Book Review: Ascendancy (The Van Winkle Project #2) by Karri Thompson

Ascendancy 

(The Van Winkle Project #2) 

by 

Karri Thompson 

Pub November 30th 2015 

by Entangled: TEEN 

ARC for Review 

Summary
I’ve been lied to, deceived, and manipulated—again. You’d think I’d be treated with dignity and respect. I’m the one who’s supposed to save humanity, right? I’m the one with the power to re-populate this dying world. But the clones want to control me, force me to give birth over and over again. And my daughters will face the same fate—unless I change it.

My awakening into this future should have been a chance for a new life, but it just promises a living death. With Michael on my side, though, maybe I can save us. He’s the only person I can trust.

I hear rumors of others… A secret society is growing. Tension is building.

A rebellion is imminent.

Double Cross is the Secret Password 

I had very high expectations for this installment and Thompson doesn’t disappoint. From the very beginning we get action action and more action. These action scenes go on to the very end of the book and will keep you turning the pages. One thing I wish was a little more detailed was back story. Unfortunately I read the first installment last year and its been like over 100 books in between. In the beginning I was a little lost but regained my footing pretty quickly. I want answers gosh darn it but I don’t see that happening any time soon.

The Story, Cassie wants to help save humanity but she wants to do it on her terms. The regions are dangerous and Cassie doesn’t trust them. She has been betrayed and now she is on the run for her life. Michael is by her side and he will prove to her how deeply he loves her. Cassie is pit against a world that wants to control her and all she wants is to be safe with her girls and Michael. These two are on a mission to save their daughters while many questions go unanswered. Though these two face many perils there is something bigger going on and they will receive help along the way.

The Characters, Cassie grew much more and it was nice to see her forgive Michael for the secrets he kept. I look forward to see just how things come together for her. Her past comes back in a good way but it adds another level of conflict between Michael and Cassie. Michael is wonderful he is so innocent but in this installment he grows to become Cassie’s protector and greatest ally. I want these two to work things out because I’d like them to be together. There are other characters that provided depth to pivotal moments. There are people who are missing and I hope all of the story lines are answered and tied up nicely.

The End, with help from unlikely sources Cassie and Michael come face to face with one of their most wanted moments. I wasn’t sure these two would survive but they manage the impossible. Things aren’t all hunky dory but they are on their way to the beginning where Cassie wants to do things on her own terms. There is a lot of things going on in the background that I want to see resolved and come to light. I highly recommend this series as it is sure to entertain and keep you steadily turning the pages.

My Rating

4.5 Secret safeguard, Perilous Treachery, Missing Daughters, Kindling love and the promise of a better future love filled stars.

Purchase Through

✿ Amazon ✿ B&N ✿ 

About the Author 

My debut YA novel, Amateur Angel, was released May 1, 2012. The next book in that series, Hollywood Angels, comes out September 1. The first book in my upcoming dystopian trilogy, The Van Winkle Chronicles, will be released by Entangled Publishing Summer 2013.

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Book Review : Tempting by Alex Lucian

Tempting

by Alex Lucian

Release Date:
November 23rd, 2015

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Source:
Purchased via Amazon

Genres:
Adult Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

His body climbing over mine. 

My teeth biting his neck. 

His scent on my skin. 

My nails carving a path down his back. 

His commands whispered in my ear. 

All of my senses filled with him. 

I knew it was bad. 

But I craved more. 

It had begun innocently enough, bumping into one another in a crowded Boston bar. What followed that night had been anything but innocent. 

Because I'd known, even as he'd slid inside of me, that he was my professor. I'd pursued him, a predator stalking its prey. 

And he didn't know I was his student. 

But he would. 

*** Author's note: This isn't a jail bait student/teacher novel with a butterflies-in-the-belly kind of romance. The characters portrayed in this novel are consenting adults with functioning brains. If curse words, sex, and hard ass college professors with secrets offend you, move right along. 

Tempting is Nathan and Adele's story. Tempting does not have a cliffhanger ending, but it's the first book in a duet. The Tempting series will have other novels featuring characters with concurrent story lines.***

Purchase Links:

Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon UK | Amazon US

Review:

The cover and synopsis of Tempting, by Alex Lucian, has been appearing on my social media for the last few days. I have heard great things about it. I always try to discover new authors to follow and I am so happy I gave this book a chance. I went into this book having no expectations at all. I just knew that this was a forbidden romance student/teacher story and that it was the authors first novel. 

Oh.my.world.

I knew I was going to like the book because some of my friends read it and loved it. What I never expected was for the writing style to be so captivating and the characters to be so unforgettable. The author did a fantastic job at making me feel like I was a part of Adele and Nathan's memorable journey. I have read many student/teacher romance books. They become fairly predictable and I sometimes lose interest in the story. With this book, it was different. Adele and Nathan's chemistry was so intoxicating and perfect that I always wanted to know more about them.

The story is pretty simple. Adele is obsessed with Nathan, which is her teacher. They have an unforgettable one-night stand, but he has no idea who Adele is. That is until something catches his attention in class. What follows is the beginning of an intense and all-consuming love story. The attraction between them is undeniable. Nathan knows that he's playing with fire, but he's ready to get burned because Adele makes him feel alive for the first time in a long time. 

Adele was an awesome heroine to follow. She knew what she wanted and she stopped at nothing to get it. I have to admit that I thought she was a bit cray-cray at the beginning of the story. She wanted Prof. Easton with a wild intensity and that made me feel uncomfortable. I could not figure out why she was trying so hard to get his attention. I continued to read and the change I saw in Adele surprised me and made me happy. I understood why she was acting the way she did after all.

Prof. Easton will melt your heart ... and your panties too! OMG!! He's one fine dirty talker!!! It was difficult for him to accept that Adele was taking so much place in his heart. My heart broke for him when I learned what happened in his past. Adele was like a soothing balm on his broken heart. 

This was a great reading journey and an amazing first time novel by Alex Lucian. Whatever comes next in this series, I want to read it!! I loved Adele's best friend, Leo, and I hope he gets his own book. He deserves to find ''The One''.

Rating:

I give Tempting, by Alex Lucian, 4.5 captivating, passionate, surprising stars!

About the Author:

Tumblr is 18+ 

My favorite word is YES.

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Book Review: All I Want (Animal Magnetism #7) by Jill Shalvis

All I Want
Animal Magnetism #7

By:
Jill Shalvis

Release Date:
Oct. 6, 2015

Publisher:
Berkley Romance

Source:
Finished Copy in exchange for a honest review

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Goodreads

GR's Summary:

From the “awesomely, incredibly talented”* New York Times bestselling author of Still the One, comes a sexy new Animal Magnetism novel set in Sunshine, Idaho, where the sky is the limit when it comes to love. 

Pilot-for-hire Zoe Stone is happy to call Sunshine, Idaho, her home base. But her quiet life is thrown for a loop when her brother’s friend Parker comes to stay with her for a week. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife special agent is a handsome flirt with a gift for getting under her skin. And the situation only escalates when Parker hires her to fly him around the area while he collects evidence on a suspected smuggler. 

Now she has to live and work with the guy. But when they’re in the air, she sees another side of him. He’s driven, focused, and sharp. And while he enjoys giving commentary on her blind dates, she quickly realizes with a shock that it’s Parker who gets her engines going…

My Thoughts:

Whenever I read a Jill Shalvis book, I am guaranteed a sweet, charming, sexy, and flirty romance.  I was very content to return to Sunshine Idaho.  Ms. Shalvis makes me yearn for small town life, and I can tell that she is an animal lover like myself.  I don't know how she does it, but she really makes the pets in her stories come to life with a personality all their own.  Animal lovers need to read her Animal Magnetism series.  Each one contains adorable pets that play a significant part in the story. 

All I Want, is Zoe Stone and Parker James' story.  Zoe is a Pilot and also gives flying lessons.  She is lonely and is suffering through the "empty nest syndrome," because her two younger siblings that she has been taking care of all of her life, have moved out.  When her brother, Wyatt, asks her if his good friend Parker can stay at her house, while he's vacationing in Sunshine, she agrees.  

Parker works for the Fish and Wildlife Service, and has been given information that a poacher he's been tracking is currently in Idaho.  Parker's job is his passion, and even though his boss told him to leave the case alone, he's never been much of a rule follower.  When Parker meets Zoe, a case of mistaken identity gets him a scorching kiss.  This sets the stage for Parker and Zoe's chemistry to take off, and as Parker is staying with Zoe, things between the two of them become heated.  However, Parker's stay in Idaho is temporary, and his job is not conducive to a long term relationship.... 

All I Want was a charming, fun, and heart-warming story.  I loved Zoe's strong, stubborn, feisty, and independent personality.  Her motto about every problem that came her way was, "I got this!"  I loved how spirited and fiery she was.  Parker was a sweetheart.  He had a younger sister with down syndrome, and I loved how adoring and compassionate he was with her.  He was also very patient with Zoe when she gave him hell, and went out of his way to be there for her, even as she insisted that she could take care of everything on her own.  These two were very passionate individuals, and together they were dynamic!

I loved getting to read a little bit about Zoe's siblings, Wyatt, and Darcy, as well as their significant others.  Zoe's dog Oreo, and her two kittens, Bonnie and Clyde set the stage for entertaining shenanigans, sweet moments, and made me smile a lot!

My Rating:

I give, All I Want, by Jill Shalvis, 4 Sweet, Warm, Lovable, and Light-Hearted Filled Stars!  I'm ready for the next book in the series!!!

Book Teaser:

Purchase At:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

About Jill Shalvis:

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

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Book Review: Marked (The Soulseer Chronicles, #1) by Sue Tingey

Marked 

(The Soulseer Chronicles, #1) 

by 

Sue Tingey 

Pub May 7th 2015 

by Jo Fletcher Books 

ARC for Review 

Summary
With no family and very few friends, Lucky’s psychic ability has always made her an outcast. The only person she can rely on is Kayla, the ghost girl who has been with her since she was born.

But Kayla is not all that she appears.

And when Lucky is visited by a demonic assassin with a message for her friend, she finds herself dragged into the Underlands – and the political fight for the daemon king’s throne.

Lucky, trapped in the daemon world, is determined to find her way home… until she finds herself caught between the charms of the Guardian Jamie, the charismatic Daemon of Death Jinx – and the lure of finding out who she really is.

Every Jinx Needs Some Luck

First things first. Did I enjoy the book? Yes. Is it a new fave? No. Will I continue this series? Not sure yet. Okay so although I liked the book it had some things that I just couldn’t ignore. Though the authors writing was fun it was also quite chaotic. The main character was all over the place. One minute she would be angry than not that questioning then not. A lot going on. There were several unexplained things…we don’t even find out who Lucky is until way late in the book. If the author give us another soon and there is a clear path of what is supposed to happen I will probably pick up a copy. If the next is like a year from now I’m not sure if I’ll have the same feelings. I really enjoyed Jinx and I think he and Lucky belong together but again nothing is very clear in the book so I cant say for sure.

The Story, I don’t want to give away too much but Lucky and Kayla have always been together. Someone from the other side beckons Kayla and the mystery begins. No one tells Lucky anything even when she asks point blank. I tried to get over that fact but when its 95% and there are things being kept from her it got a bit tiring. I want to get a feel for where this story is going once that happens I’ll enjoy it much more. We do find out some things about Kayla and Lucky so its not all kept from us but a great many questions are left unanswered.

The Characters, Lucky has always been an outcast and she is about to find out just how much. She is very wishy washy with her emotions so I’m not sure how she feels about anything. I want her to begin to stand her ground and become some sort of match for these people. James and Jinx are opposites but high ranking and they want Lucky. Personally I want Lucky to choose Jinx their names together are cute, and I don’t feel the same chemistry with her and James. I think Kayla is majorly misunderstood by everyone, I look forward to finding out just what everyone is capable of.

The End, there is some tiny closure but not a lot. Things don’t look good for Lucky but with her new friends they somewhat stand a chance of staying safe until they can figure everything out. Lucky’s situation isn’t safe but she will find a ay to make things right for herself and those she loves. I hope the next comes out soon so I can give it a shot. If it takes about a year I probably wont be so inclined to pick up the continuation.

My Rating

3.0 Good premise some rough edges to smooth out but an overall exciting new concept with a few flaws but all and all entertaining read.

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About the Author

Sue Tingey spent 28 years with a major British bank before leaving the corporate life to work as Practice Manager for an Arboricultural Consultancy. She lives with her husband (and Koi carp) in East Grinstead, West Sussex.

Book Review: Right Wrong Guy (Brightwater #2) by Lia Riley

Right Wrong Guy
Brightwater, #2
by Lia Riley

Release Date:
August 4th, 2014

Publisher:
Avon Impulse

Source:
Publisher via Edelweiss

eARC received in exchange of honest review

Synopsis:

Sometimes two wrongs can make a right... 

Bad boy wrangler, Archer Kane, lives fast and loose. Words like responsibility and commitment send him running in the opposite direction. Until a wild Vegas weekend puts him on a collision course with Eden Bankcroft-Kew, a New York heiress running away from her blackmailing fiancé…the morning of her wedding. 

Eden has never understood the big attraction to cowboys. Give her a guy in a tailored suit any day of the week. But now all she can think about is Mr. Rugged Handsome, six-feet of sinfully sexy country charm with a pair of green eyes that keeps her tossing and turning all night long. 

Archer might be the wrong guy for a woman like her, but she's not right in thinking he'll walk away without fighting for her heart. And maybe, just maybe, two wrongs can make a right.

Purchase Links:

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

Brightwater Series on Goodreads:

Our Review of Last First Kiss HERE
Our Review of Best Worst Mistake HERE

Lindy's Thoughts:

I was excited to return to the small town of Brightwater, California.  I adore the Kane family, and their significant others.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that book 1 and book 2 in this series run concurrently in time.  It was great to get reacquainted with Sawyer Kane, Annie Carson, Kit Kane, and my favorite character of all, Grandma Kane. 

Eden "Edie" Bancroft-Kew is a well-to-do Manhattan socialite.  It's Eden's Mother's dying wish for her to marry long time family friend, Reginald "Reggie" Winter.  On her wedding day, Edie, discovers that Reggie is using her for her inheritance.  

After Edie meets a handsome cowboy, by the name of Archer Kane, her life is transformed.  She discovers that Archer is from the small town of Brightwater California, which is where her first cousin, Quincy, currently resides.  On a whim, Edie hitches a ride with Archer, and decides to take control of her life's happiness.  She will open her own high quality coffee and pastry shop.  

As far as romance is concerned, Edie is extremely attracted to Archer, but she is hearing rumors about his womanizing ways.  She doesn't think that she can trust her gut after being betrayed by her ex-fiancee.  Another conundrum arises when Reggie begins blackmailing Eddie.  Can she find peace and happiness in Brightwater?

Right Wrong Guy was a sweet, warm, charming, and romantic love story.  I enjoyed the characters, and love the sense of humor that Ms. Riley has created in Grandma Kane.  I loved this small town romance, and it was a great read to savor on a cold night, under the covers.  These characters warmed my heart, and brought many smiles to my face.  My only critique of this story would be that it was difficult to buy in to the way Archer Kane went from a philanderer to a one-woman kind of man so quickly.  However, he does tell us that he is tired of his fast-paced lifestyle, and wants a more meaningful relationship with a woman.  Then again, this is the day after he has a threesome in Las Vegas.

If you enjoy small town romance, the Brightwater Series is wonderful.  All of these characters are warm, fun, have colorful personalities, and give us readers great romance!  These stories give off a meaningful sense of family, close friendships, and community.  

Rating:

I give, Right Wrong Guy, by Lia Riley, 3.5 Heartwarming, Seductive Sexy Times, and Fun Filled Stars! 

Mikki's Review:

The second installment of Lia Riley's Brightwater Series, Right Wrong Guy, was a wonderful, sweet and enjoyable reading escape! If you are a fan of small town romance you definitely want to add this series on your TBR list. These books are perfect if you are looking for a sweet romance with a dash of spice.

What I like about this series is that the characters are real, the stories always captivating and the romance is always heart-melting. It's very easy to relate to these characters and you won't be able to resist cheering for their HEA. They all have a little something that will catch your attention. Especially grandma Kane. Oh my world!!! I love this little lady!! She can be moody, but God is she entertaining!!!

One-night stands are easy and require no commitment. The last thing Archer Kane is looking for is a long-term relationship. Until Eden Bankcroft-Kew walks into his life. In Sin City he meets the woman that will change his life forever. Eden is having the worst day of her life. A lying fiancé sends her running away straight into Archer's arms. When she meets him, she has no doubt that this sexy cowboy is trouble. The kind of trouble you want to meet. As days go by, their feelings for each other grow. Archer is ready to put his past behind and start a new journey with Eden. Will is reputation bring trouble in paradise? If it does, will Archer be able to win Eden's heart?

I had not problem connecting with Eden and Archer. Their chemistry was pretty strong. What I had a hard time with, is Archer's manwhore ways. Before meeting Eden, there was a never ending amount of ladies in his bed. There is no doubt in my mind that he was ready to find ''The One'', but it was almost an insta-love kind of thing with Eden. There is nothing wrong with that. I just wanted a slow building romance between these two. 

What I love about small town romance novels, is that you get to revisit all your favorite characters. I was happy to see familiar faces. My favorite one would be grandma Kane. She is hilarious and I guarantee that you will love her just as much as I do! This book can be read as a standalone, but I recommend the rest of the books in this series as well. They are the perfect reading escape when you want a great romance story with a little bit of drama.

Rating:

I give Right Wrong Guy, by Lia Riley, 3.5 enjoyable, sweet, romantic, fun stars!

About the Author:

Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult and Contemporary Adult romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling XXXX with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments. 

A British literature fanatic at heart, Lia considers Mr. Darcy and Edward Rochester as her fictional boyfriends. Her very patient husband doesn't mind. Much. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about future books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. Right now, Icelandic hot springs and Scottish castles sound mighty fine.

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