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Truth or Beard (Winston Brothers #1) by Penny Reid

Posted on July 13, 2015 by charmouabb
Truth or Beard (Winston Brothers #1) by Penny Reid

Truth or Beard

Beards, brothers, and bikers! Oh my!
Identical twins Beau and Duane Winston might share the same devastatingly handsome face, but where Beau is outgoing and sociable, Duane is broody and reserved. This is why Jessica James, recent college graduate and perpetual level headed good girl, has been in naïve and unhealthy infatuation with Beau Winston for most of her life. His friendly smiles make her tongue-tied and weak-kneed, and she’s never been able to move beyond her childhood crush. Whereas Duane and Jessica have always been adversaries. She can’t stand him, and she’s pretty sure he can’t stand the sight of her…
But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica finds herself in a massive confusion kerfuffle. Jessica James has spent her whole life paralyzed by the fantasy of Beau and her assumptions of Duane’s disdain; therefore she’s unprepared for the reality that is Duane’s insatiable interest, as well as his hot hands and hot mouth and hotter looks. Not helping Jessica’s muddled mind and good girl sensibilities, Duane seems to have gotten himself in trouble with the local biker gang, the Iron Order.
Certainly, Beau’s magic spell is broken. Yet when Jessica finds herself drawn to the man who was always her adversary, now more dangerous than ever, how much of her level-headed heart is she willing to risk?

I have been acting like some next level creeper-stalker person over this book… Ever since I read the excerpt for this story in the Shiver Anthology last year I’ve been counting down the months until I could get my hands on ALL of the story. So when I finally got hold of it last week I was a very VERY happy human. Since everyone knows my Penny Reid fan status (Big, HUGE fan) I’m going to try and keep this review less on the fan-girl side and more on the explaining why I’m fan-girling so much side…. So here goes!

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters most, in the end” – Ernest Hemingway

Truth or Beard is the first instalment in the series that Penny Reid has dedicated to the 6 Winston brothers who were first introduced to us in Beauty and the Mustache. I love this idea, I love how this series connects with the Knitting in the City series. I love how we are going to get a (much) more in-depth look at each brother and his story, because they were so intriguing in BatM. And most of all I love how I just know that Penny will take each brother and create a story that is as unique as he is. Starting here, with Duane.

I love Duane! Yes, he comes across distant and broody on the outside, but once I got into his head he was so much more. The depth of his feelings made him a complex character. For a lot of the book he was battling his own emotions as much as he was battling Jessica’s. He had big plans for the two of them and no matter what he wanted to make sure everything was planned and executed to perfection so that he could give her everything that he felt she deserved. However, what Duane didn’t take into account was that life can’t be organized perfectly, sometimes you just have to live and chase your dreams. He was so busy trying to do the right thing by everyone that he almost missed out on his own dream in the process.

He nibbled on my ear, whispering my name like it was a dirty word – but not a curse word – a dirty word. Something erotic and scandalous. I had an odd thought then, that I liked my name on his lips more when it was whispered.

Jessica was instantly likeable. I loved that she was busy obsessing over travelling and experiencing the world rather than obsessing over finding a husband and a white picket fence. She had long dreamed of all of the places she would go and she was determined. So determined, that when her heart started to travel on it’s own path she had no idea what to make of it or how to reconcile the fact that even if she hadn’t planned on love, it may have found her and if it had found her, then how on earth was she going to be free to embark on her childhood dream?

Penny Reid is super duper talented at dual POVs. She knocks it out of the park every time. The tone, the subtle details, these things really make all the difference when you’re the reader. She always gets it right and this book is no different. So I LOVED having the book set up like this, the story called for it. It really added to the back and forth between Jessica and Duane. The angst of not knowing what to do next with their feelings, the hotness of the hot looks, the intricacies of their relationship and themselves… All of these things were magnified from being able to look through both sets of eyes.

…I wanted to hold on to this moment for as long as possible, because it was the first time – and maybe the only time in my life – I felt truly seen, known and understood. And I wanted to give him everything in return. I wanted him to know I saw him. I knew him, too.

So! Like I promised, fan-girling moments aside… I  FREAKING loved this book! Penny Reid is an exceptionally talented writer who never shies away from writing exactly the type of story she feels like she needs to write. I’m positive this is why her books always hit the mark and why every time I read a new one I find it harder and harder to have a firm favourite. This is a definite must read whether you are familiar with Penny Reid’s work or not. This book… This freaking book… It’s definitely made it into my top reads of the year that’s for sure,

ARC received in return for an honest review

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Book Review – Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Contreras

Posted on June 11, 2015 by charmouabb
Book Review – Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Contreras

I have been in a reading/reviewing abyss. Sure I’ve read this and that, I’ve even read some pretty great books. But I haven’t read anything a quite a few weeks that has had me needing to review it…. Until now. Kaleidoscope Hearts has broken my book slump! Hurrah!

kaleidoscope hearts

He was my older brother’s best friend.
He was never supposed to be mine.
I thought we would get it out of our system and move on.

One of us did.
One of us left.

Now he’s back, looking at me like he wants to devour me. And all those feelings I’d turned into anger are brewing into something else, something that terrifies me.
He broke my heart last time.
This time he’ll obliterate it

This story devoured me. I was hoping for heart squeezing intensity and I got that and more. The last time I had such a major case of the FEELS over a book was when I read BATM by the super talented Penny Reid…. So for this book to take me to that place was beyond expectation.

The first boy I fell in love with used to regale me with stories about kings and queens and war and peace, and how he hoped to one day be somebody’s knight in shining armor. I lived vicariously through his late night adventures, watching the way he swung his hands animatedly as he told his stories, and loving the way his green eyes twinkled when I laughed at his jokes. He taught me what it feels like to be touched and thoroughly kissed. Later, he taught me the pain one feels at the loss of someone that you’ve grown attached to. The one thing he forgot to teach me was how to deal with the way my chest squeezed after he broke the ghost of what heart I had left. I’d always wondered if it had been a missed lesson. Now I wonder if maybe he’d been trying to figure it out for himself, or if he just never felt anything at all.

I loved LOVED LOOOOOVED these two main characters, Elle and Oliver. These two have possibly ruined me for this genre for a wee while… Elle has been through a lot, she’s suffered loss and heartbreak, she’s not all together whole. She is perfectly broken, endearing in all of the right ways. I commiserated with her, I was angry and sad with her, I felt her hope and her passion, I felt her happiness and above all I felt her reawakening. This is a female character worth investing in. No attention to detail was spared when the author sat down to write about Elle and her story and I really appreciate this, if you’re going to read about a character who has been through so much and has so much emotional cleaning out and organizing to do you want to be able to buy it…

Oliver was written in much the same careful way, whilst maintaining that mysteriousness that we all love to see in our leading men. This guy has joined my super selective book boyfriend list. How could he not? A paediatric doctor who I’m sure leaves drooling women in his wake while being his effortlessly cool self, no he’s not without his quirks and not so fabulous bits, but it wouldn’t be a novel if he was perfect would it!

Life is short, and brutal, and painful, and it takes loved ones away from us as quickly as it brings them into our lives, but it’s also beautiful.

I think a big part of why I felt I got such a well rounded complete picture of these two characters and their story is the clever use of flashback chapters… These little gems were carefully sprinkled throughout the story and the combination not only provided a complete timeline of their romance, but also their own personal stories of growth and discovery. Love doesn’t need to be completely co-dependant, there is a beauty to watching characters grow and change and come into themselves as adults before the strings of a relationship start to pull tight.

So as you can tell I completely and utterly fell in love with this book. I would definitely read this again, and probably again after that! This book was a very lucky random find on one of my endless Amazon browsing missions. Claire Contreras can expect me to be reading pretty much anything she puts out next and I intend to go through her prior releases while I’m at it. So get ready Claire… There’s a new fangirl around and she’s super grateful to you for ripping her out of her book slump!

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Posted in 5 Stars, Charmaine, Contemporary and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Book Review – Nocte by Courtney Cole

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Kristal

Save me and I’ll save you…

My name is Calla Price. I’m eighteen years old, and I’m one half of a whole. 
My other half– my twin brother, my Finn– is crazy. 

I love him. More than life, more than anything. And even though I’m terrified he’ll suck me down with him, no one can save him but me.

I’m doing all I can to stay afloat in a sea of insanity, but I’m drowning more and more each day. So I reach out for a lifeline. 

Dare DuBray. 

He’s my savior and my anti-Christ. His arms are where I feel safe, where I’m afraid, where I belong, where I’m lost. He will heal me, break me, love me and hate me. 

He has the power to destroy me. 

Maybe that’s ok. Because I can’t seem to save Finn and love Dare without everyone getting hurt. 

Why? Because of a secret. 

A secret I’m so busy trying to figure out, that I never see it coming. 

You won’t either

Our Review

None of us here at Once Upon a Book Blog knew what to expect when we began reading Nocte. We all went in totally blind, not reading any spoilers or having a clue what we were getting ourselves into.  And honestly, that is the way to go into it, completely clueless. The blurb itself doesn’t give a single thing away but still manages to be utterly attention grabbing, inducing within a burning NEED to read this book as soon as possible. And WHOA, what a book. Beautifully written, totally captivating, and completely spellbinding, Nocte solely held all of our attentions from the start. Even now, nearly twenty four hours after we finished reading this book, we are still finding ourselves discussing theories and contemplating what’s to come next. 

Amy– For me, this is one of those books that I am so glad I had someone to talk to and freak out with as I was reading. When I first started reading Nocte, I had no idea what to expect. I knew from the synopsis, that it was going to be one crazy ride. I found myself completely captivated by what I was reading. There was so much mystery and suspense with little bread crumbs of answers dropped along the way. Nocte is definitely one of those stories that will have you questioning everything that you are reading and then when you finally get some answers, you are completely blown away. If the twists and turns weren’t enough to scramble your mind, you were left with one brutal cliffhanger. One that won’t let me stop thinking about this book and anticipating the answers that lie ahead in the next story……

Charmaine- This is a book best read with a buddy or two. Trust me when I say that you’re going to need someone to be hysterical with more than once! From the very first page of the prologue I was completely and utterly lost to the story. There was no chance at me spinning this book out, I needed to finish it… I had to know what was going on. My brain wouldn’t stop working until I did! What I didn’t realise was that at the end I was going to be left bereft of a conclusion, because although there were some answers, it turned out that there was nothing neatly packaged about this ending. There is a question that 2 days on I am still wracking my brain to piece together. If ever a book is both enthralling and torturous at the same time then this is it. Well executed, skilfully written and fascinating to read, I am absolutely hooked…

Kristal – I think I almost lost my mind within the pages of this story. I’m not joking. I was frantically flipping pages and my thought process throughout can only be described as ‘frenzied’. I’d almost feel sorry for Charmaine and Amy (who were on the receiving end of my madness), if we weren’t all in the same boat. The burning need to KNOW, the trickery within the pages, and the perfectly compelling tale being told, all contributed to me being unable to function for an entire day while I devoured this book. And that ending…oh my god, that ending. Is it February yet???

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Book Review – See How She Awakens (The Izzy Chronicles) by Michelle Graves

Posted on November 6, 2014 by charmouabb

ARC received in return for an honest review

The Seer has fallen, yet the prophecy remains.
The World will burn, unless the Seer is Awakened.

Izzy is lost to the void, doing everything within her power to forget the past two years of her life, when a voice calls out to her from the fog. Aberto begs for her to return while Kennan’s voice implores her to remember. Everything within her is telling her to stay in the void, but then Aberto tells her the one thing powerful enough to pull her from oblivion, Molly is dying.

What awaits Izzy on the mortal plane is more terrifying than she could’ve imagined. The darkness is on the rise and no one seems to see it, or they don’t want to admit to the truth. With the darkness more powerful than ever, Izzy must find a way to push the past behind her and protect her loved ones, even if it means losing herself forever.

Will Izzy fall to the darkness or will she finally discover who she was always destined to be? Find out what happens when the Seer finally Awakens.  

There was a lot that needed to be resolved in Izzy’s world going into this book and I have to say I was more than a little bit nervous to see what was going to happen! Really this story could’ve gone a few different ways. Reaching the conclusion of a series is big, especially a series which you have been obsessed with. Every reader going into a final book definitely has a picture in their mind of what they are hoping the conclusion will look like, myself included…

Izzy thought once she fell the prophecy would be fulfilled and the world would be safe from the darkness… But this is not the case… Not even close. While Izzy is languishing in the void, people she loves are dying, she knows she has to stop the darkness, she just doesn’t know if she’s strong enough to after being so utterly and completely broken.

What I loved about this book is that now we’ve come full circle the pace was slowed down a bit so we could focus on the characters and details. There is still a ton of action, don’t get me wrong! But the feel of this book is very much a goodbye, so we take the time to work through Izzy’s final battle, which is just as much with herself as it is with the darkness. There was no way that Izzy was going to be her usual bouncy back chatting-self going into this book, she was far too broken. The overall tone was definitely darker and heavy with despair and that was important for the story being told. But happiness is a state of mind and can be accomplished many ways. I loved that Michelle Graves managed to not only continue with Izzy’s character development and work through the despair and challenges she was facing, but also managed to by the end give us glimpses of the old Izzy. In this aspect of the story I was completely satisfied!

The romance part of this book was a tricky one. Obviously with previous events it wasn’t going to be simple no matter what way it was approached. After having a few days to digest I do feel like the end was fitting. Now, this doesn’t mean that I wasn’t hoping for ‘more’ because the hopeless lover of romance in me did hope for sunshine and rainbows and over the top gestures of romance. But I know what this story entailed and I understand why the ending was what is was. I guess it’s just one of those things where I understand it and it works perfectly for the story, but there’s still a part of me that’s protesting. Which I actually think is a really clever way to end a series, that I feel so passionate about it really shows that it’s hit the mark.

I’m sad to say goodbye to Izzy and the rest of the crew but at the same time I’m glad her story has finished on a high note. This series was the perfect length and had an amazingly balanced mix of everything that you love to see in this genre. I know if Michelle Graves writes anything in the future I will be one very excited reader!

See How She Awakens: The Chronicles of Izzy 4

By Michelle Graves

 photo credit: vanz via photopin <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licensesphoto credit: Eddi van W. via photopin cc

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Posted in 4 Stars, Charmaine, Urban Fantasy and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Recommendations – Fantasy, Urban Fantasy & Paranormal

Posted on September 13, 2014 by Kristal

Urban Fantasy is one of our absolute top genres. It’s always so exciting and FUN! Below are some of our faves. Feel free to share yours with us too! We love finding more UF to read.

Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

Both my BBH (Better Blogging Half) and I absolutely loved this series. It’s set in Dublin among the Fae (seelie and unseelie), humans, and other random supernaturals. We follow heroine Mac as she tries to discover who (or what) killed her sister. Mac is a total toughie, you will adore her and our hero – Jerricho Barrons. Dangerous and smoking hot. Sigh. Need I say more?

 

Jane True Series by Nicole Peeler

Jane will forever have a special place in my heart.  It was Jane that elevated my BBH and I from best buds to ultimate soul mates. Well Jane, food and diet coke. Anyway, the point is WE LOVE JANE! Set in small town America (to start with) Jane discovers she is half selkie and from there things take a turn for the crazy. This series follows Jane and her friends as they try to right the wrongs in their world and save their people. There are some truly creepy characters (Graeme and the harpies – ick), and some truly awesome ones (pretty much everyone on Team Jane).

 

Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews

Kate Daniels is a badass. Born to an evil God of a father and raised on the run by his head assassin, she has been taught from the day she was born that her job is to eventually take down her father.  In the meantime, she pretty much spends all her time kicking ass and taking names. This series is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where the technology overloaded and magic fought back. Survival is really based on luck of the draw and whether the technology is running things on the day or the magic. A big part of this story is Kate’s budding romance with the Lord of the Beasts, Curran. Their chemistry is out of this world  – definitely worth reading!

 

The Fae Chronicles by Amelia Hutchins

BBH and I actually disagree on this one. Not hugely but the main problem for us in this series is the sheer amount of smut kind of brings down what would be a really good story. I read it anyway because I love the fae, but it was too much for BBH. Understandably. However a lot of people get into that stuff (reow!) so if that’s you then you will love this series even more. It’s basically a story about a girl, Synthia, whose been brought up to believe she’s one thing only to discover that her entire world is not as it seems, and she is not at all who she thought she was. There are SO many twists and turns in these books. Everyone deceives everyone else, which is kind of amazing since the fae technically can’t lie in this world. But they do manage to twist the truth to suit themselves when ever they like and really, you would expect nothing less from the fae.

 

Charley Davidson Series by Darynda Jones

Charley is who I wish I could be when I’m having an argument with someone. You know how often you won’t think of the prefect retort until you have walked away? Or have been walked away from, as the case may be. She’s so quick witted it’s ridiculous. I even, on occasion, found myself having to read a line twice to pick up the joke. Charley Davidson is the Grim Reaper. She uses this to her advantage by having her own private detective business. She runs around solving crimes all over the show and often gets herself into dire situations. Chuck in Reyes Farrow, insanely hot and broody Son of Satan, and it’s a good time all around really. 

 

The Forever Evermore Series by Scarlett Dawn

King Hall — where the Mysticals go to learn their craft, get their degrees, and transition into adulthood. And where four new Rulers will rise and meet their destinies. A Shifter Queen, Vampire King, Mage Queen and an Elemental King all come together to make for a crazy and interesting world. I couldn’t put this series down!

 

The Forged by Magic Series by S. L. Gavyn

Don’t be put off by the cover of the first book in this series, Brimstone. It’s a little odd, even for Urban fantasy but this series is awesome. We follow heroine, Genivieve Belaveau, as she fights her way through an exciting world packed filled with fey, vampires, elves and shifters, to name a few. This series has the perfect combination of both romance and action and Vieve is a heroine everyone will love!

 

The Malediction Trilogy by Danielle L. Jensen

So far only the first book in this series is out, Stolen Songbird. It was a great start to this fantasy series and the world the books are based in is both engaged and fascinating with the primary creatures being trolls (at this stage). I can’t wait for the next installment in this series! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

photo credit: Lindsay Dole via photopin cc

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Book Review – Sweet Addiction by J. Daniels

Posted on September 10, 2014 by charmouabb

Wedding hookups never amount to anything.

Those who partake in this wicked little activity know the rules. Get in. Get laid. Get out. There’s no expectation of a relationship. It is what it is.

Dylan Sparks knows the rules. She’s familiar with the protocol. And she engages in the best sex of her life with a complete stranger at her ex-boyfriend’s wedding.

Reese Carroll doesn’t care about the rules. He wants more than just one night with Dylan. And he’s too addicting to pass up.

Sweet Addiction is the story of one girl’s struggle to keep things casual, and one boy’s desire to never let her go.

I figured I couldn’t go to wrong with a book whose main character owns a bakery. Anyone who can whip up baked goods like that has to be someone I want to read about! Did I mention SHE LIVES ABOVE HER BAKERY!?! Now I don’t know about you guys, but that right there is a fantasy of mine. Delish. Now, ahem, since we’re on the subject of fantasies… Have I mentioned Reese Carroll yet? More to the point, have I mentioned Reese Carroll AND baked goods AND smutty acts in the same sentence yet? Yep that whole situation is a thing people… it’s actually a thing….

So, if you hadn’t already guessed, Reese Carroll will definitely make your book boyfriend list. There’s literally no doubt about that. This guy… This guy is EVERYTHING. Sex on a stick. Literally a beautiful, super intelligent, super swoon-worthy stick of sex. He will turn you inside out with his perfect gorgeous hotness. No run of the mill alpha-male here. How Dylan didn’t, from the second she fell into his lap, refuse to ever get off him I will never know. She is a much stronger woman than I! But then again, she really was just looking for ‘slutty wedding sex’ so how was she to know that by hoping for a moment of outrageousness, she’d end up entwined with a force of nature such as Reese.

Dylan is pretty awesome herself actually. I loved how I was reading about a strong, self sufficient, hilarious, feisty WOMAN. She was no virginal angel (Ok yes, her vocabulary was more risque than her past sex life had actually been, but still.) Neither was she sitting around with a major lack of self esteem, waiting for some guy to make her feel better. Nope, she was out doing her thing, living life and it was this fact, which made sure that this story completely captured my attention. Yes, she sometimes probably needed to put her big-girl knickers on and sort her sh*t out, but truthfully, when haven’t we all acted like that? Just because we are grown-ass independent women it doesn’t mean once and a while we take a wrong turn somewhere, or can be so stubborn that it’s infuriating. Plus it made for great drama!

The story had me turning pages like an insane person from the get-go. I’ve read plenty of books along the same lines as this one, but this book had Dylan and Reese. I really connected with them and it was these two that made this story really stand out from the rest, I honestly spent half the book wetting myself with laughter and the other half swooning with everything in my body (oh and maybe a fraction of time spent on wanting to smack both of their heads together!) This has to be, so far this year one of my favourite unexpected book loves. A perfect treat of a story for when you just want to lay in the sun and read something and be thoroughly entertained (and maybe have fantasies of replacing Dylan with yourself… Ahem…) There’s a sequel coming out at the end of this month and I for one, will definitely be setting aside a sunny weekend to check it out.

Sweet Addiction

By J. Daniels

 photo credit: sea turtle via photopin cc

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Book Review – Beauty and the Mustache (Knitting in the City #4) by Penny Reid

Posted on September 2, 2014 by charmouabb

This book was received from the Author in return for an honest review

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Welcome to my current obsession!!! I’m a relative newcomer to Penny Reid fandom, but from the very first book of hers I read (Neanderthal Seeks Human) I was obsessed… Every new story I read of hers I am SURE that there’s no way she could possibly top it… no way I could love anything more than what I just read. Turns out, I should know better by now.

Former beauty queen, Ashley Winston’s preferred coping strategy is escapism. She escaped her Tennessee small town, loathsome father, and six brothers eight years ago. Now she escapes life daily via her Amazon kindle one-click addiction. However, when a family tragedy forces her to return home, Ashley can’t escape the notice of Drew Runous— local Game Warden, bear wrestler, philosopher, and everyone’s favorite guy. Drew’s irksome philosophizing in particular makes Ashley want to run for the skyscrapers, especially since he can’t seem to keep his exasperating opinions— or his soulful poetry, steadfast support, and delightful hands— to himself. Pretty soon the girl who wanted nothing more than the escape of the big city finds she’s lost her heart in small town Tennessee.

I wasn’t too sure what to expect with this one. I had seen it be posted that this book was ‘different’ to her other ones, then I saw readers posting that they were crying over it and I was really starting to wonder what I was getting myself into! Turns out, that yes, this book is different, yes I did cry, but yes, in actual fact, this book is my absolute favourite of this series to date. Penny Reid doesn’t just write one type of story, or one type of character, she doesn’t even write with just one type of formula, this book proves that without a doubt.

Yes, I was a creeper, but I didn’t care. Drew brought these compulsions out in me, so he could just suffer through my leering and take it like a man.

The story of Ashley and Drew is, to put it as simply as it can get, beautiful. There is still quirky laugh out-loud humour; there are also still the one million and one things that I stop to search Google/Wikipedia about. (In this case it was mostly Nietzsche) But there is no argument that this book is all about heart, about the swoon-worthy romance, the poetry and the butterflies in my stomach that just would not quit. I’ve come out of this book with ridiculously high romantic ambitions. It’s a problem.

Meanwhile, there was a wild boar of need within me; one that he’d awakened with his quick silver eyes, poetic words, velvet baritone, heroic deeds, and expertly choreographed kisses. He’d left me to drown in want.

The situation that Ashley is in is impossible. This background, this reason why she has returned home really makes what could’ve been a relatively simple ‘girl meets boy’ situation into something which has so many layers of emotions, improbabilities and impossibilities and while this meant that I spent a great deal of time trying to not sit there and sob, it did mean that we got to explore this romance from the perfect imperfections of the universe’s timing… because as we all know, when has the universe EVER timed things to be easy. Ashley as a character is sweet and sassy all at the same time. Sometimes she definitely underestimates herself. She is loyal and it has to be said, she can be very, very stubborn. Watching her work through everything that had encouraged her to leave her small town and everything that encouraged her to return was truly like watching a friend, because that’s what she became. Oh and how awesome was it to get to see the rest of the knitting group! Honestly those girls (and men) just inject so much inappropriate fun into whatever situation they’re in; their appearance was always a nice distraction from the reality of what Ashley had to deal with.

“Tell me what you need.” He said between raining soft kisses against my hair, temple and cheek. “I’ll do anything for you.”

There is no way I could attempt to review this book and not cover the menfolk. Oh my goodness the men! Drew was written like every girls fantasy should be. He was a big Viking of a man (yes, Viking! Actually make that gorgeous Viking!) But not only is he beautiful and swoon-worthy on the outside, he’s also beautiful and swoon-worthy on the inside. I swear I was close to spontaneous combustion by the end of the book. Then we have Ashley’s brothers. Her 6 brothers… While I can understand how 6 brothers could possibly drive a girl insane, I loved them. They each brought so much to the story in their own way (although the bathroom schedule is something no sister should EVER have to be aware of!) I have too many amazing moments to list, but possibly my absolute favourite moment with any of the Winston brothers was the scene where Jethro made sure that Ashley knew that he’d ‘always do what was best for her’ I won’t give away what the circumstances were around that statement but it was just perfect. Oh, and in case we are in any doubt about these brothers… here is what Penny Reid pictures them to be…

So if you already are a fan of the Knitting in the City series then I know you’ll read this and love it. If you’re not familiar with this author and/or series and are wondering what all of the fuss is about then I suggest you get reading. If you love your romance to be different from the norm then this book and this series are definitely for you.

Beauty and the Mustache: A Philosophical Romance (Knitting in the City Book 4)

By Penny Reid

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Book Review – See How She Fights (The Chronicles of Izzy #2) by Michelle Graves

Posted on August 28, 2014 by charmouabb

I was still floating in a cloud of Izzy and Kennan love from the first book in this series when I dove straight into this one. (You can read my review for See How She Runs HERE) I literally finished SHSR and jumped straight onto Amazon to download this one. I HAD to know where this story was going to go next and of course I had to get more of Izzy and Kennan…

She thought it was over.
She thought her life was finally her own.
She was wrong.

Izzy is thrust back into the world of Seers and Guardians. With a summons from the Council she can’t ignore, Izzy heads back into the fray. Now, it is up to her to figure out why Seers are being sacrificed, carved up, and left for ruin. If she doesn’t find the person orchestrating the deaths, she may well be next.

If that wasn’t enough, her powers have started to expand exponentially. Kennan is keeping secrets. Moreover, a strangely familiar Symbol-smith starts wreaking havoc on her precariously balanced world.

Will Izzy survive this latest crisis? Will she stop fighting destiny and accept her fate? Find out in See How She Fights.

So like the blurb goes, Izzy has to re-immerse herself in all things Seer, not only that, but she also has to leave the beginnings of her future perfect life and attend the Council whom have summoned her. To put it mildly both Izzy and Kennan are VERY unimpressed with this development. After everything how could this be a fair situation?! As she will soon learn, a lesson in the reality of fairness is one of the numerous lessons Izzy will learn by the end of this book.

When I reviewed the first book I mentioned it was mostly romance and built up towards action near the end and I LOVED it… Well this book is mostly action with the romance to sweeten the story… and guess what? I LOVED it!!! I love that this is a series that doesn’t just follow the same familiar formula for each book. Instead the story flows and the books are what they need to be to tell the story, at the start that was a romance, detailing the background, the characters and the romance. Now that we’ve moved into this book we can focus on the fast paced action which is (to put it simply) awesome. Luckily though, we don’t lose the romance, we just have to learn to share Izzy and Kennan with the world, for better or for worse…

Izzy has to deal with some horrific happenings, violent bloody crimes are being committed against seers and before long she has been dragged right into the middle. She needs to fight and stay one step ahead, just so she can stay alive. The things that were happening both to Izzy and around Izzy were intriguing and more than a little disturbing. I was definitely with Izzy and her intense frustration at the beings around her, they can see into the future, read minds, jump into the dreaming but they are so damn vague! A little heads up once in a while would’ve probably helped Izzy from feeling like she had missed out on reading a Seer instruction manual, but then I guess, where’s the fun in that? Make no mistake, going into this book Izzy hasn’t developed and understood half of what she needs to. This is a drag out, dirty dealing, fight to bloody knuckles, scream in your sleep story, yet I loved that despite everything, Izzy still retained one of her traits the I love the most about her, her snark. Only Izzy could pull off sassy conversations with a sacrificed seer spirit…

“this sucks,” I said, frustrated.

“You’re telling me. At least you still have your eyes. Oh, and your life,” Ren griped.

“Seriously, if you are going to be haunting my visions, could you at least be a little nice?…”

Once again Michelle Graves strikes the character chemistry just right, I loved the developing friendship between Izzy and Molly (everyone needs a BFF!) I laughed at the fiery feisty relationship between Ian and Molly and I melted at the love between Izzy and Kennan. It’s also in this book that we are introduced to a few more book boyfriend contestants. The first being Conall, sometimes too formal, way too gruff and fiercely loyal, he half the time rubs Izzy the wrong way and the other half of the time he’s trying to help Kennan reign in the carnage that inevitably follows her around. Also, another manly man of note we meet Aberto. Ancient and mysterious, he doesn’t throw a spanner in the works for Izzy and Kennan as such, but there is a lot more to him than what originally meets the eye. Along the way we start to get to slowly unravel his secrets, although very vaguely (there’s a theme here!)… and the big tough guy vs big tough guy interactions between him and Kennan, as well as his confusing relationship with Izzy are pretty much everything you could ever need for that little bit of tension every story needs.

By the end of this book I was feeling completely and utterly on edge and I knew this story was far from over. I definitely didn’t have a feeling that all was lost, but there sure will be a lot of obstacles to come, of that I am certain. Like I said, I loved the first book, it was so good to have a strong start to the series… But this second book has nabbed the top spot out of the two for me… Everything about it was just perfect and made sure I could literally not put it down. Which is why I jumped straight onto Amazon after I finished this one and one-clicked the next… It’s an addiction and I’m not even sorry…

See How She Fights (The Chronicles of Izzy) (Volume 2)

By Michelle Graves

 photo credit: nicole.pierce.photography ♥ via photopin cc

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Book Review – See How She Runs by Michelle Graves

Posted on August 20, 2014 by charmouabb

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This book has to be my favourite FREE one-click find to date. If a Fantasy is done right I’ll be its biggest fan, there is nothing better than being transported into another world, better yet if there is some beautiful type of romance to ensue…

One delivery changed her whole life.

Izzy was a normal girl living in Chicago as a bike messenger before that fateful day. She delivered one package and set into action a chain of events she never could have expected.

Now she is running for her life from the Corporation, her best friend is not at all who he seemed, and to top it all off she keeps having visions.

Will she survive to navigate the waters as a Seer? Will her feelings for Kennan be her very downfall? Find out in See How She Runs.

I can’t even begin to list every single thing I loved about this book. If I did that then it would literally be pages and pages of spoiler filled goodness. So for the sake of leaving some mystery for all of you wanting to read this in the future, I’ll have a go at reigning myself in.

This book begins with what essentially is really a super bad day in the office for the main character Izzy. She has no idea about what really is going on in the world or how it affects her and the people she knows. That is, until her peaceful oblivion is shattered. Once she has started this chain of events there is just no turning back, her old life is in the past and she has to learn about her new life quickly if she wants to survive. As with so many first books of a series, this book needs to spend a decent amount of its page space building up the back-story and the characters while setting the scene for the storyline to unfold. Michelle Graves goes above and beyond with covering all of these aspects. I loved the fact that I was learning a lot of (necessary) information but still was flicking through the pages feeling like the story was accelerating. I was captured straight away and didn’t for a second feel like anything didn’t ‘fit’ or was awkward or slow.

My BBH and I love strong woman characters, and really who doesn’t?! When I open a book I want to love my main girl. I want to be completely in her corner… And Izzy has 100% got me in her corner. Her smart mouth, coupled with her completely inappropriate timing, as well as her caring personality combined with her relentless drive and fierce bravery made for one ah-mazing heroine. So many of her one-liners had me cracking up and I definitely wasn’t expecting to spend so much time giggling away to myself. I LOVED that Izzy and the other characters bought such a decent dose of humor. It’s definitely an aspect that not only made me completely obsessed with Izzy as a character, but also really set this book apart from others in its genre.

Holy cow, hormones, let’s just put that on the back burner and come back to it never.

I can’t write this review and not make a special mention of Kennan. Kennan was the Mr Sexy-pants of the book; a title well deserved, may I say. His big gruff protector demeanor was perfect for this story; this guy was no one dimensional eye-candy. He was just as a big of a part of this story as Izzy was and I loved that his character was so well fleshed out. Just like with how I like my heroine to be kick-ass, if a male character wants to be book boyfriend material he needs to be a hot-big-strong-protector with a gooey-caramel centre… I can honestly say Kennan passes on all accounts. Book boyfriend material he most certainly is… He’s definitely one complex guy, yet despite all of the gruffness and complexity he is irresistibly lovable.

While I was reading this book I was describing it to my BBH and told her that it was a lot heavier on the romance side than the action side. After finishing it I stick by that observation. The action is there… and it does kick up a notch towards the end and I know for certain there is a truck-load of action in the subsequent books (yep already read them! Literally. Could. Not. Stop.) But like I said before, this book is setting the stage. I love that Michelle Graves started this story off properly and spent the time exploring the characters and their relationships. Believe me, between the smart-assed jibes and the intense chemistry there is no time to be bored. This book has really set the stage for what I can tell, is going to be an amazing series.

See How She Runs (The Chronicles of Izzy Book 1)

By Michelle Graves

photo credit: Lotus Carroll via photopin <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/photo credit: kevin dooley via photopin <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b

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Book Review – Nameless

Posted on July 19, 2014 by charmouabb

They named it anything but love.

After a failed marriage to a domineering man, Erin refuses to be controlled by anything or anyone. That includes Seth, the father of her baby—a man who was supposed to be only a one-night-stand, a man who’s used to always getting his way.

There’s a reason that Seth Thomas, a successful defense attorney, is often referred to as the Bulldozer. If something needs to happen, he makes it happen. That includes being part of his baby’s life—even if he never expected to be a father, even if Erin doesn’t really trust him.

They’ll work out an arrangement in the best interest of their baby—and if they occasionally have sex, well, that’s just an added perk—but they both agree on one thing.

What they have will never be love.

This book was a long read for the genre, I didn’t feel like it was a slow burn but I did feel like potentially there was a bit of room to cut some length out. If it was just condensed down a tad I think I would’ve been happy. As it was I did still enjoy this story. I was interested to see how it would play out and I can definitely say that at the end of the day I was not disappointed with how it ended. Everyone loves a good HEA regardless of how it looks don’t they?

Erin and Seth have an interesting chemistry from the get-go. Throughout the whole book they swung wildly between passionate intimacy and standoffish awkwardness while interacting with each other. It was the epitome of hot and cold and if you think it sounds good and twisty but a little bit frustrating you would be right!

For me, it was Erin that was the most frustrating character in the book. That woman! At first I could deal with her issues. Deal with her reluctance to allow anyone close to her heart. But characters need to develop. Especially grown adult characters and I didn’t feel like Erin developed enough. I get that she had been hurt before, I get that she had her ‘strongholds’ but I felt like right till the end she was still emotionally stunted. This made her not as likeable as she could’ve been. I wanted to to be invested in her and for the most part I was. But sometimes she induced a few eye-rolls.

As for Seth, I loved how his character was written. You could tell that there was so much going on under his cool, calm, polished exterior. He was the ultimate in powerful alpha-male, good looks, amazing career and charisma to spare… He was damaged, yes, but that just added to his allure. Sometimes he had me lost with his reactions, but more and more as I progressed through the book him and I were completely on the same wavelength. At the end of the book I was well and truly a Seth fan.

This book has everything that anyone who is a contemporary romance fan loves, all while retaining a point of difference. You’ll spend your whole time while reading pleading with Erin and Seth to sort themselves out. The book does spend a reasonable chunk of time dedicated to Erin being pregnant/giving birth/raising a baby. I’ve had babies so this definitely wasn’t off-putting or boring for me, but I think even if you haven’t had children of your own you won’t dislike this aspect of the story. The author definitely knew her stuff when dealing with all things pro-creating related and managed to bring the right amount of humor and sensitivity to the mix. Oh and be prepared for smut. A decent helping of smut considering this book revolves around a pregnancy…

This was an interesting take on what happens when two people are thrown together to face one of the biggest responsibilities any of us can take on. There are tears, as well as vomiting, sex, arguments and random cravings. (not in that order) This story does have a decent conclusion, I was definitely happy to leave it where it ended. However I have seen that there are two follow-up books to Erin & Seth’s story. Both sequels are much shorter reads; Christening is the second in the series followed by the novella Incarnate. Those who just can’t leave the story where it lays at the ending of Nameless will jump right into these two books I’m sure. However for me, after reading the blurb of Christening, I think I’m going to stop now while I’m ahead. I’m happy where this story finished up, I don’t really feel the need to delve further into the twisty world of Erin and Seth and their relationship.

 

Nameless

By Claire Kent

photo credit: Brett Sayer via photopin ccphoto credit: Enrique_L. via photopin <a

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