Trilogy on†Amazon. 

Don't forget to†add the†Zombie West†Omnibus†to your Goodreads to-read shelf. 

 Connect with Angela Scott on her†website,†Facebook,†Twitter, and†Goodreads.

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Moonglow by Kristen Callihan Review

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Once the seeds of desire are sown . . .

Finally free of her suffocating marriage, widow Daisy Ellis Craigmore is ready to embrace the pleasures of life that have long been denied her. Yet her new-found freedom is short lived. A string of unexplained murders has brought danger to Daisy's door, forcing her to turn to the most unlikely of saviors . . .

Their growing passion knows no bounds . . .

Ian Ranulf, the Marquis of Northrup, has spent lifetimes hiding his primal nature from London society. But now a vicious killer threatens to expose his secrets. Ian must step out of the shadows and protect the beautiful, fearless Daisy, who awakens in him desires he thought long dead. As their quest to unmask the villain draws them closer together, Daisy has no choice but to reveal her own startling secret, and Ian must face the undeniable truth: Losing his heart to Daisy may be the only way to save his soul.

First of all I have to tell you guys that I am obsessed with this series! Obsessed! I am totally fine with that. This book was so refreshing. Callihan's writing is so sophisticated and it transports the reader to the 1800s without being overwhelming. Her writing also makes the reader forget about time and anything that doesn't have to do with the book. Personally the ability to forget everything while reading is one of the characteristics I look forward to in a book.

In the first book,  the two main characters were a bit serious and calm in this book we have two very fun and wild characters. I enjoyed both books equally, but this one was a bit more fun and very fast paced. I liked Ian in book one but now I'm totally in love with him! He has a very dark but lively personality. The reader can only see his internal struggles when reading from his POV. Even then all that darkness and sadness didn't make me feel pity for him. It just made me love him even more. The same goes with Daisy. She has a rough past, but she didn't let that make her weak. She didn't need saving for anyone. Because of that I love her. Also, the chemistry between these two equals HOT!

The plot was equally fantastic. I tried to figure out who was the one behind all the trouble but never got it right. I was very surprised when I found out who it was. There's also a big twist at the end I didn't see coming! This book also gives the readers a glimpse of secondary characters that in the next few books will become main characters! I'm so looking forward to reading the rest of the series.  

Firelight by Kristen Callihan Review

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Once the flames are ignited . . .

Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.

They will burn for eternity . . .

Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.

Before I started reading Firelight, I’ve been on a reading slump for over a month. As soon as I open the book and read the first sentence I thought to myself that maybe a paranormal-historical-romance book wasn’t the best way to get me out of it. To my surprise it worked! I don’t know why I was hesitant about this one. I’ve had good experiences with the historical genre. Well the 2 or 3 books that I’ve read were really good. The only thing with this type of books it’s that I feel like I have to pay extra attention to what I’m reading. But at the end it’s all worth it.

I fell in love with Firelight. This book was my universe for 2 days. I didn’t do anything else but read it. One of the things that made me fall in love with it was the Beauty and the Beast feel to it. Archer hides behind a mask because of something that happened to his face, and Miranda is the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. The sexual tension was fantastic. It keeps building up and building up until they couldn’t deny each other anymore, and it was magical. Oh my goodness it was perfect.

The paranormal aspect of the book was mild but interesting. It wasn’t until further in the book where I realized that there was much more going than the eye can see. I’m on book 3, and I find that book 2 and 3 have a lot more paranormal activity than in book 1. I’m loving this series!

Overall I think this was a fantastic start to an amazing series! The characters are so alive and lovely. The book has everything. It’s funny, scary, hot, classy and everything made of awesome!

Unattainable (Undeniable #3) by Madeline Sheehan

 (Undeniable #3)

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Warning: This is not a virtuous and tender love story. It’s chaotic, ruthless, and tragic. This story takes love and kills its innocence, steals away the pure moments, and crushes the hearts of the broken. A story born in childhood, tying one girl to one boy, leads to a destructive path—that hurts more than it doesn’t, that shatters more than it heals—testing the love that binds the two through a lifetime.

Tegen Matthews is the daughter of Dorothy Kelley, a club whore in the Hell’s Horsemen. A plain little girl, Tegen falls into the gritty world of the motorcycle club. When she meets a sweet, caring boy, she embraces the warmth and affection he shows her. Cage West is the son of the president of the Hell’s Horsemen. Tall and blond with deep brown eyes, as he grows up Cage realizes the power of his dimpled smile and smooth drawl. With one chance encounter, Tegen becomes forever tied to Cage. Following is a wayward journey that is filled with regrets, mistakes, and heartache, pulling at the threads that hold them together. Cage and Tegen fight hard but love harder, and in the end, what matters is where the journey takes one girl and one boy, who have been twined with one another since the beginning.

This is Tegen and Cage’s story.

Love doesn’t erase a broken heart, and it sure doesn’t change people. But no matter how old, how flimsy, how frayed the rope of love is, it keeps you tethered to the people you love.

Madeline has done it again. She has written a book that is not easily forgettable and makes you love imperfect characters. You would think that because this book is about bikers, and sometimes bikers can be a little bit unsophisticated that the writing would match the characters. It doesn’t. Madeline is a great writer, and she writes about raw and dark characters with a sophisticated touch. Her books are like a black hole, once you start reading them you’ll get sucked in until you finish them.

In Unbeautifully (book 2),  we get a glimpse of Tegen, and what I read I didn’t like at all. I thought she was so ungrateful and spoiled! Then I got to know her in Unattainable, and my perspective of her changed completely. She had reasons to behave the way she did and very good ones. She’s a fighter, very protective of her family and loyal. She’s fierce. I think she’s my favorite character in the series so far. Then there’s Cage. I loved Cage from page one until the end. Hell, I’ve loved him since I read Undeniable (book 1)! He’s so much like his dad but a little bit softer. He was so underestimated by everybody and that made me love him even more because I knew he was better than what everybody thought he was. Sigh. I just love him.

This book wasn’t only about Tegen and Cage. It was also about Dirty and Ellie. I didn't mind that Madeline decided to share Cagen’s (see what I did there) book with Dirty and Ellie. I actually love that she did that with Unattainable. The thing with Madeline’s characters is that they all have a story to tell. If she only wrote only about Cage and Tegen, the story wouldn’t have been as entertaining as it was. I’m seeing a lot of authors giving books to characters that have nothing to tell just for the heck of it. At the end,  their characters are just an empty shell, an imitation of what a main character is supposed to be. Thankfully the characters in Unattainable are fleshed out and have unique voices. I was as interested in Ellie and Dirty as I was in Cage and Tegen’s story.

There’s a lot of everything in Unattainable and get ready to read about things you haven’t read in Madeline’s other books. This book will make you cry, cringe, swoon and make you want to slap somebody’s mama in the span of 5 pages. This book will rock your world.

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller Review

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Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

When I saw that Melina Marchetta wrote a blurb for Where the Stars Still Shine I had to read it as soon as possible. My expectations were very high for this book, and while it didn’t disappoint me, it still wasn’t what I was expecting.

When I can’t connect with a main character, I know that I’m in for a challenging read. I could not connect with Calli the way I wanted to. To me she was a robot that was learning how to be human. I’m a very emotional person and when something is bothering me I will speak my mind and cry and scream. Calli barely stood up for herself and I wanted her to so badly! I did understand her to a point. This girl went through so many horrible things and in the process she lost her voice. Thankfully as the book progressed I found myself rooting for her and wanting her to be happy.

I do have to say that Trish is an incredible storyteller. Her ability to transport me to Tarpon Spring amazed me. They way she described the town made it feel so real, well it is a real town, but I’ve never been there, now I feel like I have. The sponges were another nice touch to the story. I was definitely fascinated by them. This part of the book was incredibly well done. Not every author can take the reader to a different time or place. Trish Doller did.

Another thing that I loved about Where the Stars Still Shine was the glimpse Trisha gave us into the Greek culture. It was a lot of fun reading about the different foods, the Greek terminologies. I absolutely adored this part of the book! Even the way the family acted was fascinating. I think the grandma was my favorite. She reminded me a little bit of my grandma. I also loved the unconditional love these people gave Calli without even knowing her. They were supportive even when she didn’t disserve it.

The romance between Calli and Alex was a little too insta-love for me, but it was still sweet to read. The scene when she sees him for the first time made the butterflies in my stomach come back to life. At the end of the day Where the Stars Still Shine was a great read. Even though I had some problems with it I still think this book is definitely worth the read.

Lick by Kylie Scott Review

Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iTunes

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this.

Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure as hell never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened.

One thing is for certain, being married to rock and roll’s favourite son is sure to be a wild ride.

Is it ok to say that I love reading about complicated couples? Very bad boy + your average Jane = 1 entertaining book, if done well of course.  I like it when they hate each other, but they don’t, they are just too stubborn to realize that they love each other. I also love the anticipation and the moment when every emotion is too much to hold, and then they can’t anymore and have to let it out in some way. Well, Lick gave me what I like.

There are different levels of angst for me in romance, New Adult and contemporary books:

Too little (boring)
 Moderate (good)
 Almost too much (perfect!!)
 Too much (turn off)

Lick was in between “moderate” and “almost too much”. To me that was good enough to keep me reading until late at night. I could not put this book down! Music, tears, mean girls, lies and the sexual tension were enough to make my drama loving heart stop beating a few times. I can’t say much without spoiling it, but I’ll say that David is hot enough to melt your e-readers.

The only thing I don't like about the book is the emo-goth cover. I feel like it doesn't go with the book. But that's only a cover right? What matters is that Lick rocked!

 With a worthy to remember heroine and perfect pacing, I say that Lick is a must read!