Review Blitz: Reveal by Brina Courtney (Cryptid Tales #1)

First Published: 16 December 2011
Series: Cryptid Tales #1
Pages: 220
Format: Ebook
Finished Date: 2 June 2014

Synopsis

Shay could be the key to ending a war that humans don't know exist. Of a race of beings that aren't real, or are they?

Shay Tafford's childhood has been fatherless, filled instead with memories of speaking to the dead. She is forced to hide her unique ability from those living around her. That's why it's been comforting to have Jeremy, a child ghost, as her confidante. But recently he's been absent, perhaps lost as her father is. When Shay meets Hugh, the guy she's had a crush on for weeks, and finds he can speak to ghosts too she's just starting to find a normalcy in her life.
But as Hugh reveals the truth to Shay, about who she really is and about what it is she can do, he erases all chances she had at a normal existence. Turns out talking to ghosts is just scratching the surface of her genetically engineered gifts. Shay learns she may be part of an age old prophecy that could save the entire race of cryptids. But can she?

My Rating

My Review

So. Revealed. I don’t really know what to say about this one. It didn’t blow me out of the water, but at the same time, I must say I am rather interested in the concept and what is going to happen next. The last speaking to ghosts book I read was I think the Mediator series by Meg Cabot years ago. So this was something different from the usual books that I read.

So what I liked about this book was the unique plot, that’s for certain. I liked seeing how Shay slowly came in touch with her powers and got stronger. And she is so strong gosh. So maybe I envied her powers a little, but I think it was pretty cool how she took in everything without completely freaking out most of the time. I probably would have and would think that I was going crazy! The action was a little bit short, but this is the first book, meaning there would have been more backstory, so I was okay with that. And even though it was short, I did like how it was written because it was nice seeing their powers get unlocked.

Okay so without giving away too much (I hope), I thought the whole cat thing was pretty cool. Granted I don’t like cats, but I loved seeing how all these things were linked to create a cryptid. And I really really need to know what happened to her dad. The whole genetic thing (again, you’ll have to read to know what I’m talking about) is pretty fascinating too. Perhaps not entirely accurate, but its still interesting to see where Ms. Courtney intends to take it. Oops sorry science nerd in me haha.

Okay, the thing I didn’t like about the book was that the writing felt a bit flat to me. It’s not bad, definitely not. It just didn’t draw me in, perhaps because it was more of telling than showing. It made the story a bit difficult to get into, even though I was genuinely interested in the concept of the story, which seems very unique to me.

Shay, the main character, well, she just doesn’t appeal to me. I personally find her annoying and immature. Hugh was a pretty good character though, if a little bit predictable. I think I like Olivia and I hope I’ll get to see her more in the next few books. On that note though, I feel like more character development could be done. Shay did undergo some character development, but it was just a little bit. Still, there are 2 more books after this, and I do hope to see her grow more, into someone more mature. Actually, I like the ghosts (Jeremy!) the most. There’s so much mystery there and I am so curious about their whole role on earth.

And I’m sorry, but I cannot believe in their love yet. It seems a bit immature and rushed for my liking. I’m sure they hold each other in deep regard and truly care for each other. But I feel, the way they ‘fell in love’ read more like a deep infatuation with each other. At the same time, they are fated to be, and thus perhaps that is the reason as to why they fell in love so quickly. I do want to know more about the prophecy though.

I think I will be reading the next few books in the series, I think there are 3 in total? Even though I can’t say I loved this book, I did enjoy the world that Brina Courtney created, and I am interested to see where all this goes eventually. That cliffhanger though… That was torturous. I simply cannot stand not knowing what is going to happen next. Good thing for me, all the books are out already. So yay, once I’m done with other reviews I have to do, I can get started on the sequels! :)

In conclusion, Revealed is a good book, and it does seem like a good start to the series. I think it’s definitely worth the try and is quite a good read to pick up.

Disclaimer: This book was provided free to me in exchange for an honest review. All views stated here are mine alone.

P.S. Isn't the cover really pretty? I think it is haha.

Banded by Logan Byrne

First Published: 8 April 2014
Pages: 342
Format: Ebook
Finished Date: 28 May 2014

Synopsis

In dystopian Manhattan, society is divided into six zones, with each one representing a citizen’s benefit to society: Stalwart (strength), Astute (intelligence), Collusive (greed), Radiant (beauty), Quixotic (no life direction), and the Altruistic (willingness to help others). On a citizen’s sixteenth birthday, a computer suggests a new zone for them based on their inherent benefit to society. When Kalenna Slater is sorted out of her home zone Quixotic and into Altruistic, she thinks things can’t get worse. Life looks dismal until she meets Gavin, a boy also just sorted into Altruistic who becomes the light needed on her cloudy days.

During sorting she receives a device known as ‘The Band’. It’s a large watch-like device that never comes off, and it measures a citizen’s karma on a scale from one to one hundred. If a citizen does good, they gain points. If a citizen does bad, including breaking laws, they lose points. When your number reaches zero, the band acts as judge, jury, and executioner, and you are injected with toxins that kill you within minutes.

After sorting, recruits are taken to a three month long mandatory school named HQ. It’s at HQ she meets new friends from different zones, and finally begins to feel at ease. Everything goes well until a rare trip home makes her discover that her father, who has been missing for a decade, may have taken part in a terrible program that stands to shake the fabric of society.

My Rating

My Review

Banded was an alright read. From the blurb, its pretty obvious that it has clear similarities to Divergent. Still, there was an additional twist to this. In Banded society, teens weren’t given the option to choose which zone they wanted to be in. Its kinda like the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter, except with a lot more serious consequences. I can’t say I loved reading Banded, but I definitely do not dislike it.

Firstly, I like dystopians, so naturally, this appealed to me. Even though there may be similarities to other books, the main plot line is still different. I really like the whole band idea, and how it serves as a continual reminder that you could die at any time, if you did something bad enough.

But the thing that stopped me from really getting into the book was the main character, Kalenna. Okay, so there’s nothing exactly wrong with her. She is perhaps a little immature for her age, a little naïve, but other than that she’s alright, I guess. But the thing that really irked me was how cocky she was getting. Example. She has never touched a staff before but assumes that she can win the whole competition somehow. After going  through like a day or so of training, she somehow thinks she’s really strong and all. It wasn’t even self-confidence, but it is pure pride. I guess I did find her a bit immature sometimes, given that she is already 16. She isn’t a bad character, just very predictable. And yes, I don’t like her, but that’s my personal opinion!

In terms of pacing, it was rather good. The story wasn’t draggy, even though there were phrases here and there which I felt were unnecessary. Like how she looked at her hands before sleeping. I don’t know, a little bit is fine, but sometimes I felt it was overdone.

The characters were a little flat here. Not to say they weren’t interesting, because they were. They aren’t difficult to connect with, they’re just forgettable because they haven’t been properly developed. Yet, I hope. I think I like Ivan the most. He is a little bit more than just another smart kid I feel.

I’m not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing, but there seemed to be a lot happening in this book. Right now, they don’t seem very connected, like every event is separate. Oh sure, there is a connection in terms of I guess, rebellion. But nothing concrete yet. I do hope that the plot points in this book would be talked about more in the series. Like, her roommate, that annoying Trace guy (I honestly can’t decide who I would rather see win in a duel, Trace or Kalenna), the romance side.

All in all, while I can’t say I loved this book, I do think I’m intrigued enough to keep reading on. I am interested as to what they will find, and I felt the book ended just as it got good. This is a 3 stars book for me.

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed here are mine alone.

Blog Tour: Gypsy by Trisha Leigh - Review + Excerpt + Giveaway

Gypsy

Inconsequential: not important or significant.

Synonyms: insignificant, unimportant, nonessential, irrelevant

In the world of genetic mutation, Gypsy’s talent of knowing a person’s age of death is considered a failure. Her peers, the other Cavies, have powers that range from curdling a blood still in the vein to being able to overhear a conversation taking place three miles away, but when they’re taken from the sanctuary where they grew up and forced into the real world, Gypsy, with her all-but-invisible gift, is the one with the advantage.

The only one who’s safe, if the world finds out what they can do.

When the Cavies are attacked and inoculated with an unidentified virus, that illusion is shattered. Whatever was attached to the virus causes their abilities to change. Grow. In some cases, to escape their control.

Gypsy dreamed of normal high school, normal friends, a normal life, for years. Instead, the Cavies are sucked under a sea of government intrigue, weaponized genetic mutation, and crushing secrets that will reframe everything they’ve ever been told about how their "talents" came to be in the first place.

When they find out one of their own has been appropriated by the government, mistreated and forced to run dangerous missions, their desire for information becomes a pressing need. With only a series of guesses about their origins, the path to the truth becomes quickly littered with friends, enemies, and in the end, the Cavies ability to trust anyone at all.

Check it out at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Goodreads

Trisha Leigh

Trisha Leigh is a product of the Midwest, which means it’s pop, not soda, garage sales, not tag sales, and you guys as opposed to y’all. Most of the time. She’s been writing seriously for five years now, and has published 4 young adult novels and 4 new adult novels (under her pen name Lyla Payne). Her favorite things, in no particular order, include: reading, Game of Thrones, Hershey’s kisses, reading, her dogs (Yoda and Jilly), summer, movies, reading, Jude Law, coffee, and rewatching WB series from the 90’s-00’s.

Her family is made up of farmers and/or almost rock stars from Iowa, people who numerous, loud, full of love, and the kind of people that make the world better. Trisha tries her best to honor them, and the lessons they’ve taught, through characters and stories—made up, of course, but true enough in their way.

Trisha is the author of THE LAST YEAR series and the WHITMAN UNIVERSITY books. She’s represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Website | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter

Time for a short excerpt!

“Oh, Lordy, I am so sorry! My mom's always sayin' I'm so clumsy I could trip over a cordless phone.”

A breathless, sweet, female voice chatters the apology as hands try, with little success, to drag me back to my feet using the straps of my backpack. She's behind me, so not the person whose age of death I just saw in my first two minutes here.

Fail, Gypsy.

“Are you okay?” A second voice, male and with a smooth, local drawl, mingles with the first.

The dead kid is a boy.

I jerk my hands into my chest, trying not to be obvious about it. Wishing with all my might I could take it back. Forget. Turn away without seeing the attached face. Of course there isn't, and when my body remembers how to breathe again, I open my eyes.

He's tall, a few inches over six feet, with hair the color of sand and eyes that shift between gold and brown, like maple syrup in the sunlight. More than the intriguing shade, it's the genuine kindness in them that stands out to me. My heart flutters, then seizes.

Dead. He’s dead.

“It's okay, I'll live.” I wince at my choice of words and busy myself with brushing imaginary dust off the skirt of my uniform.

The clumsy girl stands as high as my shoulders, and the upturned nose and smattering of freckles combine with her chin-length white-blond hair to remind me of Tinkerbell. At least she seems to have a better attitude than the jealous, spiteful fairy.

Her pale eyes fling more apologies my direction, but I hold up my hand. “Really. No big deal.”

“Oh my gosh, thank you for being cool.” She grins, and it lights up her entire body. “I'm Maya.”

“Norah.”

“You're new?”

“How could you guess?”

“Because they rest of us learned to avoid Maya while she's double-fisting coffee and a cell phone back in the seventh grade.” Oh, goodnight nurse. The boy who’s going to die before he graduates from high school would have eyes that make my stomach attempt to fly.

I imagine literal, iron plates of armor clicking into place over my face, my skin, my heart, then flick a glance his direction. I snatch my cell phone from his palm. “Thanks.”

“I'm Jude.” He sticks out his hand.

Even though my aversion remains, even though I don't want to confirm what I saw, there's no point in keeping to my hands off rule. Not touching him now won't change anything.

“Norah,” I say again, laughing a little at the absurdity of repeating my name. Our hands touch, his skin soft and electric at the same time, like he scooted his feet across a shag carpet. The little hairs on my arms, at the back of my neck, stand up.

18. 18. 18.

I pull my hand away, fixing my smile and swinging back toward Maya. “You caught me, I'm new. And I'm supposed to be in the office but I have no idea where that is, so this is at least half my fault, stopping in the middle of the hall like that.”

“I'll walk you. It's right on my way,” the boy offers.

Maya rolls her eyes at me in a manner that suggests we've been sharing nonverbal cues for more than two minutes. “If you don't want to be alone with Jude, I understand. But if you don't care, I'm going to let him take you because I'm supposed to meet with the yearbook sponsor...” She glances at her phone. “Five minutes ago.”

“No, it's fine. He's fine.” Lord in heaven, did I just say that?

Maya snorts, and the heat in my face promises she didn't miss my unintentional comment.

I grew up around boys, so snorts at double entendre isn’t exactly new to me, which only makes the fire in my cheeks all the more vexing. It's surprising to learn that things can still embarrass me.

“You know, it's not the first time I've heard that,” Jude jokes, his smile catching my attention.

My lips return it without permission, even though my face is about to melt off.

“Yes, it is,” Maya chirps. “It so is the first time he's heard that. Norah, we'll have lunch instead, okay?”
I nod, but she doesn't see me because she's already halfway down the hall, waving over her shoulder.

Here is my review of this amazing book. Excellent first start to a series, I must say, one of the better first books that I've read.

My Rating

My Review

Gypsy was really really good. I wasn’t expecting that when I started it. I mean the blurb sounded interesting, but I must say I didn’t have very high hopes. Still, from the start to the end, Gypsy had me hooked. I simply cannot wait to read more in this series.

So firstly, the plot was very well laid out. It, to me, was a great first book as it set up the world very well, explaining things as the story went along, when appropriate. There was no sudden influx of information and I liked that. The year isn’t clearly stated here, but its somewhere in the near future. Genetic testing is automatically done for everyone and I think its pretty cool how they can check who your parents are so quickly through the whole genetic thing. The plot wasn’t rushed through but instead brought me on a journey that got better and better until it reached its climax. Which was good too. Even though there wasn’t much action, I enjoyed learning about the world and having this buildup which only made me more excited to read the rest of the books.

I loved the whole mutant concept of this. I especially liked how the main character, Gypsy aka Norah, wasn’t the strongest character, and in fact, is considered to have a power that is near useless. Still, I am interested in how this power of hers can develop into something greater and useful. She may not have been the most fiery or outgoing character, but I loved her steadiness and her commitment. I really liked her, especially because she seems very real.

Character-wise, I loved how the Cavies stuck by each other mostly, it was really heart-warming to see how they all got together as a family. The characters weren’t annoying, at least to me, and I actually found Gypsy’s ignorance rather endearing.

The book kinda ends on a cliffhanger. I simply need to know what happens next and I don’t know how I’m going to be able to wait an undetermined amount of time for the next book! Still, this is definitely an excellent start to a series that I can only hope will get even better. And the cover is gorgeous. I noticed that Ms. Leigh normally has really pretty covers (well done, cover artist!) and well, even though we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, it just makes me want to pick up her books all the more.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and I was hooked. Trisha Leigh has a very easy to read writing style that kept me turning pages and now, I’m eager to read her other books as well as wait patiently (somewhat!) for the next book in the Cavy Files.

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed here are mine alone.

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So yep, that's about it for today! Go here to check out the other tour stops! You'll find loads of awesome stuff on the other tour sites too! :D

Review Tour: Alliance by Aubrie Dionne

Hey guys! Welcome to today's blog tour! Sorry its late, it really slipped my mind:(

Alliance

First Published: 31 Jan 2014
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Pages: 236

Synopsis:
“Saving him meant saving her colony…”

Lyra Bryan has been saving people her whole life from a chick in the ventilation pipes to her mentally ill brother when his mind drifts back to Old Earth. She meets her match when she finds a gorgeous alien man aboard the arachnid ship. Captured after a failed attempt to save his people, his spirit is broken, craving only vengeance. To save her colony, Lyra must save his body and soul.

Lyra’s lifemate, Tauren, is jealous of her obsession with the alien man and will do anything in his power to break them apart. While they travel to the arachnid’s home world to defeat the mother brain once and for all, they must set aside their differences and work as a team. But, can Tauren be trusted?

Check it out at Goodreads

Aubrie Dionne

Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her books have received the highest ratings from Romance Times Magazine, as well as Night Owl Reviews and Two Lips Reviews. She has guest blogged on the USA Today Happily Ever After Blog and the Dear Teen Me blog and signed books at the Boston Book Festival, Barnes and Noble, and the Romance Writers of America conference. Her writings have appeared in numerous publications including Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Inkspell Publishing, Astraea Press, Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. When she's not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

And now, check out my review of this book!

Finished Date: 16 Jan 2014

My Rating

My Review

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed are mine alone.

Alliance was a rather good book. I did enjoy it. I really liked the whole Paradise Reclaimed series actually, there is a real sense of continuity and each book literally picks up where the last left off. This made for a good read as it gave me better insight into the world that was Paradise 21.

In this book, we are reintroduced to Lara. Remember her? She was present in Colonization, albeit a really tiny part and again in Reconnaissance, where she had a slightly bigger part, yet not a major one. The thing is, what we saw of her in these 2 books made me feel like she was a bimbo, and simply put, not a very likeable character.

Yet, what happened in this book is that the character development was really good. Aubrie Dionne seems to do this really well. From a not very likeable character, she develops the character into someone worth respecting and someone you begin to admire. She did that with Andromeda in Colonization, who really matured over the book. She did that with Nova in Reconnaissance, who managed to put aside her prejudice to save the colony. She did that again here, with Lara, where we see Lara grow into a strong girl who is willing to fight for what she wants.

The plot of the book was really good too and provided an excellent continuation of the series. The action was exciting and kept me turning pages. It was interspersed with rather good dialogue which made for a very engaging story.

All in all, I really did like this whole series. It was really well structured and I liked seeing how everyone had an important part to play, and that a problem wasn’t just so easily solved after all. Paradise Reclaimed is a really good series, and I hope that there will be more books! After all, we are told at the end of Haven 6 that eventually they left Paradise 21 for Paradise 18. So yep, after it seems like the threats have been neutralized here, I’m curious to know what other things can play out in the future!

So yep, that's about it for today! Thanks for visiting!

Brazen Military Men Blog Tour

Hey guys! So today, it is the Brazen Military Men Blog Tour. There are 3 books up for tour today! They are, Marine for Hire by Tauna Fenske, Temporarily Yours by Jen McLaughlin and Staking His Claim by Tessa Bailey.

First up, Marine for Hire.

Marine for Hire

Genre: Romance
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Pages: 196

She thought she’d sworn off military men for good…
Sam Kercher is every inch a wickedly hot Marine. Tall. Sexy. Lethal. When his best friends call in a favor, Sam is forced to face an entirely new line of duty—playing nanny for their newly divorced sister and her squirming seven-month-old twin boys. If Sam can dissemble an M16 in his sleep, diaper duty should be a cakewalk…right?
Unfortunately, Operation Nanny isn’t quite that simple. Sheridan has sworn off overbearing military men, so Sam must protect her from her dirtbag ex without revealing just how much he has in common with her brothers. Or that he’s been ordered not to touch her. Ever. Problem is, Sheri’s one hell of a gorgeous woman, capable of making this hard-bodied Marine even harder. And Sam wants her bad.
Protect the girl. Care for the babies. Hide his identity. And keep his hands off. But even the most disciplined Marine has weaknesses…and Sheridan is one Sam might not be able to resist.

Check it out at Amazon

Tauna Fenske

When I was six, my mom caught me thumbing through The Joy of Sex while watching Saturday morning cartoons.
When I was ten, I got summoned to the principal’s office for making anatomically-correct clay models of Huck Finn and Jim during a unit on Mark Twain.
When I was 22, I celebrated my English Lit degree by filling a giant black trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until I’d read them all.
When I was 32, my cat died, my publisher canceled the line scheduled to release my debut novel, and my employer threatened to fire me for refusing to wear pantyhose—all on my birthday—and I sat down on my back deck with a glass of wine, smiled at the sunset, and thought, “if I can find the humor in this, I can find it in damn near anything.”
In a nutshell, that’s how I became an author of quirky romantic comedy.
I traveled a career path that meandered from newspaper reporter to English teacher in Venezuela to medical marketing geek to PR manager for my city’s tourism bureau.
I have a degree in English Lit, a membership in Romance Writers of America, and a habit of spilling food on my boobs. When I’m not writing, I’m usually busy sipping wine, reading, experimenting in my kitchen (either on gourmet meals or as research for one of my risqué scenes), hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, or contorting myself into odd positions (either for yoga or for the aforementioned research).
An avid globetrotter and social media fiend, I blog at Don’t Pet Me, I’m Writing, routinely overshare on Facebook, and can be found making tasteless jokes in 140 characters or less on Twitter.
My debut romantic comedy with Sourcebooks, Making Waves, was nominated for Best Contemporary Romance in the 2011 RT Book Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and the Chicago Tribune noted, “Fenske’s wildly inventive plot and wonderfully quirky characters provide the perfect literary antidote to any romance reader’s summer reading doldrums.”
My second romantic comedy, Believe it or Not, prompted Library Journal to write, “Fenske’s sophomore effort…is another riotous trip down funny bone lane, with a detour to slightly askew goings on and a quick u-ey to out-of-this-world romance. Readers will be enchanted by this bewitching fable from a wickedly wise author.” Naturally, that prompted me to hug the reviewer until she peed.
In addition to my romantic comedies, I write novellas and novels for Entangled Publishing, as well as a series of interactive romantic capers for Coliloquy (think choose-your-own-adventure meets romantic comedy).
I currently live in Bend, Oregon with my fiancé, his offspring, and more pets than I can admit to without frightening my neighbors.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Now, check out my review of this book!

Finished Date: 4 Feb 2014

My Rating

My Review

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me free for a honest review. All views expressed here are my own.

Marine for Hire was a fun read. It was a pleasant way to pass the time, with a smoking hot Marine as one of the main characters. Sheridan was another amazing main, and I found her really interesting and fun to read about.

I enjoyed the plot and the pacing of the book. I did want to see more of how Sheri handled the kids though. I did admire her because while she had all those insecurities, she nevertheless took care of her kids to the best of her abilities. And the way she handled her ex husband at the end? What’s his name, Jonathan? (Sorry, I’m horrible with names, plus I read this book, what a week ago? Add short term memory to that haha) But yes, the way she handled him at the end? It was fantastic. And she was so cool omg. But yes, I really did enjoy her character and the way she just wasn’t afraid of things, especially that between her and Sam.

I really did enjoy seeing how the characters fell in love. I wish it was shown more explicitly? Rather than just, they keep sleeping together then suddenly realize that “hey, he means so much to me” or “I can’t live without her”. Still, it doesn’t take away from the fact that you know they’re in love, and you know that they’re really right for each other. Personally, I would have preferred more angst during the conflict? Still, I think the fact that she was willing to accept him and he so willing to make amends just shows the depth of their love.

One thing that I’m really excited for though, is Mac’s story. I am just so intrigued by him already! And yes, I think Kelli would be great for him. I’m certainly looking forward to that book when it comes!

But yes, all in all, this was a really good book. It was simple, fun and easy to read, and the plot never hit a dry and boring spot. This is simply romance, and maybe that’s just what is so addictive about it. Plus point, there were funny bits in it too!

Temporarily Yours

Genre: Romance
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Pages: 174

This soldier’s the perfect hoax…if she doesn’t fall for him first.
Stats whiz Kayla Moriarity knows her way around numbers and algorithms. Men, on the other hand, are unsolvable equations. Now Kayla’s en route to her sister’s wedding—without the fictional boyfriend she invented for her family. Fortunately, her plane comes complete with complimentary cocktails and a ridiculously hot ex-marine in the seat beside her. And that’s all it takes for Kayla’s inhibitions to go sailing out the airlock…
Cooper Shillings has soft spot for people in trouble, but he certainly wasn’t expecting to land in it himself—and definitely not while getting naughty mid-air with a sexy southern belle. When he hears Kayla’s predicament, however, he offers his services as a stand-in boyfriend. After all, he’s heading overseas soon…and how could he refuse a little no-strings wickedness?
It’s the perfect plan. And all Kayla has to do is ensure her family falls for the ultimate bluff, without falling for it—and Cooper—in the process…

Check it out at Amazon

Jen McLaughlin (Diane Alberts)

Diane Alberts is a multi-published, bestselling contemporary romance author with Entangled Publishing. She also writes New York Times and USA Today bestselling new adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. ON ONE CONDITION hit #18 on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list, and TRY ME hit #76 on Amazon. CAPTIVATED BY YOU hit #31 on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Now, check out my review of this book!

Finished Date: 6 Feb 2014

My Rating

My Review

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me free for a honest review. All views expressed here are my own.

Temporarily Yours was another fun read. Sure, the setup was crazy. I mean, honestly, what are the chances of such thing happening? Yet, it did.

The characters in the book were alright I guess, I mean, they were nice characters, just not memorable. As for the pace, maybe I felt that fell in love a bit too fast? But who am I to say that? I mean, love just happens right? But oh man, why must Cooper be so hot? Haha, okay sorry a little bit shallow here oops. But I must say Kayla’s magic with numbers is crazy. I mean, how can anyone know so many stats just off the top of her head? But she can, so she’s cool.

One thing I really liked was how he faced his fears for her. Sure, he was scared, but I love the fact that he considered her more important than himself to actually be able to face a fear impeding him for so long, an irrational one at that. I know, because I have the same fear haha. I loved how they acted in front of her family, and I must say, I thought they acted really well indeed.

All in all, this book was just alright. It’s a pretty good read and I did enjoy it. The book was relatively fast-paced and it was a joy watching them fall in love.

Staking His Claim

Genre: Romance
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Pages: 176

He wants her. All of her.
NYPD sniper Matt Donovan is in Hell. Instead of driving his best friend’s little sister home from college, he’s stuck with her roommate—a fresh-faced ray-of-sunshine with a body that makes grown men weep. There’s no way he’ll allow himself to taint the little vixen, no matter how hard she tries to tempt him, so he resigns himself to the longest—and hardest—drive of his life.
Matt’s obvious attraction suits grad student Lucy Mason just fine. She had no idea her brother’s best friend was so deliciously hot. Knowing he’d never have his wicked way with his buddy’s sister, she lies about her identity and seduces him. But Matt’s no fumbling college boy. His desires run deep—and dark—and he wants to teach Lucy what wicked really means.
Matt’s demanding appetites only make Lucy want more. But when her cover’s blown, he’s furious—even as his hunger for her becomes insatiable. Matt can’t trust anyone, least of all himself. And he knows all too well that darkness always destroys the light…

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Tessa Bailey

Tessa lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, Tessa enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.

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Now, check out my review of this book!

Finished Date: 8 Feb 2014

My Rating

My Review

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me free for a honest review. All views expressed here are my own.

Staking His Claim was a rather nice book. I like the plot, even though where the conflict would lie was rather obvious from the start.

I liked the obvious chemistry from the start, and I did enjoy how they fell in love, even though initially it was all lust. Still, I could tell that they did care for each other from the start and that did make me happy.

One thing I really liked though, was watching how even though Matt tried to stay away from her, he just couldn’t. I loved the whole message that showed how love heals, which was displayed rather well in this book. He didn’t want to want her and vice versa, but somehow they just came to be unable to live without the other. And I think that was one of the most beautiful things ever.

I really did like how as angry as Matt was with Lucy, he never did let her go. I mean, of course he was going to be angry she lied, but I think the fact that he couldn’t stay away to save himself just spoke wonders about love. Maybe not love exactly, but the spark that turned into love.

All in all, I did enjoy reading this book and it was a good read to pass the time.

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