Book Review: Seven Day Loan by Tiffany Reisz

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Book Review: Alliance Forged by Kylie Griffin

Title: Alliance Forged (The Light Blade #2)

Author: Kylie Griffin

Release Date: July 3rd 2012
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Source: Purchased for my own reading pleasure.

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a blind priestess lays claim to a half-breed warrior, body and soul…

Hunted and marked for death by Na’Reish demons for their half-blood heritage, the Na’Chi are searching for a new home—something an alliance offered by the human leader could provide. With both races divided by prejudice, when Light Blade rebels brutally attack the Na’Chi, the alliance seems doomed to fail.

Varian, leader of the Na’Chi, a hybrid race of gifted warriors, is cursed with the darker impulses of his demon heritage. Controlling the part of himself that craves the high of the battle is a struggle he’s afraid he’ll lose—until he meets Kymora Tayn, a priestess driven to serve her deity. While he’s unwilling to trust anyone outside his people, he finds himself drawn to Kymora’s strength and passionate nature, and discovers she has the power to calm the darkness inside him.

When the Na’Reish raid human territory for blood-slaves and kickstart a war, the key to the survival of both races—Na’Chi and human— is an alliance. However, when Kymora is kidnapped, pitting human against human, Varian realizes he must embrace his darker half, not only to save the alliance…but also the woman he loves.

My Thoughts

Let me start by saying the wait for this book has been torturous!
Ever since I read the first installment of The Light Blade series - Vengeance Born back in February, I have had Alliance Forged on my need-to-get list and not just because the cover is HOT!

Kylie Griffin has a talent for sucking the reader in. 
By page 3, I was engrossed, and by page 13, I had informed my family that I was out of bounds for the rest of the night!
I was immediately pulled back into this unique and gripping world of humans (Light Blades), Na’Reish (demons), and Na’Chi (half human/half demon hybrids), and greedily devoured Varian Alliance Forged in one sitting.

Awesome story, great characters that easily worm their way into your heart, sweet and sexy romance that will leave you breathless, and enough prejudice between the races to spark a revolt; setting the scene for a war that you know is going to go off!

I can honestly say that this book is another for the keeper shelf, and I already have a spot reserved for book 3 - Allegiance Sworn, although its another long wait with the publication date set for April 2nd 2013 *oh the pain of waiting!*

Kylie Griffin has again presented a solidly written, intensely emotional story that I am happy to say I loved, a lot!
Another 5 Star read from one of my favourite authors ~<;]

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Book Review: Tempted By The Highland Warrior by Michelle Willingham

Title: Tempted by the Highland Warrior (MacKinloch Clan #3)

Author: Michelle Willingham
Release Date: June 19th 2012
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Harlequin Historical
Source: Received from the publisher via NetGalley

After years of brutal torture, Callum MacKinloch is finally free of his captors--but his voice is still held prisoner. He'd never let anyone hear him scream.Although Lady Marguerite de Montpierre's chains may be invisible, they threaten to tie her to a loveless and cruel marriage.

When Marguerite discovers Callum waiting to die, her heart aches for the warrior beneath the suffering--but they can have no future. Yet she is the one woman with the power to tame the rage locked inside him. Maybe he can find another reason to live...for her.

My Thoughts

Although not the best story involving Highlanders that I have ever read, it was still an okay read.

I didn't really connect with the characters at all. 

I liked them, but I didn't care for them, and there wasn't really anything that overly distinguished them as Highlanders other than being told they were. The author could of told me they were outback Australians and I wouldn't have known the difference. 

I just didn't think there was any consistency or genuine Scottish traits in the character descriptions or dialogue that categorically defined them as Highlanders. I definitely missed all the usual Scottish accenting and phrases that would have helped convince me of their ethnicity, and heated things up for the reader - as there really is nothing better than a well placed Gaelic term of endearment!

The story itself was nice-ish. 

I liked the mute-by-trauma element that Callum had, but in the end his muteness was resolved a little too smoothly and easily for me and the heroine's reaction to him regaining his speech was very one dimensional "Oh, you spoke, you've regained your speech - how nice" (not a direct quote but you get the idea)

Overall I liked the story but I found the world building, the characters, and the general narrative to be weak and a little boring, only 2 1/2 Stars :|

Cover Reveal: Allegiance Sworn by Kylie Griffin

Holy cow - its gorgeous!!

Here it is folks, the eagerly awaited cover for 

book #3 in The Light Blade series

ALLEGIANCE SWORN
(Bk #3 of the Light Blade)

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a demon leader seeks to unify the races…

With the alliance of the humans and the half-blood Na’Chi forged, the demon Na’Reish prepare for war by seizing human blood-slaves. Captured during a rescue mission-gone-wrong, Light Blade warrior Arek Barial finds himself claimed by a Na’Reishi female who offers him an unexpected choice.

Raised in the elite ranks of a society she abhors, Imhara Kaal lives a dangerous double life as a Na’Reish Clan-leader and an advocate for a caste-free life that honors the Old Ways. Openly rebelling against the Na’Reish would mean her death, unless she can find an emissary willing to present her petition to the human Blade council.

But Arek isn’t about to blindly follow a demon—despite the intense attraction growing between them. And while hatred for the Na’Reish is all he has ever known, Arek must learn to trust Imhara, or risk the destruction of all three races…

Book Review: Soul Weaver by Hailey Edwards

Title: Soul Weaver

Author: Hailey Edwards
Release Date: August 7th 2012
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Imprint: Forever Yours
Source: Received from the publisher via NetGalley

Since the accident that nearly took her life, Chloe suffers from acute agoraphobia. Living alone above her family's bookstore, she spends restless nights terrified by strange visions . . . until a mysterious stranger appears and offers her salvation. Chloe is drawn to the ethereal, gorgeous Nathaniel-but her haunted soul warns her there is more to him than meets the eye.

An archangel who roams Earth collecting souls of the newly departed, Nathanial is the sole witness to the accident that should have taken Chloe's life. Seduced by the purity of her soul, he defies Providence by saving her life. But his attempt at kindness marks Chloe for damnation, and makes her an unwitting pawn in a game of unholy ambition. Now together they must fight the demons of Hell itself-for a love that defies the boundaries of Heaven and Earth.


My Thoughts

This book sounds great and has all the elements that I look for in a great paranormal romance, but (IMO) failed in its execution.

The beginning was great and I was immediately interested in the story, and the last third kept me entertained but the large chunk in between was clunky and hard to read.

Filled with too many people to keep track of, jumping back and forth between story arcs, it just became a bit of a chore to read. And with so much going on I got bored of trying to remember who was who, and where.

The writing itself was good, it flowed well, but the storytelling could have done with a bit of a pep up. I found it melodic and stale and I just didn't care about the characters.

Only 2.5 Stars I'm afraid :|

Book Review: Because of You by Jessica Scott

Title: Because of You (Coming Home #1) 

Author: Jessica Scott

Release Date: November 14th 2011
Publisher: Loveswept
Source: Received from the author for an honest review

Keeping his men alive is all that matters to Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison. But meeting Jen St. James the night before his latest deployment makes Shane wonder if there’s more to life than war. He leaves for Iraq remembering a single kiss with a woman he’ll never see again—until a near fatal attack lands him back at home and in her care.

Jen has survived her own brush with death and endured its scars. And yet there’s a fire in Shane that makes Jen forget all about her past. He may be her patient, but when this warrior looks her in the eyes, she feels—for the first time in a long time—like a woman. Shane is too proud to ask for help, but for Jen, caring for him is more than a duty—it’s a need. And as Jen guides Shane through the fires of healing, she finds something she never expected—her deepest desire.

My Thoughts

Let me start off by saying that I haven't read a Loveswept novel since I was in my late teens, so I initially accepted the review request for that reason alone. 

But then I read the blurb, looked at the cover, and learnt about the author. And I was immediately intrigued because Jessica Scott is a soldier. 

An actual 'served her country in Iraq' soldier! In the Army for 16 years soldier!
 
She's also a wife and Mom, doing all the things that we all do, to keep our families safe and happy - but damn, Jessica Scott is a soldier too!
So...thoroughly impressed with her credentials, I happily sat down to read her book.

Jessica Scott has brought to life some really great characters. 
They are like-able, have their own set of faults and hangups and are exceptionally real.  
With her unique insight into the hearts and feelings of active soldiers, Jessica wraps a sweet but troubled romance around a very yummy Shane, and a relationship shy Jen. Added to that, the turbulent recovery of both body and soul for each of them, and and the harsh reality of military life, Because of You is an incredibly well written story.

At its core is the love story, and as I've already mentioned its very sweet. Both carrying scars that hold them back from their instant attraction, its takes time for Shane and Jen to admit that there is something between them. 
Lots of hesitant touches and lingering kisses build into a great love for one another and the trials and tribulations that come their way are tackled together, if at times not in a completely agreeable manner!
The wrenching story arcs for the secondary characters are also impeccably written, and at times I forgot this was a novel, because the author writes with such clarity and truth.

I cant wait to see what Jessica Scott comes up with next 4 Stars ;]



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Book Review: Consumed by Rebecca Zanetti

Title: Consumed (Dark Protectors #4)

Author: Rebecca Zanetti

Release Date: July 5th 2012

Publisher: Kensington

Source: Received from the publisher via NetGalley

Sometimes You Mate For Life

Katie Smith is the best of her class, part of an elite hunting force trained to eliminate werewolves from the hills of Western Virginia. She's good at it because she has the kind of focus and drive that won't back down no matter how steep the odds. Call it southern sass. Whatever it is, there's no denying her willingness to risk everything for the only man she's ever cared about--a man on the verge of losing his very humanity...

Sometimes You Mate To Stay Alive

For the past ten years Jordan Pride has dedicated his life to protecting his people from a deadly shifter virus. But in a rare moment of distraction, Jordan's guard drops just long enough for his fate to take an irreversible twist. Unless the woman he loves surrenders everything to him, again and again, under a full moon rising...

My Thoughts

Although not a bad story, there are an awful lot of story arcs to keep track of which was kind of distracting, and I got quite bogged down with a lot of details in places. The lack of story flow bored me and so I did skim over a fair chunk of it.

The main storyline was interesting, and I did like Jordan a lot, however I didn't really think too much of Katie, she came off too whiny, and annoyed me.

There were some other really great characters in the book and I'd love to read more about them, especially Janie and her possible love triangle, I'm definitely intrigued.

Overall a good read, if a little slow for me 3.5 Stars :]