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Relase Day Launch and Review: Lust (The Allure Chronicles #2) by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Amy-OUABB

LUST RDL banner

We are beyond excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Alyssa Rose Ivy’s LUST! LUST is the second novel in Alyssa’s New Adult Paranormal Romance series The Allure Chronicles! As an added special SEDUCTION’S KISS is FREE for a limited time and LURE is only $2.99, so make sure you grab your copy of each book in this amazing series today!!

LUST - cover

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011PM9K8O

Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/lust-the-allure-chronicles-2

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Alyssa_Rose_Ivy_Lust_The_Allure_Chronicles_2?id=-iopCgAAQBAJ

iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lust-the-allure-chronicles-2/id1019427051?mt=11

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lust-alyssa-rose-ivy/1122298059?ean=2940150881884

About LUST (The Allure Chronicles #2)

After years of searching Daisy and Owen have finally found each other, only to face the threat of being forced apart. If they are unable to stop Daisy from becoming an Allure, she will forever lose the ability to love.

Desperate to stop the change before time runs out, they must decide what price they are willing to pay to save their love.

My Review

“What’s the point in experiencing anything if you can’t feel it?” I’d never thought about the importance of emotion before I started to change, but now it was everything. I realized I would be nothing but a shell of myself without it. No one would be.

Lust picks up right where Lure left off. Daisy and Owen are off on the quest to stop Daisy from turning into an Allure. Daisy is desperate to stop the change. She doesn’t want to stop being a human or loose the way she feels about Owen, but her quest won’t be easy. In order to find answers, she will have to put her faith in people that she doesn’t trust. But time is of the essence and tough choices will have to be made. And in the end the ultimate question will be: What would you do, what would you sacrifice for the person you love?

Lust was a quick and easy read for me. I enjoyed getting lost in the world of Daisy and Owen. Lust is a great story about fate, sacrifice, the quest to stay true to yourself and the power of love. “I’d never given much credence to fate, but I’d changed my mind. We were fated to be together. There was a higher power that wanted us to be together, and it made each day we spent together feel like a year in the intensity it created.” Daisy and Owen’s quest to find the truth and stop what’s happening to Daisy, will not be easy. They will have to travel to new worlds and will meet new creatures along the way. You will find yourself asking questions: Who’s on their side? Who is telling the truth? Are they really being helped? And when you get to the end….your will be left breathless. My heart is broken. A tough, tough decision had to be made. There is no wrong or right answer. The only thing you can do is hold on for the ride and hope that in the end, all will turn out ok. I for one can not wait to find out what happens next!

* I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the author and InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review*

Excerpt:

Preface
I had no real choice. Only one answer was acceptable, yet giving it meant losing everything and anything I cared about. It meant losing Owen, and it meant losing myself.

“Daisy?” Owen looked deep into my eyes.

“I love you.” I didn’t think, I didn’t question. I crushed my lips against his, needing to soak up his taste and feel. He responded immediately, deepening the kiss as he wrapped me up in his arms.

Always and forever. Our promised words swirled through my head. Promised words that couldn’t possibly be true. But in that moment it didn’t matter. The truth couldn’t hurt us. Only time could.

Seductions Kiss

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iTunes ** GooglePlay ** Kobo

About SEDUCTION’S KISS:

Never agree to a road trip to New Orleans with your roommate. At least not when your roommate is dragging you along while she reconnects with an ex-boyfriend. Possible consequences of failing to take my advice:

1) Unknowingly going out with a vampire stripper
2) Getting kidnapped by said vampire’s nest mates
3) Falling head over heels for your winged hero

Believe it or not number 3 is the worst one, especially when no one believes you that he exists.

*Prequel novella to Lure (The Allure Chronicles #1)*

LURE

Amazon * Nook * iBooks * Kobo * Google Play

About LURE:

There’s danger in the beauty…

Two years, six months, and twenty-five days. That’s how long it had been since I’d seen my winged hero— not that I’d been counting. I’d suffered through years of counseling just to convince my friends and family that I wasn’t crazy and knew he didn’t exist.

But he did. And I was done waiting.

Days after college graduation I headed back down to New Orleans to retrace my steps and find Owen again only to find my life was about to get even crazier… thanks to the most beautiful and dangerous of all paranormal creatures, the Allures.

Alyssa Rose Ivy- Author PhotoAlyssa Rose Ivy Bio:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

 

 

Twitter ** Author Goodreads ** Pinterest ** Website ** SEDUCTION’S KISS Goodreads ** LURE Goodreads** LUST Goodreads ** Facebook

 

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NEW RELEASE! Review – Drowning in the Dark (The Veil Series #4) by Pippa DaCosta

Posted on February 27, 2015 by charmouabb

“I wasn’t demon enough to defeat my brother before. Things have changed.”

As the veil begins to fall, and the demons bleed through onto the streets of Boston, Muse knows the battle is lost before it’s even begun.

To make matters worse, Adam and the Institute have captured Akil at a time when the city has never needed him more. Muse believes Akil’s incarceration is a ruse, because if he truly is at the mercy of the Institute, she must choose which side she’ll fight for. Human or demon?

The princes are coming. Valenti, Muse’s immortal half-brother, leads the charge. The Institute is not ready, the people of Boston are not prepared, but one man is. Stefan knows what it will take to beat back the netherworld. Will his demon allow him the freedom to right his wrongs?

Muse’s loyalty will be tested. To save those she loves, she must give up that which she cherishes most. Her humanity.

The Mother of Destruction is about to go nuclear.

Can we please just take a moment to relive the amazingness that was that prologue…

…The things she’s doing to me. I am not this man. I am demon. And yet this impossible woman undermines everything. Undermines me. Burrows deep. Deep into shadows, into darkness, into facets I’ve refused to acknowledge.

Oh my LIFE Akil. The prince of Greed is seriously off kilter, it’s unsettling, especially for Muse. Common sense tells her that he is deluding himself thinking that he feels something for her. But she can’t seem to get away from the fact that his actions are trying to prove otherwise. Welcome to the very complicated world half-blood Muse. Right from that prologue I knew that I was going to be lost to this book. I have been an avid follower of this series and as the story has twisted and turned into hell and back I have had my emotions wrung out too many times to count. That doesn’t change here in book 4, in fact I think my heart was lucky to survive this instalment.

 

We land in this story right as the Institute makes their biggest move yet and captures Akil AKA Mammon. Muse is horrified, Akil needs to be out in Boston helping them fight the demons and Princes that are heading Boston’s way, but no one is listening to her.  Muse knows she has a limited amount of time until chaos claims her and she wants to do everything she can to prevent the two worlds from colliding. This is where Stefan comes in. He’s back and it seems that he and his demon are wanting very different things.

I don’t want to say too much more specifically about the story because you really want to be able to feel shocked, stunned and spun-out as the story demands it. Because that is one of the strengths of this series, these demons really keep you on your toes! I’m still unsure where each demon stands exactly in relation to Muse and humanity. I am in love AND hate(!) with parts of both Akil and Stefan, which is completely owing to the care Pippa DaCosta takes in her character building. Demons by their very nature should be confusing to our human sensibilities and that absolutely is achieved. I don’t know half the time if I want to love these guys or kick them! So yes, I’m conflicted. I don’t know if I should be, but I am. 

Meanwhile Muse is still the badass chick I have come to expect. Even at her darkest hour, even when she feels her control slipping away. Even when she’s not sure she has anything left to give or to fight for, she pulls out the biggest guns that she can and she hits full throttle. Every. Single. Damn. Time. You can’t beat an epic female character and Muse definitely delivers.

So you need to read this book. Like you seriously need to read this book. Obviously if you’ve been following this series then you’ll already be one step ahead and will be currently reading this book… But if not then get onto it! If you’re new to this series then you REALLY need to get onto it and read all of the books! I will end with one word of warning… The ending of this book… it almost killed me, mostly from multiple heart attacks, but also from knowing that I now have to wait until APRIL to find out what on earth had just happened! (In more ways than one) I’m still slowly coming to terms with Drowning in the Dark (can you tell!) I need closure…. So I swear nothing is coming between me and the final book in this series…

ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review

Drowning In The Dark: A Muse Urban Fantasy (The Veil Series Book 4)

By Pippa DaCosta

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Book Review – Jinn & Juice by Nicole Peeler

Posted on February 9, 2015 by charmouabb

Cursed to be a jinni for a thousand years, Lyla nears the end of her servitude — only to be bound once again against her will. Will she risk all to be human? Born in ancient Persia, Lyla turned to her house Jinni, Kouros, for help escaping an arranged marriage. Kouros did make it impossible for her to marry — by cursing Lyla to live a thousand years as a Jinni herself.

If she can remain unBound, Lyla’s curse will soon be over. But Ozan Sawyer, a Magi with the ability to See, Call, and Bind jinn has other plans.

Oz needs Lyla to help him penetrate Pittsburgh’s steel-soaked magic, a juice potent but poisonous to supernatural creatures, in order to find a missing girl with her own mysterious connection to Kouros. Unfortunately for Lyla, becoming Bound to Oz may risk more than just her chance to be human once more — it could risk her very soul…Jinn and Juice is the first in a new series by fantasy writer, Nicole Peeler, set in a world of immortal curses, powerful jinni and belly dancing

Nicole Peeler and I have always seen eye to eye. Her Jane True series is a firm favourite of Kristal and myself. Not only does she nail the Urban Fantasy genre every single time, but her characters are everything I love and more. I kid you not, this lady can do no wrong! So how excited was I for her new book, Jinn & Juice. A new world and new characters, the possibilities were endless. Are you getting the gist of how excited I was? Well my excitement was well placed. This book delivered and then some!

The story is about Lyla, cursed to be a jinni in some wicked bargain a loooong time ago, her curse will be lifted if she can keep from being bound by a Magi (pesky humans who can bind and use jinni) Of course life is NEVER this simple and Lyla ends up bound… This is where things really get interesting. Oz, the Magi who has bound her really isn’t anything like the others of his kind that Lyla has encountered. For a start he’s kind, and he’s not selfish, and he needs her help to help someone else. From here the story twists and turns and I guarantee you wont see the ending coming.

When it comes to anything Nicole Peeler I like my heroines hilarious, snarky, kick-ass and generally pretty damn awesome. Lyla ticks these boxes easily, she is one sassy lady! Every step of the way she is nothing but authentically herself. You find out very quickly that even though as a jinni she must follow her masters orders, she still has her ways to skirt certain issues. Let me tell you, you’ll never look at a cantaloupe the same again!

Which brings me to the potential recipient of the cantaloupe treatment, Oz. At first he seemed barely a cardboard cut-out compared to Lyla’s loud and rambunctious personality. But bit by bit he won me over, he may not have smacked me over the head with other worldly pizazz, but he did add the very important carefully constructed human element that the story needed. In fact, he really was the ying to Lyla’s yang. You could tell from the start that this guy was Mr nice, and there is nothing wrong with that!

As always, Nicole Peeler’s world building was on point. Everything was meticulously laid out, from the steel poisoned magic running under Pittsburgh, right through to the magical realm, Sideways. I loved Lyla’s back story and not once did I feel like I’d learnt everything about her or this world, which personally I am all for. I don’t want to be done learning new facts about this universe and these characters, everything I’ve learnt so far has me wanting to know more. I was thankful that time was taken to explain all of the detail, but not once did the story feel bogged down by it. The weird and wonderful supporting characters obviously had a lot of care and thought put into them, creepy (Trip & Trap) AND kooky (pretty much everyone else) they really topped off an already fantastic read. I have to make special mention of Yulia, I never have been so amazed and petrified simultaneously by a supernatural creature, but this wisp had me (she also had me googling all things wisp related)….

 This book is the start of what I am sure will be an awesome series.

I can’t wait.

Jinn and Juice

By Nicole Peeler

photo credit: danseuse via photopin (license)photo credit: SmokeWisps-4.free via photopin (license)

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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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Book Review – Darkest Before Dawn by Pippa DaCosta

Posted on November 2, 2014 by charmouabb

Received from author in return for an honest review

“It’s too late to save myself, but I’ll save her, even if it kills me.”

When Akil leaves a nine year old half-blood girl on Muse’s doorstep, it’s not long before the demons come hunting, but this time Muse isn’t the target. The Institute, Muse’s immortal brother, and the Princes of Hell, all want a piece of the little half-blood. What’s so special about Dawn, and why has Akil conveniently disappeared just as Muse needs answers?

To save the half-blood girl, Muse must first save herself, but is it already too late? Muse’s humanity is failing. Her demon hungers. The darkness coiled around her heart lures her toward madness. And all that stands between Muse and her demon’s lust for destruction, is the hope that some half-bloods do get happy endings.

The veil weakens. Titles will fall. A new Prince rises. And if Muse can’t stop them, the demons will have their day.

You literally feel like you have been thrown head first into this instalment of Muse’s story and this feeling is definitely what is intended. No time wasted on build up, just straight into fast paced action, no time to think or feel. Are you starting to get the gist of why I am such a fan of this series? From the start it has held its momentum up to almost super-sonic, you never get a chance to slow down and feel maybe even a little bored. Although, considering this is a story about demons I would expect no less.

Throughout the books Muse has developed a lot as a character, we’ve seen where she’s come from and watched her grow into herself. In this book it gets taken up a notch once again when Akil shows up on her doorstep with a half-blood child and little instruction about what she’s to do before he disappears. Muse (pretty naively) hopes that she can give this little girl a shot at a life that she missed out on. The storyline with these two reminds me of a parent so wanting their child to have everything they didn’t and it’s no different here for Muse, except instead of ballet lessons and fancy new bikes, we’re talking about the right to not being owned and abused and living to survive another day.

“Sometimes, there is no right thing. Sometimes wrong wins, and that’s okay. Life can’t be distilled down to right and wrong. It’s all about that messy gray area in between and how we deal with it….”

Really, if that was the only thing Muse had to concentrate on then she’d probably fly through any obstacle coming her way no problem. But she still has her ex-owners dark essence trying to suffocate her heart and soul, feeding on her every time things get out of control, she’s still in her love/hate relationship with the institute, a relationship that is definitely more hate than love at the moment, on top of that she’s got major demon problems and of course her two biggest conundrums of them all, Stefan and Akil…

Stefan is slipping away. There is so much unspoken between them, so much love and hate that it really feels like a lost cause. Stefan is not what he was, he can’t control his demon and he is so powerful that he could potentially turn out to be a far stronger player in the netherworld than anyone ever imagined. Meanwhile while we are getting to grips with Stefan’s darker demon side we are slowly peeling back the layers to see more of Akil’s ‘human’ side. The Prince of Greed does not love. The Prince of Greed is supposed to be completely and utterly selfish and indestructible…. So why then, are we seeing more hints that this character is SO much more than what Muse sees him as? The one scene of him in his Mammon form laying in his empty house completely heartbroken has to be one of my favourite scenes of his so far. I am absolutely 100% not ashamed to say that I am team Akil all of the way. I know that he’s an asshole, a demon with no humanity… But damn it! I kinda love him.

Jesus, he was unrefined, raw, and wild. I caught the gleam of the demon glaring back at me. Chaos caged. He wasn’t a man. That being inside him, simmering just below his trembling flesh, was an eternal demon-not of this world, not belonging to humanity in any way. He was unreal, so far beyond my naïve comprehension that I could no more hope to understand him than I could the workings of the universe.

These books are slowly getting darker and grittier. There were a few times in this book where I forced myself to read through it. Trying to reconcile that an innocent looking child and a terrifying demon are one and the same is not easy work for a human brain. I loved that this book made me feel like this because that is the reality of Muse’s world. The chaos around these storylines is confusing and perfect all at the same time. These books don’t drip in ‘happily ever afters’. Half-bloods don’t get that luxury so as readers we don’t either. Like I said, it’s perfect.

I made the mistake of reading the included excerpt of the next book… BIG mistake. HUGE. Because now I am dying of impatience to see where this story is going to go next. I need some relationship resolution. I need some institute resolution. I need I need I need!!! If anything after this book I have more questions rather than less of them. There is still so much further for Muse’s story to go and I have a feeling it’s going to be explosive.

Darkest Before Dawn: A Muse Urban Fantasy (The Veil Series Book 3)

By Pippa DaCosta

 photo credit: johnb/Derbys/UK. via photopin cc

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Book Review – Wings of Hope (The Veil Series Prequel) by Pippa DaCosta

Posted on October 12, 2014 by charmouabb

Book provided by author in return for an honest review

“I am his muse. But not for long…”

When Mammon, the Prince of Greed, ‘acquires’ a half-blood slave known as ‘Muse’ for three nights, and bespells her with tales of a world where people live like kings and queens among towers of steel and glass, the seed of hope takes root in Muse’s soul. But hope, for a half-human half-demon creature like her, is a dangerous thing. Especially when that tentative hope springs from the honeyed words of a Prince of Hell. What is Mammon’s price for freedom?

Meanwhile Da’mean, her ruthless owner, would rather see her dead, than free. She belongs to him. She is his muse. And no beast will take her from him.

The world of the elemental demons is harsh and violent. Muse’s kin are merciless, blood-hungry beasts, but little do they know, Muse has something far more dangerous coiled inside her, desperate for a taste of freedom.

Her humanity.
 

A small seemingly insignificant half-blood demon, a cruel and sadistic demon owner, a powerful Prince of Hell with an ulterior motive and a description of the netherworld so rich in detail, clear enough that you can see it in your mind, yet foreign enough that you can’t quite grasp the realities of surviving in such a place… It’s safe to say I was excited to sink my teeth into this novella. I’ve been loving this series and have mentioned on occasion how much I was dying to discover more about Muse’s past. Well luckily for me Pippa DaCosta has taken the time to write this beautifully descriptive piece and in doing so, has well and truly done justice to Muse’s story.

This story is set in the netherworld, this place is full of demons of all shapes, sizes and brutalities, this is a place where blood, pain and death are the norm and if you intend to venture out alone you better know how to protect yourself. Chaos and violence rule, domination is king and there is no room for emotions, wants or dreams. The Muse we meet here in not the human half of Muse that we are accustomed to… No, here we have been taken back to where Muse lived and thought like a demon. Muse can’t understand her seemingly weak and pathetic ‘pink’ human half, she cannot fathom the thoughts and strange feelings she has when she is in her skin, all that makes sense to Muse the demon, is that she is worthless and that someone will always own her to use her.

Here we also get to see more of her owner Da’mean and the atrocities he committed against her, but even more so, we get to see Ahkeel (Akil) through her eyes as they first meet. As we know, he turns out to be a pretty integral part of Muse’s future, but to see him here at the start, to see him as the Prince of Greed, in his world, in his castle, seemingly in his element but hankering for something else, really helps to not only flesh out his Mammon self a bit more, but also sets the tone of their relationship

Now that I’ve delved into Muse’s past I can’t wait to get back into her current day self. Every single encounter in the netherworld has made Muse who she is today and armed with a more in-depth understanding of her and her world, owed to the fact that we were viewing everything through her demons eyes, I feel so much has ‘clicked’ into place. This darker toned novella is the perfect accompaniment to this series and in my opinion, it is a must read.

Wings Of Hope: The Veil Series Prequel – A Muse Urban Fantasy

By Pippa DaCosta

 photo credit: KomodorO // Paco LopeH via photopin cc

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Seeing is Believing (An Izzy Chronicles Novella) by Michelle Graves

Posted on October 1, 2014 by charmouabb

The life of a Seer isn’t for the faint of heart. I should know. Mine has been one of upheaval for the past few years, what with the downfall of the lab, the recent exile from the Council, and a future that is suddenly becoming painfully clear.

With Izzy missing, and the darkness still looming, I know what must be done. I have to go to the Order, find a way to bring Izzy back, and get to the bottom of what is really happening with this darkness business.

I’m just not sure how to do that when Ian is haunted by his past, Revenants are out to make me one of their own, and the dreaming keeps trying to reject me.

This Novella is number 3.5 in the Chronicles of Izzy. It carries on from where the last book left off, bridging the gap in the story as we get ready to go into the final book. This short story is actually from Molly’s POV rather than Izzy. Which I really enjoyed for a few reasons. For a start there is no way this particular part of the story couldn’t have been told with only Izzy at the helm, for obvious reasons. Secondly I’ve been DYING to find out more about Molly and Ian and this was definitely the best way to delve in a bit deeper and give a bit more flesh to these two pretty awesome characters, they definitely deserve it. Not only do we get to see the overall situation with fresh eyes but we really get to spend some time on both of these characters, which at this stage I felt we really needed to do.

I loved that while Molly and Ian kept their hilarious chemistry afloat, we also got to see a deeper, more serious side to both of them. There is definitely a lot more to Ian than he portrays with his crazy fun façade. As for Molly, she’s Izzy’s BFF so I always knew she was badass in all the right ways and this story proves it! She really comes into her own here and going into the last book in this series, I for one, am relieved that Izzy has such awesome friends to back her up. Honestly this last instalment cannot come soon enough, if anything this novella has made me even more impatient…

Seeing is Believing (The Chronicles of Izzy 3.5)

By Michelle Graves

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Book Review – Devil May Care (The Veil Series #2) by Pippa DaCosta

Posted on September 29, 2014 by charmouabb

“He should be dead. I thought I’d killed him. I was wrong.”

Three dead Enforcers in three weeks, their bodies butchered. Muse has seen it before, and when she reads the metal memories in the murder weapon, she sees it all again. Her owner, Damien, is back, and he wants what is rightfully his.

Muse escaped him and the netherworld, once before. This time, she’s stronger, smarter. This time she knows she has the fires of hell at her fingertips, but so does Damien, and he’s not the only one. Akil is weak. No longer a Prince, he needs Muse’s limitless power to regain his title. How fortuitous then, that Akil’s fate is tied to the one man she cares the most for.

As Muse, Stefan, and Akil battle their own demons, not all will come away victorious. Some choices can never be forgiven. Some lies are never forgotten. Some wounds will never heal.

It wasn’t too long ago that I reviewed the first book in this series. (You can find that review HERE) I mentioned in that review that I really wanted to find out more about Muse and her past, I really wanted to find out more about Stefan and I REALLY wanted to know more about Akil. I needed to figure out what was going on with him, he seemed like such a mystery. So I was excited to get into this book and get more… more of everything! And I was absolutely not disappointed!

In this book we meet Muse, just months after Stefan has dragged Akil through the veil. She’s now working for the institute, but that’s not of her choosing. Also not of her choosing, she’s still cut off from her demon. Yep, life is really not going well for Muse. To make it even worse her torturous ex-owner is back seeking her and eventually she also ends up being pulled through to the other side of the veil…. Like I said, not great times. But believe it or not, there is a whole lot worse to come for Muse in this book and she doesn’t even see it coming.

This book overall was darker and grittier than its predecessor. This is to be expected when not only do we have Damien in the picture, Muse’s ex-owner who she thought she’d killed, hell bent on taking her right back to where he thinks she belongs…and trust me, he is a piece of work, but we also have a big chunk of the story based in the netherworld. It really stole my breath how on edge I was throughout, waiting for Damien, or the next demon, or imagining the sights and smells of the netherworld, it was very well executed. The devil is in the detail and nothing rings truer when talking about this book.

Character wise I was really glad to see that Muse did a lot of growing up throughout this book. She was still feisty and could definitely still be impulsive but at the same time she became more self-sufficient and definitely much less of a victim. Which was actually kinda really handy considering she had a lot of work ahead of her if she wanted to survive the netherworld, let alone escape it. Stefan was a real surprise for me in this one, you can imagine how being trapped somewhere like that could change you and I really don’t know quite what the end game is here, his story was heartbreaking but really kept me on my toes but despite the despair and I loved that we weren’t just going to replay the whole romance/no-romance scenario over again as so often can happen in a series. This way of approaching it seemed fresh and was exactly what the story needed. Akil was also heavily featured and I definitely got my wish when I said I wanted to find out more about him! He’s still mysterious yes, but at the same time I’ve learnt a great deal about him. Finally we got to peel some layers back, seeing him in an almost fragile state at times really reinforced that he was more than just a big bad demon. I didn’t know what to expect with him and honestly, in some ways I still don’t and I LOVE this about him, you couldn’t have him any other way. One thing for sure is though, I’m looking forward to what the Prince of Greed is going to get up to next.

Once again Pippa DaCosta keeps the story fast paced and consuming, which definitely suits the subject. You really get a sense of urgency and ‘fight or flight’ really does come to mind more than once. After this second book I definitely feel like I’m getting a good grip on this ‘world’ as well as its characters. Everything is seeming really well fleshed out going into the upcoming third book, even with the un–resolved issue of Stefan vs Akil for hottest book boyfriend of the series! There was a teaser at the end of my E-Book for Darkest Before Dawn, I couldn’t help myself, I did read it and I have to say I feel like this upcoming book could be the best yet, so lucky it’s out this October!

Devil May Care: A Muse Urban Fantasy (The Veil Series Book 2)

By Pippa DaCosta

 photo credit: Cpt via photopin ccphoto credit: Fleuret via photopin cc

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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! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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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