Thursday, July 31, 2014

Twisted, Hot and a Sexy Read! Total Mind F@%k!

Looking for a HOT and Sexy read that will blow your mind and question your sanity, check out
 
in•sur•mount•a•ble
 
a New Adult novel by T.E. White
 
 
first in a standalone series "Sins of the Father",
Insurmountable will be a total mind fuck.
 
Told in the POV of Tade Astor, check out the blurb for his side of this twisted tale.
  
This isn’t some happy love story. If you want that, try something else. No, I own this nightmare and would have never guessed it could have happened to me.  

My life is painstakingly puzzled out. And if I have to admit it, I fall for Red the first time I see her. In fact, she is the first of many things for me and maybe my last. She is the reflection of my happiness and the beginning to my end. She is the stain that covers my heart in the color of her blood-red hair.  

Thoughts of her consume me and continue to bombard my mind like ricochet gunfire. So what can possibly go wrong, you wonder? A humorous chuckle escapes me, in case you didn’t hear it. Yeah, I can tell you, but you will judge me unfairly. This you need to hear from the beginning, so you know all the facts and feel what I felt. Maybe even sympathize and not give me your scorn. Then maybe you can possibly… possibly comprehend the enormity of my crossroads.  

You have to know I never planned or meant for any of this. It isn’t my fault. It’s someone else’s sins that have efficiently destroyed my life in one fell swoop. My name?  

My name is Tade Astor and happiness for me is insurmountable. 

*Warning – this book contains explicit sexual situations and may not be suited for everyone.
 
 
 

 
AVAILABLE NOW AT AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE
 
Add to your Goodreads shelf
 
 
 
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 

T.E.WHITE isn't your everyday romance author. If you are looking for happy love stories, don't look here. That doesn't mean there aren't a happily ever afters, just fucked up ones. The first book in the Sins of the Father series is Insurmountable. Be warned for a wild ride.

Website www.tewhite.net

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/people/TE-White/100006783978655

Twitter: @TEWhiteAuthor


 
 

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

I'll 'Mount' In•sur•mount•a•ble ~ New Release!

*Happy Hump Day, Peeps*
Looking for a HOT and Sexy read that will blow your mind and question your sanity, check out
in•sur•mount•a•ble
a New Adult novel by T.E. White

first in a standalone series "Sins of the Father",
Insurmountable will be a total mind fuck.

Told in the POV of Tade Astor, check out the blurb for his side of this twisted tale.
  
This isn’t some happy love story. If you want that, try something else. No, I own this nightmare and would have never guessed it could have happened to me.  

My life is painstakingly puzzled out. And if I have to admit it, I fall for Red the first time I see her. In fact, she is the first of many things for me and maybe my last. She is the reflection of my happiness and the beginning to my end. She is the stain that covers my heart in the color of her blood-red hair.  

Thoughts of her consume me and continue to bombard my mind like ricochet gunfire. So what can possibly go wrong, you wonder? A humorous chuckle escapes me, in case you didn’t hear it. Yeah, I can tell you, but you will judge me unfairly. This you need to hear from the beginning, so you know all the facts and feel what I felt. Maybe even sympathize and not give me your scorn. Then maybe you can possibly… possibly comprehend the enormity of my crossroads.  

You have to know I never planned or meant for any of this. It isn’t my fault. It’s someone else’s sins that have efficiently destroyed my life in one fell swoop. My name?  

My name is Tade Astor and happiness for me is insurmountable. 

*Warning – this book contains explicit sexual situations and may not be suited for everyone.




AVAILABLE NOW! 




ABOUT THE AUTHOR




T.E.WHITE isn't your everyday romance author. If you are looking for happy love stories, don't look here. That doesn't mean there aren't a happily ever afters, just fucked up ones. The first book in the Sins of the Father series is Insurmountable. Be warned for a wild ride.

Website www.tewhite.net

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/people/TE-White/100006783978655

Twitter: @TEWhiteAuthor



*Runs to go add this to her TBR list NOW!* 

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Slave Girl by Lisa Cach

Slave Girl (1,001 Erotic Nights #1)
by Lisa Cach 

Slave girl Nimia is in erotic training to become the sex toy of her Roman master, while around them the last vestiges of the Western Roman Empire fall into barbarian hands. It’s a barbarian prince, Clovis — the future King of the Franks and founder of France — who steals her virginity from her jealous Roman ruler, and leaves Nimia to face the shocking consequences.

ebook, 1st Edition, 90 pages
Expected publication: July 28th 2014 by Pocket Star


 
 
 
 
 
Slave Girl by Lisa Cach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nimia is a young slave girl being trained as a concubine for her master, Sygarius. He has owned her for years but has been waiting to use her until she was of the perfect age; after all, the anticipation is half the fun.

I enjoyed Nimia's character. She knows she belongs to Sygarius and what he will use her for once she is of age, but she does not mind much; after all, that's really all she has ever known. She does not remember much of her life before she came to live in his household. However, she is smart enough to realize there could be more to her life out in there somewhere in the world and strong-willed enough to dream of it. Then one day a young prince shows up who claims to know of her people, and Nimia has to make a decision…live the safe life as a slave and concubine, or be free to find her past as a fugitive on the run.

I do not know much about the Roman Empire or the language of the time the book is set it, but to my uncultured mind, the writing in this book seemed to fit. The story flowed smoothly with beautiful imagery, and the plot was intriguing enough to leave me wanting more. This is the first installment of the story, and I will be looking for part two, hopefully soon!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


View all my reviews
 
 

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Winter Angel by Mia Hoddell - Free Today!


Winter Angel
by Mia Hoddell

Genre: YA Romance
Release date: 25th June 2014
Length: Novella

Blurb:
She was on holiday. He was tricked into returning.
Neither of them wanted to be there, but neither could avoid it.


Amy wants to be back under the sun in Portugal. However, when her suggestion is overruled in favour of a skiing holiday, even she can't turn it down. What she couldn't have predicted is that the holiday could make her break the one, and only, rule she has: not to get into a serious relationship again.

When Amy first sees Luke, she knows something is wrong. He's struggling to cope with everything and her need to help people makes him the perfect distraction from the cold. He hasn't been to the Alps in five years and he swore to never ski again. But as his defences are broken by Amy's persistence, the winter paradise begins to reawaken his desires.

However, with constant flashbacks triggering his anxiety, he's torn, battling conflicting emotions as he becomes increasingly captivated by Amy. She has a rule though. She didn't go on holiday to fall for someone and the last thing she needs is to ignore her own advice. Whether or not she can move past her insecurities will depend on whether Luke can face his biggest fear.

Winter Angel is a standalone, young adult romance novella, but is the second book in the Seasons of Change series.

Download in now for FREE!
Only free 19th & 20th of July

Add to Goodreads

You can also download Summer Demons: the first, bestselling, standalone novella in the Seasons of Change series for 99c / 77p.

Excerpt

White. Gazing out of the small, circular window, it was the only colour he could see surrounding him. The bursts of light—which had broken through the heavy, grey clouds—were reflected back as the ground grew closer with each passing second. Not too long ago he had been blissfully unaware of the location his sister was dragging him to for a holiday. A bubble of excitement had surrounded him throughout the early morning as he got up, and stayed with him through travelling to the airport and catching the flight. However, it had burst as soon as the icy tips of the mountains appeared and the plane began its descent. Until that moment, he had hoped his guesses had been wrong.
His sister had carefully planned the trip, making sure to hide all clues as to where they were heading, and as she glanced across at him, it seemed as if she had been successful. Luke’s knuckles were white on the arm rests. He had claimed both of them, gripping them so hard they looked like they would snap under the force, or at least be moulded to the shape of his hands when he removed them.
Ellie watched as he took in a shaky breath, but she heard no exhale.
“Luke?”
The silence that filled the space around them was icier than the Alps they had just flown over. Her brother’s gaze remained fixed on the window, watching as the ground, and his fate, drew ever closer. Deep, ragged breaths steamed up the window, which was almost touching his nose. Desperately, he tried to control the tremors shaking his body, and his pounding heart, from the fear that washed over him in waves.
“Luke, please, say something.” Worry had crept into Ellie’s tone. She had thought her idea would do him good, that forcing him to face everything would turn him back into his old self. Ellie missed the brother she had grown up with and wanted him back. However, seeing his eyes wide with fear, his jaw clenched in anger, and his arms tense with both, suddenly she wasn’t so sure about her plan.
“You promised, Ellie. You swore you wouldn’t pressure me, and I trusted you with that. You know how I feel about this.” His voice was sharp and curt as he spoke through clenched teeth, trying to keep a hold on his emotions.
The urge to flee surged within him. He wanted to go home, to get off the plane and board the next flight straight back to England, but he couldn’t. Not only was the plane still minutes from landing—trapping him in the confines of economy class, which felt even smaller as realisation forced him to understand Ellie’s plans—but he also refused to waste more money on the pointless trip Ellie had conned him into taking. If he was going to use the money he had earned from before everything changed, it would be on his own terms.
“You’ll enjoy it when you’re there,” Ellie stated, brushing off his comments like they meant nothing to her.
“That’s easy for you to say. You don’t have to live with, or through, what I have.” Luke was trying hard to control his voice. Had they been in private, he would have already been shouting. The cramped environment meant that Ellie was getting off lightly, but he swore that when they reached their chalet, he would not hold back. She had no right to interfere with his life.
“Never tell me I didn’t live through it, Luke. I was there when it happened, in the hospital, and when you got home. I was there through it all. It may not have been me, but it wasn’t like it had no effect on my life,” Ellie hissed. It was the only way she could convey her anger without disturbing other passengers.
“Why though, Ellie? Why is this such a big deal to you?” Luke’s eyes were full of sorrow as he turned to face his sister for the first time, begging to understand her reasoning for putting him through something she knew would hurt him.

About the Author

Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading, loves anything paranormal and has an overactive imagination that keeps her up until the early hours of the morning.

With three poems published before the age of sixteen, Mia moved on to short stories but finding she had too much to tell with too little space, Mia progressed to novels. She started her first series (The Wanderer Trilogy) at the age of fourteen and since then hasn’t stopped writing. Elemental Killers is her second series and with an ever growing list of ideas, Mia is trying to keep up with the speed at which her imagination generates them.


Connect with Mia:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Google+ | Amazon Author Page

or subscribe to Mia's Newsletter for information on:
 ARCs, giveaways and new releases




Second on the Right by Elizabeth Los - Blog Tour & Giveaway!


Title: Second on the Right
Author: Elizabeth Los
Genre: Fantasy

Book Description:

Spawned from an ancient promise, treachery and intrigue follow the protagonists through our world and one lost to the waves. Bound by an invisible bond, they are thrust into a fantastical world of pirates and demons.

James Benedict is a just man haunted by evil. Pushed to the edge, everything stripped from him, a new man arises . . . a man whose name strikes fear into the hearts of all who hear it: "Captain Hook".

Eileen Davis was a timid woman. Through a fateful cruise she finds herself in the company of the Captain of the Mistral Thief. With his guidance, and the meddling of the local barista, she eventually finds her inner strength.

Will the two of them unite through time to fulfill the promise of their ancestors or will tempers ignite leading all to failure?

Excerpt:

Eileen woke with a start. Carefully, she peeled back the privacy sheet. A lump caught in her throat. The cabin door was open. She frowned. In the dim moonlight, a shadow stood just within the captain’s quarters. It moved. Her heart raced. She blinked, then stared. The dark silhouette glided silently. She watched, unbelieving. The shape loomed over the captain. She released the sheet.

He doesn’t know. He’s still asleep. I have to do something. But what? Her thoughts rattled through her mind. She had to be quick.

As quiet as possible, she slipped from her hammock. Her stocking feet made no sound. She crouched. Her fingers slid down her leg until they found her dagger. She removed the blade. Her hand trembled as she pulled back the sheet. Squinting, she could make out the shape. She rose. The floor creaked under her shifting weight.

Red eyes stared at her from across the room. They seemed to float in midair. She held her breath. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. She blinked. The eyes grew larger. She looked to the door. When she looked back, the eyes were closer. She panicked. The shadow lunged towards her.

Eileen screamed. “Captain! Captain, wake up!” She stomped on the floor boards and yelled, “Smythe! Anyone! The captain’s in danger!”

The creature howled.

Eileen swung her dagger at the intruder. He slid to the right. She slashed. He slipped to the left. She thrust. Her blade met air. He moved with little effort. And now, he drew closer. She slashed haphazardly. She hit nothing.

The shadow hissed. She felt a rush of wind. The creature flew at her. A powerful blow to the chest, her back slammed into the wall. She tried to defend herself. Another rush of wind and her dagger was knocked out of her hand. Her head hit the wall. Sliding to the floor, she felt cold. She heard a raspy inhalation. Looking up she was met with red eyes that glared at her. A cold breeze wrapped around her. She tried for her dagger, but it was gone. As she struggled for breath, her hearing diminished. The shadow loomed over her. Eileen’s vision tunneled until darkness enveloped her and there was nothing.

About the Author:
Elizabeth uses writing as therapy, her release from everyday stress. At night, after work and once the children are finally tucked in bed, for the fifth time, she sits at her laptop and lets her imagination flow. 

Elizabeth has produced short stories, one of which will be published in an anthology. She’s had fun writing a Sherlock Holmes fan fiction story, A Case of Need, based on the BBC’s Sherlock. By July 2011, her first novel, Second on the Right, had been completed. She spent several years polishing the story in order to provide a high quality product to the public. Second on the Right is her first professional novel.

She currently resides in California with her husband, children and two dogs: Black Lab (Raven) and Saint Bernard (Duke).

Author Links 


Where to Buy







Goodreads Book Giveaway
Second on the Right by Elizabeth Los

Second on the Right

by Elizabeth Los

Giveaway ends July 04, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win


a Rafflecopter giveaway








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Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Poppy (Behind the Words #3) Cover Reveal! +Excerpt!

I'm a day late and a dollar short to the release, but at last minute I heard Schlitterbahn's siren call and despite my best efforts, got burned.  *Sigh*  70+ SPF my lily white bottom!  But, this is hot in an entirely different way to celebrate the end of your hump day....



Release Date: August 2014 (no specific date set yet)


Synopsis: 

Poppy Taylor is a successful hair, makeup, and clothing stylist with a client list packed full of elite musicians, actors, and celebrities. After months of touring with the bands, The Daughters of Darkness and the platinum selling rock group, From Yesterday, one final night changes everything. Will love evade her, as always, or will she find it in the least likely of places, in the arms of a rebellious rocker she never expected?

Riley Huntington is the bass guitar player for the rock band, From Yesterday. His bad boy exterior isn’t exactly the lifestyle he lives though. With his longtime relationship on the rocks, Riley finds himself alone and full of new feelings for a girl he never saw coming. When life gives him a chance to start fresh, will he take it?

When two unlikely people are thrown together during one night of passion, will sparks ignite a long-lasting fire, or will the temporary flame burn out before it ever has a chance to catch?


Twitter: @Savvy2287

Excerpt from Poppy:

Everything on the guest floor was rattling from the bass of the music blaring throughout the rooms. I was sure that I had drank close to my weight in tequila alone, not to mention the amount of whiskey shots I had thrown back, but I was still standing and I was feeling good; no, better than good. I was feeling fan-fucking-tastic as I moved my body along with the beat of the rap song that was playing. I threw my hands in the air above my head before bringing them back down, trailing across my body as they went. Sweat was bedding across my collar bone as a few drops trailed their way down the valley between my breasts. The melody was enchanting me, making me move provocatively with every beat and I loved it.
Grinding my hips from side-to-side, I felt a large body step up to my swaying backside. Most guys were my height or barely taller, but whomever was taller than the average Joe. I continued to rock my hips from side-to-side as I spun around to face my dancing partner and smiled widely when I took in Riley’s large frame behind me. He looked sexy as ever; black jeans hanging loosely on his hips with a plain forest green shirt stretched tightly across his broad chest. He gripped my hips as I snacked my arms around his neck. When we had first arrived he disappeared, I assumed to get ready for the party but when he never returned I felt a sting of disappointment and turned to the liquor quickly.
I looked up at him through my lashes as I rubbed my body along his to the beat of the song. Riley’s hands were still gripping my hips as he rolled his large self along with my rhythm. My liquor induced bravery was taking control, and I had no desire to try and tame it. Riley’s hands pulled me gently until I was completely flush against him and I felt him straining against the zipper of his pants. I drew in a long heavy breath as he moved his hands around my waist and splayed one of them across my ass while resting the other on my back underneath my shirt. His skin was warm against mine. I closed my eyes and took in the feel of his hand moving gently up and down my spine as we continued to move against one another when I felt his breath tickle the side of my neck.
“Your dancing's as passionate as sin.” His words crawled slowly across my neck causing the skin to rise with goose bumps. I shivered and leaned forward to reply when I heard Jayde yelling for me to do a body shot from across the room.
“Come on, Poppy!!!!!! Body shots!!!” Here slurring voice called out before the next song started up and Riley took a couple steps back.
I watched his electric blue eyes darken just a little as I called back to Jayde and made my way through the crowd to the long bar that split the kitchen from the living room. I stumbled a little in the shoes I was wearing but surprisingly I wasn’t falling all over the place from the amount of alcohol I had consumed.
“Hop on up on the bar, it’s your turn!” Jayde spun around and pointed her index finger at my chest. She was so care-free and unbelievably funny when she was sober, but when she was drinking those same attributes about her seemed to grow even more. Jayde was a knock out! I envied her different colored eyes; one green and one blue. It was hard not to look back and forth between them whenever I spoke with her.
“Are you crazy?” I placed my hands on hips and laughed. “I’m almost as long as the bar, Jayde, and all of those alcohol bottles at the end will be in jeopardy if I jump up there.” I laughed again as I twirled my hand around in the air when I felt big hands latch around my waist.
“Up you go.” Riley’s baritone voice was at my ear, sending chills across my skin. I gasped from the unexpected contact as my bottom was placed against the cool wood of the bar.
“Keep your legs bent and you won’t knock anything off.” Cash suggested as he grabbed the bottle of tequila, salt, and a few lime slices. “Who’s up first?!” He held them up in the air.
“Me!” Jayde snatched the items from Cash’s hands. His eyes seemed to darken when she said it. I wasn’t sure if it was due to the fact that she was going to be taking a shot off of my body or the fact that he was head-over-heels in love with her and wouldn’t admit it.
“Where you taking it from?” I asked as I laid my body across the wood bar.
“Navel I suppose. It’ll hold the tequila the best.” Jayde shrugged as she plucked the top from the bottle. I grabbed the hem of my belly shirt and pulled it off. Apparently they weren’t expecting that because Cash let out a cat call that had me blushing and Jayde cracking up. Most girls would have been ready to scratch my eyes out if their man whistled at me like Cash had, but not Jayde. It was just another reason why I loved having her as a friend.
I was wearing a black laced bra that had studs running across some of the lace on the front of the cups. It was a pretty bra, one of my favs…and apparently a new focal point for Riley’s eyes. When he realized I was watching him watch my chest rise and fall, a wicked grin spread across his face. Yes, I had a good size chest. No, I wasn’t born that way. I was the girl that was overly tall but lacking in the boob department. Did I go overboard and get gigantic tits when I got implants? Nope. I went with a full C cup and mine didn’t look like the easy-to-tell implants. Hell, you couldn’t really tell unless I had on a massive push-up bra or you felt them.
Jayde poured the cool tequila into my navel and I felt my stomach contract from the feel of it. I took a lime slice and placed it in my mouth as she trailed a line of salt up my stomach and between my breasts. “Here goes nothing!” She called out just before she dropped her mouth to my body, licking the salt from between my breasts to my navel before she sucked the tequila from my navel swiftly. Her lips were on mine as she sucked the tart lime juice from the slice of lime resting between my lips. Jayde pulled the lime from my mouth and I sat up enough to brace myself with my elbows against the bar. We definitely had a crowd of observers around us then.
I looked over at Riley and felt my heart pick up the pace from its normal steady beating. His electric blue eyes looked like tiny lightning bolts were going off throughout them. I had never seen him look so intense before. It was like something inside of him was ignited and I was hoping I would find out just what that something was.
“My turn!” Cash stepped up but was quickly pushed back by Riley.
“I don’t think so lover boy.” Cash’s face fell. “She’s all mine.”
Those three words bounced around inside my head.
She’s all mine.
I knew he meant he was up next for the body shot, but the thought of it being something more was knocking loud and clear. I laid back against the bar and felt the chill of tequila fill my navel again as I slid a new slice of lime into my mouth. The grainy feel of the salt was back in the exact same spot as before. I took a deep breath to try and steady my erratic breathing and closed my eyes. There was no way I could watch Riley lick his way down my body, suck tequila from my navel, and drop his lips to mine. The thought of it was erotic enough, but watching him while he did it…that wasn’t anything I could handle.
His warm breath tickled the skin across my collar bone just before I felt his tongue make its way between my breasts, skipping the area where my bra came around, and continued down to my navel. My body was screaming for more as he sucked the tequila up into his mouth. The loss of his tongue and lips on my skin was devastating, but it quickly subsided as our lips connected, causing an unexpected moan to escape up the back of my throat. Riley squeezed the lime juice from the slice between my lips and discarded it onto the counter before bringing his mouth back to mine. The tart juice of the lime lingered between us as his tongue danced around mine, adding a hint of salt into the mix. The kiss seemed to go on forever, but forever wasn’t long enough when Jayde stepped into the mix.
“Whoa there, Riley! Give the girl some room to breathe.” She drunkenly laughed and Riley pulled his lips from mine as if I had burned him.
He didn’t say another word before he walked off into the crowd of people dancing and grabbed hold of some brunette that I didn’t know. I quickly looked away as I slid down from the bar and quickly put my shirt back on.
“Where ya goin’?” Jayde asked as she filled a solo cup and extended her arm to me.
“I need some air.” I fanned myself with my hand and took the Bourbon filled cup from her. I needed to cut myself off, but seeing Riley all over some girl not even five seconds after his tongue was down my throat left a bad taste in my mouth.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

21 Days to Change Your Body by Helen M. Ryan

21 Days to Change Your Body
by Helen M. Ryan


Have you ever wondered why you don't lose weight on a diet? Is it the diet program itself that is ineffective? Or is it your mindset?

In this fresh, new approach to weight loss, 21 Days to Change Your Body (and Your Life) will show you how to lose weight by changing the way you think about dieting. Be healthier, be happier and enjoy a better quality life--while eating the foods you love.

Based on the author's own experience with losing more than 80 pounds, Helen M. Ryan shows you how to overcome the mental blocks to weight loss success, how to fit exercise into your busy day, and what you should doing and eating to fit into your "skinny jeans."

Finally, a real book for real people that offers a step-by-step guide that will help you win the weight loss war. It's real, honest, refreshing and engaging.

Are you ready to take back your life and lose weight? Let's begin your future. It starts now.
Paperback, 204 pages
Published May 1st 2012 by Real World Guides



I was once severely obese and living a sad life. I had no dreams or goals of my own, and just silently ate myself to death, hoping to one day to simply fade away and out of my misery.



In August of 2003 I was faced a life-changing experience. I sat next to my dad, who was riddled with cancer, and held his hand as he died.
 At that very moment I realized I was mortal and that some day I, too, would die....and I would die without accomplishing anything or helping anyone. My life would not have mattered.

So as my father took his last breaths I realized I had had a decision to make: Either stay with more of the same or make a change in my life. I chose change and became a certified fitness pro, speaker and writer.

My first book, 21 Days to Change Your Body (and Your Life, is a result of all I have learned, and I hope it makes a difference in your life.

Connect with me on the web, share your story, and keep in touch.

Social Links for Helen Ryan:
Blog
Twitter

Facebook
Pinterest
Google+
Linked In


My Review:
21 Days to Change Your Body is a great source of information for anyone looking for a fresh start.  The author has gathered many helpful tips and ideas for a healthier lifestyle in this step-by-step guide.  The ideas she gives in the book are not radically new or different, most are common sense.  However, they are presented here in a new and fresh way, and set up so they are easy to follow through on.

Along with the tips for healthier living, the author also gives us insight into her own life, showing how these steps helped her to become a healthier, happier person.  I thought this personal touch brought a lot to the book, and I look forward to implementing some of the ideas presented in the book.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 
 


Saturday, July 05, 2014

The Blood of Eden Series by Julie Kagawa

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Allie is a human living in post apocalyptic America after a plague wipes out over half of the population and vampires take control. She and her gang of friends struggle every day just to not starve to death on the streets. Allie hates the vampires with everything that she is, until she is attacked and forced to make the choice between life and death. Choosing life, she then has to learn to come to terms with what she has become and try to figure out how to keep her humanity.

I loved this book for many reasons…First, I really liked Allie. She was a tough street girl who knew what it took to survive, yet she had a soft side to her, always helping out those around her. In a world where even humans had lost their humanity, Allie was struggling to try to keep hers.

I loved the descriptiveness of the book. The author really does a great job weaving Allie's tale and painting a picture of the world she lives in. I really liked the way Allie described everyday things that she hadn't seen before because they don't exist in her world…motorized bicycles (motorcycles) and winged mice (bats). Through the whole story the author described each setting, whether it be a run down, long forgotten farmhouse or a deserted paved road, with such feeling and intent.

I also loved the romance aspect of the story. There wasn't much romance to the story, which is a good thing (see below), but what was there was done well. I really liked that the story was from the POV of the vampire falling for a human. Most books are written the other way around, and it was a nice change. I liked that Allie and her love interest didn't fall in love instantly and were very cautious with their feelings.

Here's the 'see below.' The author did such a great job framing out Allie's character. In the beginning of the book I was rooting for her to survive, then after she turned and was alone I felt sorry for her, then after she met up with Zee's group I was glad that she had friends, and then later I was sad for her again. It makes for a great story when you can connect with the characters so much that you feel for them. I think a romance really would have ruined the story, as Allie wouldn't have felt like such a loner if she would have been able to make it work out. As it was, she was a very new vampire and trying to learn her limits, and she knew that falling for a human was out of the question.

In the end, Allie did what she had to in order to survive and keep her humanity intact. I liked the way things ended but am waiting very anxiously for the next book….which I will be buying the day it's released!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, #2) The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Immortal Rules was my first Julie Kagawa book, and I immediately fell in love with the characters, the writing, the story, everything! I had been looking forward to this second book for what seems like forever. The only thing I don't like about it is the cover (the blue one with the lungs or roots whatever they are on the front). I am very disappointed to have gotten this cover on the hardcover I purchased. Oh well, what are you going to do?

In this second book in The Blood of Eden series, our much loved heroine street girl-turned-vampire is still struggling with how to keep her humanity in a world where humanity is no longer valued. She is trying to do what she knows is right, even if it is not always the easiest. She makes some new friends along the way as well as crosses paths with some old ones we thought were lost. There comes a point where Allie has to decide who to trust, and she finds sometimes it is not the most obvious people.

The romance in the story, like the first book, is nicely paced and does not take over the story. While I want Allie to be happy and in love, the world she lives in is a rough and dismal place. There are many things that must be overcome before she gets her happily ever after…if she gets it at all.

Once again Ms. Kagawa's writing had me pulled into the story. The descriptive writing is beautiful and detailed. I am now anxiously looking forward to book three and will be re-reading the first two before it comes out!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.