An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons #3)
   by: Julia Quinn

Publication Date: Oct. 13, 2009
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Historical Romance
Age Group: Adult
Source: Purchased
Page Count: 358 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Will she accept his offer before the clock strikes midnight?

Sophie Beckett never dreamed she'd be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball—or that "Prince Charming" would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.

Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other—except, perhaps this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid's garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?

Sigh. I can't get enough of this series, you guys. Seriously. I LOVE ALL THINGS BRIDGERTON. And Julia Quinn! I don't know what the deal was on Overdrive, but I was on hold for this book for an eternity. Finally, I gave up and purchased a used copy at my bookstore.

I really liked Benedict's book! It was a Cinderella retelling and it was cute! I loved Sophie too. She was the perfect heroine for Benedict. Having grown up as a servant, one night at a ball changes everything for her as she meets Benedict. However, as the tale goes- she escapes him at midnight with nothing but the memory of a perfect night together. The two are reunited a few years later and it is killing Sophie not to disclose that she was the girl at ball. Benedict had been holding on to the idea of this perfect woman and has finally started to give up on her. He finds himself falling for Sophie herself, but knows society would never allow them to be together.

I am all for a case of forbidden love, so I loved seeing the two battle their attraction to one another.

I am looking forward to starting Colin's book next. Everyone says it's their favorite!

Burn (Scan #2)
   by: Walter Jury and Sarah Fine

Publication Date: May 12, 2015
Publisher: Putnam
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Borrowed from the Library
Page Count: 352 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3/5 stars

At the cliffhanger ending of Scan, Tate loses the very thing he was fighting to protect, what his father had called the key to human survival. Tate doesn't have much time to worry about it because he needs to get away, to ensure he and Christina are safe. His father left him one last thing that can do just that—a safehouse, which turns out to be a clue to what's really threatening the planet. As Tate follows the clues his father left behind, he starts to uncover the truth, realizing he's up against an enemy he's only beginning to understand.

A riveting, fast-paced "we are not alone" adventure, Burn thrills to the very end.

 

I read Scan last year, I believe, and really enjoyed how fast-paced and action packed it was! It was also refreshing to have a male protagonist in the driver's seat! The synopsis tells it true- that cliffhanger was BRUTAL! I picked up Burn from the library and started it before I moved, but then never got to finish it. I wonder, if that was part of the problem I had with this one. I picked it back up a couple of weeks ago and really struggled through it. It wasn't keeping me engaged like it's predecessor did. I still loved being with Tate and Christina, but I felt it lacked the spark the first book did. Sadly, this one didn't wow me, but it was nice to get some resolution for our characters.

Wicked (A Wicked Saga #1)
   by: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: December 8, 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Age Group: New Adult
Source: Purchased for Kindle
Page Count: 300 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

 

So, I am always up for a JLA book and I'm kicking myself for not starting this one sooner! I loved the New Orleans setting and the fact that it was New Adult Urban Fantasy! I read so many contemporaries, that it was refreshing to jump into the world of the Order and their fight against the fae.

 

Ivy is our fiery, red-haired heroine and I really liked her. She was a lot of fun and I love how much of Jen's personality and loves were incorporated in this one. (Supernatural, Walking Dead, etc.) Ren was sexy as sin and I loved his cocky, honest attitude. He was great and is definitely a new favorite of Jen's heroes.

 

I have to mention my love for Tink because oh my goodness. I was trying so hard not to laugh at his craziness in front of my coworkers the other day. I have a feeling our little Brownie is going to be a major player in this series.

 

On to Torn!

 

 

Stealing Home
      by Nicole Williams

Publication Date: July 10, 2016
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC received via ArdentPR in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 211 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3/5 stars

Being the only woman working for a professional baseball team isn’t easy. As the San Diego Shock’s newest athletic trainer, Allie knows all about long hours, endless travel, and warding off players’ advances. Given she’s already the subject of a handful of rumors about how “lucky” she was to have earned such a coveted position, she can’t so much as flutter an eyelash a player’s way if she wants to be taken seriously.

But number eleven is doing more than fluttering eyelashes Allie’s way. Far more. Luke Archer is at the top of his game and doesn’t let the fear of striking out keep him from swinging. This is a motto he applies both on and off the field, but Allie appears immune, seeming to view Luke as nothing more than caution tape on legs.

He’s a player, and in Allie’s experience, they’re all the same. She won’t risk her job or her heart to another one, no matter how different this one claims to be. But as Allie gets to know him, she discovers the number eleven the public thinks they know is very different from the real Luke Archer. He seems too good to be true.

And maybe he is.

Allie will have to confront the stories attached to a player of Luke Archer’s stature and decide who she’ll put her faith in—The man she’s falling for? Or the rumors?

 

 

I love Nicole's Lost and Found series, as well as her Three Brothers. I was super excited to see she was writing a sports romance, because let's be honest- who can get enough of those? Not this girl! And it's a BASEBALL book. *dreamy sigh*

 

I really did love all things Luke Archer. He was such a wonderful hero and sexy as sin! Allie was sweet too and I liked her dedication to her job and how she refused to let anyone tear her down or tell her she was only there because of her feminine parts. She's damn good at what she does and she won't let arrogant jerks keep her down.

 

My issue with this book was that it felt so clichéd. We have Allie and Luke, who aren't looking for anything serious, decide to pursue a sexual relationship, but end up falling for one another anyway. There is your usual miscommunication conflict that causes problems for our happy couple also. I also felt the story could have used more depth and background on our characters. I feel we just jumped right in to the attraction and sexy times, when I could have used a bit more tension and development.

 

I did still enjoy this one despite my issues though, but I don't know that it will be especially memorable.

Fated (Servants of Fate #3)
   by: Sarah Fine

Publication Date: Sept. 29, 2015
Publisher: 47North
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Age Group: Adult
Source: e-ARC received via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 316 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Aislin Ferry and Jason Moros have only days until they will be called to account before the Keepers of the Afterlife. Yet as they race to restore order and make their case, their worlds fall into total disarray.

Mutiny within the fractured Ferry family threatens Aislin’s hold on power and role as Charon. Meanwhile, the fearsome Lord of the Kere has family trouble of his own. Someone is unraveling the fabric of fate, and Moros suspects one of his supernatural siblings is behind the terrible bid to unleash Chaos.

Now unlikely allies, Aislin and Moros each need the other to escape the wrath of the Keepers. As the stakes rise, it becomes clear that protecting their respective empires is not the endgame. With the fate of all humanity dangling by a thread, Aislin and Moros must surrender completely to one another if they are to fight their common enemy. And as time runs out, someone must make the ultimate sacrifice.

 

 

I have absolutely LOVED this series by Sarah Fine. She does such an amazing job of writing paranormal romance and I have loved all three couples and the relationships they have developed. This book really explores the Fates and the roles they play and I was absolutely fascinated with how Fine incorporated that. For the last two books, Jason Moros has been an anti-hero, being the Leader of the Kere who begrudgingly work side by side with the Ferrys. The Kere are in charge of marking souls for death, while the Ferrys are responsible for sending those souls to their proper final resting place. I knew this last book would feature him and Aislin Ferry, the Charon, but I was still unprepared for the intensity of what would develop between them!

 

I ended up really loving Aislin. She was a bit of an ice queen in the previous books but she is extremely hard-working and dedicated to her family and her job. She was not presented as a warm, embracing character like her sister Cacy was. Aislin has always felt that abyss between her and her sister and it was heartbreaking, because she really wanted to have a friendship with her little sister. I knew that Aislin's character would be completely different once we saw things from her point of view. I felt the same way about Moros's character. It was awesome to see the Lord of Death FEEL and have emotions just like any other human would. Aislin and him are the perfect match and I loved seeing them come to that very realization. Naturally, they have some pretty sexy scenes together and I couldn't get enough of them.

 

I can't say much more as this is the final book in the series and definitely do not want to spoil it for anyone. Fine is such an engaging author and does a spectacular job of transporting you into a world that has been ravaged by the forces of light and dark. Loyalties are tested, trust must be earned, and deception is never far.... but underneath it all, love remains and serves as a symbol of hope. I cannot recommend this series enough!

Marked (Servants of Fate #1)
   by: Sarah Fine

Publication Date: Jan. 1, 2015
Publisher: 47North
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Age Group: Adult
Source: Purchased for Kindle
Page Count: 332 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

In a broken landscape carved by environmental collapse, Boston paramedic Cacia Ferry risks life and limb on the front lines of a fragile and dangerous city. What most don’t know—including her sexy new partner, Eli Margolis—is that while Cacy works to save lives, she has another job ferrying the dead to the Afterlife. Once humans are “Marked” by Fate, the powerful Ferrys are called to escort the vulnerable souls to either eternal bliss or unending fire and pain.

Unaware of Cacy’s other life, Eli finds himself as mesmerized by his fierce and beautiful partner as he is mistrustful of the influential Ferry clan led by the Charon—who happens to be Cacy’s father. Cacy, in turn, can no longer deny her intense attraction to the mysterious ex-Ranger with a haunted past. But just as their relationship heats up, an apparent hit takes the Charon before his time. Shaken to the core, Cacy pursues the rogue element who has seized the reins of Fate, only to discover that Eli has a devastating secret of his own. Not knowing whom to trust, what will Cacy have to sacrifice to protect Eli—and to make sure humanity’s future is secure?

 

I loved Sarah Fine's Guards of the Shadowlands series, so I was excited to see that she had written an Adult Paranormal series as well! I really enjoyed the premise of this one and learning about the Ferrys and Kers. I've always been a bit obsessed with mythology as well as the underworld. The Persephone myth is always a favorite, as well as Dante's Inferno, and more. In Marked Cacia (Cacy) Ferry and her family can traverse back and forth through the veil, which separates the living from the dead. It is their job to ferry souls into the afterlife. It is the job of the Keres to mark humans for death, getting their assignments from the Fates, the sisters of Moros, the leader of the Kers. Moros and the Ferrys have a rather uneasy understanding between them. I really love that the line between good and evil is really blurred here. Just because a Ker marks humans for death, doesn't necessarily mean they are evil. The same goes for being a Ferry. Just because they guide souls to their afterlife doesn't make them good either.

 

The Ferry family is a powerful one in Boston and their names are well known throughout the city. Cacy and her brother Declan both work as paramedics, trying to save lives- not just sending the dead through the portal to their afterlife. It gives them a purpose and I liked how much their job meant to them. Cacy is assigned a new partner named Eli, who has just moved to Boston with his older sister, Galena, who is working as a scientist. Galena has been through some pretty heavy stuff so Eli is quite overprotective of her. It's really sweet and shows you what a good guy he is. I loved him from the start, so naturally I was rooting for him and Cacy to get together.

 

I really liked Cacy and Eli's relationship. Fine certainly knows how to build up the tension between them and there were parts I wanted to scream because I couldn't stand Cacy pulling away from him. She has been afraid to fall in love, especially after her last relationship didn't work out so well. I understand her fears, but she is missing out on this amazing guy! As this is an adult novel, Fine does incorporate some very sexy scenes into the novel and they worked so well with Cacy and Eli's passionate relationship.

 

I will say this about Fine. She isn't afraid to pull a fast one on you. There's a pretty huge turn of events in this book, and I was terrified to see how she would resolve it. This is a series, so we do not get a definitive ending. The next book focuses more on Galena and Declan, but I don't think Cacy and Eli's story is quite over yet. I am really looking forward to seeing where Fine takes us next, especially after everything that happened in this book! You are in for quite the ride in this one- as I said earlier, good versus evil isn't cut and dry and I didn't know who to trust for a good portion of the book! I love Fine's writing style and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next!

 

 

 

 

Claimed (Servants of Fate #2)
   by: Sarah Fine

Publication Date: Mar. 24, 2015
Publisher: 47North
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Age Group: Adult
Source: e-ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 341 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Galena Margolis, a brilliant scientist with a tragic past, is determined to fulfill her destiny and develop the vaccine that could save millions. Yet when Galena’s test subjects meet with foul play, it’s clear that someone is still determined to stop her, and that Galena herself is a target. As the Ferry empire forges a plan to keep her safe, Declan Ferry, the politics-hating black sheep of the family, steps forward to protect her—but the emotional cost may be more than either of them is willing to pay.

As unknown enemies close in, it becomes terrifyingly clear that they threaten to destroy not only Galena’s lifesaving work but also the very fabric of fate. As Galena and Declan race to uncover the traitor, they also forge a special bond that could save both Galena and those she’s sworn to help. Torn apart by the past and hunted by those she trusted, can Galena find room amidst her fears for a passion that could make her stronger than ever? And even if she and Declan can find their way together, will it be enough to keep the future from coming apart at the seams?

 

 

I have to admit, when I realized this wouldn't be following Eli and Cacy again, I was a little disappointed. I really fell hard for those two in Marked and I just wanted to see them show us that love can overcome all odds. However, Fine does a really good job of switching main characters in this one and still keep the overall storyline moving in the same direction. I ended up loving Galena and Dec and their romance was just what I needed. It was slow and sweet, but sexy and intense at the same time.

 

Dr. Galena Margolis is a critical part of the future with her scientific knowledge that is on the brink of creating a vaccine that will help so many people. However, there are those who do not want her to succeed, and it's her life on the line. The Ferrys and the Keres have agreed to keep her safe, but it is clear there are those who would stop at nothing to see her and her work destroyed. Declan, Cacy's brother, is intrigued by Galena and finds himself wanting to protect her. The lengths he goes to for her for her felt so natural to me and while their relationship might have started out rather unconventionally- they grew into it and it really worked. He is such a good guy and I really loved that about him. Galena becomes his number one priority and I loved his immediate devotion to her. Sigh. He is incredibly patient with her as well, knowing she has been through a very traumatic experience.

 

I really liked Galena. She has been through one of the worst things imaginable and yet she is still determined to fight back. She allows herself to trust in Dec and giving him that trust was such a big step for her. It wasn't easy and that's not to say she wasn't scared, but she sought strength in him and together they were a great pair.

 

There is a rogue Ker that is targeting other Keres, making them feel uncontrollable rage, bringing all the negative to the surface and times it by a thousand. This definitely causes problems, especially since Keres are supposed to have a treaty with the Ferrys. Fine constantly keeps you on your toes as to who can truly be trusted.

 

I thought the development with Moros was quite intriguing and I am really looking forward to seeing how it will be handled in the next book. There is something simmering underneath the surface between him and the eldest Ferry sister, Aislin, and I cannot wait to see where Fine is going to take them and end the series!

 

 

Fractured (Guards of the Shadowlands #2)
   by: Sarah Fine

Publication Date: Oct. 29, 2013
Publisher: Skyscape
Genre: Fantasy/ Paranormal
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 357 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

In the week since Lela returned to Rhode Island as Captain of the Guard with Malachi as her second in command, local news has been dominated by chilling sightings of human-like creatures running on all fours. Lela knows there’s only one explanation: the Mazikin have arrived in the land of the living.

Needing to maintain the appearance of a normal life for her foster mother, her probation officer, and her classmates, Lela returns to Warwick High along with Malachi. At night they secretly hunt for the Mazikin nest. To assist, two new Guards from very different parts of the Shadowlands are assigned to Lela’s unit, including the bad boy Jim, who repeatedly challenges Lela's authority. Lela struggles to keep all her Guards on the right side of the law, but their mistakes come at a terrible cost.

As one painful revelation follows another and the Mazikin start targeting those closest to her, Lela finds herself more vulnerable than she’s ever been, wanting a future more than she ever has. With an enemy determined to separate soul from body, one question remains: how much is she willing to sacrifice to protect those she loves?

 

"And now I'm lying on the COLD, HARD ground...."

 

Sarah Fine, what have you done to my poor FRACTURED heart?!!?! Gah! The feelings! This book seriously tore my heart open, ripped it to shreds, sort of put it back together, and then RIPPED IT APART AGAIN. Geeze. I am having flashbacks of another series (which will remain nameless), where something very similar happened and I thought I would die. Thankfully, things ended ok in that series, and OMG, I need Book Three. Now. No- I needed it yesterday. Gah. Ok. I will stop with the teenager feels, even though I'm a year shy of 30.

Ladies and gentlemen. THIS SERIES IS THAT GOOD. I am officially addicted. Some of my blogger friends (Tonya, Dani, and Alyssa specifically) were like "You need to read Sanctum." And I was like, yeah- it sounds great. But I didn't ever have the time! I was so excited to get Fractured because then I KNEW I had to move Sanctum up on my TBR!

I devoured Sanctum. I was absolutely enthralled with the idea of our main character journeying to a type of purgatory, where she is on a mission to find her best friend. Lela Santos never planned on her own death and she never imagined she would sacrifice her own chance of paradise in order to sneak through the gates of Hell to find her. And she certainly never planned on coming face to face with the deadliest human Guard of the Shadowlands only to find herself falling for him.

Whew. If you thought Lela had a lot on her plate in Sanctum, you have no idea what she has to endure in Fractured. At least in the dark city, her main set of problems were dealing with the deadly Mazikin (monsters who have stolen human bodies to use as their vessels) and dealing with her feelings for Malachi. Now, Lela has been sent back to Earth as Captain of the Guard to control the Mazikin threat, all while keeping up appearances of being a normal high schooler- going to school, hanging out with friends, while spending her nights patrolling and training.

I love Lela. She is such an awesome protagonist. She is fierce, strong, and determined. She has dealt with some serious stuff after having grown up in the foster care system and having dealt with a certain less than desirable foster situation. She keeps people at a distance and is not overly emotional (she does NOT like to be touched). Nadia was the first person she let in- the first person to know all the shit she's endured and the first person who actually cared about her.

Lela has changed a lot since we first met her in the first novel. A lot of it has to do with Malachi, but it also has to do with her inner strength. Oh, Malachi. I love that boy, but he drove me batty in this book. I get his reasoning for the things he did, but it still hurt my heart. As a couple, the two empower one another and Malachi's quiet, but strong demeanor balances Lela's feisty, sometimes reckless spirit perfectly. He is calculated and precise, where she is more brazen and willing to jump in head first.

I liked this story because we got to see different sides to both Lela and Malachi. Malachi is no longer the Captain of the Guard, that job now falls to Lela, and watching him adjust to this as well as being on Earth among the living is such a genius move on Sarah's part. Malachi has been a Guard for a long time- in the Dark City it's a kill or be killed mentality and he doesn't realize that things don't operate that way now. Malachi and Lela's relationship is greatly tested in this book, which I found fitting, as I believe relationships to be fragile until they are tested. As much as these events hurt both Malachi and Lela, I believe they will be stronger because of these trials. There are quite a few twists and turns that throw Lela's life off-kilter and she has to put on a strong front to deal with them, when she wants to break down and show weakness.

We do meet a lot of new faces in this book- Jim and Henry, both from different afterlifes are assigned to Lela and Malachi's team. I thought it was pretty cool to learn about where they were before, as they were not in the Dark City (as that is strictly for Suicides). It's cool how much I saw Dante Aligheri's influence in Sarah's afterlifes, as I am a huge fan of his Divine Comedy. It was also fun seeing Lela's interactions with her fellow peers, Tegan, Ian, and Laney. Lela is determined to keep her friends safe from the Mazikin threat and her constant vigilance is needed to do so throughout the novel. This is a YA novel and I felt the high school interactions were necessary to the development of the characters, as well as the plot.

To avoid spoilers I will bring my review to a close. This series is just one that, while it may be on the darker, more serious side, there is so much hope and determination resonating from it, that you can't help but fall head first into Lela's journey and care about her and her friends. I devoured both books in NO TIME and I'm just telling you: GO. GET. THIS. SERIES!

I know my Vampire Academy fans will enjoy this one, as well as fans of Everbound.