Sunday 30 November 2014

Tiffany Reisz Day! Review ~ The King (The Original Sinners: White Years #2) by Tiffany Reisz

Reviewed by Donna ~ 5  stars!!

“He was gone, gone, gone, and that was fine, fine, fine with Kingsley. Except it wasn’t.”

Where to start!! As you can tell I have had a Tiffany Reisz marathon the past three days. I went to start reading The King and was startled to see that I had not read The Saint, how I missed it god only knows…perhaps Soren can enlighten me? It was sitting on my kindle waiting and so therefore the marathon began and I loved every single minute.

Once again Tiffany Reisz started this book the same way as The Saint and if this is the way the White Years is to be told, I can’t wait. This time it is the turn of Grace to have a bedtime story from Kingsley himself. Kingsley turns up to Grace’s London home with a mission in mind, but before he can get to the crunch he needs to tell his story to make her understand and therefore through a flashback, we find out from the King how he came to be the man he was today. I have to say, Grace does still leave a sour taste in my mouth…I still can’t get over the end of The Mistress!!

“I have something to tell you. A story. And I can’t tell you why I’m telling you the story until after the story.”

Kingsley Edge is one third of the trifecta, he is rich, a playboy, French, American, enigmatic, bisexual, kinky as hell but he is trustworthy, reliable and he has a huge heart. I never quite realised the extent of just how huge his heart was. Kingsley is a very multi-layered character and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey that Tiffany Reisz took us on to peel back each and every layer to show us who Kingsley was underneath the suits and boots.

“Welcome to the Kingdom.”

Once again Tiffany Reisz has created a character that is beautiful on the inside and out and the constant bantering over who was the most “beautiful,” had me in stitches. We see another side though to Kingsley, he is haunted by his past too even though the bravado he wears on the outside never exposes this part of him. It is these chinks in his armour that made him all the more endearing and more real and in fact more human. He always came across as this dark, mysterious man with the world at his feet, he was revered and feared and he was rather aloof, but this man was hiding behind his persona and the real Kingsley brought me to tears many, many times.

“F**k me until I forget I’m French.”

The love and devotion that he has for Soren has never been a doubt in my mind but once you see just how deep his love is you cannot help but feel heart break for him. Tiffany Reisz managed to portray this perfectly throughout his story and I found my own heart breaking for him on many occasions. I saw him like a puppy dog waiting patiently for scraps at a dinner table and whatever scraps Soren would throw him, he lapped up. He was starved of affection and it just seemed that the few people that he found the propensity the love, just could not love him back in the way he needed or deserved and that to me was devastating. I just wanted to jump into the book and give him a cuddle, his story really got to me. However, the above does not undermine the relationship that he has with Soren, Soren loved him just as hard and deep, but he knew that it could never work between them; Kingsley would never survive, so to protect the one man the he loves so fiercely, he has to stay away. But there are many tender moments between the two that just cement how much they do actually mean to each other.

“I will never turn my back on you. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. As long as it’s in my power, I will be your friend, and I will be here for you whenever you need me.” ~ Soren

This story also shows how “The King” was born and how the Eighth Circle came to be and this part of the book held me captivated. Kingsley’s idea for the club was not born as a money making idea but as a safe haven for his beloved. He wanted to have a place where like-minded people could practice their proclivities without fear of being exposed, harassed or arrested, but more importantly he wanted to build it for Soren.

“I’m going to do something for you someday.” ~ Kingsley
 “You do everything for me.” ~ Soren
  “I want to build you a castle.” ~ Kingsley
“I’ve had my fill of castles, Kingsley,” Soren said.
 “What I need is a dungeon.” ~ Soren

The creation of The Eighth Circle was a fight in itself and Kingsley had many battles to fight in order to get his dream off the ground. It is also during this time that Kingsley found who he could trust and who he couldn’t. This lead to some killer scenes with even more tears and the one of betrayal hurt the most. But the tears are testament to the writing skills of Tiffany Reisz, I know that I am an emotional person, I know that tears do come easily, but I found myself crying where I normally wouldn’t and it was due to the fact that these characters are so deeply embedded into my heart that when they hurt I hurt, when they love, I love, I felt it all.

“Jeg elskar dig.”

All I can say is that I need The Virgin, even though I have been immersed in their stories for three days my appetite has not been sated, in fact it has made me want to read about them even more. I already feel lost and cannot seem to start another book. That is the beauty of Tiffany Reisz’s stories, flawlessly written, totally captivating and engaging you just do not want the story end. The perfect balance of emotion and wit will engage you completely, so much so I am having withdrawals. March cannot come quick enough.

“I want to know what price you put on something I considered priceless” ~ Soren
“Sex isn’t priceless.” – Kingsley
“It was with you.” ~ Soren


Buy Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/12aDsBt (Pre-Order - releases Dec 5th)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1FB5t2m (already released)

Tiffany Reisz Day! Review ~ The Saint (The Original Sinners: White Years #1) by Tiffany Reisz

Reviewed by Donna ~ 5 stars!!

“A hymn began. Elle looked back to the door of the sanctuary, and saw the new priest. The dream ended. The spell was broken. Elle woke up.”

This series is my all-time favourite series ever; I just cannot get enough of the forbidden it seems. Every single book in this series has been a work of art and every single book has been an amazing 5 star read and this book is no different. What I will say though is that this book is my favourite so far.

The way this story unfolded was unique to Tiffany Reisz, I must admit I was a bit worried in the beginning and I am still wondering why Nora was where she was, but once I understood how this story was being told I settled in for Nora’s bed time story. This book is told in a flashback, Nora telling Kingsley’s son, Nico, how it all began. I snuggled down and readied myself for a story that I would never forget.

“Losing him, losing his love was my greatest fear. And he made me face it. I faced it, I survived it. And ultimately…Ultimately, that time on my own turned me into what Soren said I was all along.” ~ Nora
“What was that?” ~ Nico
“Dangerous.” ~ Nora

This book was incredibly emotional for me, I always knew that Soren’s past was intriguing and unsavoury but the more I learned about our Padre and how his relationship with Nora started and developed the more I fell in love with and respected Soren. While on the outside people only saw the 28 year old priest fall in love with the 15 year girl, Soren did nothing about it for many, many years. He nurtured Elle/Nora, he wanted her to have the opportunities to be a normal teenager, live a normal life and then when she had lived and was adult enough to make informed decisions, only then would Soren reconsider his stance with his “Little One.” He loved her unconditionally, he was her fiercest champion, he was her protector, he would die for her, he would break his vows for her, but only when the time was right and that took a long, long time. It is this extremely slow build that I felt made this love story all the more real, all the more tangible. My heart broke for these two many times.

“I’m working my ass off in the sanctuary scrubbing two hundred years of farts off the pews and you’re sitting in your seventy-degree office drinking tea and writing homilies. It’s hot as Satan’s balls in there, and I’m sweating like a whore in church.”

So many gaps in the Red Years are filled in; to see how Nora and Soren began was a gift and personally I felt made their relationship all the more profound. To see the rebellious teenager that Nora was, was a treat and who would have thought that ultimately this became the beginning of the Soren, Nora and Kingsley Trifecta. I loved finding out about how the name “Nora Sutherlin” came about, it is these little snippets that are interspersed throughout the book that will have you ahhhhing, like the light bulb just went on and only makes you appreciate the Red Years all the more.

“faith is the assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.” - Hebrews

Nora’s beginnings were told in detail too; never having that feeling of being wanted or loved was hard for Elle/Nora to take and left their marks on her outlook on life. She always knew she was different but could never quite come to grips or see how they would fit into her life going forward. It was Soren’s guidance that made her realise that she was perfect as she was, not everybody’s normal is “normal,” what is “normal?”

“When you aren’t trying to look beautiful, you look beautiful. When you are trying to look beautiful, you are stunning.”

The humour in this book had me crying with laughter, Nora has always been a scream but it seems that she must have been born with the sassy attitude and quick wit. Never intimidated by “Blondie,” Nora always gave more than she got and it was this attitude that alerted Soren to the fact, that he may have just met his match. These two were destined to be together, no two people have ever been a better fit and while I wouldn’t want to be in Nora’s shoes at the hands of Soren, it was right for these two. They both wanted it, the both needed it, it centred them, it was just Soren and Nora and Nora and Soren.

“What is it?” ~ Nora
“Open it.” ~ Soren
“Like it?” ~ Soren
“Woof.” ~ Nora
“A dog collar?” ~ Nora
“A slave collar. You belong to me always…”

The last third of the trifecta is ever present, Kingsley, and I loved seeing the relationship that he and Soren have. The banter between these two also at times had me in stitches and you can already see how Nora was going to fit into their dynamic.

“Your French is improving. Now let’s work on your attitude.”
“King, you’re like the big brother I never had. And never wanted.”

All I can say is that this is another masterpiece from Tiffany Reisz, she continues to amaze me with every book she pens. Her writing style never fails to consume me and once I start I know that I am going to be checked out for quite some time. As usual the writing is flawless, spell binding and mesmerising and I don’t think I can ever get my fill of these characters. Nora still remains my favourite heroine, from the get go she imprinted herself on my heart and this book has only cemented her place. I truly loved this one.

“Yes, it hurt, but so did everything that mattered. Love hurt, life hurt, birth hurt, changing hurt, growing hurt. The dead didn’t hurt, only the living. She had never felt so alive.”

Buy Links: 

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1HKGWeV
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1uQMKt8

Saturday 29 November 2014

Promo with Excerpt & Giveaway ~ Saving Poughkeepsie (Poughkeepsie 3) by Debra Anastasia


Book Description:

Beckett Taylor’s quest to be a better man has brought Eve Hartt back into his life, but sometimes it feels like they’re bound together with barbed wire. Though he longs to love her without causing pain, the wreckage of their past continues to crash down around them.

Yet with the help of this brothers—and for his brothers—Beckett won’t stop trying. He’s determined to make them all a family, to make a life they want to live, and to make Poughkeepsie a place that’s safe to live it.

He can feel their futures balanced precariously on his shoulders: Blake and Livia and their children, Cole and Kyle and the new baby they’ve just brought home, and Eve…always Eve. He wants their dreams to be real. But murderers don’t just get Happily Ever After handed to them. They have to wrench it away from Satan himself.

Good thing Beckett is prepared to do just that. After all, saving Poughkeepsie is the only way his story ends.

Prepare your heart and your head for a wild ride in this final installment of the Poughkeepsie Brotherhood series. Debra Anastasia does not disappoint as she weaves the last chapter of a story that blends true love, turbulent emotions, and life’s harsh realities into an uplifting tale that calls to the good in each of us.


TPB Series on Make A Gif

Excerpt:

“I’m not worried about tomorrow. I’m worried about right now, with you, under this Christmas tree.” Blake supported her neck as he laid her on the floor.

Livia turned her head. “You’d better convince me. So far you’ve talked about the dog going to the bathroom, trash, and dirtiness.”

Blake kissed her jaw and turned her head gently, kissing her mouth as she bit her lips together.

“Can’t I just convince you with my manly ways?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

He could, of course, do just that—but she shook her head. She loved the playful sparkle in his green eyes. His five o’clock shadow just made him more handsome, framing his kissable lips with scruff. 

“Okay.” He put his fingers at the bottom of her shirt, lifting it gently so he could circle her belly button with his index finger. “You’re the sexiest, most beautiful woman on this planet. So sexy, in fact, that I had to have you. I had to make you bear my children because my universe and yours had to be combined. Everything I’ve ever been needed to be buried inside of you, so deep, so full of love that we created life. Twice.”

He lifted her shirt and kissed the tops of her breasts, whispering his devotion into her skin. “And it’s never enough. Unless I can hear you coming, I can’t think of anything else. All day every day. For years now. You’re that powerful, Livia. This. Us. It’s so intense that years haven’t cured me. I can’t stop wanting to make love to you.”

“Wow.” Livia smiled and pulled his face back to hers, kissing him and effectively stopping his beautiful words.
 
Buy Links:
 

 
Poughkeepsie (Book 1)


Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1ujhCHc
Audio Book Poughkeepsie: http://amzn.to/149r8mI
Poughkeepsie Enhanced Collector’s Edition for iPad ($12.99): http://bit.ly/1yveJ5j

Return to Poughkeepsie (Book 2)


           
Giveaway:


Friday 28 November 2014

Friday Frights ~ PNR ~ Shadows of the Ancients (The Ancients Series) by Christine M Butler

Reviewed by Shirley ~ 4 Stars 

This book I found to be a romance which had little twist and turns that made it a really enjoyable read.

21 year old Jessica St. Marks or Jess to her friends is a werewolf who has come to the stage in life where she is expected to be mated. Jessica is fighting the decision of the mate that had been chosen for her by her parents, a choice that had been made when she was tiny. Jessica calls her best mate Ashley, a human, whom she had met at college and asked her if she fancied going out that night. Having decided to go the nightclub in town, this is where the story begins. The meeting of Jess and the tall, dark handsome man standing at the bar, who just by looking at him Jess knew he was another were. After literally bumping into one another the chemistry and electricity was felt by both of them and they knew they had to see more of each other.

Mr Tall, Dark and Handsomes name was Evan De'Lune who happened to be in town to buy said nightclub which was why he happened to be in the club when he met Jess. Evan was an Ancient which is the pure blood weres against what they call the lesser were packs which is where Jess was from but not caring about the politics of were cultures he was determined to have Jess for himself. 

Not being interested in relationships before meeting Evan Jess is totally blown away by him and all her wits went out the door which got her into hot water with her family. Through this, big changes occur within the pack, but they were strong and held out and their romance begins.

Because of Jess's naivety where men are concerned Evan promised Jess that he would take his time and let Jess get to know him more before they decide to mate but this did not stop him from making love to her…

“There we stood, skin to skin, scorching each other everywhere we touched.

"Evan" I whispered as he trailed hot kisses down my neck, finding that spot that caused my knees to buckle as he nuzzled in further, scraping teeth across the sensitive area, then leaving a lingering kiss there before moving on. “

But nothing seems to run smoothly for them especially when Evans brother Mikael came to town, starting with the treatment of Mikael towards Jess's best friend Ashley.

Then the changes in Jess's pack brought all sorts of bad repercussions onto Jess, which makes this story a lively and entertaining read. Also there's a twist at the end that Jess definitely didn't see coming.

 Great read thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved Jess's character and especially Ashley who I thought is a diamond.

Well done Ms Butler.

Buy Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1vscyj1 (FREE!)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1vXuTHx (FREE!)

Thursday 27 November 2014

Review ~ The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

Reviewed by Donna ~ 5 Amazing Stars

**ARC Received for honest review**

“But there are laws. There are rules. Laws of nature and laws of life. Laws of love and laws of death. And when you break them, there are consequences.”

I think that this is going to be the hardest review that I have ever written, I need to do this book justice and I just hope that I can articulate just how amazing this book really is. I am a huge Amy Harmon fan and have been since the beginning, there is something about her books that resonates deep within my heart and soul. If I pick up an Amy Harmon book I am guaranteed to be touched in some form or another. Her books reach places that few authors have ever managed to uncover so I went into this one with high expectations and I have to say Amy Harmon did not disappoint.

This next statement is HUGE! The Law of Moses was better than Making Faces and I thought that was impossible. This book is by far Amy Harmon’s best book; it is definitely one of my top reads of all time and one that I will pimping out to everyone and anyone to read. I felt a better person after I had read this book, the underlying messages making you think about how you live your life, if there are things that maybe you could do better. This book just makes you want to be a better person, to never judge a book by its cover, whether that “book” is a book or maybe a person. What people perceive to be correct about outward appearances is nigh on always incorrect, take the time to see the inside, read the words, see the person and then you are in the position to make an informed decision. Be that better person.

“If you don’t love, then nobody gets hurt. It’s easy to leave. It’s easy to lose. It’s easy to let go.”

As usual with an Amy Harmon this book is written exquisitely, it is evocative, hauntingly beautiful and extremely powerful. This was more than a reading experience, this is a book that you will live and breathe, and the emotional push and pull will have you heart heaving, your emotions rushing and your tears falling. So touching was the prose throughout this book I found myself crying for no apparent reason other than just how moved I was and that is a very rare occurrence.

“… when Moses came to Levan, he was like water—cold, deep, unpredictable, and, like the pond up the canyon, dangerous, because you could never see what was beneath the surface.”

I will not go into the plot at all as this is a book that you need to experience blind, experience the meticulous attention to detail first hand, run the gamut of emotions, ebb and flow with the tide that Amy Harmon creates through words, be present with Georgia and Moses, live their life with them and I will see you on the other side.

“There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion.”
 
Georgia is a seventeen year old girl when we first meet her, she is a horse whisperer, she is extremely talented and works for her mother and father on their ranch. Her dad is a vet but as parents they run equine therapy sessions for children and adults with issues and Georgia is proving to be an invaluable member of the team. Georgia is no normal teenager though, she loves barrel racing and aspires to being a professional when she becomes of age. Georgia was an inspiring character, beautiful both on the inside and out. She always saw the best in people and even if she couldn’t see it in the first instance she would keep peeling away the layers until she could. It is this tenacity that allowed her to be one of the few people that Moses let in. Her friendship with Moses evolved extremely slowly and this slow build lead to me connecting with the characters on an all-consuming level. Georgia needed to be on her A-game to get through to Moses, but she didn’t see the delinquent that everyone else saw, she saw a boy crying out for acceptance, crying out for understanding, crying out for love, crying out for friendship and she gave it to him in spades.

“Nobody told me that resisting would feel like trying to breathe through a straw. Futile. Impossible. Unrealistic.”

Moses was an extremely complex character, he had not had the best start in life being a “crack baby” and being abandoned in a basket in a Laundromat, hence the name Moses. His beginnings were the talk of the town for years and never forgotten so when he finally returned to live with the one person who had always believed in him, his grandmother, the Chinese whispers began in earnest once again. Moses was seen as a delinquent, a trouble maker, he was hostile, he was temperamental, he could be aggressive, he was moody but deep down he was a troubled teenager trying to find his place in the world. He had many issues that we find out about slowly and this had an enormous effect on his outward personality. Deep down though, he was just misunderstood and because of the legacy that preceded him, nobody had the inclination or the time to get to know him, only Georgia. 

“And just like I’d done all my life, I jumped in head first, even though I’d been forbidden. But this time, I drowned.”

Moses was an extremely talented artist but he could only paint with inspiration, it seemed coming back to where his life began was all the inspiration he needed and herein begins his story. 

“I can’t paint you Georgia…you’re alive.”

As I have tried to convey above, this is one story that I will never forget. So profound are the words you will find yourself thinking about its messages non-stop. Already I have found myself looking for my “five greats” when I am feeling down and if we all had Georgia’s attitude then I am sure that the world would be a far better place. This is a book about giving people a chance, grasping your life with both hands and making the most of it, seize the day, try to always be a better person, give people the benefit of the doubt, never give up, just be that better the person.

“Georgia’s eyes, Georgia’s hair, Georgia’s mouth, Georgia’s love. And Georgia’s long, long legs.”

Amy Harmon, all I can say is this book is truly fantastic. Definitely one of my top reads ever and one book that has already left a piece of itself deeply embedded in my heart and soul. This is a book that I will read again and again and could never tire of. Anyone still on the fence about this one, please, please take a chance, this is one of those books that demands to be read and you will for sure feel all the better for it. Totally and utterly amazing!

“A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. A story flawed and fractured, crazy and cracked, and most of all, a love story. Our story.”

Buy Links:

Release Day Promo With Giveaway ~ The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

 
Cover design by: Hang Le
Hosted by: Alpha Literary Services

Book Description:

If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare.

Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start.

It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids, and kids grow up to be teenagers. Nobody wants a messed up teenager.

And Moses was messed up. Moses was a law unto himself. But he was also strange and exotic and beautiful. To be with him would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe I should have listened. My mother warned me. Even Moses warned me. But I didn’t stay away.

And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. But most of all...a love story.

 Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23252517-the-law-of-moses

Buy Links:
 
About The Author:

Amy Harmon knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story.

Amy Harmon has been a motivational speaker, a grade school teacher, a junior high teacher, a home school mom, and a member of the Grammy Award winning Saints Unified Voices Choir, directed by Gladys Knight. She released a Christian Blues CD in 2007 called “What I Know” – also available on Amazon and wherever digital music is sold. She has written five novels, Running Barefoot, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue, Making Faces and most recently, Infinity + One.

Her newest book, The Law of Moses releases November 27, 2014.

LINKS:
Website: http://www.authoramyharmon.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoramyharmon?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aharmon_author
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/authoramyharmon/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Harmon/e/B007V3HXUY
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829056.Amy_Harmon
 
5 Greats Giveaway

1 Kindle Paperwhite
1 $50 Amazon giftcard
3 signed copies of The Law of Moses 
 
 
Hosted by:

Wednesday 26 November 2014

Blog Tour ~ Review, Excerpt & Giveaway ~ Flawed by Francette Phal

 
Book Description:

Blood.

That's the only memory he carries from a childhood he does not remember. And now it is all he knows. Blood is his life.

Knox Bishop has done a lot of horrible things, all at the command of the man who holds his leash. It's a matter of loyalty for him. Allegiance to the man who saved his life when he was a child. So he goes where he is needed and does what he is told. He tortures. He kills. He kills. He tortures. It is an unrelenting cycle that he constantly craves and can never quite satisfy.

Until her.

Eighteen year old Lacey Barnes distributes her assets to fund her dreams. Medical school is the end game and she is determined to get there by any means necessary. But a family member's careless mistake derails her plans and now she must pay a price in order to save him.

She goes to Knox willingly offering him the only valuable thing she has. Herself. In doing so he allows her into his world, a world filled with darkness but rather than being scared it intrigues her. It lures her, calls to something in her that she hadn't known existed until he awakened it.

Every bit of his flaws is reflected in her and Knox will do anything to keep her in the darkness with him.

 
Excerpt:

Knox

I’m not what you would call normal. The word has no meaning to me. But I’ve been pretending to act normal. It’s something I’ve been practicing since I’ve been aware of the thrum and its significance in my life. I was seven when I first heard the lullaby. Second grade, just before recess. It happened in a squall. Nothing and then all at once. I remember everything about that day. The bell rang and the other children went to play. Not me. Never me. I always stayed behind, mostly by choice, but never contested because the other children thought I was weird. I think maybe they unconsciously knew that I was lacking something fundamental. Something they all had and I didn’t, and maybe even never had at all. Whatever it was, I was alienated, excluded from their games. But I couldn’t say it bothered me. I was indifferent to it. Katia would sometimes play with me. Yuri’s youngest daughter, my adoptive sister, kept me company when she wasn’t with her own friends. But she’d been home sick that day.

In the small classroom with its oversized, rainbow-colored letters hanging over the chalkboard and tiled number blocks littering the carpeted floor, I sat in the beanbag chair staring fixatedly at the class pet. Sweet Ms. Devon always stayed with me but she’d left for a moment. A moment to heat her lunch. A moment to speak to a fellow staff member in the teachers’ lounge. But it’d been a moment too long for me. The noise in my head had been too loud. The urge too strong. The pink-eyed little rabbit, Mr. Apples, and the yellow pair of scissors sitting blades down in Ms. Devon’s “Best Teacher” mug had been too much of a temptation for me to resist.

The pounding of my heart. The lullaby and the thrum. The latch had given way beneath my shaking fingers, soaked with apprehension and anticipation. The struggle. The frantic movement of something living, something warm, with the same accelerated heartbeat as mine grappling for life. Desperate for freedom even while knowing the inevitable hand of death loomed was intoxicating. The thrill, the excitement, the sweet seductive power. I swam in it. Like too much candy on Halloween. Too much ice cream in the summer. It had been a quick death for Mr. Apples. It had been crude. Amateurish. But ever so effective in quieting the discord of my mind.

Poor, sweet Ms. Devon came to find me on the floor of the overly-bright classroom. Huddled on the floor, covered in Mr. Apples. She’d been one to smile a lot. But I stole her smile that day and replaced it with horror instead. Her pretty features contorted like a Kabuki mask.
 
 
Our Review:
 
**ARC received  for honest review**
 
Reviewed by Donna ~ 4.5 Stars

“Everything I do now is for her, to protect her. She is the only one that sustains me. The only person in this world I cannot do without. She is the one person I will not share. She is mine.”

This book is dark, disturbing, disgusting, distasteful, deviant, depraved, in fact everything a DARK read should be. If you have a queasy stomach this is definitely not the right book for you. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. Be prepared to be scared, shocked, appalled, stunned in fact dumb struck, this is one sick ride!

I have loved everything that Francette Phal has written, she has shocked me many times but this book took the “shock factor” to a whole new level. I went in totally blind as she is one of those authors that I automatically read, so I was totally unprepared. To be honest, I still feel a bit sick. This is the first book of a series so be prepared, but I will say this is definitely one of those stories that could not be completed in one book. This book was a page turner from start to finish and even though I felt guilty that I should be reading it and enjoying it, I did also feel a bit disgusted in places.

There are quite a few disturbing scenes in this book, I have to say I did feel that sometimes the content was put there more to shock you than anything else, but bearing in mind the f**ked up characters that we are dealing with in this book I can actually see them doing it and that worries me! It also makes me wonder what the hell is going to come in book 2!

“But then all that changes when I see that look of nothingness on her face. And my past assumptions that she is just like me, flawed, empty inside, reaching blindly in the darkness for something, anything to grab and annihilate just to feel alive, returns with a vengeance.”

Lacey is in high school and just shy from graduating, she has high aspirations to get out of her current life and be the student that she desperately wants to be. She is clever and has university places lined up, scholarships are on the table and she needs every dollar that she can get to sustain herself through this new phase of her life. Her father is nowhere to be seen, her mother is a prostitute that has a severe drug problem and her brother is equally as bad. He is a total waste of space and her mother and brother are total leeches and take advantage of the loving and giving heart that Lacey has. She will do anything for her f**ked up family including becoming a prostitute herself to pay the bills, keep a roof over their head, bail her mother and brother from no end of problems and whatever is left to fund her university pot. Her school life is crap, her ex-best friend taking great delight in telling everyone how she earns her money, the school halls are constantly ringing with bullies vile diatribe and cruel pranks, she really does have an awful life, yet she is still such a beautiful person, inside and out.

“I have learned not to depend on anyone else for my well-being but myself.”

Knox…hmmm what can I say about him…he is definitely the man that you will hate to love, after all how could anyone love him? He is a hit man for the mob, but not a bullet to the head kind of guy, no he punishes and tortures in the most sadistic fashion. He has dark, base needs that need to be fulfilled and nothing satisfies these urges more than torture and we get it detailed in all its gory, blood curdling glory. However, I loved Knox and I cannot believe I am actually saying it, there was something about him…how did he get this way? What happened? He has definitely been hurt in the past, we do get to see little snippets of possible causes and I am sure more will come to light going forward but he is a dark and brooding enigma and someone I desperately want to know more about.

“You have this one fundamental flaw, Lacey. And that is your foolish need to control everything around you, when really, you are the one meant to be controlled, all you need is the proper hand to steer you. This inherent need you have for pain goes beautifully with my need to cause it.”

Katia is Knox’s step sister, she is the daughter of the mob boss but she has her own hidden agenda. It seems this woman will do anything and everything to get what she wants in life, she is evil personified. It would not surprise me if she actually does not have a heart, what keeps her alive is the pure evil running through her veins. She is a force to be reckoned with.

This book is told in all POV’s, so we get to hear from Lacey, Knox and Katia. Francette Phal has woven an extremely intricate and layered plot with all characters having their own agenda. As I said above this is dark, extremely dark, macabre and is more a psychological thriller with a very faint undertone of romance and at this moment it is extremely faint. It covers murder, torture, BDSM and is a total mind f**k, not so much in trying to understand what could be going on but in the fact that you are enjoying reading, despite the sick, lead feeling you have in your stomach. Francette Phal is quickly becoming the queen of dark, how she manages to dream up these Flawed characters is beyond me. It is sick, it is twisted, but like a moth to a flame I could not stop reading. It did get way out of my comfort zone in places but could I stop reading…NO!

I am not going to go into the plot at all, this is one of those reads that you need to decide if you are going to read or not and when you make that choice go in blind. Be prepared to be shocked, but more importantly be prepared to read a book that will take you on a journey, one that you have never been on before and will probably never want to go on again, yet despite the “stops” you won’t want to get off, but continue till the end of the line. I can’t wait for book 2, there is so much still to happen but I will put on my big girl panties, brace myself and dive right back in. Francette Phal, all I can say is how on earth are you still sane? I don’t want to know where the inspiration for this story came from but keep writing.

“It sickens me, this revolting mental state I have spiralled into and yet, given the chance to escape his labyrinth of iniquity, I would not take it.”
 
 
Buy Links:
 
 
 

About The Author:

Francette lives in Massachusetts with her amazingly supportive husband of ten years and her darling two year old son. Reading amazing books has led her to writing and she’s dabbled in fan-fiction before self-publishing her own works. She’s constantly thinking up new stories to write and does her best work when music is playing in the background. Romance is where she’s most comfortable but she hopes to one day venture in mystery novels. She has a weakness for coffee ice cream, tropical fruits and a good glass of wine.
 
 
Giveaway:
 
 

 
 

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Winners Announced ~ E.L. Montes weekend

The winners from our E.L. Montes weekend have been picked via random.org and the winners are announced below:
 
Saturday's Giveaway ~ An eset of Disastrous & Cautious
 
Melissa Crisp
 
Sunday's Giveaway ~ 2 ecopies of Perfectly Damaged
 
Kay Sharpe & Sara Sherman
 
Congratulations Winners! To claim your prize you have 48 hours to email us at theromancecover@gmail.com confirming the email address you wish the books to be gifted to.

Monday 24 November 2014

Cover Reveal ~ A Necessary Sin (The Sin Trilogy 1) by Georgia Cates


A Necessary Sin- Book 1 of The Sin Trilogy
Release Date: Dec 29
 

 Book Description:

Bleu MacAllister is consumed. A horrific childhood incident has caused every decision in her life to revolve around bringing a monster to justice. With years spent studying The Fellowship, an organized crime brotherhood of liars, thieves, and killers, Bleu will rely on her skills as a special agent to cut Thane Breckenridge off at the knees. But walking hand in hand with retribution means risking collateral damage, in the form of Breckenridge’s son Sinclair—until Sin becomes so much more than Bleu bargained for. She’s always known this undertaking would place her life in danger—she never imagined her heart would be as well.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20623830-a-necessary-sin


EXCLUSIVE LINK TO EXCERPT AND THE NEXT SIN COVER:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/11/20/love-in-suspense-vilma-gonzalez-georgia-cates/70012840/

 Next Books in the Series:

The Next Sin – Release Date – Feb 9th, 2015

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20623833-the-next-sin

One Last Sin – Release Date – March 23, 2015

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20623840-one-last-sin

About the Author:
 
Georgia resides in rural Mississippi with her wonderful husband, Jeff, and their two beautiful daughters. She spent fourteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before she decided to pursue her dream of becoming an author and hasn’t looked back yet.

When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing. When she’s being domestic, she’s listening to her iPod and visualizing scenes for her current work in progress. Every story coming from her always has a song to inspire it.

Representation: All questions regarding subsidiary rights for any of my books, inquiries regarding foreign translation and film rights should be directed to Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich.

Author Links:
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgia-Cates/213130102082500?ref=br_tf
NEWSLETTER: http://goo.gl/ILvz8L  
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/GeorgiaCates
WEBSITE: http://www.georgiacates.com/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5228869.Georgia_Cates
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Georgia-Cates/e/B005RQM69U/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1412959384&sr=8-2-ent

Sunday 23 November 2014

E.L Montes Weekend ~ Review of Perfectly Damaged with Giveaway! Plus Interview with E.L from May 2013

Today we are sharing with you again our review of E.L Montes' standalone, Perfectly Damaged. Don't forget to check out today's giveaway -  2 kindle copies of Perfectly Damaged

We will also reshare with you an interview we did with E.L in May 2013.

Perfectly Damaged

Book Description:

Schizoaffective disorder: a mental illness in which a person experiences a combination of mood disorder and schizophrenia symptoms.

 I know about this illness—very well—because I suffer from it. It’s been four years since my diagnosis, and ever since, I’ve been living in a dark hole. Voices constantly invading my thoughts. Hallucinations. All of which force me to question if what I’m experiencing is even reality.

But here I am, still hanging on, still breathing and living through it.

 That is, until he stumbled into my life. Logan Reed. I don’t want any part of him. I’ve pushed him away, but he isn’t easily deterred. I’ve told him I’m different, but he doesn’t care. He’s trying to slowly break me down. I’m trying just as hard not to let him. He doesn’t know how truly damaged I am; what will happen when he does?

 I know the truth—he’ll never be able to look at me the same way again. Just like everybody else.
 
 
Our Review:
 
Reviewed by Willow ~ 5 Stars (Written 12.05.13)

 "Everyone suffers from their own struggles, whether they're big or small. There's no such thing as having a flawless life."

Two things I absolutely love in books - something a little different from the norm and something we can all relate to in some way. This book has both. Yes we've all read books before where one of the main characters has issues, but I've not read a romance book where the main character has mental health issues and for me this book was more about this and the road to recovery than the romance. As for things we can all relate to, the line I quoted at the start is just one of many (I went highlighter crazy!) I think we will all relate to on some level - it's true, no matter how perfect someone's life appears to be, you never know what they are truly going through.

The book starts in true EL Montes style, with something that will keep you guessing what's happened. Jenna McDaniel has woken up from a nightmare and rushes to her sisters room, only to be met with what she expected, but hoped not to be true - it's empty. Brooke is no longer there. Through the book we learn that Brooke has died, however we are left guessing for sometime as to the how and why. Brooke's death has had a huge impact on Jenna as you can imagine and she is struggling with her grief:

"Grief never goes away. It haunts you, takes over your mind, body and soul. Before you know it, it has won."
 
But grief isn't all Jenna is going though. Jenna suffers from Schizoaffective disorder. She's depressed and suffers from hallucinations and occasionally voices in her head. This has lead her to be a closed person, she tries not to feel emotion, shutting herself off from the world.

 "Fear is one of my most battled emotions. Fear of the unknown, of never knowing where each step will lead..... It terrifies me."

 
Jenna's mum has decided to build a guest house and on the construction team is Logan Reed.
 
"A truck. Tats. And a cocky attitude."
 
I totally loved Logan and his cocky attitude and I loved the banter that they had. On their first meeting he helps Jenna out of a difficult situation which ends up with them kissing.  

 "He's a good kisser. He tastes like an apple-flavoured Jolly Rancher, which is usually the one flavour I ditch in the pack; after this it may become my favourite."

Sure, Jenna enjoyed it and she is attracted to Logan, but she knows it was just a one off , it can never be anymore, no one will ever want to get close to her when they know all about her. Logan on the other hand thinks a little different. He can't stop thinking about the kiss and wants a repeat performance. As they see each other more, they become friends, Logan wants more though and knows that Jenna is hiding something, if only he can just peel her layers.
 
Jenna has a real struggle here, she knows what people think of her when they find out about her illness. Will it make Logan run too?

"Jenna McDaniel, the girl with more issues than she can carry. No man will ever be able to handle them. Not even Logan Reed."
 
As I said before, yes this is a romance book, but it's more about a person suffering with mental illness and the struggles they go through, not only do we watch Jenna struggling with her feeling for Logan, trying to keep him away, but wanting him close, Thinking it's best for him not to know about her illness and the everyday struggles she faces, but we see her dealing with her mother who is a major trigger for her. Readers, make no mistake, this woman is a total bitch, the way she treats Jenna by not supporting, but actually contributing to triggering episodes for Jenna will have you seething. Luckily she does have a best friend on her side, Charlie. Charlie was actually Jenna's sister, Brooke's best friend, but knowing of Jenna's illness Charlie looks out for her and the two became friends. I totally love Charlie, she adds some humour to the book.
 
The book is told from alternating points of view between Jenna and Logan, which was great seeing not only what Jenna was going through, but how Logan perceived her behaviour and how he felt about it. There was one part of the book though where I would have liked to have seen what Logan was going through but alas, we just got Jenna's pov. I understand why the author chose to do this though ~ I'm just greedy!
 
I think EL did a fantastic job of portraying the darkness a person feels they have in them and the fear that people might find out and what they would think of them. Also what others around them might have to deal with. There are several things in this book that anyone suffering with, or is supporting someone with depression or other mental illness will relate to.
 
I do want to just share one of my favourite lines ~ there's hope for us all:
 
..everyone has issues and there's someone out there, regardless of what you may think, who can handle anything you're dealing with - because maybe that person needs you as much as you need them."
 
In summary this book has got the right balance of being a great romance book, that highlights mental illness' and the struggles that those suffering with or trying to support someone with an illness has to go through, without it being too heavy.

 "That's why I just live for today, and push for tomorrow."
 
Interview with E.L Montes (May 2013)
 
Lets find out a bit about you:
 
When you are not writing or working what do you enjoy doing?
*taps finger along desk* in the past year, I’ve done nothing but write and work. I started Disastrous on May 20, 2012. I feel as though I have no time for anything else. I use to read A LOT, and watch TV shows, as well as movies. SIGH. I’m taking a long month break to catch up on all of it. ;)

What is your favourite Movie at the moment?
My favorite movie of ALL time would have to be ‘Meet Joe Black’. I know right?! It’s the most dragged out movie, BUT every time it’s on I HAVE to watch it and I cry EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. LOL.

What is your favourite song at the moment?
Wow, I have so many! But at this very moment, I can’t stop playing ‘Blank Page’ by Christina Aguerlia. It’s helping with my thought process on ideas for my standalone ‘Perfectly Damaged’

Who is your favourite book boyfriend? (Apart from Marcus of course!)
Gideon CROSS! That was easy, pfft.

If you could have only one book whilst stranded on a desert Island, what would it be?
Crossfire series. :-D Again, had to pick Gideon freaking Cross!

Lets talk about your writing:

What inspired you to write your first book? 
*huge sigh* I was working on another story (which is terrible by the way) when I came up with the idea for Marcus and Mia’s story. These two characters wouldn’t leave me alone! They poked and poked at my head until I was forced to sit down in front of the computer and write.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Duh! Sylvia Day. I love her writing. I love how she can pull you into a story and fall in love with not only the main characters yet the supporting characters as well. Not to mention her steamy sex scenes and she can whip up a mighty fine Alpha male. Mmmmhuh!

What do you do when you come down with a case of the infamous ʺwriterʹs blockʺ?
I don’t think I ever had “writer’s block.” There were times while writing I felt stuck for a very short period of time, but I just step away from the computer, walked around my kitchen, stretched my legs, basically, just focused on anything else, and then it would hit me and I’d be back on the computer in no time. The longest I was stuck for, may have been a couple of hours.

Do you listen to music when you write? If so what is the song you most associate with Disastrous? Which one for Cautious?
I can’t write without music. It’s like a drug! Weird thing, when I’m surrounded by noise I can’t concentrate, but I can have music blasted in my ears and type away. Interesting.
I have a Spotify Disastrous and Cautious Playlist here’s the link: Disastrous& Cautious  Playlist  but if I had to choose ONE song for each book: with Disastrous I played non-stop ‘He won’t go’ by Adele. And with Cautious I played non-stop ‘Without You’ by Breaking Benjamin.
In Cautious since it was written in both POV’s, with Marcus’ POV I had to write it with all Breaking Benjamin’s music. I don’t know why! It was something about their music that allowed me to connect with Marcus. They’re an awesome band and my top favorite! You should check them out.
 
Focus on your books in general:
What is your inspiration behind Marcus and Mia's Characters? Are there famous people in your head that you see as Marcus and Mia?  Hmmm… LOL this is hard for me to say, because a lot of readers picture Marcus and Mia in their head a certain way. For me, I haven’t found the Marcus as far as anyone famous. As for Mia? Well every time I see, Jennifer Lawrence, on TV or a magazine I can definitely see her as Mia.
Did you do any research into the mafia or that type of underground criminal activity and did your career as a paralegal play a part in that?
For Disastrous I didn’t do any research. I just went with it. For Cautious I did watch a couple of documentaries, but that was about it. I did work for three years as a Paralegal for a Criminal Defense attorney, but we never dealt with criminal activity involving the mafia.

Your prologue's are amazing at sucking the reader right in and keeping them guessing half way through the book. Do you write the prologue first, or do you write the book first and add the prologue later?
When I wrote Disastrous, the first scene I wrote was the prologue, same as with Cautious. I’m not sure why I write like that. I have to write in order: Prologue, Chapter One, So on, Epilogue. I can’t mix it up. But when I thought of Disastrous the one scene that I focused on was the prologue scene I wrote it, not knowing at the time what Mia would find out, how she would get blood on her silk gown, etc. Everything just flowed as I wrote and blended together.

Focus on Cautious:

What was the hardest part of writing this book?
For Cautious the hardest part was the prologue. It was difficult for me to write in a way to keep the reader’s guessing who’s POV it was, without writing “he/she” or keeping it neutral where it didn’t sound too much like Mia or too my much like Marcus. SIGH. I rewrote it several times. I hope it worked.

What was your favourite chapter (or part) to write and why?
For Cautious it was Marcus’ “dream scene” when he and Mia went away. I wanted to write a scene that showed just how broken and tortured his life was. As well as his inner demons that he battled with on a daily basis, without making him weak, if that makes sense? I hope it worked!

What do you think readers will like most about this book?
I think they’ll appreciate the alternating POV’s and being able to feel and know Marcus’ thoughts.

Is this the end of Marcus and Mia's story?
Yes, this is the end of their story. Though, you will meet with them again in Jimmie’s story which is titled ‘Fighting to Stand’ scheduled to be released Fall 2013/Spring 2014.

Future Projects:

Let’s talk about future projects, what have you got lined up for the future?
 
So far, I have ‘Perfectly Damaged’ which I’m really excited in writing! This is a standalone with a set of new characters. The main two characters are Jenna McDaniel and Josh Lewis. This is going to be one of those ‘WTF-I can’t believe that happened – rollercoaster of emotional – yet meaningful, read!’ Well at least I hope I can deliver it as that. These two characters are so different from Marcus and Mia, yet I feel I have a stronger connection with them, and that says a lot because I had a very STRONG connection with Marcus and Mia. LOL.

‘Fighting to Stand’ is Jimmie DeLuca’s story. I wasn’t going to continue with the Disastrous series, but while writing Cautious, I felt a pull towards Jimmie. I think it was because I spent more time in Marcus’ head and I was able to connect with Jimmie more as Marcus did, and I knew the more I wrote Cautious that Jimmie needed his HEA as well. I hope I can deliver.

And now, before you go, how about a snippet from Cautious?:


 Here’s a snippet of Cautious in Mia’s POV.
Sniffing back, I couldn’t keep the hot tears from streaming down my face. His expression broke at my words. “What do you want from me? What else can I give you?”

He leaned into me and stared down. We were so close I could feel the heat from his body against mine. With his unsteady breathing, his tortured eyes danced along my face. For a moment, it looked as if he was going to crack, but then he contained himself, took in one deep breath, and shut his eyes. “I need you to trust me when I say it’s important for you to grab Megan and go home.” His eyelids opened, and my heart swelled in pain at his words. He reached up and grazed my cheek with the back of his fingers. I was beyond angry. He was pushing me away when he should’ve been able to confide in me. Before the warmth of his touch seeped through my skin, I tore my face away and stepped back again.

“Mia.” He tenderly whispered.

“Whatever you say, Marcus. I’ll just go home with Megan and sit around and wait for whenever I get to have my Marcus back. Because the one in front me at this very moment . . . I have no idea who he is. I want my Marcus: the loving, caring, and passionate one.” His face was broken, but I needed to say how I felt. “Let me know when he’s back.”

With my back turned to him, I stormed out the door, dragged a highly intoxicated Megan off the dance floor, and grabbed a cab.

Something deep down within me knew that Marcus was involved in something deeper than he had disclosed. It left me nervous and unsettled. Guilt began to seep through me as I thought of the way we had left things. I should have kissed him and held him tightly against me. My deepest regret that night was that I didn’t pull him in and hold him, even if it was just for a few seconds.
 
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us E.L.