What was I thinking?: Shadowlands Series, Book 2

Format: Kindle Edition | File Size: 560 KB | Release Date: May 2012 | Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca | Obtained: Amazon.com

"Kiss of the Goblin Prince" [Shadowlands Series, Book 2] by Shona Husk

What was I thinking? : I liked the cover and because of previous book ratings I've given, Amazon.com kept recommending that I'd like this novel too. However, what made me finally purchase it was when Sourcebooks was doing their 2012/2013 Twelve Days After Christmas Sale; it was a part of their "ten paranormal romances" part.

Author's Book Description : The Man of Her Dreams

He is like a prince in a fairy tale: tall, outrageously handsome, and way too dark for her own good. Amanda has been hurt before, though. And with her daughter's illness, the last thing she needs right now is a man. But the power of Dai King is hard to resist. And when he threads his hands through her hair and pulls her in for a kiss, there is no denying it feels achingly right.

In a Land of Nightmares

After being trapped in the Shadowlands for centuries with the goblin horde a constant threat, Dai revels in his newfound freedom back in the human realm. But even with the centuries of magic he's accumulated, he still doesn't know how to heal Amanda's daughter—and it breaks his heart. Yet for the woman he loves, he'd risk anything...including a return to the Shadowlands.

My Book Review : 1 out of 5 stars. Can a man who has lived over two thousand years in a world that was stealing/corrupting his soul be able to live as a human again, even while the odds are stacked against him?

I had such high hopes for this novel, and I do hope that whoever decides on reading it will enjoy it tons more then I did. However, from the very beginning the novel dragged everything out, so much so that by the time I got to Chapter 8, I could not read a bit more. Not even to skim through the last chapters to see how Amanda and Dai end up together. =0/ *sigh*

Therefore, I don't recommend it unless you have read book 1 in this series and enjoyed it. Good luck to those that do decide on reading this one.

My Previous Review(s) for this Author : Kissing Phoenix

Author's Novel Extras : Excerpt | Writing Romance | Good News Day! | Feature book: Kiss of the Goblin Prince | A Bite Of... Kiss of the Goblin Prince

Author's Series Extras : About this Series | Without an ending there is no beginning | Magic Thursday Giveaway- Shona Husk: Good Things Come in Threes | Winter Solstice | Magic Thursday-The Goblin King | Darklight On...Shona Husk | Feature book: The Goblin King | Safety tips for Winter Solstice | From the Bookshelf...The Shadowlands Trilogy | The Next Big Thing | Magic Thursday: Location, location, location

Book Teaser(s) :

“Do you need a lift?” The words were out so fast her brain didn’t have time to register or approve them. What would spending more time with him achieve?
Maybe he’d answer some more of her questions. The long hair and hard, dark blue eyes were at odds. Then there was the travel. He’d studied languages where they were spoken, not from textbooks. Lived life on the edge in places sensible people steered clear of. She could only imagine the freedom of packing everything into one bag and taking off for somewhere on a whim.
“I’m only going into the city. I can catch the train.”
“The train? Eliza won’t let you drive her car?”
“Can’t drive a manual,” he said with a hint of a curve on his lips.
She bit back the grin that wanted to form and returned a polite smile instead. He could translate obscure languages, yet he couldn’t handle a stick shift. ~ within Chapter 4

For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Shona, then please check out her website.

Idolizing In: Hooked Series, Book 1

- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon.com: Paperback - Pages: 347; Kindle Edition - File Size: 453 KB | Expected Release Date: January 29, 2013 | Publisher: Harlequin TEEN | Obtained: NetGalley

"Hooked" [Hooked Series, Book 1] by Liz Fichera

My Book Summary : Neither ever talked to each other before ... Ryan was in one of the most popular guys in school, while Fredricka (Fred) was one of the few Native American girls that went to their high school and typically stayed in the background ... but once they did they both couldn't deny their attraction, no matter how much they both tried. But how could Ryan ever like, let alone be nice to, the girl who got his best friend kicked off the boys' varsity golf team?

Both Fred & Ryan will find that feelings like theirs are harder to ignore then they've would have ever imagined, especially when they're already hooked on each other...

My Book Review : 5 out of 5 stars!! This novel HOOKED me from the very beginning!! I loved the characters!! Plus, I thoroughly enjoyed the back-and-forth POV chapters, like it is in Ms. Barnholdt's "Two-way Street," Ms. Crane's "Stupid and Contagious," & Ms. Elkeles' "Perfect Chemistry" especially since this novel seems to be a unique mix of all three of these books too!

Ryan & Fred are great together! Their banter and their growing respect for each other make it so that no matter what really happens between them they can never fully dislike the other. Only two things I wish would have happened for me to enjoy this novel even more...

1. I wish Ryan stopped having his "blinders" on when it came to his best friend, because in truth that boy was a bit of a psycho and needed to be arrested for some of the shit he pulled.
2. I wish the epilogue was longer then it was. Did they ever make it to and win the state championship like their coach kept talking about?

Overall, though, this novel has just the right amount of intrigue, compassion, romance, and teenage angst that it keeps you entertained the whole way through!

I recommend this novel to anyone who liked the previous novels I mentioned and/or are just a fan of YA romance novels!!

Author's Novel Extras : HOOKED - Book Reviews | Book Deal NEWS! | The Lucky 13s | Good Things Come To Those Who Wait | Revision, Revision. Everywhere a Revision. | HOOKED News! | WANTED: Book Bloggers! | HOOKED - The Big Reveal! | Coming Soon to a Bookstore Near You! | HOOKED Book Swag Has Arrived | HOOKED Inspiration | HOOKED Countdown Widget! | Fun HOOKED Pics! | 2013 Writing Conferences | Only One More Day Till... | A Reason to Subscribe to an Author Newsletter | Choose My Way: HOOKED-inspired Music | Standing On a Corner, Naked | Just Words? | HOOKED, Australian-Style | HOOKED Blog Tour Starts TODAY!

Author's Series Extras : Mind-Meld | So Close And Yet So Far | Volume, Turn It Up

Author's Book Trailer :

Author's Book Interview(s) :

Book Teaser(s) :

Boys like Ryan and girls like me moved in different circles---well, I was pretty sure he had a circle; I simply moved.
I couldn't understand why he'd sat and glared at everybody all night, even his own family. He'd acted as though he would have preferred to jump through one of the restaurant windows than enjoy a dinner with them. And his parents seemed so lovely, so perfect. They'd looked like the perfect family, out enjoying a perfect dinner on a perfectly good Saturday night. How nice would it be to have your parents treat you to a fancy restaurant with a special birthday cake and everything? Where's the misery in that? Clearly Ryan Berenger was deranged. ~ within Chapter 3 - titled 'Fred'

"I don't know, Dad." I looked straight into the sunset. "Maybe you and Trevor were right. Maybe being on this team is a bad idea."
Dad snorted. "For you or them?"
I didn't answer. I sank lower in my chair. The Lab at my feet lifted his head.
"Well?" he prodded.
"I guess for them. All I wanted to do was play. I wasn't expecting special treatment. That's the last thing I want."
Dad chuckled. "So, play. Enjoy. Have fun for once." He leaned forward in his chair. "Pretend those boys are invisible. Or," he said slowly, "you could try to fit in."
My eyes widened. Fit in with a bunch of spoiled white boys? It would be easier to pretend I'm Princess Kate. ~ within Chapter 17 - titled 'Fred'

For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Liz, then please check out her website.

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Immortal Ever After

• Today's "Waiting On" Wednesday by Jill - click here

"Immortal Ever After" [Argeneau and Rogue Hunter Series, Book 18] by Lynsay Sands
Expected Publication Released Date: February 26, 2013

Author's Book Description:

New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands delivers a wickedly fun Argeneau novel featuring a vampire ready to claim his mate and the beauty who resists her fate!

A kiss doesn’t mean eternity . . .

Valerie Moyer doesn’t believe in vampires—until she is kidnapped by a fanged psychopath! After escaping her bloodthirsty captor, she’s through with creatures of the night. Until she finds herself under the protection of the darkly handsome Anders. Not only is she expected to accept that Anders is immortal, but also that she is the woman destined to be his life mate!

. . . Or does it?

Anders felt a connection to Valerie from the moment he cradled her bruised body in his arms. But before he claims her, he must destroy the vampire who almost stole her from him forever. His job would be easier if Valerie didn’t fight him every step of the way. Still, Anders loves a challenge, and the green-eyed beauty is worth fighting for!

Teaser Tuesdays: Reckless Heart

• Today's Teaser Tuesdays by MizB - click here

"Reckless Heart" [Reckless Series, Book 1] by Madeline Baker (aka Amanda Ashley)

Book Teaser:

A quiet word brought the stallion to within a few feet of where I sat, spellbound. Shadow slid easily to the ground beside me, causing me to tremble, though I could not have said why.
There was just the hint of a twinkle in his eye as he said, gravely, “Did you bring any cookies today, Hannah?”
“N...no,” I stammered, unaccountably pleased by the way he murmured my name.
There was a hint of mischief in his dark-eyed gaze, and a sudden suspicion slid into my mind, prompting me to ask how long he had been watching me.
“Since you first rode up,” he admitted, suppressing a smile, and I blushed with the knowledge that he had seen me swimming in the river, and drying, naked, on the bank afterwards.
“You have grown well,” Shadow remarked casually, and my cheeks burned with embarrassment, for there was no mistaking his meaning or the way his eyes glowed with the memory. And yet, perversely, I was pleased that he had seen me and found me attractive.
“So have you,” I murmured shyly. And indeed he had. ~ within Chapter 4 - titled '1875'

My Previous Review(s) for this Author : Bound By Blood

Made the Grade: Bayou Heat Series, Books 1 & 2

Available Formats through Amazon.com: Kindle Edition - File Size: 377 KB | Release Date: January 7, 2013 | Publisher: Self-Published | Obtained: Amazon.com

"Raphael & Parish" [Bayou Heat Series, Books 1 & 2] by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright

Authors' Book Description : BAYOU HEAT, written by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright, is a series of novellas set in the world of the Bayou Wildlands. It is a new series for us, unrelated to our vampire worlds. Each book is novella length and there will be 2 books per download. Each story follows the other, but it's written separately.

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"Raphael" [Bayou Heat Series, Book 1] by Alexandra Ivy (aka Deborah Raleigh)

My Story Summary : Raphael has been the diplomat of the Pantera shapeshifters for many years, mostly because of how much control he has over his animal making him more "civilized" then the other members in his "clan." However, six weeks ago, when he got a whiff of Ashe when she stopped into the local bar, called "The Cougar's Den," all civility left him and all he wanted to do was get as close to her as he could.

Well, six weeks after they hooked up, her drunk mother is now kicking Ashe out of her home after she informed her mother that she was pregnant. Too bad she doesn't remember how in the world THAT happened. Instead of dealing with her mother's insults, she goes to the local hotel in hopes of making some sense out of the new changes in her life. That same night in the hotel room Ashe starts remembering, in flashes, of her night with Raphael and soon finds that her life is going to be changed in more ways then one...

My Story Review : 3 out of 5 stars, a great start to this new series. It's filled with intrigue and suspense. However, I just wished it were a little longer so I could read more about the relationship between Raphael & Ashe. Their growing relationship seemed very endearing for what I read about it.

Author's Story Extras : A wonderful review from smexy books!!

Story Teaser :

“Think about it.” Bayon’s eyes glowed with golden power. “A strange woman just happens to stroll into a bar where the Pantera gather. She magically stirs your mating urges despite being human, and now she deliberately parks her car close enough that you were bound to pick up her scent before driving away like a madwoman.” He gave Raphael another shake. “Does she have to have T R A P tattooed on her ass for you to get it?”
Raphael made a sound of frustration. His friend wasn’t saying anything that Raphael hadn’t already told himself.
Hell, he’d be shocked if it wasn’t some sort of trick.
But until he discovered exactly what was happening, he wasn’t going to let the female out of his sight.
Or out of his bed, a treacherous voice whispered in the back of his mind.
“There’s one way to find out.”
With a strength that caught Bayon off-guard, Raphael shoved them away and headed toward the road.
“Wait,” Bayon called. “What are you going to do?”
“To find my woman and discover exactly what she has tattooed on her ass,” he snarled.
“Christ, Raphael.” ~ within Chapter 1

For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Alexandra, then please check out her website. To find out more about this series then click here.

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"Parish" [Bayou Heat Series, Book 2] by Laura Wright

My Story Summary : Parish was sent by Raphael to find a female human doctor and see if she is willing to help Ashe with her pregnancy. However, once Parish meets Dr. Julia he knows that he wants to keep her no matter what anyone says, so he just takes her back to their home before even talking to her about going there. Therefore, once Julia awakes from her trip to find herself in an unusual setting she immediately starts trying to come up with ways to find a way out of the Wildlands. Yet once she is immersed in Parish's world Julia begins to realize that while she has nothing else to go home to and she can't deny the attraction building steadily between Parish and herself she wants something more. Is Parish willing to give her want she yearns for, a family and acceptance, or will his past keep them apart?

My Story Review : 3.5 out of 5 stars, I loved the buildup of this story. Julia and Parish are a pair that you can't help but root for!! I especially liked when Parish's wilder side came out. =0)

Author's Story Extras : Bayou Heat Q&A

Story Teaser :

“Oh, Parish...”
He smiled. “I love it when you say my name too, Doc.” He captured her mouth again, kissing her frantically. “I want you.” He nipped her lip. “Christ, the scent of your heat. It calls to me, begs me to taste.” With one hand around her waist, he easily lifted her. “Let me earn my way into your bed.”
“You already have,” she said breathlessly.
He tossed her onto the bed, then drew back. “Not even close.” He stripped bare, and grinned as her gaze moved hungrily over him. “You know what I am.”
Her eyes lifted, connected to his. She nodded.
He growled softly at her. “Then open your legs for me, Julia. This cat must have his cream.” ~ within Chapter 6

For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Laura, then please check out her website. To find out more about this series then click here.

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My Book Review : For the full book, I give it 3.25 out of 5 stars! This was a fun start to this series, giving you glimpses of life inside and out of the Wildlands! However....

What a terrible cliffhanger!!! Especially since it has to do with Ashe and to tell you the truth, I liked Ashe more than I did Julia. =0/ Therefore, I'm hoping this isn't an ongoing problem/cliffhanger but something that will be cleared up, at least, by Book 4 in this series at the latest. *crossing fingers*

Overall, I do recommend this series to anyone who likes paranormal romances, especially ones involving puma shifters!

Authors' Series Extras : Wallpaper for Bayou Heat!! | Bayou Heat Blog Tour | Twitter Party | Bayou Heat is out!!! | A chance to win Bayou Heat!!

For more information on this Series, then please check out this website and/or this website.