Tag Archive | fiction

Blog Tour: Sweetness by Sierra Hill @sierrahillbooks #sportsromance

Aug12

Title: Sweetness

Series: The Sweetest Thing #1

Author: Sierra Hill

Genre: College Sports Romance

Published: July 25, 2016

I’m the girl from the school of hard knocks.

Nothing has ever come easy for me. So forgive me if I’m a bit reluctant about Kincaid Griffin – born-with-a-silver-spoon in his mouth, conceited college hoops player. A guy who could get any girl he wants, and yet, is suddenly everywhere I am trying to woo me. The more I protest, the more persistent he becomes.

I’m a lucky bastard.

Let’s face it. As a college athlete, I don’t chase girls – they come to me. I’m as arrogant and cocky as they come, getting nearly everything I want, whenever I want. But there is nothing sweeter than a girl who plays hard to get. And Ainsley Locker is so full of confidence that she knocks me off my feet from the moment I meet her. She’s a challenge. And I like challenges. So I go full-court press to win her over.

But when a stupid mistake turns viral, slam dunking all over my life in a media frenzy, my spot on the team may be in jeopardy, along with my shot at winning the girl.

“Sweetness is the perfect title for this book because that’s exactly what it is. Full of heart, full of humor, and full of hotness, this book is an easy 5 stars for me.” ~Keyanna (5 Star Amazon Review)

Since writing and publishing her first book in 2014, Sierra Hill has found her creative passion in writing about the fictional characters that live in her brain, who are constantly shouting for their own love stories to be told.

Sierra frequently indulges in what some might consider to be an unhealthy dose of reading, dark chocolate candy, and way too much coffee. She hates cold weather, and frequently finds herself traveling around the country to see her favorite live musicians in concert.

Sierra resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of twenty years and her long-haired, German Shepherd. She is currently working on her next book.

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Kill Without Mercy by @AlexandraIvy #klover #thriller #romance

Dec27

I received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Kill Without Mercy

Synopsis

Annie is in the small town of Newton, Iowa looking for answers. Her father is known as a serial killer from 15 years ago. When women begin to disappear in the same town. She wonders if she can help stop a killer.

Rafe went to Iowa to clear out his deceased grandfather’s house. Upon overhearing a conversation involving Annie, he decides that he needs to help her with her investigation. When there seems to be threats to Annie’s life, he is more convinced that he is doing the right thing.

Opinion

This book is one of the best thriller/suspense romance books I have read in a long while.

There were so many twists and turns, I almost got whiplash.

I really liked Rafe’s character. He was all alpha male and a protector. Rafe cannot deny the attraction between him and Annie, but initially he was intrigued because he is a sucker for damsel in distress.

“Rafe had a full blown case of savior complex…”

Annie’s life is a hot mess. I did not warm up to her at first, but I was able to understand her. Between the gaps in her memory, the nightmares, and the notoriety of her serial killer father, she was a mystery waiting to be solved.

Once all is revealed… Let’s just say wow!

I cannot say a lot about the story without giving anything away/ One of my favorite parts of the story was the camaraderie between Rafe and his friends. The five of them are Rafe, Hauk, Teagan, Max, and Lucas. I love them all so much. I cannot wait for them to get their own stories.

Should you buy? Absolutely yes! For me all of the ARES security stories are now on my TBR list. How Alexandra Ivy will top this story is beyond me, but I am eagerly waiting to find out.

Book Details from Amazon
File Size: 517 KB
Print Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Zebra (December 29, 2015)
Publication Date: December 29, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman #historicalfiction

Nov25

The Light Between Oceans

Synopsis

Tom is the caretaker of a lighthouse and lives on an isolated island with his wife Isabel. When a boat appears with a dead man and a baby, Tom wants to report it. Isabel pleads with him to let her keep the baby and raise it as her own. Tom knows it is against the law, but relents since his wife suffered 3 miscarriages.

While in isolation, they can pretend their actions have no consequences. However, once back in tow, it becomes evident that the implications of one act will affect the entire town in some way.

Opinion

The book was well written in an artful way. It was very descriptive but I felt like the book was as tedious as trudging through knee-high snow. For example, when the author described some scenes and I wondered where the story was going. Was this important to the story? Does not seem to be. Does this give me additional insight into the character? Not much.

The pace was so slow, almost sluggish. In the first chapter, they find the baby. Based on that, I thought the story would have move faster than it did. Then the second chapter goes back to the time when Tom first started working at the lighthouse, before he met Isabel. There was so much build up, but the ending seemed rather flat, as if it fizzled out like a lukewarm, stale soda.

While all the characters experience different degrees of pain and suffering, the story was the most tragic for Isabel. Not that Isabel had done anything to endear herself to me, but I felt sorry for her desperate desire to have children. Three pregnancies which ended in miscarriages/stillbirth had to be heart wrenching. She had so much love to give a child, but desperation and isolation made her crazy.

When I started this book, I had no real expectations. I had a feeling that it would not end well since the whole plot line was centered on the consequences of not reporting the missing baby.

What good could come of that?

When I finished, I was not surprises that the story had no winners. While the story was interesting, I did not find that I identified with the characters. Tom had a screwed up childhood and acted as if he did not deserve any goodness in his life. On the other hand, Isabel was spoiled as if the world owed her.

Should you buy? If you like reading emotionally charged books that lean towards being depressing, you will enjoy this book. I could not rate this book higher because I like books with a decidedly happier ending.

Book Details
Paperback: 345 pages
Publisher: Scribner (April 2, 2013)
Language: English

Feel the Burn G.A Aiken #dragonkin #review #kLover @KensingtonBooks #TBRlist

Nov8

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Feel the Burn (Dragonkin)

Synopsis
Gaius is the Iron Dragon One-Eyed Rebel king and Kachka is a Rider, daughter of the Steppes.
Both are on a mission. Gaius is trying to find his sadistic cousin to exact revenge for her torturing his twin sister. Kachka is on a mission from the queen to put an end to the Charamnesind cult, a group of people who are disrupting peace by slaughtering priests in the temples throughout the land.

Opinion
To me, this book is not really a romance. Do not get me wrong, I thought it was great fiction with romantic elements. For the most part, I felt like it was a Game of Thrones type of book. There were all these different characters, tribes, and ruling groups that had to be explained. There were alliances between nations, provinces and obvious power struggles that had to be addressed. It was a ways into the book before the hero & heroine actually meet.

Props to the author for the elaborate world she created. This was not as simple as just dragons and non-dragons. There were people with various types of abilities and those with none at all.

Kachka was a hilarious multi-faceted character. She was a skilled hunter that was not used to just sitting around. She needed a mission or purpose to stay active. Her people, as a race of female chauvinists, looked down on males. Period. It did not matter if the male in question was stronger; he was still only good for one thing. Help her make babies. Well, two things.

As a result, she looks down on Gaius in the beginning. She is attracted to him and tells him that she will allow him to share her bed because it pleases her. Gaius should be offended at the way that Kachka talks to him (she shows no respect) but he cannot help but feel drawn in by the attraction.

I focused a lot on Kachka, because I love her character, but Gaius is just as well developed. He is a warrior and dragon, but at the same time, I could tell so much about him from the way he takes care of his sister.

There was so much action happening in this book that it is difficult for me to concentrate on one aspect. Don’t worry. It is not too convoluted that you cannot follow the story. My only regret is that I did not read some of the previous books in the series before requesting this one. I think that would have helped me to have a deeper context and understand the supporting characters better.

Should you buy? Yes! If you like strong heroines, Kachka is the one for you. She is a warrior in her own right and does not need a man to save her. Gaius and Kachka are definitely equals, even though it takes a while for her to see it that way. I am glad that they have a HEA and it is an entertaining story to see all that Gaius and Kachka experience along the way.

This story is a standalone but it you are like me, you will want to read the rest of the books in the series as well. This series is a world that you want to immerse yourself, especially when it is cold and rainy outside!

Book details
Series: Dragonkin
Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Zebra (November 24, 2015)
Available on Amazon

Edisto Jinx @hopeclark #southernlit #mystery #whodunit #edistojinx

Oct30

I received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Edisto Jinx (The Edisto Island Mysteries)

Synopsis

Every August, it seems that a tourist falls prey to the Edisto Jinx. The locals are sympathetic but would rather Callie left well enough alone. While her friend says that the spirits are busy causing mischief, Callie is not convinced.

In a town that thrives on tourism, an investigation with the words “serial killer” in the mix makes all the town businesses nervous.

Whoever or whatever that is causing havoc in the community soon turns their attentions to Callie. Can she find out what is going on before it’s too late?

Opinion

C Hope Clark did it again! Great story. And unlike with the main character from the Lowcountry Bribe series, I love Callie!

Once a Boston city PD detective, Callie is still dealing with the loss of her husband, a teenage son more mature than his years, and the trauma she endured in the previous months (read Murder on Edisto). Meanwhile, she is having a difficult time ignoring what appear to be crimes happening in the community. It seems like the unfortunate death of a tourist is more than just an accident that should be dismissed casually. Callie trusts her gut feelings when no one else wants to even talk about it. The author Clark does a fabulous job creating such a multi-dimensional character that I could feel Callie’s angst and frustration.

The secondary and tertiary characters were painted just as effectively. Some of my favorites were

Seabrook, the reluctant sheriff, thinks that Callie is looking for problems. At what point will he take her seriously? If at all?
Alex is the young whipper-snapper journalist. She wants to make a name for herself in the community but will she have what it takes to step on the toes of town leaders and make some serious waves?
Sopie is the kooky, sage burning, self-proclaimed psychic and yoga instructor. She is so positive that it was almost nauseating. She believes in the spirits and cautions Callie against angering them. Can she burn enough sage to calm the spirits and bring harmony back to Edisto?

Overall, this story has the right mix of conflict between the characters as well as suspense. While I might not have liked all the characters, they were developed enough that I understood them as people. They seemed real to me. I could relate to them in the sense that I know people like them. I thought the story moved along at an even pace. Most importantly, all my questions were answered and the conclusion was satisfactory.

Should you buy? Yes! This is a great beach read with colorful characters and an engaging story line. It is the second in the series, but still a standalone book. The author does not give away much about the first book, but your interest will probably be whetted enough to want to buy Murder on Edisto too. And I am waiting for the next book to find out what else might happen in Edisto 😀

Amazon Product Details
File Size: 933 KB
Print Length: 294 pages
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (October 1, 2015)
Publication Date: October 1, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English