LIEBSTER AWARD

Today I received the Liebster Award from Tana Rae Reads. Thank You!

Tana has an awesome blog. Check it our along with her great reviews: the link is http://tana-someofmyfavoritebooks.blogspot.com/


So, as per rules for this award (copied from Tana):

In accepting the Liebster Blog Award, the recipient agrees to:

· Thank the person who gave them the award and link back to that person's blog

· Copy and paste the award to their blog

· Reveal the 5 blogs they have chosen to award, commenting on their blog to break the news!

· Hope those people in turn pay it forward by accepting and awarding "The Liebster Blog Award" to bloggers they would like to honour.


My chosen blogs are:

· Kay - http://k-booksxo.blogspot.com/

· Ananda - http://books-to-remember.blogspot.com/

· Maghon - http://magluvsya03.wordpress.com/

· Nicole - http://sharearead.com/?cat=6

· Oh Paper Pages - http://www.ohpaperpages.blogspot.com/

Another amazing blog is Karla's @ http://karlacc-bookaddict.blogspot.com/. I would have given her the award but she has already received it.

I have chosen these blogs because these girls do fantastic jobs of writing great reviews. They've helped me find books I wouldn't have read. They are also active on goodreads and welcome everyone. They are always friendly and they are all just overall a great bunch of people.

Hushed by Kelley York

Hushed by Kelley York

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is an adult paranomal thiller.

Book Summary

He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.(less)

My Review

Right off the bat, I want to say thanks to the publisher and the Fantasy & YA Addicted group on Goodreads.com for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow, this is probably one the top five books I’ve read this year.

Amazing can’t describe. I was captivated by the first words and it never stopped until my stunned silence at the end.

Archer is probably the most flawed characters I’ve ever read about, almost to the point of being non-redeemable. However, the book was still that good. I can’t think of words to describe the story without giving too much away, but there is m/m romance (no sex scenes). I of course was hoping that things would work out with Vivian, but I’m a girl and wanted to love Archer. But Evan was great, fabulous even and a better choice for him.

I probably will have more to say later, but I’m still reeling over the ending of the book. I wonder if this is a standalone book or if the story will continue????

I highly recommend this book!


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Pulled Long by Christine d'Abo

Pulled Long by Christine d'Abo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This novel is for mature audiences and features m/m romance.

Book Summary

For months, coffee shop owner Ian Long has fantasized about a customer he knows only as "Blue Eyes." Until he learns Blue Eyes is in the midst of a divorce—the last thing Ian wants is to be the rebound experiment of a straight guy. Giving in to lust, he invites the man into the cafe after hours and they indulge in a little exhibitionist play, but Ian is unwilling to get involved.

But when he’s forced to see Jeff again to return his briefcase, Ian finally agrees to go out on a date. Dinner quickly becomes an erotic encounter in a special room at the sex club Mavericks, and Ian realizes Jeff satisfies desires he didn’t even know he had. The more he gets to know Jeff as a person, the harder it is to resist falling for him.

Jeff makes it clear he’s interested in more than just sex. He wants to go public with their relationship in more ways than one. But can Ian open his heart, when he fears it will be broken?

My Review

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

This book for me was the best in the series. The first two dealt with Ian's sister and their romance. Now up is Ian. He finally found love and I was totally excited for him. It’s no secret that his love was blue eyes. Blue Eyes finally revealed his name in this one and also that he was bi-sexual. That only made poor Ian cringe because he had a bad experience with a man who couldn’t admit he was gay or bi-sexual.

The story took us on adventure after adventure. We even get to met Blue Eyes ex. It was a hot and thriller tale. For those who like m/m romance, this is a must read. But even if you don’t, it’s the ending to a series and you should try it out.

I gave it five stars because it was better than the other two which I gave four. It was more like 4.5, but who’s counting. LoL!

Great read! I recommend for adults as this book contains graphic love scenes. It’s a must for those who enjoy m/m romance.


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Her Dark Knight by Sharon Cullen

Her Dark Knight by Sharon Cullen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I not sure how to classify this book. But it is adult romance with hints of other genres such as historical and paranormal.

Book Summary
Madelaine Alexander is on a mission. When her boss sends her to the hottest nightclub in town to meet with the owner, she won't be deterred, even if that means standing in line for fifty-eight minutes in torturous heels while she'd rather be home in her pj's with a bowl of popcorn.
A Knight of the Templar, Christien Chevalier was given immortality along with the responsibility of protecting the treasure of the Templars. He's been unwavering in his task for centuries until his one true love—who died seven hundred years ago—shows up in his club, demanding his attention.

Christien couldn't protect Madelaine when they first fell in love. She was married to a lord and he was simply a knight. Now, through some unknown miracle, she stands before him again and they have a second chance. But Christien fears that Madelaine is being used as a pawn in a dangerous game, a game of good versus evil that could affect all of mankind...

My Review
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

From the first page, I was holding my breath for the knight, wanting to know his fate. We are transported back in time to the fourteenth century wanting to know why the man was in the situation he found himself in.

I don’t normally read historical romance novels. This novel however is not specifically from the historical prospective. Something not a lot of writers can do well, this author weaves a tale from the past to the present effortlessly. I was caught waiting for the story to collide from the past to present. How can the fourteenth century and present collide? I will let you read the story to find out.

What I will say is this. Christien is not the normal bad boy type. But there is something compelling about him with the weight of the world on his shoulders and his need to be a warrior, you almost forget he’s not that bad boy. I fell hard for the man as I know most readers will. He’s that perfect mix of danger and sweet that make for an excellent read.

Although you might think in the beginning that this story is predictable, in the end it won’t be. The plot takes turns I never thought of. And of course that’s always good. Christien and Madeline will have to go to hell and back if they want to find their happy ending. I have to wonder though, is this just the beginning?

I truly recommend to romance, historical romance, and paranormal romance lovers alike. There are adult explicit situations in this story, so mature audiences only.


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V is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone #22) by Sue Grafton

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is a mystery and suspense novel for adults.

Book Summary
The new Kinsey Millhone novel from the #1 New York Times- bestselling author.

Kinsey on Kinsey: "I know there are people who believe you should forgive and forget. For the record, I'd like to say I'm a big fan of forgiveness as long as I'm given the opportunity to get even first."
-from V is for Vengeance

A woman with a murky past who kills herself-or was it murder? A dying old man cared for by the son he pummeled mercilessly. A lovely woman whose life is about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A professional shoplifting ring racking up millions in stolen goods. A brutal and unscrupulous gangster. A wandering husband, rich and powerful. A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt thinking he can beat the system. A lonely widower mourning the death of his lover, desperate for answers that may be worse than the pain of his loss. An elegant but ruthless businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the spider at the center of the web.

And Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth-birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose.

V: Victim. Violence. Vengeance.

My Review
Sometimes you appreciate something more when you have to wait for it. Sue Grafton’s latest novel, two years in the making is nothing short of brilliant. She is one of the queen’s of suspense, mystery and thrillers.

Sue’s series is dubbed the Alphabet series as she began with the letter A. We are currently at V for Vengeance which was released at the midpoint of November. The last book U was released in 2009. Yes, she writes in two year intervals. But let me tell you there is something to be said for taking your time. There are no plot holes. The characters are well developed and fleshed out. The conversation is believable. She is a master of her craft and her books should be savored. This series is written at the point of the late eighties which is probably the year the series began. But Sue continues as if we are still there.

This series is about Kinsey Millhone, a private detective and former cop. Kinsey world is rich with wonderful characters that she comes across in her everyday life as a PI. There is not much romance at least not for Kinsey in this book. I’d hoped maybe something might happen with Chaney, but alas no. Still there was some for some of the minor characters. But in the end, this is not a romance novel. It is a mystery novel and excels just as it should for that genre.

If you haven’t read any books in the series, you could conceivably read this one with no problem. Each story is a mystery within itself. But there is something to be said about reading a series from the beginning in order. So if you have the time, I say start with A for Alibi. It will be another two years before the next book “W” for ??? comes out. Ugh! Although I wish it would come out sooner, I think the wait will make the book sweeter.

I highly recommend for suspense and mystery lovers.


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My Top Ten Book Boyfriend list of 2012 thus far!

I don’t think I can accurately decide the actual rankings among these books I’ve read this year. They are all very good in their own right for their own reasons. Additionally, the timing is vast between when I read these books and the one that is most fresh in my mind always seems the best. So I will just say these are the ten must read books/series. I’m including series as one because I want to include more books.

Let’s start with my top three heroines from Vampire Academy, Divergent, and the Hunger Games.

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I want to begin with Rose because I think she is the top “girl” lead I’ve ever read. Why did I choose Rose over Katiness and Tris? It is because Rose is more “real” than the other two despite that she is the only one in a paranormal romance. Rose although tough and capable, is a girl. She has desires for male attention and the one I can relate to more. From the beginning Rose has been selfless making tough decisions but always having everyone’s best interest at heart. Rose was born a leader and always acted like one. But she always showed vulnerability when it came to love and relationships.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my book boyfriends from this series. Dimitri and Adrian, wow! What’s not to love about either other them. Dimitri is the guy we shouldn’t date if we are Rose because he is our instructor and legal when we are not. But his passion and sexiness drive us insane. Adrian is the fun loving guy who doesn’t believe in himself. He is vulnerable and we want to save him from himself. But at the end of the day, Rose needs someone strong to balance her out and handle her in ways Adrian cannot. So the best decision is made with Dimitri at her sides. I can’t wait for the next Bloodlines book to see if Adrian will fight for what he cannot let go.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Tris is my number two girl. What makes her number two instead of number one? Tris didn’t begin to think out of the box until the opportunity presented itself. She conformed until at sixteen and the “choosing” approach. Additionally, Tris was not a born leader until faced with no other options. She continually questioned herself about what was right/wrong. Her fighting against the “bad” guys only came when her family and friends were threatened. She is also not selfless which she admits as much. But her journey is not over like the other two series, so who knows how much more she will evolve. Tris was also initially uncomfortable with relationships. Therefore, she wasn’t as relatable to me.

Obviously, Four/Tobias is the guy. Al was never in contention. Tobias is strong and can help Tris to become the leader she is destined to be. Hopefully he can convince Tris that she is pretty and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. She will not grow until she learns to love herself a bit more.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




Katiness is my number three girl. I must say, I don’t like Katiness very much. She is cold and unfeeling which has a lot to do with her circumstances. I didn’t much like her choices. She was definitely selfless, but she lacked emotions. I just couldn’t relate to that. She never allowed herself to feel. In fact, I think in the end, she only went with her option not so much that she loved the guy more but that he was the only one who showed up. Also, I think it was her best option despite I was on the other team. The other guy was too similar to her in a lot of ways. She needed someone else to balance herself out. But I never felt Katiness feel. She was always just doing the right thing. I think she would have done well in Tris’s home faction. I still loved the series though.

Gale and Peeta have very different qualities. Gale is strong and handsome. He will fight for us physically and loves us desperately. Peeta however will also fight for us but in different ways. He’s always loved us. His quiet nature compliments are strong one. He is the best choice.

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



My top book boyfriend of all time would be Barrons. The Fever series is nothing short of great. The characters are rich and Barrons is the mysterious strong guys that we all want to protect us and love us with such ferocity. Barrons is right for Mac who although has evolved to be a fighter still needs protection. You have to read this series to appreciate. Well worth it.


Hushed by Kelley York

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



What can I say about Hushed other than the book took me by surprise. The guy is irredeemable yet we grow to love him nonetheless. Despite my apprehension to his flaws I find myself putting him on my top ten book boyfriend list.

Who wouldn’t love Evan? He will stand by us and be there through thick and thin unconditionally. Who wouldn’t want a man like that?


Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Georgina Kincaid made a bad decision and made another to overcome the first. Despite being a succubus and leading men to the dark side to corrupt their souls, we love her. She is not typically strong but her values are high and she constantly tests the limits of who she is to save the day.

Seth and Roman are very different male leads. Roman is the strong guy who will love you with a fighting sprirt. He love hard and fast and we love him. Seth is quiet at heart and sometimes a little soft, but he steps up when it counts the most. Georgina chooses right here and this is the best ending to a series I’ve ever read.


The next two books/series Shade and Beg for Mercy are different romance/paranormal romance books that I’ve ever read. The relationships are real in every way. There is no true love and no soul mates. The female and male leads are flawed and make bad decisions at times. They are in realistic situations in an unrealistic world only by nature because it is paranormal. The plot twists are not predictable and had me cringing at times. But I loved every second of the ride.

Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Logan and Zachery are both to die for in the Shade series. But this is no typical love triangle. And how could it be if Logan is a non-corporal ghost. This series isn’t over, but I still love Zach despite what he did. I never saw that coming. Which is what makes this series great.

Beg for Mercy by Shannon Dermott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Paul, Flynn, Luke and Sebastian are all very good leads in Beg for Mercy. Who wouldn’t want Mercy’s problem with four hot guys. The only problem is choosing one. They are all good and bad and for different reasons. I couldn’t blame Mercy for her indecision. The easy answer is Flynn the hot bad boy who vulnerable heart shows through at times. Luke’s total love and kindness should also be the easy choice. Because he is not perfect which also makes him a good candidate despite his overall goodness. Paul is the would be boyfriend turned to best friend status only due to circumstances out of their control. But he’s human, so he is automatically last in the list. Then there is Sebastian. He is the wild card who is mysterious and dangerous. Yet in the end, he is the one that saves her time and time again. I can’t choose.


My breakout Indie awards go to Eden and Winter Awakening. These stories were fantastic and should be best sellers next to other traditionally published authors. Lighter on romance than all the others mention above, they still packed a punch, pun intended.

Eden by Janelle Stalder

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



In Eden, Aiden is the perfect male lead and his confusion over the girls in his life is understandable. But they don’t eclipse the story that unfolds with mini romance stories all around. Aiden/Elisa/Wolf and Rose/Callum and King/Witch. This author manages to weave the tales of all of these romances yet romance is not the majority of the book. You have to read this fantasy tale to see the genius at work.


Winter's Awakening: The Metahumans Emerge by Karen Luellen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



In Winter’s Awakening, Meg is fearless and daunting. Yet she sometimes needs saving too. Her brothers are there to help protect her and fight against the unstoppable evil. This book is awesome and one you shouldn’t miss. The budding romance with Cole and Meg gets complicated with the introduction to Creed in book two. Yet again in this story’s romance is just a backdrop. It is an addition that enhances the story but doesn’t harm. Despite romance is not a major factor, you won’t even miss that it’s not the major theme. Another must read book of 2012.

There are many more great books out there that I’ve yet to read. My list only includes the stories that I have read. So don’t hate me if one of your favorite books/series isn’t on the list. I maybe I just haven’t read it yet. So check out my book list on Goodreads and suggest some other great series I should read!

Winter's Storm: Retribution (Winter's Saga, #2) by Karen Luellen

Winter's Storm: Retribution by Karen Luellen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is the second book in a fantasy series novel. Appropriate for all ages.

Book Summary

Meg was the star of the first book, "Winter's Awakening." In this book, "Winter's Storm," Meg's brothers, Alik and Evan are given a chance to shine.

"Through their words and actions the boys take life and the scenes come alive as they are forced to challenge a greater threat than the group met in the first novel, only this time, without the help of Meg. In this book we also meet Creed a new and interesting metahuman torn between what he has been taught and what he knows is right. Along with the tension of being stalked by the most relentless hunters in the world, we are left wondering which side Creed will be on when the final battle comes.

My Review
This story begins not to far from where we left off in the first book. Again I was sucked into this story from the first page. We are introduced to a new character, Creed, who is connected to someone from the first book who had an encounter with Meg.

Although he’s new, I sympathized with him from the beginning and rooted for him throughout almost feeling like I was betraying Cole in a way. You’ll just have to read the story to understand why.

The story didn’t follow any predictable patterns for the most part. In fact, I was so engrossed with the story, I wasn’t even trying to figure out where things were headed. I just let Karen Luellen lead me wherever she wanted to take me.

I love a good cliffhanger, but having been able to read the first two books back to back, I must say I am in the dumps not being able to move on. Nevertheless, I don’t regret reading and not waiting. The third book can’t be released soon enough.

Great job! Again I recommend to readers of all ages.

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