Review: Thunder by Bonnie S. Calhoun

Thunder (Stone Braide Chronicles #1)
by Bonnie S. Calhoun

Genre: Adventure, Dystopia, Fantasy, Young Adult
Publication: September 30th, 2014
Format: ebook, 432 pages
Source: Netgalley
Connect: Facebook | Twitter

In post-apocalyptic America, Selah Chavez is crouched in long grass on a shore littered with the rusted metal remnants of a once-great city. It is the day before her eighteenth Born Remembrance, and she is hunting, though many people refuse to eat animal flesh, tainted by radiation during the Time of Sorrows. What Selah's really after are Landers, mysterious people from a land across the big water who survive the delirium-inducing passage in small boats that occasionally crash against the shoreline. She knows she should leave the capture to the men, but Landers bring a good price from the Company and are especially prized if they keep the markings they arrive with.

Everything falls to pieces when the Lander Selah catches is stolen by her brothers--and Selah wakes up the next morning to find the Lander's distinctive mark has suddenly appeared on her own flesh. Once the hunter, Selah is now one of the hunted, and she knows only one person who can help her--Bohdi Locke, the Lander her brothers hope to sell.

With evocative descriptions of a strange new world that combines elements of scientific advances, political intrigue, and wilderness survival, Bonnie S. Calhoun weaves a captivating tale of a world more like our own than we may want to admit.

On the day before her eighteenth Born Remembrance, Selah Chavez went hunting and found a Lander. She captured the Lander for money, but her capture was stolen by her brothers. When Selah woke up the next morning, she saw the Lander’s mark on her, forcing her mother to tell her the truth about who she really was. Now, Selah must run from her former life, if she wanted to live. And the person who can help her was Bodhi, the Lander she had caught.

I thought that Thunder by Bonnie S. Calhoun had a promising start. I do like the idea of the book. The plot sounds good. And Selah can be a good character, even though she can be childish at times. But the story was a bit too slow and too long to my likings. The plot was a bit messy. It was a bit confusing at times and I was not sure what was going on. I have to reread a few scenes a few times to understand what was going on. There was supposed to be a bit of romance between Selah and Bodhi, but I thought that the romance was going on too fast. There wasn’t much attraction between them, except for physical attraction. It was kinda disappointing, but, I’m sure that the book could have been better with more editing.

I received the copy of the book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Poison Study (Study #1)
by Maria V. Snyder

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Publication: November, 2007 by Mira Books
Format: ebook, 284 pages
Source: Own
Connect: Website | Blog | Facebook

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooma in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

I’ve previously read Storm Glass, and wanted to read the Study series before I continue with the next book. I instantly fell in love with the poison study, and I didn't want to put down. I loved it. This book was brilliant.

Yelena was to be executed for murder. She was offered to be a food tester for the Commander of Ixia or face her punishment. The chief of security, Valek fed her with a poison called, Butterfly Dust, so that Yelena cannot run. To survive, Yelena must take her daily antidote, or die from the poison.

I love Yelena. She’s a kick ass heroine. It was interesting to see how Yelena tried to stay alive in Ixia since there are a few people who wanted her dead. The other supporting characters made the story much more interesting. The chemistry between Yelena and the other characters was awesome. I fell in love with the characters and I just can’t get enough of them.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting. The plot was absolutely amazing. There was a bit of romance in the book that turned my fangirl switch on. I thoroughly enjoyed the book that I immediately purchased the next book of the series to find out what was going to happen to Yelena and the others. I highly recommend this book! 

On Tour: Crisis of Serenity by Denise Moncrief - Review + Giveaway

Denise Moncrief is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours with her book, Crisis of Serenity. Please visit her page for more blog stops and a chance to win $25 Amazon Gift Card.

Crisis of Serenity (Crisis #2)
by Denise Moncrief

Genre: Romance, Suspense

Publication: July 2014

Format: ebook

Source: ARC, CLP Blog Tours

Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon

Tess Copeland lives a quiet life in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Thanks to the government’s witness protection program, she enjoys the freedom of never having to glance over her shoulder to see if someone is following her. Life has become safe, serene...and boring. Her heart longs for something more than just existing...until a ghost from her past shatters her serenity.

Once upon a time, Tess was caught between the FBI and the men the feds were trying to take down. Jake Coleman is the U.S. Marshal who extracted her from the jam she was in with the FBI, a man she could have fallen for...hard...if she had let herself. It’s been a year since she last saw Jake, and in all the months that have passed, he’s never tried to find her. The longer he keeps his distance, the more she wonders why his absence hurts so much.

When a stranger comes to town searching for her, all of Tess’ old fears are resurrected. Asking Jake for help with her current crisis might lure him into a dangerous trap involving murder, kidnapping, and revenge. When Jake and Tess come face-to-face with the past, they will have to use all their wits to survive.

I received a copy of  Crisis of Serenity by Denise Moncrief from the author/CLP Blog Tours as part of the book tour.

I didn’t expect that I would like this book so much, but I did. Tess Copeland was in the witness protection program and she was living in a quiet life in Gaitlinburg. One day, Tess found out that someone was searching for her. When Tess found out that her niece was kidnapped from her daycare, Tess had to ask for help from Jake, the U.S. Marshal who extracted her from the jam she was in with the FBI.

I haven’t read the first book of the series yet, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying this book. The writing was really easy to get into and the story line was very exciting. I couldn’t stop reading the book and find out what will happen to Tess. Tess was a likeable heroine. She’s smart, brave and sassy. I love how she handled herself and the situation around her. The other characters made the book more exciting.  I enjoyed the romance between Tess and Jake. It was interesting to see how their relationship grew.

This book was worth reading. It had an interesting plot, packed with suspense,  a bit of humor, drama and a few twists. I look forward to read the other work from Denise Moncrief. 

Author Bio:

Want to know a little bit more about Denise? She's a Southern girl who has lived in Louisiana all her life, and yes, she has a drawl. She has a wonderful husband and two incredible children, who not only endure her writing moods, but also encourage her to indulge her writing passion. Besides writing romantic suspense, she enjoys traveling, reading, and scrapbooking.

Accounting is a skill she has learned to earn a little money to support her writing habit. She wrote her first story when she was a teen, seventeen handwritten pages on school-ruled paper and an obvious rip-off of the last romance novel she had read. She's been writing off and on ever since, and with more than a few full-length manuscripts already completed, she has no desire to slow down.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: All the Single Ladies by Jane Costello

All the Single Ladies
by Jane Costello

Genre: Chick Lit, Humor, Romance
Publication: July 2012
Format: Paperback, 496 pages
Source: Own
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Samantha Brooks’ boyfriend has made a mistake – one everyone knows he’ll live to regret. Jamie, the love of her life, has announced he’s leaving, out of the blue. Jamie is gorgeous, loving, intelligent and perfect for Sam in every way but one – he’s a free spirit. And after six years in one place, doing a job he hates, he is compelled to do something that will destroy his relationship with Sam: book a one way flight to South America. Only Sam isn’t giving up without a fight. With Jamie clearly still in love with her, she hatches a plan to make him realise what he’s giving up. A plan that involves dirty tricks, plotting and a single aim – to win him back. Only, by the time the tortured Jamie finally wakes up to what he’s lost, a gorgeous new pretender has entered Sam’s life. Which begs the question . . . will she still want him back?

Samantha Brooks had recently broke up with her boyfriend, Jamie. And Sam knew that he was making a big mistake—to book a one way flight to South America—when clearly, he was still in love with her. So, she made a plan. Sam pretended that she was doing okay without Jamie, and that her life was moving on without him. She tried to make  him jealous, but Jamie can’t seem to make up his mind. But when Sam met this gorgeous guy, she wasn’t sure if she wants Jamie back.

I love Jane Costello’s books. Her writing was very easy to get into and her characters are very likeable and relatable from the beginning. I love Sam. She’s funny and easy going. Although, there are times when I got frustrated at what she was doing. The secondary characters were very likeable and their stories made the book a lot more fun. All the Single Ladies was a very good read. It was a light read with lots of laugh out loud moments. I would definitely recommend this book to chick lit lover.

Review: Confessions of a Paris Potty Trainer by Vicki Lesage

Confessions of a Paris Potty Trainer
by Vicki Lesage

Genre: Autobiography, Chick Lit, Humor
Publication: January 2014
Format: kindle
Source: ARC
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Diapers, tantrums, and French bureaucracy - the crazy life of an American mom in Paris.

Former party girl Vicki trades wine bottles for baby bottles, as this sassy mommy of two navigates the beautiful, yet infuriating, city of Paris.

How does she steer a stroller around piles of dog poop? Or find time for French administration between breastfeeding and business meetings? And will she ever lose the baby weight with croissants staring at her from every street corner?

This hilarious memoir will have you laughing, crying, and wiping up drool right alongside Vicki as she and her ever-patient French husband raise two children in the City of Light.

I enjoyed Vicki Lesage's first book, Confessions of a Paris Party Girl, and was excited to receive another memoir from her. Vicki is an American, living in Paris with her French husband. The book was about Vicki’s pregnancy and her the experience in Paris.

Confessions of a Paris Potty Trainer were as hilarious as the first book. But I enjoyed this book more than the first one, probably because there are less partying. I love Vicki’s voice. She’s funny and she can be a little mad, which is a good thing, because she made me laughed so much. I just couldn’t put down the book. It was interesting to see Vicki would compare the culture of American and French. My favorite part of the book the apartment hunting. Now, I’m really curious to see how the apartments in Paris!

This book is highly entertaining. There wouldn’t be a single moment where you would find the book, boring. I definitely recommend this book (and the previous one) and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

I received a copy of this book from the author to provide an honest review.

Review: Rain by Amanda Sun

Rain (Paper Gods #2)
by Amanda Sun

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Publication: June 24th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 304 pages
Source: Own
Author:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

American Katie Green has decided to stay in Japan. She's started to build a life in the city of Shizuoka, and she can't imagine leaving behind her friends, her aunt and especially Tomohiro, the guy she's fallen in love with. But her return is not as simple as she thought. She's flunking out of Japanese school and committing cultural faux pas wherever she goes. Tomohiro is also struggling—as a Kami, his connection to the ancient gods of Japan and his power to bring drawings to life have begun to spiral out of control.

When Tomo decides to stop drawing, the ink finds other ways to seep into his life—blackouts, threatening messages and the appearance of unexplained sketches. Unsure how to help Tomo, Katie turns to an unexpected source for help—Jun, her former friend and a Kami with an agenda of his own. But is Jun really the ally he claims to be? In order to save themselves, Katie and Tomohiro must unravel the truth about Tomo's dark ancestry, as well as Katie's, and confront one of the darkest gods in Japanese legend.

I love, love, love the cover! It's beautiful! 

Rain is the second book from Paper Gods series. I love the first book, Ink. It was a fun read featuring Japanese culture and mythology. I love the relationship between Katie and Tomo, which sounded a bit like the romance in shoujo manga. 

I think Rain was a bit different than Ink, but it was still as interesting. I love how Katie and Tomo’s relationship grew in Ink. But learning about more mythology, the gods and the power in Rain interest me more. Amanda Sun made the Ink world sound fascinating, yet, very dangerous. I enjoyed watching how Tomo learned to control the ink and how Katie finally discovered her connection with the ink.

What I like about the book was the balance between the Ink world, the romance and Katie’s life in Japan. I love that the writer wrote how Katie struggled to keep up with her study, and learning kanji. At least I know that Katie wasn’t miraculously smart in school. The supporting characters in the book made the book more interesting. I love Katie’s aunt, and Katie’s friend, Yuki and Tanaka. I wish there were more of them.

I just cannot wait to see what will happen to Katie and Tomo on the next book. If you enjoyed Japanese culture and mythology, you will love this book.

Review: Love, Lies and Lemon Cake by Sue Watson

Love, Lies and Lemon Cake
by Sue Watson

Genre: Chick Lit, Romance
Publication: June 2014
Format: Kindle
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon

Love, Lies and Lemon Cake is a hilarious, bittersweet comedy about taking your life back before it’s too late.

Faye Dobson has lost her sparkle. Living on film star fantasies and vague memories of a marriage that once was, she can’t help feeling that life is passing her by. She dreams of being whisked to Paris for dinner, making three wishes at the Trevi fountain and having sex under the stars. But the wrinkles are multiplying, her husband’s passion is for plumbing, and the nearest she’ll get to Rome is a take-away pizza.

So when Faye meets Dan the gorgeous Australian surfer guy working in the local deli she can’t help but wonder what it would be like to see the world. He is blonde, tanned, ten years younger and bakes the most amazing lemon cake. Unlike her husband Dan actually listens to Faye, his smile makes her feel fizzy inside, and when he smiles... Oh. My. God.

But is Faye being silly? What would Dan see in someone like her? Even if he did have feelings for her, could she give up everything to be with him?

Faye Dobson, a forty something years old, was struggling with her marriage. She and her husband live in the same house, but they haven’t had a conversation for a long time. When her marriage comes to an end, Faye decided to live the life she always wanted. She met Dan, a handsome Australian surfer at the local deli. He’s funny, hot, and he listened when she talks. Faye likes him, and Dan seemed to like her too. But he’s way younger than her.

The book was targeted to the more mature age, but I found that this book was an easy read. I love the setting, and the characters. I enjoyed Faye’s journey to change her life to be what she always wanted and how she found her confidence back. The romance between Faye and Dan was very fun. Faye made me laugh when she just can’t stop talking whenever she was nervous around Dan. There were a few twists at the end, which I totally did not expect, but it made the story more enjoyable and romantic. I would recommend this book.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

On Tour: Dangled Carat by Hilary Grossman - Review + Giveaway (US)

Hilary Grossman is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours with her book, Dangled Carat. Please visit her page for more blog stops.

Dangled Carat
by Hilary Grossman

Genre: Autobiography, Chick Lit, Romance
Publication: September 2013
Format: ebooks
Source: ARC, CLP Blog Tours
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

For every girl who wondered if she should love him or dump him.....

For every girl who listened to her heart instead of her friends advice....

For every girl who l wondered if she was wasting her time dating that guy....

meet Hilary....

She had gotten used to dating the commitment-phobic Marc, thirteen years her senior. They had a great relationship--why rush into things? She saw no need to pressure him for marriage, believing that when the time was right, he would propose. But after they had been together for four years, their friends decided to take matters into their own hands, pushing Marc to propose and making Hilary realize how much she really did want to marry the man that she loved. Unfortunately, Marc still wasn't ready--and their friends' meddling in the form of a faux engagement party led to a disastrous New Year's Eve that brought their relationship to an inevitable turning point.

For anyone who has ever dated a commitment-phobe, who has found their patience wearing thin with the one they love, or who has sat around wondering if he is ever going to pop the question while trying to remain the very picture of patience and grace, Hilary's humorous and honest story will hit home.

I received a copy of  Dangled Carat by Hilary Grossman from the author/CLP Blog Tours as part of the book tour.

Hillary was dating Marc, and he’s an anti-commitment from he beginning of their relationship. After years of dating, Hillary’s patience thinning out. She wants more with Marc, from Marc.  And Marc knew what Hillary felt. But he just can’t rush into things. 

As a woman, I’m not sure how Hillary can be so patiently, waiting for Marc to come around. It must have been so frustrating for her. But I’m glad that she waited. And I absolutely adored her patience.

Hillary’s and Marc’s friends and family added a bit of a chaos to the couple’s life. It was fun to see how they were interfering with the couple’s life. They all wanted to see both Hillary and Marc together, happy.

Dangled Carat is definitely one of the memoir/autobiography that I enjoyed. The writing was brilliant. It didn’t make me feel like I was reading a memoir. I just can’t put it down. It was fun, easy and romantic. The writing styles almost make me think that I wasn’t reading a memoir. I enjoyed watching how Hillary and Marc’s relationship grown. I would definitely recommend this book. 

Author Bio:

Hilary Grossman dated a guy so commitment-phobic that she was able to write a book about their relationship. She has an unhealthy addiction to denim and shoes. She loves to find humor in every day life. And she likens life to a game of dodgeball - she tries to keep many balls in the air before they smack her in the face. When she isn't writing or blogging she is the CFO of a beverage alcohol importer. She lives on Long Island.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An Unsuitable Match by Sasha Cottman

An Unsuitable Match
by Sasha Cottman

Genre: Historical Romance, Adult
Publication: September 2014
Format: ebooks
Source: NetGalley
Connect: Website | Twitter | Facebook

The Favourite Heiress…

Once engaged to the future Duke of Strathmore, the beautiful Lady Clarice Langham now finds herself in the humiliating position of celebrating his marriage – to another woman. As a result of the scandal, it seems her reign as London's most eligible debutante has come to an end. But things begin to look up when handsome and charming rake David Radley makes it clear that, at least as far as he's concerned, she's still the catch of the season.

The Illegitimate Son…

The eldest son of the Duke of Strathmore, David Radley has been raised alongside his father's legitimate children. But while he is generally received as part of the family, not everyone thinks he should be, and especially not Clarice's father, the Earl of Langham, who forbids her from having anything to do with him.

An Unsuitable Match…

David's been in love with Clarice for years, and it isn't long before the attraction between them develops into something deeper. Yet he senses Clarice is hiding something and until she reveals her secret, she won't be free to follow her heart. Despite everything, David will not give up on Clarice, not even when another seems set to claim her…

I don’t always read historical romance, but An Unsuitable Match by Sasha Cottman is definitely an enjoyable read. Clarice Langham and David Radley make a really good pair. The secondary characters, Lucy, Milly and Clarice, grandmother, Lady Alice made the story much more fun. I love how Lucy always finds her way to play as a matchmaker for Clarice and David. And I love the relationship between Clarice and her grandmother. The relationship between Clarice and David was beautifully written. I’m glad that there wasn’t too much steamy scene in the book. An Unsuitable Match by Sasha Cottman was definitely one of my favorite historical romance. It has got some humor, scandal and a lot of romance. I think I’ll be checking out the other books from Sasha Cottman.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.