Review: A Breath of Magic by Teresa Medeiros

Breath of Magic (Lennox Family Magic #1)

by Teresa Medeiros

Published February 1st 1996 by Bantam

Precocious Puritan and aspiring witch Arian Whitewood spends her lonely nights dreaming of magic and excitement. She gets more excitement than she bargains for when she crash lands straight out of a witch hunt into the 20th century and the arms of Tristan Lennox, a reclusive billionaire. Arian blows through Tristan's climate-controlled existence like a breath of magic, only to discover that the spell he weaves around her heart is more compelling than any enchantment.

Genre: Adult, Romance

Publication Date: Feb 1st 1996

Publisher: Bantam

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages 

Series: sort of, but not really

Source: My own copy

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My Review

It's been forever since the last Teresa Medeiros book I've read. I forgot how much I enjoyed her storytelling and her characters. :)

A Breath of Magic felt more like a breath of FRESH AIR after so many 'bad' or simply 'ok' adult books I tried this week... I laughed SO hard with it! Really, I can't stress how much fun I had reading it. :) It really came at the best possible moment for me.

Arian is the French daughter of an unmarried woman in the 17th century and never met her father. She's sent to live with a stepfather in the middle of a bunch of Puritans.... which would be okay, if not for the small fact that, uhm, she's a witch. A WHITE witch, sure, but a witch nonetheless. And all is evil in the eyes of the Puritans. Arian finds herself in the middle of an Inquisition, just about to drown when she utters a last-minute spell to try and make time stop, but that actually sends her 300 years in the future, in her flying broom.

Tristan doesn't believe in magic, but, ironically still has some inner hope to find it in the world. Which is part of the reason why he promises a million dollars to whoever proves to him that there is such a thing as real magic out there. Tristan is getting fed up with all the charlatans when, out of freaking nowhere, a girl dressed as a nun appears flying/crashing a broom up in the sky. When she falls/lands right into the middle of the contest. He saves her, and sends her broom for examination, certain that it must had some gadget that made it fly. But while his team of researchers find themselves busy trying to prove it was NOT just a broom, Tristan is about to find himself believing in magic again... and also in love.

Tristan could be very bossy and demanding and rude sometimes, but he constantly made up for it, so all was well. He wore his past wounds as an armor around his heart, but it was very satisfying to see Arian slowly melt it away.

Speaking of Arian, she had everything that could have made me dislike her as heroine, but, surprisingly, did not. I actually LIKED her. And you guys must know by now how bitchy I can be. :P She was smart, but kind and pure in a way that was BELIEVABLE and fitting, not coming out as stupid or over-the-head as they usually do in romance books these days. She was genuinely good and naive. But still strong-willed and determined. Authors, take note of this. Your characters don't need to be total losers/pushovers in order to be good/kind-hearted. 

Their romance was also pure and so, so adorable. There were very few sex scenes, only a couple, as a matter of fact, but they were so... gentle and nonexplicit and just, well, romantic. (I'm very eloquent today). They were heart-warming in their simplicity and candor, and very much perfect in their context. This was a real love story. I liked it immensely. And I'm most certainly NOT a romantic. Yes, I am slightly astonished myself. O.o

I was also charmed by the lovely secondary characters! Copperfield, Tristan's (only) best friend and Indian lawyer. Sven, the poor bodyguard, former manicurist/hairdresser, turned goat. Hilarious! I wish they had books of their own. XD

Miss Medeiros, you managed to write a real gem! One that still remains modern, even after sixteen years!!! I congratulate and thank you for such a feat/treat. :) It will come out a bit cheesy, but it was simply... magical. Really, just enchanting.

My thoughts on: Shift (Shade #2) by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shift (Shade #2)
by Jeri Smith-Ready

Published May 3rd 2011 by Simon Pulse

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.
Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.

Genre: Young Adult, Supernatural

Publication Date: May 3rd 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Format: Hardcover, 367 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Won from giveaway

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WARNING!!! There might be spoilers ahead. As a matter of fact, there are SOME.

I won this copy on a giveaway sometime last year. I then purchased a copy if the first book in the series, Shade, which I promptly read and loved. However, I somehow became very busy with college and review books and kept forgetting to read Shift. Last week I finally forced myself to get to it already. LOL. I quickly reread Shade and cracked the spine of this pretty baby... I gulped it all up in one afternoon.

I'm crazy about Logan. Truly am. So the minute his ghostly body became living flesh for a short period of time, I was all "YAAAAAAAY!!! He's BACK! Finally we're gonna have some action." Nah. It was another almost for Aura and Logan. Zach totally won this round. LOL.

I love Zach, too, don't get me wrong. His accent, kilt and green eyes are all very dreamy... but I can't resist a bad boy. Especially a rockstar. :P Oh, and Zach can be very cold sometimes... and not all these times are Aura's fault.

Anyway, Shift starts with Logan still as a runaway Shade. Aura keeps trying to call him back, and, after 3 months, he finally appears. Aura then manages to bring him back to normal ghost state, again. Then the solstice/flesh and blood momentarily thing happens and they almost have at it... but not. Logan becomes very excited about the prospect of being 'alive' again and starts to plan a final final performance (again) the next time he turns human. He can't wait to play his guitar one last time.

Aura is torn between living, breathing, tempting Zach, and sort-of living, but still dead, Logan. Zach is also at his limit, and he makes it very clear to Aura. She needs to choose already.

After a misunderstanding between them, Zach ends up asking Aura's nemesis, Becca Goldman, for the prom. And Aura has the brilliant idea of asking Dylan, Logan's younger brother, who has a serious crush on her.

The love triangles are clearly very strong in this book, and so are Aura's indecisions and screw-ups. She continuously decides to let go of Logan, but every time something reinforces how much he loves her, she's not sure what to do. Zach also keeps sends her some very mixed signals...

All the while, the DMP investigations continue as Aura and Zach get closer and closer to revealing her mother's secrets and unveiling the Last/First mystery, with the help of Eowyn. We finally see what happened on the day of the Shift, we finally understand how they were the only ones to be born in those minutes... and who Aura's father is. Now we just need to know what exactly the Shine was, and why the DMP are working so hard trying to detain them.

Shift was a lovely read, even if sometimes it made my head spin. LOL. But that's love: confusing, indecisive, hot then cold... it's just that the ending was so 'perfect', and filled me with such a sense of 'completion', that I am not sure a third book was really necessary. I mean, all my questions were answered (well, all the important ones) and it's very clear who Aura'll end up with... anyway, I'll still check Shine out, but I'm very satisfied with the way things ended in Shift. :)

If you like complicated YA love stories with paranormal twists to it, then you'll love this series.

Review: Eve (Eve #1) by Anna Carey

Eve (Eve #1)
by Anna Carey

Published December 1st 2011 by HarperCollins

Where do you go when nowhere is safe?

After a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth's population, the world is a terrifying place.

Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a bright future in The New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school's real purpose--and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she's ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. But when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Publication Date: December 1st 2011

Publisher:  HarperTeen

Format: paperback, 318 pages 

Series: yes

Source: my own copy

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When I first started reading Eve, I had no idea what it was about. I had just reached over to my pile of unread books and it was sitting there, so I grabbed it.

It's not 'Oh, my, this is fantastic, everybody should read this before they die, here's a copy', but it is a good, intense read. A little silly and slow at times, sure, (I mean, this IS YA), but the whole post-apocalyptical situation is so terrifying and aggravating, Eve's world so indignant, and the action scenes so... 'heart-racing', that it becomes well balanced. :)

I'm strange about the books I keep and the ones I trade, but this one... well, this one I'll keep. It's not a 5 stars book on the whole, mind you, but for a few excellent scenes... it gets very close to it. I get the feeling Anna Carey could do so much better, but that maybe she held back sometimes because she wanted it to become a YA book... her violent scenes are so... no-nonsense and clear and disgustingly real, they're blood-curdling in their simplicity. I think she would make an AMAZING Adult writer. Really. Here's hoping, right?

That scene with the pregnant students tied down... yeesh. >.< *shudders* It still resurfaces in my mind randomly. And I've read it over a month ago. O.o I can also still recall the almost-rape scene... the yellowish color of the evil man's teeth... how sweet the the orphan boys were. You see? It's about the little things, the very well-written few parts that suck you in! But there can't be that many of those, because it's supposed to be for young audiences... and, really, JUST 318 pages? I though this kind of books normally could go up to 368 pages, or am I wrong? I am aware this is a series, however, I feel the story could have been slightly improved in those 50 more possible pages... 

The romance was cute and light, not insta-love, which is a certain plus... friendship was also nicely dealt with in Eve, and so was jealousy and betrayal. I can't wait to read Once and Rise. I am really looking forward to learning more about this weird, evil King that forces young girls to study for years straight only to tie them down and get them pregnant until they die of exhaustion and/or childbirth. I mean, seriously? How freaking mean and black-hearted can you possibly be? If you only want them as 'sows' for reproduction, why make them study so hard and hope for the future so bad? Like that'll make better babies! ... Or maybe he does it so they'll have something to occupy their brilliant minds with while they're tied down and knocked-up for the twentieth time, so they won't break so quickly? I don't know.... >.> Like I said, Carey is the boss here. ;P

Have you read Eve? What did you enjoy the most about it? If you haven't read it, do you feel like reading it?

Early Review: Velveteen by Daniel Marks

Velveteen (Velveteen #1)
by Daniel Marks

Expected publication: October 9th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that’s not the problem.

The problem is she landed in purgatory. And while it’s not a fiery inferno, it’s certainly no heaven. It’s gray, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn’t leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what’s really on her mind.

Bonesaw.

Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she’s figured out just how to do it. She’ll haunt him for the rest of his days.

It’ll be brutal... and awesome.

But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen’s obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardizes her very soul. A risk she’s willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.

Velveteen can’t help herself when it comes to breaking rules... or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her.

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Publication Date: Oct 9th, 2012

Publisher: Delacorte Books

Format: eARC, 464 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

First line: When Velveteen Monrow pictured Bonesaw's house -and she did, more often than could be considered healthy- blood striped the paint a muddy reddish-brown, internal organs floated in jars of formaldehyde, and great big taxidermy crows leered from branches that twisted from the wall like palsied arms.

Last line: Again.

Favorite quote: Could he actually be a decent guy?
Hard to imagine.
He was pretty to look at, though, she thought. Boys weren't objectified nearly enough, and turnabout is always fair play.

Sixteen year-old Velveteen Monroe was murdered by the psychopath/looks-like-the-boy-next-door Bonesaw. Now she's stuck in purgatory for who knows how long. There she is the leader of the Salvage team, i.e., they 'salvage souls  that don't have any business in the daylight'. She works as a body thief, and really enjoys her job. But Velvet won't be able to really rest in purgatory until she can have her revenge on her killer. 

When she finds a hidden crack through the veil between the world of the living and the dead, she goes for it. She starts to haunt him. And that is the WORST thing she could ever do. Haunting is against the law. It's pretty much the only serious offense a soul can be charged with in purgatory... which is why she's keeping it a secret from everyone.

Every once in a while, something triggers small parts of her memory back. Memories from those days. Her days at the mercy of Bonesaw. Bloody, painful scenes that makes us hurt, too. And they just serve to reinforce her decision to make him suffer as much as possible. 

However, she starts to slightly waver in her decision when she rescues her fifty-seventh soul: a very handsome, very sweet young guy named Nick. Nick seems to quickly gain everybody's sympathy and friendship, especially from those that are part of her Salvage team, which he soon joins. Velvet is torn between feeling jealous about him becoming so close and dear to her best friends so quickly, and being happy that he is such a good influence to them. Oh, and she can't decide exactly how she feels about him. Annoyed? Absolutely. Attracted? Well... yes! Uncomfortable? That's for sure. Thankful? Sometimes. :P

As if trying not to fall for her newest rescued soul while doing her best to haunt and drive her killer to commit suicide wasn't hard enough, now there's a revolution starting underground, and every single one of Velvet's mentors are acting suspiciously... 

The first chapter of Velveteen really sucks you in. It's very abrupt, very raw, very shocking. It's awesome. But then things slow down. Excessively. There were moments I almost gave the book up, things were so dull... then we get to the middle of the book. And that's when things get interesting. From middle to end, I got totally caught up into it again. I have to say it was worth the waiting. ;)

This is a very different book from the usual YAs out there. It way, after all, written by a guy, even if the main character IS a girl. It somehow just made her more believable, in my opinion. The same goes for her relationship with Nick. Teenagers (and, let's face it, adults, too) aren't nice and cuddly, YA writers! They are mean, horny, and selfish. Even if they do have their good moments. And reality isn't all about cute romance, butterflies and happy endings. The world is NOT a nice place. And Daniel Marks was able to capture every single realistic aspect (while still making it very readable, if slightly gruesome) in this fantastical/paranormal tale. Velveteen rocked.

If you're looking for something different and refreshing, with an imperfect and bloodthirsty heroine (repeatedly called a super bitch) and a very cool, very crushable hero, then you'll go bananas over Velveteen, just like yours truly.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Early Review: Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #3) by Larissa Ione/Reading Romances May Challenge

I chose this book for the Reading Romances May Challenge

2) Read a book by a favorite author or from a favorite genre.

Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #3) 
by Larissa Ione

May 22nd 2012 by Grand Central Publishing

Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, Regan Cooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse-he's about to become a father.

Demon-slayer Regan Matthews never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he's ever wanted-a family.

Genre: Young Adult, Steampunk

Publication Date: May 1st 2012
Publisher: Amulet Books

Format: eARC, 368 pages 

Series: ?

Source: Netgalley

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My Review:

First line: Regan Matthews was going to die

Last line: Too spoilery.

Favorite quote: From virgin to dad in zero to sixty.

Guardian Regan Matthews is pregnant and almost ready to deliver. Normally women in her situation would be thrilled, counting the minutes and preparing everything for the new arrival... but hers is a quite different situation. 

First of all, her baby was conceived in a very unorthodox way, one that made the father-to-be freak out and decide to kill her. So now she's in hiding and he's in an induced 'coma' of sorts, thanks to his siblings. A very strange situation, indeed. But it gets weirder. How? Well, the father is Thanatos, the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse. A.k.a Death, if his Seal breaks. 

And in Thanatos' mind, Regan, an OCD Aegis Guardian and psychometric empath with other gifts, has tried to purposefully break his Seal. After drugging him with an aphrodisiac and trapping him in his own body with one of her abilities. Practically 'raping' him to end the world. Even if he did enjoy it immensely and wants to do it again, he's still majorly pissed off and wanted to kill her. Until he found out she was pregnant with his baby, of course. He did get pissed off all over again when she told him they wouldn't be raising the baby.

Regan feels terrible for what happened that day. She really regrets it, but she was drugged as well, by one of Than's vampires, and didn't notice that Thanatos was 'restrained' by her powers at all. She also was not aware that there was a possibility os his Seal breaking and releasing the Apocalypse on Earth. As a matter of fact, she was made to believe quite the contrary. And now she's knocked up by a very, very mad Horseman. Very hot, too. Who wants her to make up for the eight months in which he was trapped by his siblings so as not to kill many people with his rage. And he wants her to make up for this time sexually. While they try to understand each other, his brother, whose Seal broke and is now known as Pestilence, is wreaking havoc all around the world. And he wants to kill his baby.

Oh, man. I've been waiting patiently to read this gem for months now!!! Thanatos is the perfect example of the wounded, flawed hero. And super hot and damaged. How can a girl not go crazy over that? 

It was kind weird to read about a man going on about how his virginity/his seed/his innocence were stolen, though. You usually expect a heroine to whine about that kind of thing. LOL. But it was completely understandable. He wasn't overly whiny about it, thankfully. Just indignant for a while. Then things became much more interesting.


Larissa Ione always manages to surprise me with the depth of her characters and the twists in all of her plots. When you finally think you're getting something... everything changes. LOL. It should be frustrating, but it's really refreshing. Thanatos has been my favorite character ever since the first book in the series, so I was in absolute heaven just reading more and more about him. He suffered so much... it felt good to see him finally find some happiness.


Also, her angels are very different from what we are used to expect from angels, so that, too, is quite fascinating to read about. No perfect little goody-shoes in these books. They are good, of course, but even they are not perfect... and even their goodness can go bad. LOL.


But I particularly want to see more of Harvester. She gives me very mixed feelings. Oh, and I'm dying to know what really went on in Reaper's past. And what awaits him in the future... The curiosity is burning me up!


Not to mention that I want to see more of Reseph/Pestilence. Like, right NOW. You are killing me, Mrs. Ione!!! In a good way, obviously. Sort of. LOL. That first chapter only served to make me squirm! December, come quick. :X


If you don't mind some spoilers, check out the synopsis for Rogue Rider. It sounds like it will be out-of-this-world good. :)


* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Twice Tempted by a Rogue by Tessa Dare / Reading Romances February Challenge

This month I chose a book that happened to fulfill a couple of the options given:

-Read a book that has a predominantly color “red” cover, that has a kissing/embracing couple on its cover, or whose title has either the following words: kiss, heart or love.

and:
-Read a Historical Fiction (not limited to Historical Romance) – read a book that takes place in some notable period of history.

Twice Tempted by a Rogue

(Stud Club #2)
Tessa Dare
  
The daring members of the Stud Club are reckless gamblers and no strangers to risk—until love raises the stakes in Twice Tempted by a Rogue.

Luck is a double-edged sword for brooding war hero Rhys St. Maur. His death wish went unanswered on the battlefield, while fate allowed the murder of his good friend in the elite gentlemen’s society known as the Stud Club. Out of options, Rhys returns to his ancestral home on the moors of Devonshire, expecting anything but a chance at redemption in the arms of a beautiful innkeeper who dares him to take on the demons of his past—and the sweet temptation of a woman’s love.

Meredith Maddox believes in hard work, not fate, and romance isn’t part of her plan. But when Rhys returns, battle-scarred, world-weary, and more dangerously attractive than ever, the lovely widow is torn between determination and desire. As a deep mystery and dangerous smugglers threaten much more than their passionate reckoning, Meredith discovers that she must trust everything to a wager her heart placed long ago.

Genre: Adult, Historical

Publication Date: June 2010

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Format: paperback, 363 pages 

Series: yes

Source: bought

Heroine: Slim, dark hair, gray eyes

Hero: Tall, muscled, dark hair and eyes

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My Review

I really enjoyed One Dance With a Duke, so I went back to the book store and got Twice Tempted by a Rogue, hoping it would be just as good, but it was even better! It's surprising (and a bit disappointing) that this author is still not very famous, because her writing is just fantastic. :)

Rhys St. Maur has survived every disgrace thrown his way in life by Fate. His luck is a thing of wonder. After spending years away from home, he returns to the moor of Devonshire as a war hero with an infinite number of scars, inside and out. He hopes to redeem himself by making the village profitable again, giving work and a way to survive to everyone who still lives there. After all, that is his job as the new Lord of Ashworth. Problem is, nobody wants him there, and they make it very clear, with angry mobs, threats and just plain trouble.

But Meredith Maddox may just be the only exception. When he meets little ol' Merry Lane again, a girl was once nothing more than freckles and bone, but is now a beautiful and independent widowed innkeeper, he suddenly decides to marry her.

Meredith believes Rhys wants to try and make things right for the village, but she's also sure that he'll leave just as abruptly as he appeared. She's been in love with him ever since they were just teens and she used to help her father out in old Lord Ashworth's stables. Now she has the chance to seduce him... but he comes up with this marriage nonsense and how he wants to wait until their wedding night! (even if itkills him).

In this second volume of the Stud Club mystery, we see more of the still unsolved murder of Leo Chatwick. Julian Bellamy has located the only witness, the whore Cora, who ends up staying at The Three Hounds, Meredith's inn, for protection. The girl turns out to be more helpful than Merry expected her to be.

The funniest thing about the book is the title. 'Twice Tempted by a Rogue'. Sure, here Meredith has her second chance with Rhys, but it's actually her who does most of the tempting during the first half of the book. LOL. The poor guy was doing his best to save themselves until theit wedding night, but the girl sure made things harder. Quite literally. LOL!!! Sorry, sorry...

I'm not really that big a fan of historicals, but once in a while I find a wonderful gem like this one. Rhys is such a dear character, he makes you want to take him in his arms and try to cure all his wounds... he's now one of my favorite characters ever. And Meredith is so, so strong. She's done everything she had to do to survive, and never depended on anyone else but herself. It was lovely to see how the two of them came to be together, accept each other's dreams and plans and just... be happy.

 If you like heart-touching romance, pure fun, mystery and lots tension (of all kinds), then try Twice Tempted by a Rogue. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure.

Review: Waltz of Seduction by Natasha Blackthorne

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you're all having fun!

Here's a great, romantic read that could very well be read by two... it's an excellent choice for today. :P

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Waltz of Seduction
Natasha Blackthorne


A painful personal experience makes Lord Lockhart believe that a gentleman doesn't inflict his passionate desires on a wife. The marriage bed is for begetting heirs, not animal lust. No matter how much he desires his wife. But under Lady Lockhart's shyness is a determination to tempt her handsome husband, to satisfy them both and spend every night together in her bed.


Innocent waltzing lessons in their chambers soon become indecent, and may lead the newlyweds to overcome their preconceptions and learn to be lovers, as well as man and wife.

Genre: Adult,  Historical

Publication Date: 2011

Publisher: Ellora's Cave Legend

Format: e-book, 42 pages 

Series: no

Source: review copy from publisher

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My Review

Lady Sarah Lockheart wants nothing more than to tempt her husband. But nothing she tries seems to do the trick. Lord Colin Lockheart remains distant. He actually pays more attention to his clocks and star-gazing than he does her. 


Sarah thinks herself very plain and comes from a commoner's family. She wonders if the only reason her husband married her was because of the money she brought from her family. Why is it that hardly ever visits her chamber, and why are his visits so brief? It seems as if he's always avoiding her or when they're together he's often eager to leave her presence. Sarah is afraid he regrets marrying her, and that he might find himself a mistress.

Colin  finds his wife very beautiful in her own way. And almost too tempting. So much that he wants to bother her with his 'marital rights' more often than he thinks is acceptable. As a gentlemen, he believes he shouldn't treat his wife as a whore to sate his needs. He is convinced it might even affect her fragile female nerves. LOL.


He loves her and wants to show the world just how lovely she is, how much he cares and respects her, and that she means much more to him than just a trust fund.


He wants to waltz with her, in front of everybody. He just needs to convince her.


This was one of the most beautifully written short stories I have ever read!


The love between the characters was almost palpable! The sex scenes were so romantic, so cute, so right! (most books have some very vulgar, exaggerated scenes, but not this one.). Everthing was very tasteful and fit perfectly in the story.


I was really surprised with the quality of the writing! The author has such a great way with words! I really liked the alternating POVs, too! It's always nice to see how each character really feels, not just how the others see them.


I just wish it was a bit longer... I wanted to keep on reading about them!!! :) The story was short, but it was so well done it was able to show us perfectly just how sweet and complex the characters were within those few pages. 


Really, I can't stress how great and entertaining the writing was. I'll certainly look for Natasha Blackthorne's other titles.


If you like erotica with some actual backgroung story and meaning, then you'll love Waltz of Seduction!


I'd like to thank the author and the publisher for the chance of reviewing this jewel. 

Review: Shield of Fire by Boone Brux

 

Shield of Fire (Bringer and the Bane, #1)

by Boone Brux 

Protecting humans is the Bringers’ duty. Sending demons to the Shadow World is their pleasure. 

In one night, Ravyn’s life plunges from barely tolerable to deadly. Forced to flee the only home she’s known, she stumbles headlong into the clutches of Icarus, a powerful demon intent on stealing her powers. Unfortunately for him, she has no intention of cooperating. 

When Rhys realizes the woman he’s rescued from the Bane Demon is no mere human, his obligation as a Bringer dictates he protect and train her in the ways of his people. But he’s unprepared for the intense desire he feels for the fiery Ravyn. To surrender to his need may mean her death. 

As the Demon King’s desire for ultimate power escalates, fathers are slated against sons, and foes are made allies. The Bane threat upon them, Rhys and Ravyn must quest to unite the last of the Bringers—and explore a passion too powerful to ignore.

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Review

I am not ashamed to say I chose this book to review simply because of the cover. (okay, maybe a little ashamed). But thankfully I did like the book, too. LOL.

Ravyn has been raised in an abbey. One night her whole life changes when a monk, Brother Powell, delivers her friend Angela to the demon Icarus as a sacrifice and then tries to deliver her. 

She's saved from a horrible death by Rhys Blackwell, the last full-blooded Bringer Shield. He has been protecting mankind from the Demon Bane for over 300 years. 

After saving and healing her, Rhys starts to notice that maybe Ravyn isn't exactly human like he originally thought. She shows signs of being a Bringer, but he just can't be sure which kind. Also, she awakens certain feelings inside him he was sure he no longer could feel.

The couple then goes on a journey in search of the last remaining Bringers to try and save humanity from  the evil Vile, King of the Demon Bane. And to try and understand their feelings for each other.

I enjoyed the characters and the promise of this series, but mostly the book just dragged... nothing much happens, except for a few encounters with the demons (the few times they stepped out of holy ground). Maybe more will happen in the next books? 

As to the romance... it was cute to read their thoughts about each other and how they tried to fight their feelings because of their own personal reasons, but there really wasn't much tension between them at all. I expected this book to be a bit more spicy because of the cover, but as it turned out, things were pretty much PG-rated most of the time. LOL. Except for chapter 17. ;P That was hot.

The ending was predictable, but nice. I'm not sure how many books the author is planning for this series, but I'll probably check out the next adventure. :)

If you like stories that build up, innocent romance and demon fighting in a historical setting, then try Shield of Fire. 

*I was given an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Manga Rec #6 - Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 1 by Kyousuke Motomi

Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 1 

by Kyousuke Motomi



After orphan Teru Kurebayashi loses her beloved older brother, she finds solace in the messages she exchanges with DAISY, an enigmatic figure who can only be reached through the cell phone her brother left her. Meanwhile, mysterious Tasuku Kurosaki always seems to be around whenever Teru needs help. Could DAISY be a lot closer than Teru thinks?

One day at school Teru accidentally breaks a window and agrees to pay for it by helping Kurosaki with chores around school. Kurosaki is an impossible taskmaster though, and he also seem to be hiding something important from Teru... 

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This is a very heart-warming manga, but not everything in it is about romance (THAT can become very tiring). They have real-life situations, with many different characters every time, so it never gets boring.

Teru is a very different kind of heroine. She's not overly dramatic, she really cares about other people, she's not stunning or perfect, she's a very ordinary girl. So there's no way we cant' like her.

Kurosaki can be very irritating, but he has a very good heart. He slowly falls for Teru, but doesn't want to admit it, so he kind of mistreats her, forcing her to do chores and all that. >.> The only times he allows himself to be nice to her are when he's "DAISY". As DAISY, he's always there to save her day, comfort her and make her feel better.

Kyousuke Motomi has a way of making you laugh your ass off with hilarious expressions and situations AND break your heart with tear-inducing scenes. What more can you ask for?

Oh, and their 'romantic relationship' (there really isn't one for a loooong time) takes a while to build, so it's very believable. You can actually picture it slowly developing. Kurosaki won't allow himself to love her, because of many reasons. First of all, she's way younger. Not to mention that he has a lot of guilt over what happened to her brother in the past (and we're still not quite sure what went on). And let's not forget that he's a very famous, very talented hacker, which is a danger into itself in the story.

I really recommend this series to those of you who like different types of manga, with a lot of mystery and humor and small amounts of romance that start to build over time.  :)