*[Blog Tour Review] Illicit Love (Marlow Intrigues #1) by Jane Lark

 

Summary:

 

Trapped under the reign of a cruel keeper, Ellen Harding longs to be free. Under his oppression, her soul and conscience have died while her body lives on, fulfilling his dissolute desires. She is empty––a vessel––deaf to the voice of morality and blind to shame.
When her eyes are drawn to a beautiful man for no other reason than his looks, she imagines what it would be like to escape her chains for a night by giving her body to him.
But Edward Marlow is kind and gentle when he touches her, and her subconscious whispers, this man could be her salvation. Yet how can he help her when she has secrets which prevent her freedom?
Edward is restless, lonely, and a little angry with his lot in life—it is his only excuse for being drawn to another man’s mistress. The woman’s dark hair and pale eyes are striking, and he cannot take his gaze off her while she watches him over the top of a fan with an illicit intent in her eyes.
Once he’s known her, he cannot forget her, and once he’s seen the evidence of her supposed benefactor’s brutality, he wants to help her. But how can he when she will not run any more than she will speak of her past?
When a desperate Ellen finally relents and shocks Edward from his sleep, he doesn’t hesitate, he helps her flee .He just doesn’t know he’s running headlong into the secrets of her past.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 368 pages (E-book)

Source: Review Copy

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: May 2nd 2013 by Sapphire Star Publishing      

 

When I first got the invite for Illicit Love I was really excited to read it. Historical Romance is one of my favourite book genres and one that I've been indulging in since I was a about 12 years old a bit early may hap but it's still a genre I come back to time and again.

 

Illicit Love was definitely one of the most unique historical romances I've ever read. It is definitely a darker read but one that was still had lots of passion between the pages. I think Jane Lark brought forth a really good read and one full of substance with characters that were very well developed.

 

I really felt for Ellen. The poor woman had been through so many things I couldn't help but like her and cheer her on through the novel. I thought that the abusive nature of the man to whom she was a mistress was an interesting angle. I've only seen the abusive "spouse" theme in a few Historical Romances and as weird as it sounds I think it should be used more to make the characters as well as the story more real. I loved how there was a lot of struggling and personal growth in the book with Ellen and Edwin as individuals as well as as a couple.

 

I thought that the romance between Edwin and Ellen was perfect as weird as it sounds I don't think I would change a thing about how their relationship came about and how it progressed because of all the other components of the book fitting together so well.

 

Overall, I found the plot to be enthralling and the characters to be rather addictive to read about. The author used a theme I don't see often and she used it with a deft hand. I thought the pacing of the book was just right and was neither too fast or two slow and was always bringing about something new and surprising. I'm really glad that I signed up for this tour because now I've found a new author to be on the lookout for.

 

I would recommend Illicit Love to fans of historical romance who are looking for a new author to try out and a historical romance that isn't as light and fluffy as the other ones out there on the market. 

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

 

Really Liked It!
★ ★ ★★

 

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Author Bio

 

 

 

Jane is qualified to the equivalent of a Masters Degree in People Management and is fascinated by the things which craft people's personalities, so she has great fun exploring these through characters. She lives in the United Kingdom near the Regency City of Bath and has just bought her 400 year old dream home. History has always tempted her imagination and she loves researching and also exploring ruins and houses to get ideas. She equally loves a love story.
 
Jane has always aspired to writing a historical novel so when she was thirty she put it on her ‘to do before I am forty’ list. She completed her first novel ten years ago, never sent it anywhere then started the next. She’s not stopped writing since, and escaping into a mental world of fiction is a great painkiller to help fight off her Ankylosing Spondylitis.
 
Jane is a member of RWA, RNA, and the Historical Novel Society.



 

 

 

 

*[Blog Tour Promo* Grim by Joseph Spencer

 

 

Summary:

 

Grim is a complex, gritty, and often gory tale which follows a series of grisly murders in Prairieville. The blood trail leads to a reclusive millionaire Heath Grim, who wears a mask to hide his war scars from the world, but he harbors a darker secret on the inside. Virtuous detective Adam White almost always gets his man, but he's haunted by the one case he's never closed - his wife's murder. When White is pushed to the limits of his sanity from a rising body count and a criminal kingpin who has turned crooked cops and corrupt politicians against him, will he be able to collar the killer? Or will a plot to tarnish his image and the killer's information on a common enemy turn White into the type of man he's hunted throughout his law enforcement career?

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 239 pages (E-book)

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date:  September 1st 2012 by Damnation Books      

 

Author Bio:

 

 

INTRO

Joseph Spencer is the author of the Sons of Darkness series launched by his debut novel, Grim, on September 1, 2012. Work on his second book of the series, Wrage, is already underway and is expected to be released some time in 2013. 

THE ROAD HERE

The Sons of Darkness is a series of paranormal crime thrillers following investigations into mysterious deaths in the central Illinois city of Prairieville. Home of the notorious serial killer, The Reaper, Prairieville has had a history of violence centered on an ongoing feud between the Marino and Black organized crime families. When bodies start showing up again at the abandoned Marino State Hospital, many fear the Reaper has returned. The people of Prairieville are about to find out their problems stem from a supernatural source which has lurked in secret for decades. 

THE STORYTELLER’S STORY

As a boy, Joseph Spencer immersed himself in the deductive logic of Sherlock Holmes, the heroic crime fighting of Batman and Spider-Man, and a taste for the tragic with dramas from poets like Shakespeare and Homer. 

Before Joseph took to spinning his own tales, he pursued a career in print sports journalism, graduating with honors from Clinton (IL) High School in 1996 and summa cum laude from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 2000. He covered such events as NASCAR’s Subway 500 race in Martinsville, the NBA Draft Camp in Chicago, the Junior College World Series, and Minor League Baseball’s Midwest League All-Star Game during a ten-year career throughout the Midwest. Now, he works as an emergency telecommunications specialist with an Illinois police department. The combination of years of writing experience with a background working with law enforcement professionals gave rise to his writing aspirations. 

Joseph was married to Dr. Amy (Waggoner) Spencer, an accomplished veterinary doctor, on March 14, 2012. He received word his debut novel was accepted by his publisher, Damnation Books, the next day. Joseph and Amy look forward to their honeymoon in Paris in September 2012. Murphy, a 15-year-old orange tabby, is perhaps the most vocal member of the family. The Spencer family enjoys reading Charlaine Harris, George R.R. Martin, Mary Janice Davidson, and most paranormal stories. The Spencers also enjoy quoting movie lines from The Princess Bride, Rain Man, Bridesmaids, and Office Space.

 

 

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*[Blog Tour Review] Tower of Obsidian by L. T. Getty

 

 

Summary:

 

When Kale mac Tadhg is betrayed by his lord’s men, he is sent on an impossible quest: to slay a witch in a tower, and end a people’s curse. Both Kale’s best friend Aaron Smithson and former betrothed Aoife of Westgate set out to rescue him, but their journey takes them into the uncharted waters and Nordic colonies, to a land cursed and all but forgotten as they begin to realize that there is some truth to old legends. Kale’s rescue comes at a price – for by the time Aaron and Aoife know where to search, like so many before him, Kale becomes bound to the ancient tower’s fate.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 303 pages

Source: Review Copy

Available Formats: E-book

Publication Date: February 4th 2013 by Burst Books

 

Tower of Obsidian was not what I expected. After a bit of a slow start while the author was building up the setting, theme and characters I feel she really hit her stride about 50 pages into the story where everything came together and the story really started.

 

I love how Tower of Obsidian was set in Ireland and among the Norse people and I'm glad that the author gave the characters in her book authentic sounding names and spellings. What really surprised me about Tower of Obsidian though was the fact that it was penned by a woman. This is a good thing though because these types of historical fiction/mythological novel are penned by men so it was wonderful to see a woman joining the ranks.

 

I loved the mixture of historical fiction and mythology that I found in Tower of Obsidian and I'm glad that I signed up for the blog tour for it or else I wouldn't have been drawn into Kale's story. There was such a sense of adventure and drama it was a hard read for me to put down and even harder to find things I would have liked to have seen happen differently.

 

The characters were well developed, the setting was superb and the author's story telling ability was amazing. She really brought her characters and the story to life for me and I often felt as though I were in the book along side Kale and the other characters while I was reading and as you can probably tell I damn near thought it was perfect. The only problems I had with the book were that sometimes the pace of the novel would be too fast and I would find myself going back a few pages to read what I missed and the fact that there seemed to be a couple plot holes that could have been wrapped up a little better but those are my only complaints.

 

Overall, I thought this book was really, really good and I loved reading it and I can honestly say that it was a pleasure to read and one that I hope to re-read later on. I think the author has a great sense of imagination and she truly has her own unique voice when it comes to her writing style and Tower of Obsidian was a great debut by her and I can't wait to read her next novel.

 

I would recommend Tower of Obsidian to anyone whole loves historical fiction set during the time 1000 A.D. Novels like it are few and far between and you don't want to miss reading this one that has a mythological twist.

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

Author Bio:

 

L.T. Getty obtained her degree in English from the  University of  Winnipeg , and has studied creative writing both there and at the  Canadian  Mennonite  University.. She is an open-water scuba diver, has studied kendo, and currently works as a paramedic.

 

Really Liked It!
★★★★

 

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*[Blog Tour Review] Naked As We Came (The Cassidy Tomei Chronicles #1) by Amberly Wynn

 

 

 

 

Summary:

 

Escaping Earth was the first triumph. Surviving Nyx will be the last…

Sixteen-year-old Cassidy Tomei was one of the lucky few airlifted aboard the Wonder to the planet Nyx. This emergency exodus from Earth was meant to bring new hope for the remaining survivors of humankind, but there’s one problem. Humankind isn’t alone on this mysterious new planet.

On Nyx, Cassidy is one of many living amongst subzero temperatures and with nothing, but a meager ration of food for every household. When the rations deplete, she flees to into unfamiliar wilderness in search of food, but instead discovers debris from a foreign spacecraft that proves humankind is no longer the dominate species.

Soon, everything she knows is at stake and everyone she loves is dead. But she’s got one more battle to fight when she’s taken prisoner within Pelhoi, a concentration camp constructed specifically for humans where hominoid creatures dubbed, “the Achillai” reign supreme.

She seeks freedom, but finds romance with someone who might either save her or get her killed.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 395 pages

Source: Review Copy

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: January 21st 2013        

 

Finally, an indie YA Science Fiction Novel that is actually done well! That was my first reaction when I finished Naked As We Came by Amberly Wynn. This one took me completely by surprise and was far better than I had hoped it would be.

 

The book reminded me a lot of the Across the Universe Trilogy by Beth Revis in some aspects but I'm happy to say that the author's own unique voice and way of telling her story really shines through in Naked As We Came. For such a young author I was surprised by how strong her writing is but that goes to show you that age doesn't matter when it comes to writing.

 

I really enjoyed the first book in the Cassie Tomei series, and thought it was well laid out and apart from a few plot holes, spelling errors and it rushing a bit in places that are to be expected in a first novel. I really liked Cassie's character she was really smart and not as whiney as I thought she was in the beginning and by the end I totally loved her (along with the other characters in the book both the good guys and the bad guys). The character development in some of the side characters could have done with a bit more substance I'd say they were pretty well developed overall.

 

The plot though was soooo good. Seriously, I was completely sucked into the story from page one and I just couldn't stop reading (though this became a problem when meal time rolled around). I loved the science fiction aspect of the book a lot. It wasn't one of those completely out there examples of science fiction so I really appreciated that part of the story. The world building was really well thought out and you can tell a lot of attention to detail was paid to it.

 

Overall, I thought this was a pretty darn good debut novel and I can't wait for the author's next book in the series to come out so I can see where things go. The adventure, the drama and the mysterious alien setting all worked out really well in Naked As We Came and I can tell the author has a gift for the craft and think she has a long, and successful writing career ahead of her. I would recommend this to anyone who likes Sci-Fi YA novels and YA novels in general.

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

Author Bio:

 

Amberly is an avid reader, a writer and a lazy blogger. Raised in the dirty south, she is a lover of BBQ as well. At just the tender age of 22, she's had her share of college and refuses to go back for as long as possible. After earning an associate’s degree in Graphic Design and Media Arts, she returned to her first love of writing full-time. She currently lives in Memphis TN.

Her favorite tales come from a plethora of the classics such as Jane Austen and some of today's modern favorites such as John Green and Laurie Halse Anderson. She's a lover of all things YA and enjoys even more putting her own spin on the genre herself. She writes for horror, suspense and sci-fi audiences of all ages and loves every second of this whimsical writer's life.

 

 

Really Liked It!
★★★★

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*[Blog Tour Review] The Betrayal (The Dark Circle Saga #1) by Sheila Hendrix

 

Summary:

 

When Zachariah and Matthew McCannon were young, their parents abandoned them, leaving Zack to take care of his little brother, Matt. Though they lived with their grandmother, she was always sick, so Zack was forced to raise him. This was not an easy task.

Zack had his hands full because of Matt’s unusual powers. He has visions and dreams that come true, and when he gets angry or upset, he can move things with his mind. Because of this, evil seeks him, keeping Zack on his toes as his protector.

As the brothers grew older, they became hunters, pursuing evil supernatural forces. After Matthew has a dream, it sends them on a hunt for cave, not knowing why, but realizing it is necessary. When they arrive, Matt finds the vision was a trap.

A Darkness like no other wants to control Matt and kill Zack. The Darkness is named, Alanya, which means, The Destroyer.

Alanya hates the brothers. In the past, every time he tried to apprehend Matt, Zack would thwart him by protecting his brother. Alanya is incensed that a mere human boy can beat him, for demons are not to be defied.

When Alanya asks Zack, “How far will you go to save your brother?” Zack answers, “As far as I have to.”

Now, the brothers are faced with a deadly force they never had to deal with before. This demon is on a deadly mission to destroy everything the brothers hold dear. If the McCannon’s are not careful, neither of them will be able to escape.

Summary & Photo provided by Reading Addiction Blog Tours

Length: 219 pages

Source: Review Copy

Publication Date: October 6th 2010 by Sheila Hendrix

 

The main reason I signed up for this tour was because the summary of The Betrayal really got me interested. There's a refreshing quality to the novel and I really enjoyed that.

 

This is a paranormal YA novel but unlike most novels in the genre the main character is a boy which I personally found to be a nice change of pace because there is only so many YA novels I can read with whining girls as the main characters.

 

I was really impressed with this first novel in The Dark Circle Saga. It reminded me a lot of the TV show Supernatural in a way because there are two brothers as the main focus of the book and they're just like Sam and Dean. Always trying to save each other from the darkness which in this case is a cave dwelling Demon and we all know they're never the good guys.

 

The plot of the novel was really well set out and the pacing of it was perfect. The author didn't throw everything at the reader at once and just ride out the waves until the end, the story was written the proper way with appropriate spacing between the major events happening in it and I think that is what kept me reading straight through.

 

I also really enjoyed the characters Matt and Zach along with their friends were great and I love the dialogue between them. It wasn't awkward or halting in anyway and they sounded like how kids really talk so that's another way that the author won me over.

 

Overall I really like The Betrayal. It wasn't anything like how I expected it would be but that takes nothing away from how much I enjoyed it and it's one that I'm going to have Mr. Turning the Pages read and maybe review at a later date because I think he would love this book. I highly recommend this novel to everyone who enjoys YA paranormal novels with a lot of action. I'm looking forward to reading more of this authors books and can't wait for book two of the series!

 

*I received a free copy in exchange for my free and honest review. I was not compensated in any way and all thoughts and opinions expressed therein are my own.

Really Liked It!
★ ★ ★★

 

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Author Bio

 

 

 

Sheila Hendrix is a native of Alabama and resides there with her husband of seventeen years. Her

only children are her six dogs. She works as a nurse for a nursing home and also does reviews for a

magazine, although she hasn’t done that in awhile because she’s been busy writing her own Young Adult

series.

Sheila has always wanted to write but never thought she’d be able to. It’s been a dream of hers since

she was a little girl. She practically raised her little brother because her parents both had to work. She

had to grow up fast and that was where she got the idea of writing about two brothers whose parents

abandoned them when they were little.

The Dark Circle book series is her paranormal series she’s working on right now. She got the idea for

The Betrayal after having a nightmare that stayed with her for days.

The Betrayal is the first book in the series and is now available where ever books are sold. The second

book in the series is Head Games and then Darkness Falls. She doesn’t know how many books will be in

the series but there will be several.

Her hobbies are reading, writing, gardening, traveling, hiking, camping and swimming. She is currently

in school to earn her Associate Degree in Paralegal studies but her dream is to write.

 

 

 

*[Blog Tour Review] Intimate Strangers by Anne M. Strick

 

Summary:

 

THE RICH, COMPLEX AND PASSIONATE STORY OF A CONTESTED ADOPTION AND THE TWO WOMEN LAWYERS WHO JOIN TO SAVE A SMALL BOY'S LIFE. THIS BOOK EXAMINES THE VARIOUS FACES OF LOVE: EROTIC LOVE AND ROMANTIC LOVE THE LOVE OF PARENT FOR CHILD AND CHILD FOR PARENT; AND WHAT "REALLY" MAKES A PARENT.

Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 448 pages

Source: Review Copy

Publication Date: January 5th 2011 by Createspace     

 

The book centers around two law partners who specialize in adoption law and their journey to help keep a two year old little boy with the family who adopted him two years previously when his biological father comes into the picture demanding access to the son he's never me nor taken care of. Luckily for the Janus family who adopted the little boy they come across Georgie and Dru who will do anything and everything within their legal powers to help the Janus family.

 

This was a really well written novel. For me there were so many emotions involved in this book. I think the author did a spectacular job capturing the emotions of her characters. Their ups and downs really got to me and the amount of passion the characters had for each other, and the situation at hand was very powerful and extremely moving. In a couple spots in the book I even had a couple of tears due to the scenes in the book.

 

I was really impressed with this novel. The characters were well thought out and I believe that they're very life like. I could envision the characters being real people because they were so detailed I couldn't help but enjoy them. 

 

I also thought that the overall plot of the book was well done. As with the characters the concept of the book was very real to me. I really can see a situation such as this happening the way it did in the book and it takes real talent for an author to make characters and the plot of the novel so real to the audience and it is a gift this reader was happy to receive.

 

If you're in the market looking for wonderfully emotional, powerful and passionate book I urge you to look into getting yourself a copy of this novel as soon as you can. The characters are endearing and the story line is addictive. I for one couldn't wait to see how it turned out and stayed up late into the night reading Intimate Strangers more than once. This would be a great book for those out there who like Women's Fiction/Chick Lit.

*I received a free copy in exchange for my free and honest review. I was not compensated in any way and all thoughts and opinions expressed therein are my own.

Loved It!
★ ★ ★★★ 

 

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Author Bio

 

 

 

Anne M.Strick has spent over twenty years in the movie industry. She has worked for Universal, Warners, Paramount and EMI, as a Unit Publicist, Project Coordinator and National Publicity Director, and with such Hollywood legends as Jack Nicholson, James Earl Jones, Sean Penn, Arnold Schwarzenegger, David Lynch, Sting and Dino De Laurentiis, among many others. She has published theater reviews, articles in Parents Magazine , Frontier and The Nation, and six books: two novels, two self-help books, one memoir (a best-seller in Italy); and a non-fiction, scholarly critique of our adversary trial system. (”remarkable”) . Born in Philadelphia, and educated at Bennington College and UCLA, she lives in Los Angeles.

 

 

 

 

*[Blog Tour Review] Swamp Monster Massacre by Hunter Shae

 

 

Summary:

 

The swamp belongs to them. Humans are only prey.

Deep in the overgrown swamps of Florida, where humans rarely dare to enter, lives a race of creatures long thought to be only the stuff of legend. They walk upright but are stronger, taller and more brutal than any man. And when a small boat of tourists, held captive by a fleeing criminal, accidentally kills one of the swamp dwellers’ young, the creatures are filled with a terrifyingly human emotion—a merciless lust for vengeance that will paint the trees red with blood.

Summary & Photo provided by Reading Addiction Blog Tours

Length: 139 pages

Source: Review Copy

Publication Date: October 2nd 2012 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.     

 

My oh my did I enjoy myself when I read this book! I mean really this book has Kimberly written all over it. Swamp monsters, death, and horror! This is definitely the kind of book I enjoy reading. It was the perfect book to read since this month is October and Halloween is just around the corner.

 

The book itself isn't all that long but that doesn't mean that the book is any less substantial for that reason in fact for me it was much more like reading a full length novel because of how much I enjoyed it.

 

There was so much this novella length book has to offer. There is crime, blood, gore and all the sorts of things you would associate with monsters. I for one really enjoyed the setting for the book it was actually one of my favourite parts of the writing.

 

When I finally sat down to read Swamp Monster Massacre I couldn't have picked a better night since I decided to read it on a really stormy night and my night table light was actually flickering which added a lot to the whole spooky ambiance of the novel.

 

At first I was a little confused as to what was going on but once I got may 5 percent in the story itself began pick up and gosh was I hooked on the intense and spooky nature of the novella. I loved the characters but I really loved the swamp monsters or Big Foot if you'd prefer to call them. If you've followed my blog for long enough you'll know I have a soft spot for books where there are monsters, dinosaurs or prehistoric beasts and this one truly filled the monster bill.

 

If you're looking for a really spooky read but may or may not have the time to read a full length novel than I highly recommend this especially if you love horror novels and horror novels with monsters. For me this novella has me hooked on Hunter's  writing and I can't wait to read more by him. I'm hoping he keeps writing more and more things like Swamp Monster Massacre because if he does I can guarantee that he'll have a fan for a long time to come.

 

*I received a free copy in exchange for my free and honest review. I was not compensated in any way and all thoughts and opinions expressed therein are my own.

Loved It!
★ ★ ★★★

 

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