Friday ramblings and reviews

Before I get to my reviews on the Taken Trilogy, I just want to vent a little bit about online booksellers.  I ordered a used book online and the description was as follows:

Book Description: Good Condition. Reasonable wear. Still very usable. Clean, mark-free interior!

No where in the description did it state that this particular hardcover did not come with the cover.  I assume if it does not state otherwise that a cover will still be on a book.  But this was a used book, and I don't plan on reselling it, so I will live with it.  But why on earth would someone purposely do this to a book????

To all the book resellers out there......please, please, please stop putting stickers on books!!!  Oh, and if the cover is no longer on the book, please state so!  Your customers will come back for more.....otherwise forget any repeat business....at least from me.

But anyway, this week I read Books 1 and 2 of the Taken Trilogy by Jessica Frances.  This series is a must read.....give it a try.  You won't be disappointed!

Taken by Surprise is the first book of the Taken Trilogy by Jessica Frances.

This was a very well written novel which draws you in from the beginning and keeps you captivated until the very end.  I really like how the author has given each character their own point of view at the beginning so that the reader can connect and relate to each one.  Although the character development does take a while, the wait is well worth it because the story is absolutely amazing.  

Ms. Frances is an awesome writer and I can’t wait to begin the second book of this trilogy.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense filled paranormal with a touch of romance.  Once you start this, you will not be able to put it down!




Taken by Force is the second book of the Taken Trilogy by Jessica Frances.

Holy smokes! With all the twists and turns in this book, I am exhausted! In Book one, Taken by Surprise, we were introduced to Zoe, Charlie, Rose and Will. These four individuals each have a special ability that has attracted the attention of the P.A.G.E, a government agency that wants to use them to fight in a war. The four were captured, eventually escaped and went into hiding, planning to regroup in a year. In Book two, Taken by Force, it is now eight months later and some of the individuals have been discovered. Because of this, they regroup and go on the run again to prepare to fight for their freedom and their lives!

This action-packed novel will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat, so hold on……it’s a crazy ride! Ms. Frances has totally outdone herself with this series and I can’t wait for the final installment of this trilogy to come out so I can find out what happens!   

Taken by Choice is due out this year.....I really don't think I can wait....

Weekend Wrap-up

I have books.....lots and lots of books. I hate to get rid of them...it just does  not seem right to me.  I love having my own little library, but as I looked in my spare bedroom Friday, I decided that I really need to cut back and just purchase books from my favorite authors.  But I love to read new stuff which in turn creates additional new favorite authors.  Yes, I do have a problem.  I know I can read e-books, but there is nothing like crawling into bed or a cozy chair and escaping with a book in your hands.  So, to try and solve my not so small problem, I went down to my public library and got myself a library card.  My husband is ecstatic!  He just shakes his head every time he goes into that room.  Hopefully I can make this work...only time will tell.  
 


What was read this weekend, and what I am starting.......

I finished Dark Wolf by Christine Feehan this weekend.  I was really excited when this book arrived in the mail and it immediately moved up my TBR list.  The story of Dimitri and Skylar has been needed to be told for so long, I was ready to dive in on this one.  I have to say that although the story was good, it was a little bit disappointing to me.  It just fell flat for some reason.  Not sure why exactly. 

 In Dark Lycan, Christine Feehan journeyed into the heart of the Carpathians, and into the souls of two lifemates stirred by the flush of passion and the threat of annihilation. In Dark Wolf, the breathtaking story continues as the bonds of family are imperiled, and the fate of two lovers lies hidden in the seductive shadows between life and death.

Skyler Daratrazanoff always recognized the miracle that was Dimitri Tirunul, a man beyond any dream that had ever engaged her nights. But she was human. Vulnerable. He was Carpathian. Nearly immortal. She was nineteen. He was an ancient. Yet she held half his soul, the light to his darkness. Without her, he would not survive. Caught between the two warring species, Dimitri has spent centuries hunting the undead to keep his people free, and humans safe. He had survived honorably when others had chosen to give up their souls. But now, marked for extermination by the Lycans, Dimitri found himself alone, and fearing for his life. But salvation was coming…

No Lycan would ever suspect someone like Skyler to dare mount a secret rescue operation. A teenage girl. A human of untested abilities. But she had something no one else had. She was predestined for Dimitri—as he was for her. And there was nothing stronger for Skyler than her desire to see her life-dream come true. Whatever the risk.




I just started reading NOS4A2 by Joe Hill.  I am almost halfway through and so far I have to say this is a great novel!  It is a definite page turner.  I May have to stay up way past my bedtime to read this one!

From Goodreads:
NOS4A2 is a spine-tingling novel of supernatural suspense from master of horror Joe Hill, the New York Times bestselling author of Heart-Shaped Box and Horns.

Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country.

Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.”

Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble—and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.



Up this week are two new books that I will be reviewing.....I can't wait! 

The first one is Forager by Peter R. Stone.
Blurb from Goodreads:
Eighteen-year-old Ethan Jones lives in Newhome, a town built upon the decaying ruins of post-apocalyptic Melbourne, ruins haunted by the ferocious Skel, a nomadic tribe of degenerate savages.

The Skel are ramping up their attacks on Newhome's foraging teams and infesting Melbourne's ruins in ever greater numbers. Is this part of a larger plan that could spell the town's doom?

Meanwhile, the last thing Ethan expects when he and his companions rescue a two-car convoy from the Skel is a Japanese teenage girl with an outlandish dress-sense, who after they take her back to Newhome, goes to great lengths to ingratiate herself into his life. But is it in gratitude for saving her life or is she seeking something more?

And what a quandry she places him in, for he knows the rules, that no man is permitted to be alone with an unmarried woman. But how can he drive such a gentle soul away when she touchs his heart so deeply, even though she clearly carries the pain of a broken heart.

At the same time, Newhome's police force, the Custodians, are suspicious of Ethan's foraging team's successes and are pulling out the stops to find out which member of his team has the illegal mutant ability that gives them an edge over the other teams. Should these peacekeepers discover Ethan is the mutant they seek, they will haul him away and dissect him like a frog.



And the second one is The Collector of Dying Breaths by M.J. Rose.
Blurb from Goodreads:
In 1533, an Italian orphan with an uncanny knack for creating fragrance is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medici’s perfumer. To repay his debt, over the years René le Florentine is occasionally called upon to put his vast knowledge to a darker purpose: the creation of deadly poisons used to dispatch the Queen's rivals.

But it's René other passion—a desire to reanimate a human breath, to bring back the lives of the two people whose deaths have devastated him—that incites a dangerous treasure hunt five centuries later. That's when Jac L’Etoile—suffering from a heartache of her own—becomes obsessed with the possibility of unlocking Rene's secret to immortality.

Soon Jac’s search reconnects her with Griffin North, a man she’s loved her entire life. Together they confront an eccentric heiress whose art collection rivals many museums and who is determined to keep her treasures close at hand, not just in this life but in her next.

Set in the forest of Fontainebleau, crisscrossing the lines between the past and the present, M.J. Rose has written a mesmerizing tale of passion and obsession. This is a gothic tale perfect for fans of Anne Rice, Deborah Harkness, and Diana Galbadon.

I can't wait to read these....I think they both sound good!   

Good night and happy reading to all!

Review ~ Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Origin is the 4th book in the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

OH MY GOSH......just when I thought this series could not get any better - BAM!!! - it did with Origin!  If you have not started the Lux series, DO. IT. NOW!


Blurb from Goodreads:
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?


The chemistry between Daemon and Katy is off the charts and the heat between the two definitely increases in Origin.  I just love these two!  They totally 'click' together.

Katy has been taken by Daedalus - told horrible lies, forced to do unimaginable things, and tortured beyond imagination.  Daemon - who being Daemon - turns himself in so that he can be with Katy and eventually get them both free.  After they escape, the real action begins.

WOW!  This book is fast paced, action packed and with steamy romance, what's not to love?  I can't wait for the next book in the series, Opposition, which is due out in August of this year.

Review ~ Amazing!! Fire Country by David Estes Book 1 of the Country Saga

Fire Country

(Country Saga #1)

 by David Estes

Blurb from Goodreads:
In a changed world where the sky bleeds red, winter is hotter than hell and full of sandstorms, and summer's even hotter with raging fires that roam the desert-like country, the Heaters manage to survive, barely.
Due to toxic air, life expectancies are so low the only way the tribe can survive is by forcing women to procreate when they turn sixteen and every three years thereafter. It is their duty as Bearers.
Fifteen-year-old Siena is a Youngling, soon to be a Bearer, when she starts hearing rumors of another tribe of all women, called the Wild Ones. They are known to kidnap Youngling girls before the Call, the ceremony in which Bearers are given a husband with whom to bear children with.
As the desert sands run out on her life's hourglass, Siena must uncover the truth about the Wild Ones while untangling the web of lies and deceit her father has masterfully spun.

___________________________________

The opening of the book starts off:

“THE LAW

*****

In its original form, as approved by the Greynote Council

Article 56

A Bearer shall, upon reaching the appropriate age of sixteen years old, be Called to a man, no younger than eighteen years old, to Bear children immediately and every three years thereafter.

This is THE LAW”

My thoughts……Screw that crap!   Really????   Just the beginning of this book makes me cringe at the thought of that law….but I guess I am getting ahead of myself in this review.

The world has been destroyed by a meteor, and after the fallout, a new world arises that is beyond anything we can imagine-a very harsh new world. There are 5 different groups in this world: Icies, Wilds, Glassies, Marked and the Heaters and they are at odds with one another. 

In the Heaters group, when a girl turns sixteen she has to attend the Calling and is FORCED to breed children.  She gets no say whatsoever in who the baby daddy gets to be…..she just has to deal with it.  Plus as a bonus, she has to bear children every three years.  Oh, and the man in this relationship……he can have multiple ‘wives’ and they all live together…..Oh joy!  Sooooo not okay with me.

Siena is 6 months away from turning 16 and being Called.  She’s not really thrilled about the idea, but it is the LAW, so what’s a girl to do?  Thing is, she is really in love with her childhood friend Circ.  But they will never be Called together as they are the same age and the guy has to be 18 to be Called.  Sucks for them. 

I really loved this book!   The characters are great and I really like the fact that Siena has a strong personality and does not take crap without speaking her mind.  She loves to daydream, which constantly gets her into trouble.  My favorite character in the book though is Perry....you can't help but love him.  My least favorite character is Siena's father....what a jerk.

This was the first book that I have read from Mr. Estes, and I must say, I can't wait to read more.  He has a way of drawing you into the story with amazing descriptions, realistic characters and a story that keeps you turning the page to find out what happens.  This one was hard to put down once I started.

4 out of 5 stars

***I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a honest review***

Review ~ Invisible by D.R. Fuller

I recently read an unpublished book titled Invisible by D.R. Fuller to provide some feedback to the author.  

Here is a brief overview:

Mysteriously surviving an attempted murder, a young woman’s life becomes a living nightmare. With no family or friends, Evelyn Jefferson must survive alone. While this would be a nightmare for anyone, it is only the beginning for Evelyn. She struggles desperately to prevent a growing evil within her from escaping. Failure will have dire consequences, not only for her, but the entire world.



My review:
4 out of 5 stars

This book is a definite page turner as you try to unravel the mystery of why Evelyn has become invisible to the rest of the world after the brutal murder of her parents. After she meets Adam and he starts to finally see her, the mystery becomes even more enthralling.

Mr. Fuller supplied a synopsis of this story along with the novel, but I chose not to read it before reading the novel as I did not want to know the story before it started. I am glad that I did not read it, because it really made me guess the whole way through.

Mr. Fuller’s writing style is effortless and really draws the reader in with likeable characters and a story line that keeps the reader intrigued. This book has not been published yet, but I think with a little bit of editing, when published it will be a hit with the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Romance readers.

Kudos Mr. Fuller on an excellent book!