Review: Kailin Gow – Bitter Frost

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 Bitter Frost
Kailin Gow

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Bitter Frost’.

Breena has dreamed of Fayland her whole life, and now her dreams are becoming reality. Whisked away after an encounter with a pixie, she is hot currency in a world that is unlike anything she has ever known.

The official blurb:

All her life, Breena had always dreamed about fairies as though she lived among them…beautiful fairies living among mortals and living in Feyland. In her dreams, he was always there the breathtakingly handsome but dangerous Winter Prince, Kian, who is her intended. When Breena turns sixteen, she begins seeing fairies and other creatures mortals don’t see. Her best friend Logan, suddenly acts very protective. Then she sees Kian, who seems intent on finding her and carrying her off to Feyland. That’s fine and all, but for the fact that humans rarely survive a trip to Feyland, a kiss from a fairy generally means death to the human unless that human has fairy blood in them or is very strong, and although Kian seemed to be her intended, he seems to hate her and wants her dead.
 
This edgy tale about beautiful and dangerous fairies, based on Dutch lore, will leave you breathless…

My review:

The world building is lovely in this novel. I could feel the hunting lodge and Breena’s bedroom. I loved her artwork, and the artwork that made her and the prince similar. The dialogue isn’t bad either, although in some parts it feels stilted. I liked Breena’s trick with the bread too!

8069816Apparently this is based on Dutch lore / some type of fairytale, which I’m not familiar with. I would be interested to see whatever it is based on, and see whether I can predict what is going on after that.

I liked the idea of the differences between the two worlds. Logan’s story is just a little too coincidental for my liking – oh no! Breena will have to choose between which one she loves more! Or will she…

For me the drama was a bit transparent, as was the ‘love story’. How could Breena be so stupid? And I really couldn’t go in for her nickname of Treena either. She didn’t seem to stand up for herself in any way until she went into another world – a weak heroine.

In that way, these two novels paired together make me think of the stopped Twilight saga from Edward’s point of view. I guess that makes for a good comparison for this novel – if you liked Twilight, and were looking for something else fantasy, this novel could be for you. There are plenty of them in the series for you to look forward to if you like the first one.
I can’t believe that this novel has more in the series! I almost want to recommend it only for younger teens, but the chaste kisses which were ok for them develop into something more crude when Logan’s point of view is brought in. An uncritical audience for sure for this one.
My overall feeling for these two ‘novels’ – Bitter Frost and Wolf Fey – was of being cheated. It reminded me a bit of Thief of Hearts, where the only purpose of the story was to draw you in, and then leave you on a meaningless cliffhanger. I didn’t feel any sort of conclusion that I should have felt at the end of any novel. The inclusion of Logan’s part just made me feel even worse!
I’m also due to read Saving You, Saving Me. From the author’s blurb, I’m really hoping for an awesome story with excellent execution. Perhaps some of her other young adult novels will be what I will enjoy.

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About the Author

Kailin Gow has appeared on top national syndicated talk shows such as ABC Radio, Barbara Dooley show, Chat with Women on KKNW Seattle, Broadminded on Sirius Radio XM, and more as a leading authority on YA and women’s issues including self-esteem, body image, dating and sexual relationships, abuse, and bullying. Kailin has been a published author for over 10 years with over 100 titles published under her name and under pen names.
She is the founder of the community social site, The Saving You Saving Me P
roject,http://www.savingyousavingme.com which helps teens, young adults, and women deal with social issues like sexual abuse, self-esteem, body image, bullying, cutting, relationships, and more in a positive community environment. The Saving You Saving Me Project is an extention of her YA-mature fiction Saving You Saving Me.
Kailin Gow began writing books for tween girls to help them with self-confidence and self-esteem. Her book, Gifted Girls Activities Guide to 365 Days of the Week, became a reference book used in girls organizations across the U.S. As her tween fans grew to become teens and young adults, Kailin began writing engaging and entertaining young adult book series for them. The results are book series like the Frost Series, PULSE Series, Wicked Woods Series, Stoker Sisters, Phantom Diaries, The Fire Wars, FADE, DESIRE, and more.
All her books are inspired by personal experiences. Saving You Saving Me was inspired by her experience as a peer counselor for young women during college and from her psychology major college roommate’s experience being in a relationship similar to the one portrayed by Sam and Collins in the book. Loving Summer was inspired by Kailin’s experience growing up with a family consisting of a mother, two sons, and a daughter who went through a similar experience of tragedy in the book. Aunt Sookie is based on herself and some actor friends she knows. The Frost Series, Circus of Curiosities Series, and FADE Series came about through vivid dreams. Never Say Never was inspired by Kailin’s experience as a radio host and working with and interviewing bands, as well as having college friends who were in bands. Kailin also played the drums and keyboard for a band she once started. A classically-trained musician, she was once led her school orchestra, playing first chair violin. Her experience in the music world and her love of Phantom of the Opera, inspired the Phantom Diaries. PULSE was inspired when Kailin was in the hospital suffering from heavy blood loss post surgery and needed several bags of blood to survive (like a vampire). Beautiful Beings was inspired by her college encounter with a young demon exorcist. A pastor once told her she had the gift of sight and that she was destined to become a prolific author, many times over.
She began taking her writing seriously when her daughter was diagnosed as being on the spectrum and her mother was fighting three types of cancer. Four years later, her daughter was no longer on the spectrum, and her mother became cancer free. Kailin believes in hope and miracles, after having been through several struggles and experiences herself. This is why she writes.
When not busy inhaling chocolate and drinking coffee by the gallon, Kailin makes time for writing fantasy books, blogging as an expert blogger for Fast Company, volunteering as an Emergency Responder and volunteering for battered women’s shelters. For fun, she plays the electric violin, and puts together a music playlist for her radio and web shows.
Her Frost Series consisting of the Bitter Frost Series, The Wolf Fey Series, and the Fairy Rose Chronicles along with her other book series are being developed into worldwide MMORPG Games by SEE GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT, which is the world’s leading game developer known for developing the top blockbuster films into games.

You can find her at:

Facebook
Website
To sign up for news on new releases, contests, events, and more, join theEDGEbooks.com.
Twitter – @kailingow

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 1- Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet
November 2 – Forget the Housework I’m Reading – Review
November 3 – Jennifer’s Asylum – Review
November 4 – In This World of Books – Review
November 7 – Becky’s Barmy Book Blog – PROMO
November 8 – Cindy’s Love of Books – Review
November 9 – Novel Nexus Reviews – PROMO
November 11 – My Daily Obsession – Review
November 13 – Sweet Southern Home – PROMO
November 14 –Book Spark – Review
November 15 – Escapism – Review
November 17 – A Dream Within a Dream – Review
November 18 – FireStar Books – Review
November 19 –Bookish Things and More – PROMO
November 20 – What’s On the Bookshelf – Reivew
November 22 – Lauries Thoughts and Interviews – PROMO
November 24 – Ashley’s Bookshelf – Review
November 25 – Lovely Reads – Review
November 26 –A chick Who Reads – Review
November 27 – The Cozy Dragon – Review
November 28 –Winged Reviews – PROMO
November 29 – The Book Hoard – PROMO
November 30 –Bookishly Devoted- Review
December 1 – Compelled by Words – PROMO
December 2 – Book Nerd – Review
December 3 – Inside BJ’s Head – Review
December 4 – Mom With a Kindle – Review
December 5 – Broad Minded Books – Review
December 6 – Book Briefs – Review
December 7 – My Reading Addiction – Review
December 8 – Head Stuck in a Book – Review
December 8 – Life and Lies of an Inanimate Object – Review
December 9 – Crazy Four Books – Review
December 10 – My Cozie Corner – Review
December 11 – Steph in Wonderland – Review
December 12 – What’s Beyond Forks – Review
December 13 – Keeping Up With the Rheinlanders – Review
December 13 – Little Bookstar – Review
December 14 – Michelle’s Paranormal Vault of Books – Review
December 15 – Paulettes Papers – PROMO
December 16 – In This World of Books – Review
December 17 – Known to Read – Review
December 17 – A Soul Unsung – PROMO
December 17 – The Solitary Bookworm – Review
December 18 – Pink Fluffy Hearts – Review
December 19 – Simple Books – Review
December 20-  Reader Girls – Review

Review: Jodi McIsaac – Through the Door

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Through the Door
Jodi McIsaac
Cedar, Eden and Maeve have lived a relatively uncomplicated existence up to this point, with the exception of Eden’s father running off and Cedar being left heartbroken… and then of course, Eden’s new abilities.

McIsaac has nicely captured the interplay of modern invention with old world magic. This is one of the best examples of urban fantasy I have read in a while. It’s a genre I should get into far more.

I would have loved to hear more from Eden’s perspective and also from Maeve. As befitting the first in a series there are a lot of things here that can be built upon in subsequent novels. There’s a lot to be said for foreshadowing and slow revelations though.
It’s very difficult for me to review this novel without spoilers. The things you think you know are true, or at least presume all is as it seems, it isn’t really. That being said, I’d like to know how the Druid gave up what she was for such a long period of time.
The action was enthralling, and you didn’t know what was going to happen next. Nothing was as straight forward as it seemed. And oh, the twist! The suspense! Arg! It seemed like every time they almost caught up, they were gone!
I’d hesitate here, and put it in teenage fiction and adult fiction. Teenage for sure, but sometimes it is difficult to say what would tickle an adult’s fancy. There is no erotic content, and the only things are heartbreak and suspense! Which every good reader is going to enjoy anyway.
I’m quite upset that it took me so long to get around to reading this novel. It was really enjoyable, and I’m really looking forward to the next in the series. I received this novel free from the Goodreads: Frist Reads program and the author went above and beyond to make sure I got a copy. This did not influence my review in any way, but I would recommend getting a copy of this book anyway – because it was a good read!

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Review: Anne Pfeffer – Any Other Night

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Any Other Night
Anne Pfeffer

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Any Other Night’.

Ryan’s life is falling apart and there is nothing he can do about it. Left bereft by his friend’s death, his growing feelings for Emily make him feel bad, like he is betraying Michael’s memory. Add in the fact that Mitchael had a potent secret, and you have a potent, enjoyable, teenage read.

The official blurb:

Any other night, Ryan Mills would have driven his best friend, Michael, to Emily’s sweet sixteen party at the Breakers Club. Instead, determined to win over the birthday girl, he goes to the party early and alone, setting off a chain of events that ends with a car accident in which Michael dies.

Ryan blames himself for what happened to Michael. As far as he’s concerned, he doesn’t deserve to have love or ever be happy again. Then he learns Michael left a secret behind. Ryan feels compelled to take on his friend’s unfinished business, and in the process, changes his life forever and becomes a man.

This book was published in October 2011 under the title Loving Emily. In May 2012, it was reissued with its content unchanged as Any Other Night. The book was named a Finalist in the 2012 Indie Reader Discovery Awards competition.

My review:

Pfeffer has a good mix of past and present at the beginning of the novel to really expose what Michael was like when he was alive, and why he meant so much to the protagonist.
15891525Opening a novel on a party scene, even one with a seemingly Mexican theme is a pretty thrilling beginning! It won me over, and I had to keep reading.
By avoiding introducing the fact that Ryan is a rich boy (except the mention of his car) until after the party, we sort of see more clearly that he is more than just a rich white guy who likes girls and partying. By the time I read that section, I already liked him too much and couldn’t be too prejudiced against him for his parents.
The Chrissie storyline really forced Ryan to grow up, to become more responsible. The theme of not knowing what you are going to do with your life and being anxious about it is one that would resonate with many teenagers and young adults.
Grief and denial play a heavy role in Ryan’s life. These feelings are mied with the attraction he feels towards Emily. Ryan treats his parents like crap, and you know there must be a reason behind that, but nothing is made certain. Tidbits of information are fed to the reader at just the right time to enhance our understanding.
The use of drugs in this novel is not glamorised in any way. It seems horrifically easy how these teenagers are able to get them though. So many lives potentially wasted. I would have said the thrills of drugs weren’t worth any of the other problems associated with their use, and this novel definitely confirms it.
I read this novel before having seen the cover, and now that I do see it, it makes it seem a bit like it’s more a romance than anything, but that’s not true! It has depth and detail, and makes you want to read more. The new title of ‘Any Other Night’ is far more appropriate than ‘Loving Emily’.

This novel is a gem, particularly for the reluctant teenage male reader. I’m not saying girls won’t enjoy it too, just that it might be a good option for males. For me, this is in the realms of Brent Runyon’s amazing writing. I look forward to further novels from Pfeffer.

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About the Author

Anne Pfeffer is the author of Any Other Night and The Wedding Cake Girl.  She lives in Los Angeles, CA.

You can find her at:

Twitter @AnnePfeffer1

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 16 – Paranormal Wastelands – Review div>

November 17 – Reading With ABC – Review
November 18 – Tumbling in Books – Review
November 20 – Read-A-Holicz – Review/Interview
November 22 – The Cozy Dragon – Review
November 25 – Moosubi Reviews – Review/Interview
November 26 – Just Books and Books – Review
November 26 – Addicted to YA Books – Review
November 26 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview
November 26 – The Reviewing Shelf – Review
November 27 – Book Nerd – Review
November 27 – Bound By Words – Review
November 29 – Willing to See Less– Review/
November 30 – Bookishly Devoted – Review
December 1 – In Wonderland – Review
December 2 – The Adventures Within – Review/Interview
December 4 – My Cozie Corner – Review/
December 6 – Books Down My Pillow – Review
December 8 – Reading Under the Stars – Review/Interview
December 9 –Kaisy Daisy’s Blog – Review
December 10 – Always YA at Heart – Review
December 11 – Sweet Southern Home – Review
December 12 – Memories Over Taking Me – Review
December 13 – Pink Fluffy Hearts – Review/Interview

Review: Mercedes Lackey – Home from the Sea

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Home from the Sea
Mercedes Lackey
Nan and Sarah have been charged with a task now that they have returned from Africa – to find the brand new Water Master who has sprung up on the coast. Little do they know that this Water Master has a bit of a surprise in store for them – definitely not what Lord A was expecting either!
After reading some less than flattering reviews of this novel on Amazon, I wasn’t feeling all too positive about it, and I didn’t pick it up from the library the moment I knew it was out. I’ve had a couple of disappointments with Lackey’s work recently, which is sad.
Since I wasn’t expecting much, I wasn’t disappointed in this one! For the first parts of the novel, it really felt like nothing was happening, and I didn’t get a bigger picture of what could go wrong. Just not that great in my opinion.
Number 8 in the Elemental Masters series and I feel like it’s losing its momentum. There are only so many times that you can redo the theme, and relying heavily on fairytales (such as Mari’s three trials) is getting a bit stale for me, at least from Lackey.
I think Nan and Sarah’s characters were really flat. Completely flat. They had hardly any motivations, and half the time it just seemed like they were picnicking on the surf without a care in the world. Mari was a bit better, but even her insights into her father felt stilted. More could have been done with the seals too.

Some parts of the novel also felt repetitive within the novel, which could be a problem with the editing team, or something else, like them thinking the reader is too dumb to remember somethign that happened at the start of the book. Either way, I want them to expect more from me! I’m not a stupid reader, and I really want to get into a good book, not pick on it.

I didn’t really get a sense of threat from the Constable, and only a brief worry about the Selkie chief. The ending was a bit abrupt too. It’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, and I did find it difficult to put it down in the second half, but I think that may have been because I wanted to know what Mari was going to do next.For adults and teens alike this one. But I wouldn’t start with this novel if you’re a new reader of Lackey’s works. It’s not a good example of her brilliance.

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Review: Henry James – Daisy Miller

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Daisy Miller
Henry James
Daisy Miller is a text for my *final* Bachelor of Arts unit, American Literature. As such, I wasn’t too excited to read it, but it was necessary. It was a very short read, around an hour (possibly less), so it’s an easy investment if you like the Classics.
Henry James is a well-known American writer that all classics readers should know of. He reminds me a bit of Irish literature actually – simply due to the writing style and his name. Oh yes, that would be my brain telling me James Joyce is similar, but of course, the two styles are not identical and they have different focuses.
The characterisation and narration of this novel are what add interest. The whole point of the novel is that the main character, Winterbourne, filters the reader’s perception of Daisy Miller. Daisy is an enigma – is she a simple flirt, or is she something else?
Above all, this novel is a tragedy, although the reader does not necessarily feel that way about Daisy entirely. It’s whether you feel that she had the end coming to her or not. References to going to and coming from are rife throughout the text.
In the preface/introduction to my version, the editor complains about the changes between the two editions, one which James revised and one which was the original. Interestingly enough, this novel was also adapted as a play, although that was apparently very unsuccessful.
As with any Arts text, it wasn’t enthralling. At least this one wasn’t too painful though. Let me get back to you on that once I’ve written the essay…

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Review: Sharon Wood – Keepers of the Zodiac (review and giveaway)

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Keepers of the Zodiac
Tonya Fitzharris

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Keepers of the Zodiac’.

Syrie has been given the most important task – to collect the 13 Keepers of the Zodiac and prepare them for their new roles. He falls in love with one though, and that complicates things beyond what he could have ever imagined.

The official blurb:

The stars have shifted and the Earth is rapidly moving into the throes of chaos.
Four god-like beings known as the Zodiac High Council, send their winged herald, Syrie, out
with twelve sealed envelopes. His mission? To bring a chosen group of thirteen future Zodiac
Keepers, including a set of mesmerizing twins, to the Isle of Oriba for training. Syrie never
could have imagined that he would fall in love along the way—ultimately forcing him to choose
between betrayal and death. Keepers of the Zodiac is an enthralling tale of obligatory fate,
temporary hope, and impossible love.

My review:

This book looked like a fun read, and the concept initially reminded me of the Power of Five series by Anthony Horowitz (which I have been waiting for the fifth book for a long time). I was happy to review it particularly because this tour company is excellent at getting novels to me in a timely manner so I can really read and enjoy them before posting a review.

16069534I have to say that the concept was awesome, very interesting, but then the execution was a little flawed. I felt like most parts of the novel were quite stilted in their extravagant descriptions of things and I ended up skipping over them. The dialogue was also quite stilted, and I didn’t really get into the characters’ minds. This was a plot driven novel wholeheartedly (nothing wrong with that, just not usually my style of thing).

The almost steamy kissing scenes would make this novel suitable for older teens, if your younger teen is wary of such a thing. I know some 13 year olds that would be grossed out simply by the thought of kissing! I guess it’s boy cooties or something. This novel could equally be for males or females, but I feel that because of the romance element its more of a girly book.

Poor Syrie! Of all the characters, I felt for him the most. I was a little leery of his island naming, and I couldn’t believe that coincidences such as that happened in such a structured world. Not to mention the revelations for him, and his future. To love, and then to lose. Throughout the novel I felt like there had to be more going on than what met the eyes…

The ending is a cliff hanger. I would quite like to read the second book in this series, simply because it’s so uncertain! How can so much happen in a day? And what is going on with Syrie? Arg! Those twin sisters are nothing but trouble. Perhaps a borrow from the library book.

People who follow and believe in the Zodiac may be a little affronted by this novel, because I don’t think it necessarily reflects those beliefs accurately. Not being a follower myself, I doubted that all the signs could have all those positive portrayals. I might have enjoyed the novel even more if I remembered each of those.

Ew, foot flakes. Gross. That’s all I’ll say about that, but really, it’s quite humorous. There’s some other points of humour, but as a whole it’s quite serious, as befits a novel that is trying to prevent the collapse of the world as we know it.

Three stars from me for this novel. Plot yes, execution no. An easy read, probably well suited to teenagers that have less experience than me for pulling novels apart.

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Giveaway!! (sorry, US & Canada only)

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About the Author

Sharon Wood is a married, mother of two boys. She was born and raised in Northern California, and attended college at San Jose State University, where she studied Marketing. A self-proclaimed Disney fanatic, Sharon enjoys collecting Vinylmations and talking about Disney related things to anyone that will listen. Besides writing, she enjoys playing and coaching volleyball, dancing, and reading. Keepers of the Zodiac is her first novel, and she is currently hard at work on the sequel!  

You can find her at:

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 13 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet
November 14 – The Cozy Dragon – Review
November 15 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview
November 16 – Corssroads Reviews – Review/Interview
November 17 – Lovely Reads – Guest Post/PROMO
November 18 – Pink Fluffy Hearts – Guest Post/PROMO
November 19 – Winged Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO
November 20 – My Cozie Corner – Review
November 21 – The Solitary Bookworm – Guest Post/PROMO
November 22 – Emily Ward – Interview/PROMO
November 23 – Lost in Fictional Worlds – Review/Guest Post
November 24 – Oh Chrys! – Guest Post/PROMO
November 25 – Book and Appointment with Wisdom Books – Review/Guest Post
November 26 – LovLivLife Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO
November 27 – Inside BJ’s Head – Review/guest Post
November 28 – The Book Maven – Review
November 29 – Books and Swoons – Review
November 30 – Books, Books, The Magical Fruit – Gues Post/PROMO
December 1 – In This World of Books… – Review/Interview
December 2 -A Bibliophiles Thoughts – PROMO
December 3 – Getting Your Read on – Review
December 4 – My Seryniti – Review/Guest Post
December 5 – Rolling With the Moments – Review/Guest Post
December 6 – YA Novel Reader – Review/GuestPost
December 7 – Bookworm Lisa – Review/Guest Post
December 8 –Fiction Prediction – Review/Interview
December 9 – Pa
ulette’s Papers – Guest Post/PROMO
December 10 – Read-A-Holicz – Review/
December 11 – Willing to See Less – Guest Post/PROMO
December 12 –Bookishly Devoted – Review/Guest Post
December 13 – My Reading Addiction – Review

Review: Michele T Villery, Tigris Eden and Riley Ross – Romantic Tales 2: Bedtime Stories

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Michele T Villery, Tigris Eden and Riley Ross

Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories

Welcome to Reading Addictions Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Romantic Tales 2: Bedtime Stories’.

Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories has a little of everything. From your everyday Contemporary Romance (The Getaway) To your Hot and Heavy Rockers turned Werewolves (Crave) and your Sci-Fi/Paranormal with Erotic overtones…. (The Genesis Project) Each Episode will entice its readers, draw them in. A quick Bedtime story before they dream, keeping them pleasantly satisfied while peaking their interests for next month’s installment. All for 99 cents. During the interim there will be previews of next month’s Episode…

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The official blurbs:

By Ty Langston: CRAVE

As a reporter for the Wakefield Post, Harper Erkstine has seen everything. From murders to robberies, all of her recent stories have ended with tragic consequences so great, that she began to question if she made the right career choice for herself.

While all of her friends were dating, or going to clubs, she was winning journalism awards for covering the latest drive-by shooting or a home invasion that cost someone she knew, their lives.

She loved her job, it was rewarding to be a crime solver and get to the truth of the matter. As much as she loved her job, but the hours of a Metro beat reporter began to descend her into burn out mode.

She craved balance. A break, a welcome distraction every now and then. She forgot what it was like to have fun, to take a breath, smell the roses.

Was it wrong to want a great career and to have some kind of a personal life? She couldn’t remember the last time she had a date or danced with someone from the opposite sex.
In the middle of working on a missing person’s story that has rocked her town to the core, Harper decides as a favor to her friend and colleague to do a feature on local an up and coming rock band, called ‘Crave.’

It was a break from her routine, but Harper soon discovers that this band may have ties to the missing person, not only does she question why, but she also finds there is more to this band than just their music.

By Tigris Eden: The Genesis Project

Old earth has been deemed unsuitable for life, New Earth is home. With the Uni-War over, races have joined together in order to sustain their way of life. All life was deemed worth saving, but only one race failed to submit. Humans.

Now extinct, humans are a thing of the past, or at least their way of life. The people of New Earth won’t acknowledge their hand in the human’s eradication, but they have benefited from it. Dr. Vaggo Blackmore has found the answer, he’s restored his races way of life- sustenance through farming. The one thing that will give them back their long lives….. Blood: human blood.

Biologically engineered in a lab, Genesis Blackmore has always been different. Her father has told her it’s due to her enhancements, the Federated Council sees her as a genetic mutation; and her fellow peers see her as the shiny new toy. Gen has had better days.

Everyone on New Earth has milky white skin, platinum blonde hair, and electric blue eyes. It’s the norm. Genesis’ glossy, black hair, ice blue eyes ringed by gold, would have almost made her socially acceptable- if it wasn’t for her honey, almond skin and blue, gold veins. In a sea of milky white she alone is the dark anomaly.

All Pars get their life’s nourishment through blood plasma. All Pars find their match through the tasting. Gen can do neither, forbidden by her father to do so. She can neither taste, nor be tasted. Something that’s never bothered her until now.

By Riley Ross: The Getaway

The Getaway isn’t your typical romance woman meets man of her dreams, loses him and then they get their happily ever after. It’s a romance story with hints of drama and plenty of comedy. Mike and Juliet have been dating for about four months. Juliet is madly in love with him but has never shared her feelings.

Mike hasn’t said those three magical words so she doesn’t even know if they are on the same page when it comes to their relationship. Mike takes Juliet on a two week vacation, so she can escape her family drama and stresses from her job. He has romantic surprises planned and there are several unexpected surprises for them both. How well do Mike and Juliet really know each other especially when an explosive secret from his past is revealed? Will their relationship survive a visit from his family and his ex-girlfriend? Will the secret destroy them or make them stronger as a couple? His mother has made it clear to everyone that she wants Mike back with his vile ex-girlfriend?

Will his mother sabotage her son’s relationship with Juliet? Juliet does have an ally in Mike’s father. Will Juliet fight for her love? Or will she let him go without exposing his mother for her dastardly schemes? How far will his mom go to ensure she gets what she wants for her son?

My review:

This is not normally my style of novel – I don’t go for the thigh clencher romances or short stories. But I’d read the first set and reviewed them here, and they weren’t so bad, so I thought I’d better go for the second episode.
This time the first short story was The Getaway. Although I wasn’t really going for the awkward tension that had to be radiating through that household  I was feeling a bit more for Juliet (a cliched name if I ever saw one). We get a bit more of her back story, and it’s very interesting to hear about her family.

Some of the text and dialogue feels a bit stilted to me still, but the emotion is there. This novel is no longer family safe – there’s some sexy action going on! Less sexy action than I was expecting actually. It doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger, but I’ve certainly been suckered into liking this ‘novel’ now.

Something I liked about CRAVE were the music references thro
ughout it. Most of them went over my head, but I do occasionally take recommendations about music to test out from novels. I can see myself doing that with this one – a sort of soundtrack to reading.

There’s too much focus on descriptions for me – the coffee drinking and the clothing are two striking examples. But that’s made up for me by the likeableness of Harper, and the genuine friendship you can feel between her and Ellen.

Chapter 5 felt like a bit of a recap of Chapters 1-4, which I needed, but if you were reading right through in one sitting you might not be as impressed with it taking up valuable space within the episode. Werewolves! And that’s all I’ll give you to draw you in to reading this one =p

I feel like I’m missing something because I’m not for the USA, some subtle undertones of some kind about slavery and so forth. I’m not racist, I believe everyone is basically on equal footing and it’s their actions that make them worthy or likeable. This short story seems to be suggesting some deeper thought is required for informed readers.

The Genesis Project is told from a different perspective for a bit this time before swapping back to Gen. It’s good, as long as you’re fine with poetic descriptions of breasts and shapely behinds. I love Gen! I want more of Gen! And I would consider waiting until this novel is completed, and then I’d possibly buy all the bits of The Genesis Project. I wanted more!

I’d recommend this book for adults only. It does come with a tag of erotica, and in this case that means explicit descriptions of sex and so forth.

I received this book free as part of a tour, but this has no way influenced my review.

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You can find out more about this series/magazine on the Facebook and BLOG.
 

About the Authors (and where to find them)


Tigris Eden: 

Author of Shadow Unit Series, 1st Book Enslaved In Shadows… I love all things books! Music
and much more! I write PNR, Contemp, SCI-FI, Erotic, and HORROR….. Yes I love the gore!
 
Currently working on Burned In Shadows… Due out sometime in January 2013.
 
There isn’t much to say about me truly… I am not that interesting… But I promise to make you laugh at least once!
 

 

Ty Langston: 

As a child, multi-published author Ty Langston loved to read about dragons and knights so
much that one day, her grandmother told her to “just write about them.”
So she did.
From that day forward, she never left home without her pen, a notebook, and some kind of
music playing in the background. Her love of reading expanded from fantasy into science fiction,
and eventually into paranormal romance and erotica.
She enjoys different works from George Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Stephen King, and Jackie
Collins. But some of Ty’s favorite writers are from the world of TV and film: namely, Tudors
creator Michael Hirst, and the late John Hughes.
Ty has a certificate in Broadcast Journalism along with a degree in Business Administration.
She is single and enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Riley Ross:

To date I haven’t published anything yet but I love to write wrestling fan fiction, romance and light erotica. I will be married for fifteen years this month to my best friend and Prince Charming all rolled into one. I am mommy to two Syberian Huskies.

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour!

Review: Natalie Wright – Emily’s Trial

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Natalie Wright

Emily’s Trial

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Emily’s Trial’.

The official blurb:

Emily’s journey began two years ago when she became a modern Celtic Priestess. Armed with a magic dagger and the powerful golden torc, she was entrusted with sacred magic and ancient wisdom.


But even a Priestess can know desire, feel temptation, and yearn for love. Will passion entice Emily to use the sacred magic in a forbidden way? Can new love take root in a world of nightmares? And will her friendships survive Emily’s Trial?

My review:

The cover promises things that aren’t delivered! I wanted Emily to be a bit more heroic (I mentioned that in my review yesterday as well). She strikes me as being a bit of an idiot, and damn it, she could be less weepy. They all could be a bit less weepy. More fighting to the death perhaps.

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000039_00001]I kept reading this novel because it was short, and I felt that not too much could go wrong. How wrong I was! There is a lot of action going on, and this novel is definitely plot driven. The characters didn’t endear themselves to me, but the action was good.

I just couldn’t get over how stupid Emily was. I wanted her to redeem herself, but indeed, she didn’t have all that much going for her. Oh, how much she threw away. Idiot! Arg!

Beware – cliff hanger ending. So if you loved Emily’s House, then maybe you’ll want to wait until the third book in this series comes out before you read this novel. Otherwise you’ll find yourself horrified and wondering how things can be set right. I felt that Bridgid should have had a bit more omph too.

The writing style has improved since the first book, although there is still a fair amount of telling instead of showing going on. I certainly found that the dialogue was improved though.

This one does have death, and darkness, and despair. Emily is a bit older, a weeping 16 year old, and so the themes reflect that in a way. I’d therefore recommend it for younger teens, as I feel it doesn’t have the substance required to keep things interesting for an older reader who prefers characters like me.

Find it on:
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Natalie is the author of The Akasha Chronicles, a young adult fantasy trilogy. When not writing, blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting, Wattpadding or eating chocolate, Natalie nurtures her young daughter, feeds her dog too many treats, and can’t resist watching Ancient Aliens, no matter how absurd the show becomes.

Natalie enjoys travel, good wine, and excellent food shared with family and friends. She was raised an Ohio farm girl, now lives in the desert Southwest, and dreams of living in a high rise in a big city.

“Books are my friends, ideas my passion.”

 

You can find her at:

Twitter: @NatalieWright_
Facebook: NatalieWright.Author

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 5 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet
November 5 – Mom With Kindle – Interview/PROMO
November 6 – Ashley’s Bookshelf – Review
November 7 – Book an Appointment With Wisdom Books – Review/Guest Post
November 8 – My Cozie Corner – Review
November 9 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview
November 10 – Cozy Dragon – Review
November 11 –Lov Liv Life Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO
November 12 – The eBook Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO
November 13 – Bookish Things – PROMO
November 14 – Bea’s Book Nook – Guest Post/PROMO
November 14 – Cherie Reads – PROMO
November 15 – Lovely Reads – PROMO
November 16 – My Reading Addiction – Review
November 16 – Michelle’s Paranormal Vault of Books – Review/Guest Post

 

Review: Natalie Wright – Emily’s House

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Natalie Wright

Emily’s House

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Emily’s House’.  (Technically, the tour is for the second book, and the review of that will go live tomorrow).

Emily comes home to a grumpy old aunt and an odd creature in her tree house. She’s about to head off cross country, and indeed, across time and space, in a journey that will make her look at her whole life differently. Emily must find herself, and prevent a great evil from surfacing after more than 1000 years.

The official blurb:

Fourteen-year-old Emily Adams is flunking math – and life. But Emily has a secret, one that she has kept even from her best friends. Soon the ancient legacy coursing through her veins will force her secret to be revealed. Dormant for over a thousand years, an evil has arisen and this time, it will destroy anyone – or anything – that stands in its way.

Three teens embark on a dangerous journey and risk everything. For Emily, the fate of her friends – and her world – lies in her hands.

Travel with Emily as she unlocks the secrets of her Celtic ancestors as she goes on a mystical journey to the inner house and beyond.

Join the Journey . .

My review:

I was expecting something in the realm of a spunky heroine who was willing to take on anything to protect her family and friends. I sort of got that, but I felt that Emily could have had a bit more spine for a 14 year old. More spine Emily! Less weeping about things that can’t be changed and more kicking butt. Also, less being pigheaded about the benefits of meditation and more doing.

Fanny was just irritating. It didn’t help that I was fond of Fanny in Enid Blyton’s classic, The Faraway tree, and comparing this Fanny – well, she was a bit flat. I much preferred Jake to either of the two girls, he seemed hard and sensible.
The concepts of time and space brought up in this novel are very interesting ones, and that’s what made the novel to me. Physics is something I have difficulty understanding (and never linked) but I have a healthy respect for those who do). The continuum between this world and other worlds is always interesting.


Much of this novel is about Emily’s training in the Netherworld. The world there is like one your couldn’t imagine, but could. You’d understand if you read it. Confusing isn’t it? The journey to the Netherworld is pretty exciting – but it’s never cleared up how much money Fanny spent (or where they were in the first place).

For me, this book wasn’t a gripper. I would probably recommend it for mature children and early teens. There are references to ‘making love’ and ‘making-out’ but that’s about as bad as it gets. Plenty of ass jokes/references, so I guess if you’re sensitive to those, don’t read it. The teenage language might be more suitable to teenagers – maybe I’m getting too old for this type of book?

Find it on:
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About the Author

Natalie is the author of The Akasha Chronicles, a young adult fantasy trilogy. When not writing, blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting, Wattpadding or eating chocolate, Natalie nurtures her young daughter, feeds her dog too many treats, and can’t resist watching Ancient Aliens, no matter how absurd the show becomes.

Natalie enjoys travel, good wine, and excellent food shared with family and friends. She was raised an Ohio farm girl, now lives in the desert Southwest, and dreams of living in a high rise in a big city.

“Books are my friends, ideas my passion.”

 

You can find her at:

Twitter: @NatalieWright_
Facebook: NatalieWright.Author

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style=”background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>YouTube

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 5 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet
November 5 – Mom With Kindle – Interview/PROMO
November 6 – Ashley’s Bookshelf – Review
November 7 – Book an Appointment With Wisdom Books – Review/Guest Post
November 8 – My Cozie Corner – Review
November 9 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview
November 10 – Cozy Dragon – Review
November 11 –Lov Liv Life Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO
November 12 – The eBook Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO
November 13 – Bookish Things – PROMO
November 14 – Bea’s Book Nook – Guest Post/PROMO
November 14 – Cherie Reads – PROMO
November 15 – Lovely Reads – PROMO
November 16 – My Reading Addiction – Review
November 16 – Michelle’s Paranormal Vault of Books – Review/Guest Post

Review: Melissa Wright – Rise of the Seven

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Rise of the Seven

Melissa Wright

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Rise of the Seven’. This is actually the  last post in a series of four reviews of this series.

Frey has recovered her memories, her throne, her people. But she’s still a bit confused on what she should be doing about Chevelle… and there’s plenty of action to keep her occupied in the meantime.

The official blurb:

Memories and magic recovered, Frey is restored to the throne. But as she works to regain control of the North, a small silver dagger nearly brings her end. She raises The Seven of her guard and proves her abilities in order to secure her position. But another attempt on her life, from what appears to be fey, reveals not all are pleased with her return. If she could only figure out the force behind the attacks, she might be able to relax enough to decide what to do about her other problem… Chevelle.

My review:

I was a bit confused from the beginning which what was going on, and how much time had passed and so forth. Where had Frey’s extra power come from? What was the importance of the twins? What the hell was she doing? But that evened itself out, and I found myself enjoying the novel.

The style of this novel was much improved from the first two novels in the trilogy. The action was a lot more balanced, with things happening throughout ramping up to a quite satisfactory conclusion.

I could have sworn this was a trilogy, but the way this one reads is that it could be the start of something new (ie. an epilogue would have been useful) or else it would have done a good job of being a standalone (with a bit more at the beginning).

The romance between Chevelle and Frey ramps up a bit in this novel, but the reader is still left hanging with the bonds. What kind of bonds are they?! That’s something that appealed to me though.

Something I loved about each of the novels were the covers. Really visually appealing, made me want to read it. Never-mind that Frey doesn’t wear those dresses from what I could tell.

The stand out episode in this book was the dining room and Frey’s display. Yep, awesome, wish I was there!

Again, I’d recommend this for teens, possibly of all ages, as although there’s some blood flying and various other gory parts, I don’t think they were romanticised.

Find it on:
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Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

November 5 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet
November 6 – My Daily Obsession – Review
November 7 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview
November 8 – The Cozy Dragon – Review
November 9 – Book Nerd – Review/Guest Post
November 12 – Bound By Words – Review/Interview
November 15 – My Cozie Corner – Review
November 17 – My Reading Addiction – Review
November 18 – Reviewing Shelf – Review/Guest Post