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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Recently opened my own online shop

so I haven't had as much time to read as I would have liked. In the future, if all goes well with it, I will be trying to balance crocheting and reading so that neither my reviewing nor my (hopefully lots) customers aren't neglected. *You can find the shop here Character Dolls or on the Facebook Page if you are at all interested.

Meanwhile back to normal business and the review for a book by Amber Kell that I have read recently.

Keeping Kylen (Moon Pack #11)by Amber Kell 4*
BLURB: Sometimes falling in love is the easy part.
Kylen is now king of the fae and missing his mate. The question as to whether the fae are as committed to their mates is answered when Kylen can no longer sleep, or eat. The rest of the fae worry he isn’t a good king, and truth to tell, Kylen doesn’t want to be. He wants nothing more than to curl up with Farro, play with their son, and live happily ever after, but sometimes life doesn’t give you what you need.


My Review: I liked this story (that is yet another continuation of the longer story arc of the Moon Pack) but I could have done with a little more of cute little Sammy. However as far as the romance and action are concerned I have no complaints whatsoever. It had everything I expected with a few additional little twists I hadn't(won't say what as I don't want to spoil it for others.)

Monday, November 25, 2013

A DNF for The Learner by Alan Hayes

The Learner (The Learner #1) by Alan Hayes DNF
BLURB: NayéLi has come from the dark side of the universe to learn as much as she can about the third planet from the sun, and to communicate her findings back to her home world. NayéLi is a Learner - and on Earth she assumes the form of a young human female of the indigenous host species.
NayéLi is bound by her rulers' laws of planetary exploration, which state that there can be no involvement with a member of the host species. But NayéLi is more human now than she realizes. And she is about to fall in love.
THE LEARNER is the first book in the paranormal Learner Series.


My Review: Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley. I loved the blurb for this one and really gave it a good try (four attempts) but I just could not get interested in it. It had lots of good points but the overuse of 'alien' terms and the very slow pace of the whole book (or at least the half I actually read) made it impossible for me to stick with it.

Friday, November 22, 2013

My First Ever Audio Book!

The Artifact: The Bodyguard, Book 1 (M/M Supernatural Mystery) (Unabridged) [Audio Download]
by X. Aratare (Author), Chris Patton (Narrator)
5*
BLURB: Dane Gareis is a wealthy, reclusive young man with a traumatic past, but a spine of steel. When his father is killed in a mysterious plane crash, Dane carries on the family business and continues his passion for the very antiquity that got his father murdered - a golden sarcophagus belonging to an ancient cult known as the Ydrath.
Soon, the Ydrath threaten him as well, and Dane seeks to hire a bodyguard he can trust. Someone who can protect him, and someone who will respect his boundaries. While he gets the first two, the third requirement falls apart when he hires Sean Harding.
Sean Harding is an ex-detective with a sixth sense for danger. After his entire unit was murdered in a drug bust gone very wrong, he is a broken man who thinks only of revenge until he takes the job protecting the Gareis CEO.
Sean's attraction to the vulnerable Dane gives him new purpose, but his past is not escaped so easily, and his sixth sense tells him that there is more to the Ydrath than even Dane knows.


My Review: Apart from the odd way the narrator pronounced Buttocks (with the emphasis on the O and not the U like in the UK)I really enjoyed listening to the story. The narrator had a smooth pleasant speaking voice and was able to change it enough that I was never lost as to who was supposed to be speaking. I was even able to tell when a character's thoughts were being narrated, as opposed to outloud commentary. In fact my only complaint was that it ended with "The story continues in book 2" as I hate that kind of cliffhanger (truth be told I just hate waiting for book 2! As to the actual story I couldn't have asked for a more intense and intriguing one. It was full of good characterisation and the storyline was unique. Naturally I will be waiting on book 2's audio edition with eager anticipation.







Reviewing Bonded Broken by Amber Kell

Bonded Broken (Thresl Chronicles #4) by Amber Kell 4*
BLURB: Friln had always counted on his lover to be there when things go wrong. But when one brief moment of death breaks his bond with his Thresl mate, he loses the only thing in the world he needs to make him happy.
For the past ten years Friln, the king’s Captain of the Guard, has lived with and loved his Thresl mate Nelrin. When an assassination attempt catches Friln in the crossfire, he is killed. In the brief moment before he’s revived, the bond to his lover is shattered.
At Friln’s death Nelrin loses everything. Bereft of the only person he’s ever loved, Nelrin turns back into his cat form and runs away. Unfortunately he falls into the hands of a pair of scientists who have different plans than redemption for the Thresl race.


My Review: Another new chapter in the ongoing story of the Thresl. I enjoyed it but I would have preferred it to be Saint's book. Hopefully the next one out will be. Meanwhile the story here is about an established bonded couple who have to try and reconnect after one them dies for a few seconds and the bond gets broken. I loved the way the two men reacted to the loss of the bond as it was well written and heart breaking. Luckily there is as usual a happy ending so I wasn't left too unhappy (just unhappy about it not being Saint's story yet!)








Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Review of Agamemnon Frost and The Crown Of Towers by Kim Knox

Agamemnon Frost and the Crown of Towers (Agamemnon Frost #3)by Kim Knox 5*
BLURB: Book three of Agamemnon Frost
Edgar Mason is losing Agamemnon Frost despite everything they've been through—the passion, the torture, the heat. Frost's fiancée, Theodora, is back, and Mason can feel his lover gravitating toward her. Every day he sees them together, it tears at his heart.
Frost feels raw himself. His brother and sister-in-law are missing, and his guilt about failing to save Theodora from Pandarus eats at him. His feelings for Mason, whom he has put through hell twice already, just twist the screws tighter.
On top of that, Pandarus and the Martians are back to make their final push to Earth, and Frost and Mason are duty bound to fight them. People are vanishing. Bodies are turning up burned beyond recognition in the slums. The bleak, human-less future Frost and Mason saw in the hollow ships has nearly come to pass.
And in order to prevent it, each man will have to make a final choice: lose his lover or doom the world.


My Review: I am very upset with this book... because it was the last time I get to read about Agamemnon Frost and Edgar Mason :( . Apart from that I loved the book, it had everything I had come to expect from this excellent trilogy by Kim Knox. Action, pathos, a delightful mix of Victorian London and Science Fiction Martians and all wrapped up in a story of intrigue and romance. I hope that if even one of these points strikes a chord with you that you go and read all three Agamemnon Frost books, It will be well worth it.






Monday, November 18, 2013

Reviewing Angelbound (Angelbound #1) by Christina Bauer


Angelbound (Angelbound #1)by Christina Bauer 5*
BLURB: Eighteen year old Myla Lewis is a girl who loves two things: kicking ass and kicking ass. She’s not your everyday quasi-demon, half-demon and half-human, girl. For the past five years, Myla has lived for the days she gets to fight in Purgatory’s arena. When souls want a trial by combat for their right to enter heaven or hell, they go up against her, and she hasn’t lost a battle yet.
But as she starts her senior year at Purgatory High, the arena fights aren’t enough to keep her spirits up anymore. When the demons start to act weird, even for demons, and the King of the Demons, Armageddon, shows up at Myla’s school, she knows that things are changing and it’s not looking good for the quasi-demons. Myla starts to question everything, and doesn’t like the answers she finds. What happened seventeen years ago that turned the quasi-demons into slave labor? Why was her mom always so sad? And why won’t anyone tell her who her father is? Things heat up when Myla meets Lincoln, the High Prince of the Thrax, a super sexy half-human and half-angel demon hunter. But what’s a quasi-demon girl to do when she falls for a demon hunter? It’s a good thing that Myla’s not afraid of breaking a few rules. With a love worth fighting for, Myla’s going to shake up Purgatory.

My Review:Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley This isn't out until 17th December and I advise putting it in preorder if you really enjoy the following:
1. Teen Angst written in a new and interesting way.
2. Demons, ghouls, angels and other assorted paranormal beings.
3. A sweet romance that makes you grin.
4. A well written story that you can't put down.
So you have had your heads up, now go order it whilst I get all upset that I have to wait until next year for book two.








Thursday, November 14, 2013

A Review Of A Nanny For Nate by Lisa Worrall


A Nanny for Nate by Lisa Worrall 3*
BLURB: Re-vamped, re-written and with scenes not in the original!
A year after his husband is killed in a hit and run, the only thing keeping Parker Adams going is his work and their son, Nate. When his regular sitter moves away, he hires a live in nanny to give Nate more stability. Due to a mix up with the envelopes, it isn't the young woman he was expecting. Opening the door and finding six feet six of Jake Walsh on the stoop fills Parker with panic. Not that Jake wasn't perfect for the job; he was. A little too perfect. Which is why Parker had purposely decided to give the job to the other candidate. During his interview, Jake Walsh had awoken feelings in Parker that he had thought were gone forever. How was he going to cope with the man under his roof twenty-four-seven?
Jake Walsh is a force of nature. Having worked at a day care until the tiny business folded, he's looking for something more secure, but doesn't expect to find it with his first interview. If he's honest, he didn't think he'd get it. Although he'd hit it off with Nate, Parker Adams was a whole different story. After the feeling they'd made an initial connection, Parker's demeanor had changed and Jake had been left with the impression he didn't have a chance-until the letter offering him the position dropped onto his doormat. Moving in with Parker and Nate seems like the perfect job, until he realises he's not only fallen in love with Nate, but Parker, too, and that it's nigh on impossible to compete with a ghost?

My Review: I won a paperback copy from the author and looked forward to reading it. It was a quick and easy read but highly predictable in it's format and outcome. There were some very amusing bits and one or two very insightful episodes, but if you are looking for something out of the ordinary you won't find it here. Not to say it isn't a good book because it is and Lisa does give the whole cliched storyline a lovely cute touch of her own.







Sunday, November 10, 2013

Review Of The Syn-En Solution by Linda Andrews


The Syn-En Solution (Syn-En #1)by Linda Andrews 5*
BLURB: A woman from the past. A cyborg with no future.
They have every reason to mistrust each other but one: survival.
When Nell Stafford passed out it was 2012. When she wakes up naked aboard a starship it's 2138, and she's surrounded by the Syn-En: synthetically-enhanced soldiers with a grudge against humans like her. She doesn't know where she is or what's happened, only that her life has been destroyed and everyone she's ever known is dead.
Their leader Beijing York has just discovered his people's creators--humans--have betrayed them. They were promised freedom and equality in exchange for settling a newly discovered planet at the other side of a wormhole. But the Syn-En have outlived their usefulness.
The offer was a trick.
The wormhole has collapsed, and now both Nell and the Syn-En are trapped far, far from Earth to face almost certain death.
Bei has lost his future, and Nell has lost her past.
But Nell gained something in her 120-year sleep; somehow, she knows everything the Syn-En need to survive. Now she must convince Bei and his people to trust her--as soon as she learns to trust the mysterious intelligence

My Review: Cyborg of the future meets girl of his dreams? Maybe, but the journey to find out is a great one for the reader. Linda andrews has the ability to suck you into her world and drag you through the emotional briar patch before giving you a happy ending. I ended up with yet another late night because I just didn't want to leave the story unfinished - I had to know how it ended. So if you like a realistic romance mixed with science fiction action and suspicious aliens as well as a dash of psychological intrigue then read this book..

Review Of Fire Balls by Tara Lain


Fire Balls (Balls to the Wall #2) by Tara Lain 5*
BLURB: Rodney Mansfield is tiny, flamboyant and, oh yeah, a black belt in karate. He is also one of southern California’s greatest artists. Too bad the work of art he really wants is firefighter, Hunter Fallon. But the gorgeous “straight gay” guy could never want the Runtback of Notre Dame, so when Rodney’s handsome, surfer friend, Jerry, develops an unexpected passion for the beautiful firefighter, Rodney breaks his own heart by helping Jerry land his man. And then Rod makes it worse by embarrassing Hunter when he protects him from a firehouse bully. Hunter hates gay guys like Rodney – doesn’t he? Then why can’t he get the powerful pipsqueak’s face out of his mind… and cock out of his ass? And why does he risk his job and his life to rescue Rod from a burning building? Isn’t it time for him to admit he’s not an alpha male after all and that he is the property of the artist?(
My Review: I am definitely reading these books in the wrong order but it doesn't matter at all. Tara Lain writes a beautiful romance that stands on it's own. I loved the character of Rodney and wish I had a friend like him. He was kind and generous and so flamboyant too. Hunter however took a little time to grow on me but boy by the end of the story I was rooting for them both as they had so much chemistry going on it was burning the pages.

Reviewing Politician Won by Amber Kell


Politician Won (The Thresl Chronicles #3)by Amber Kell 4*
BLURB: Book Three in the The Thresl Chronicles series.
Zander Elios only wanted his Thresl to transform into his mate. Little did he know that once the Thresl changed, Zander would be the one who had to make the most adjustments.
Zander had just about given up on his Thresl ever changing forms. After two years, the beast was still in his cat shape with no signs of changing any time soon. When his health becomes precarious and his Thresl shifts to save him, Zander wonders if he was truly meant to be a mate of one of these special shapeshifters.
As part of his new duties as ambassador to the Thresl king, he is sent to investigate the source of the Thresl smuggling. Unfortunately, when things go wrong they go very wrong and Zander’s Thresl, Leo, is kidnapped. It will take all of his love and diplomatic skills to find their way back together.

My Review: Another instalment in the on going saga of the Thresl people that was just what I expected. A sweet romance with a dash of spicy action and the continuation of the longer story arc. These books do stand alone in terms of the romance between the main two Characters but should really be read in order for that longer story arc.

Friday, November 08, 2013

Review Of No Flag by Liz Borino


No Flag by Liz Borino 5*
BLURB: For Mike and Will, “No Flag” meant “come home alive”, but will their love survive what happens next?
Captain Mike Kelley does not ignore his intuition, so when sexy bartender Will Hayes captures his heart, Mike embarks on a mission to win him over to a Domestic Discipline relationship. Will accepts with one caveat: Mike must promise not to renew his Army contract. Mike agrees, and they spend a year building a life together, getting married, and starting a business.
Only days before their café’s grand opening, Mike receives news that threatens everything he and Will have built. The Army invokes the Stop Loss military policy to involuntarily extend his commission and send him back overseas. Will, left alone to cope with the café, must rely on the support of old friends who may no longer be trustworthy. Through emails and Skype calls, Mike and Will keep their love and structure alive…until the day a horrific terrorist attack occurs on Mike’s outpost.
Mike awakens in a hospital with a devastating injury and no memory of the attack. As the only survivor, Mike’s memory may be the key to national security. Mike struggles to cope with his injury and Will struggles to support the man who always held him up. Both fear they have lost their previous relationship. Will has Mike back rather than a folded flag, but in the aftermath of war, can they rebuild the life they had before? Especially when those closest to them may not have their best interests at heart?

My Review Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley. I really enjoyed this story about two guys who have a committed relationship with a small kink. However the story really revolves around how they get into such a relationship and how they cope when things go drastically and almost tragically wrong. I actually started it rather late at night and almost wish I hadn't because I couldn't put it down and read until gone 3am! Just proves it's a book well worth reading.



Thursday, November 07, 2013

Two 5* Reviews on books by Lilia Ford & Abigail Roux

The Slave Catcher by Lilia Ford 5*
BLURB: Star City, best known for its brothels and casinos, is one of the few planets in the quadrant that outlaws slavery—for everyone, that is, except the galaxy bullies, the Borathians. Telepaths and recent conquerors of a backwards planet named Earth, the Borathians are simply too powerful to refuse. A special treaty allows them to bring their pleasure slaves or “bonds” onto the planet, and if one escapes, they have five days to recover him.
Sam Beron, private locator, may have been born on a Maradi space cruiser, but Star City is his home now and he’d say he despises slavery as much as any native. Unfortunately, a run of bad luck at the casino tables leaves him flat broke and scavenging expired military rations out of a neighboring dumpster. Next thing he knows, the Borathians are offering him a fortune to track down one of their escaped bonds, a beautiful Earth boy named Liam. What's a hungry locator to do?

My Review: I picked this one up purely and simply because it was a Science Fiction m/m with a lovely cover picture and I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of world building the author managed to get into this short story. I loved the characters and the mangled naming of stuff that was so believable and apt. I most especially loved the twist on the idea of slavery that the author manages to produce. I hope that the author intends to write more stories from this world of hers - I would love to read more about the bonded pairs.


The Gravedigger's Brawl by Abigail Roux 5*
BLURB: Dr. Wyatt Case is never happier than when he’s walking the halls of his history museum. Playing wingman for his best friend at Gravedigger’s Tavern throws him way out of his comfort zone, but not as much as the eccentric man behind the bar, Ash Lucroix.
Ash is everything Wyatt doesn’t understand: exuberant, quirky, and elbow deep in a Gaslight lifestyle that weaves history into everyday life. He coordinates his suspenders with his tongue rings. Within hours, Wyatt and Ash are hooked.
But strange things are afoot at Gravedigger’s, and after a knock to the head, Ash starts seeing things that can’t be explained by old appliances or faulty wiring. Soon everyone at Gravedigger’s is wondering if they’re seeing ghosts, or just going crazy. The answer to that question could end more than just Wyatt and Ash’s fragile relationship—it might also end their lives.

My Review:Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley. I am a real fan of the kind of story that feeds you facts in such a way that it's all so interesting you don't realise it and Ms Roux did that here with panache. This would be a perfect non-horrific spooky story to read for Halloween. The romance is an added bonus to a really good historical facts and ghostly goings on story. It was the perfect mix of everything you need in a good 'take me out of myself' story. I recommend that if you like this kind of story race to the nearest digital bookstore and buy it when it comes out on the 19th of the month.








Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Review of Trade Secret by Sharon Lee & Stephen Miller


Trade Secret (Liaden Universe)by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller 4*
BLURB: The Liaden Universe ® Saga Continues! Star-spanning galactic trader Jethri Gobelyn adventures are the focus in book 17 by master storytellers Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.
Star-spanning galactic trader Jethri Gobelyn’s story continues in the seventeenth entry in the Liaden Universe® series by master storytellers Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.
In a universe full of interstellar intrigue and burgeoning commerce novice Terran trader Jethri Gobelyn, adopted by a Liaden clan after an ill-directed bow of honor insulted the scion of a major Liaden house, is alive and whole to tell the tale. Convinced that the adoption has saved his life and made his future he settles into a comfortable and even elite routine, a Trader's Ring his goal.
Even as Jethri's initiation into the mysteries and joys of Liaden Festival bring him to manhood he's forced to face Necessity and the facts of life: his adoption has also invigorated a net of unfinished Balance far more complex and potentially deadly than a simple Terran blood feud. He must embrace his Terran birthright as well as his Liaden connections while leaving behind the safety of the great Liaden trade ship Elthoria to defend his honor and that of shipmates past and present. Forced to sit Second Board as a back-up pilot on a Liaden Scout ship, Jethri's convinced he's already at wit's end—when several familiar faces threaten all that he knows of himself, and all that he wishes to do.

My Review: Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley. I haven't read that many Liaden Universe books but this one was pretty good - it does actually help if you have read Balance Of Trade first though. I found this to be an enjoyable read but I think for someone new to the universe it would have been quite confusing with a lot of the customs unexplained in detail (most of which you get to understand from the previous book). I wouldn't recommend this to anyone just starting out on the books but I do recommend the books as a whole - the Liaden Universe is wonderful!

Friday, November 01, 2013

Review Of A Rising Thunder by David Weber


A Rising Thunder (Honor Harrington #13) by David Weber 4*
BLURB: Peril and strife strike on a double front for Honor Harrington and company. After a brutal attack on the Manticoran home system, Honor Harrington has rooted out a plan designed to enslave the entire human species. Behind that plan lies the shadowy organization known as the Mesan Alignment. Task number one for Honor is to shut down and secure the wormhole network that is the source of the Star Kingdom's wealth and power—but also its greatest vulnerability. Yet this is an act that the ancient and corrupt Earth-based Solarian League inevitably takes as a declaration of war.
The thunder of battle rolls as the Solarian League directs its massive power against the Star Kingdom. And once again, Honor Harrington is thrust into a desperate battle that she must win if she is to survive to take the fight to the real enemy of galactic freedom—the insidious puppet masters of war who lurk behind the Mesan Alignment!

My REview: Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley. I've only given this a 4* because it just wasn't as satisfying as the previous Honorverse books. It had all the trademark Weber touches that I expected but it seemed to be lacking a little something. Maybe it's because it was setting up for the next book or because it didn't have as much substance as usual. Mind that doesn't mean I won't be getting book 14 as soon as I can afford it because I will. I am totally addicted to David Weber's Honorverse :D