Review: Make You Mine by Macy Beckett

Make You Mine by Macy Beckett
Series: Dumont Bachelors #1
Date Published: May 6th 2014
Publisher: HeadlineEternal
Amazon Book Depository 

Goodreads Summary 

For ninety-nine years, every man in the Dumont family has remained a perpetual bachelor. Residents of Cedar Bayou, Louisiana, whisper about a voodoo hex cast upon the family, sabotaging each man’s chance at marriage. In truth, the Dumont men have their own player personalities to blame, and Marc is no exception. As captain of his family’s riverboat, he’s broken hearts up and down the Mississippi. That is, until his high school crush strolls onboard... Allie Mauvais rocks the boat when she fills in as pastry chef. She hasn’t seen Marc since senior year, when rumors flew that her great-great-grandmother was the one who cursed the Dumonts. After two weeks on the water, neither can deny the attraction that still burns between them. But to truly reach Marc’s heart, Allie must show him that the hex isn’t real, and it’ll take more than her mouthwatering sweets to prove it. Will Allie’s love be enough to finally make Marc hers?

I was very lucky to receive a copy of this from Headline for an honest review.

For 90 years the Dumont men have been afraid of commitment, always having flings and never settling down. All because of one man and one voodoo hex cast on their whole family. Until they break it.

Allie Mauvais the great-great granddaughter of the famous voodoo witch who put the curse on the Dumont men is in love with no one other than Marc who’s in fact one of the men bearing this hex.

I would have most likely hated this book with a passion if it wasn’t for the hex and the whole voodoo deal in this book. But believe me I wasn’t so thrilled about it. I was looking for a fun chick lit to read and I found it. Although the main story of this book is as original as using a pick up line to talk to girls. But I kind of wanted something  like this.

The whole girl meets boy (or in this book they already knew each other and run into each other after a few years) either girl or boy does the chase, they end up together in a night or a week of passion, break up, realise that they are made for each other and end up together forever riding into the sunset.

I did say I wanted something like this but I did hope that there was more to the story and there was. The voodoo and the hex on the men. It was interesting to say the least. But boring. And stupid. I thought it was rather stupid that a whole town believed in this! I still can’t wrap my head around how all of these people believed that the Dumont men were hexed and couldn’t commit and not because they loved their bachelors lives. At least it made the book somewhat original.

There were some things that I loved! For example the strong family bonds in this book. The relationship between Allie and her sister was amazing. It was so refreshing to read a book that’s got this strong family feel to it. Allie is a great character! She’s a strong female role that goes after what she wants and has a really big heart! But she uses the word “baby” a lot… So… She isn’t that great.

This book is a fast read and it’s really pleasant. I enjoyed myself reading this book but I didn’t love it. The ending took me about three days to finish because I couldn’t stomach it. It was just too over the top. 

(OLD) Review: The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan

The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan

Series: Brothers Sinister #2

Release Date: July 15th, 2013

Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

Miss Jane Fairfield can’t do anything right. When she’s in company, she always says the wrong thing—and rather too much of it. No matter how costly they are, her gowns fall on the unfortunate side of fashion. Even her immense dowry can’t save her from being an object of derision.

And that’s precisely what she wants. She’ll do anything, even risk humiliation, if it means she can stay unmarried and keep her sister safe.

Mr. Oliver Marshall has to do everything right. He’s the bastard son of a duke, raised in humble circumstances—and he intends to give voice and power to the common people. If he makes one false step, he’ll never get the chance to accomplish anything. He doesn’t need to come to the rescue of the wrong woman. He certainly doesn’t need to fall in love with her. But there’s something about the lovely, courageous Jane that he can’t resist…even though it could mean the ruin of them both.

This may just be the best Historical Romance I've ever read.

I cannot even remember why I picked this up (I have short term memory loss issues), I just thought it would be a good idea and boy was it ever.

This book kind of just gets rid of quite a bit of tropes that are common in the genre. You don't have rakes, you don't have perfect characters, the beauty of these characters is not important, the characters are presented as individuals instead of a unit. It's almost as if Courtney wrote this book with me in mind.

While I enjoy the usual historical romance, they are usually guilty pleasures, not something extraordinarily unique. This one though, this one was special. The only other historical romance I can think of that made this happy was Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas.

I have to start with Oliver. He was PERFECT. Like where can I find one perfect. He is a bastard and has always been shunned his whole life because of this. His parents have always been encouraging and great but that didn't protect him from the experiences he had when he went to college, which caused him to disappear inside his own cocoon, making him forget about how his own rebellion against society. He molded himself into what they expected from him instead of what he believed. In spite of all that you can still see his determination. He will do whatever he can to get what he wants, but he'll let you know if he's about to destroy you to get there (or maybe he just really liked Jane). But my favorite thing about him was that he wasn't a rake. Half the historical romances out there have either rakes or angry young men for male leads but Oliver was neither. Oh he was angry but he wasn't a controlling douche bag. He was a sweetheart. His inner struggle was heartbreaking to watch. It helped that he wore glasses and that his looks were hardly mentioned in the book. The female lead did not spend a billion hours swooning over how hot he was (even if he was pretty damn hot).

Jane was pretty damn awesome too. She is also a bastard but she embraces it more readily than Oliver and society doesn't mind her as much because of the fact that she is rich as hell. She was extremely clever, it was hilarious watching her repel all these people by just being..kind of nice. Jane lives a lie. Well it isn't exactly a lie but an exaggeration of her own personality which no one accepted anyway. She is doing all of this because she cannot get married, well not while her sister is still under the care of their uncle. He may have good intentions but he does all the wrong things in the name of Emily's well being. Some of them scary as hell. So she needs to stay there to protect her baby sister. But going back to Jane, she is this wonderful female lead who isn't ashamed. She may be alone, she may not be particularly happy but she never loses her back bone. She is strong and wonderful. One of the things that I really loved about her was how that even in the end, when she got her own HEA, she didn't let go of her 'out going ness'. She didn't lose the characteristics that made her, well her, even when there was no need to repel guys.

The romance though. It still makes me grin. It's slow to develop and starts off with friendship instead of you know, insta love. There isn't even insta attraction. Jane wants to get Oliver off her back while Oliver pities her. Even he doesn't initially see through her armor. Which is incredibly refreshing because it would be way too convenient if he did. It's really fun watching Oliver, in particular, struggle with his feelings until he comes to the realization ON HIS OWN that his life would suck without Jane. Jane again surprises me when she doesn't give up everything she is to be with this guy. It's not the fact that she didn't give up everything but the fact that she realized what she would be losing if she did that. She would be losing herself. I don't make to make their romance sound morbid, it has tons of fun banter and swoon worthy moments as well.

The secondary characters are awesome and I enjoyed Emily and Battacharya's story as well. It was sweet and lovable, just like them.

I also enjoyed Jane's relationship with her sister. It was so heartwarming. Although let me just say because I really need to get it out of my system, I AM NOT THAT KIND OF SISTER. Man I really do hope that someday someone will write a story where sisters aren't so NICE to each other.

In the end this is a wonderful historical romance and I am pretty sure I'll be re-reading it sometime in the near future. Hell for the first time I actually want to read the sequel although I doubt it will live up to the awesomeness of this book. I DEFINITELY recommend this book to fans of historical romance who are getting tired of the tropes.

ARC Review: Banishing the Dark by Jenn Bennett

Banishing the Dark by Jenn Bennett
Previous review: Binding the Shadows
Series: Arcadia Bell #4
Release Date: May 27th, 2014
Publisher: Pocket
Source: Net Galley
Pre-Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

Complicated does not begin to describe Arcadia Bell's life right now: unnatural magical power, another brush with death, and a murderous mother who's not only overbearing but determined to take permanent possession of Cady's body. Forced to delve deep into the mystery surrounding her own birth, Cady must uncover which evil spell her parents cast during her conception…and how to reverse it. Fast. As she and her lover Lon embark on a dangerous journey through her magical past, Lon's teenage son Jupe sneaks off for his own investigation. Each family secret they uncover is darker than the last, and Cady, who has worn many identities—Moonchild, mage, fugitive—is about to add one more to the list.

Note: This review may or may not be incoherent. Do not blame me. Blame the fact that I just finished one of my favorite series.

It is kind of hard to believe that one of my favorite urban fantasy series has finally come to an end. I was late to the party but for the past year I’ve loved and re-read this series and become a huge fan of the author and it’s so sad to let a series you loved finally go.

This series is perfect, you have great characters, a great supporting cast, great romance and entertaining plots. This book was no different, however this time around we were also introduced to Jupe’s POV.

Cady and Lon never fail to amaze me. They are such strong and wonderful characters. You just cannot help but like them. They both have their moments but at the same time they are just so lovable. They both have insecurities but it’s been so much fun watching them grow over the course of 4 books. From being too scared to say those 3 words to finally admitting them. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express how much I love the two.

Their romance is still as wonderful as ever. There was a twist at the beginning that initially brought things down for me. I wasn’t completely sure it would work out well and I was too scared that I would end up raging instead of enjoying the romance between one of my favorite couples but I shouldn’t have worried. Jenn has it covered. She pulled it off and I loved their romance this time around as well. Lon is a little withdrawn in this book but he has his reasons and I kind of love how he is giving her room.  He gives her the space she needs but at the same time he is so supportive. Not that that’s a new thing. There are things he doesn’t agree with, wishes there was another way but he doesn’t stop Cady because he respects her as a person even though all his instincts are screaming at him to shove her inside a closet and protect her to the best of his ability.

One of the drawbacks of this novel for me was Jupe’s POV. I know many people have been looking forward to this and I am pretty sure it’s me and not his POV that makes it difficult for me to enjoy reading those bits. For the past three books I’ve observed Jupe from an ‘adult’ point of view so I think of him as the ‘cute little kid’ (and he is indeed adorable) but the change to his POV kind of just makes it hard for me to see him as a kid and forces me to see him as a teenager. Which just makes things a little awkward for my brain. With that said, I still adored Jupe in this novel.

Priya; however, not so much. I felt like Priya took advantage of Jupe’s need to be an adult to manipulate him into doing something that could cause him harm and so I wasn’t Priya’s biggest fan in this book.

The plot was strong in this one. Jenn did not disappoint with the finale. I was on the edge of my seat eagerly awaiting the final showdown. Emotions ran high. There was action and there were also amazing paranormal bits.

The epilogue, predictably, did not work for me. Epilogues are not my thing and I can only think of one off the top of my head that I actually loved to death. I always find them to be too HEA and it just reinforces the fact that the series has come to an end and these characters that you’ve come to love will no longer have amazing adventures.

Writing this review is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do this week (and believe me, my week has been hellish). It’s so impossibly hard to say good bye and you know what, I’ll do it with a smile on my face knowing that I wasn’t let down and that Jenn didn’t disappoint me.

This is a series I will recommend to everyone until well the end of time because Cady and Lon are full of win and everyone should get to appreciate their brilliance. 

ARC Review: The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier

The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier
Release Date: 11th March 2014
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Source: Netgalley
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

The Lost Sisterhood is the new novel from the author of Juliet, an Oprah's Book Club Pick published in 30 countries which has been picked up by Universal to be made into a feature film. The Lost Sisterhood tells the story of Diana, a young and aspiring--but somewhat aimless--professor at Oxford. Her fascination with the history of the Amazons, the legendary warrior women of ancient Greece, is deeply connected with her own family's history; her grandmother in particular. When Diana is invited to consult on an archeological excavation, she quickly realizes that here, finally, may be the proof that the Amazons were real.

The Amazons' "true" story--and Diana's history--is threaded along with this modern day hunt. This historical back-story focuses on a group of women, and more specifically on two sisters, whose fight to survive takes us through ancient Athens and to Troy, where the novel reinvents our perspective on the famous Trojan War.

The Lost Sisterhood features another group of iconic, legendary characters, another grand adventure--you'll see in these pages that Fortier understands the kind of audience she has built with Juliet, but also she's delivering a fresh new story to keep that audience coming back for more.

Do you like adventure? Does a good treasure hunt intrigue you? Are you fascinated by ancient history and mythology? Then perhaps you have come to the right place for this book provides you with a good mix of everything I just mentioned above.

There are mixed reviews all over the place about this book and it’s really easy to see why. Some people will love this and some people won’t. One reviewer described this book as the Dan Brown of women’s fiction and that is a very apt comparison because this book does have the same vibes as a typical Dan Brown book and your enjoyment of this book will largely depend on whether or not that sort of thing works for you. If you haven’t read any Dan Brown and are confused as to what I am referring to.. basically, do you like info dumps? Do you mind being stuffed with information? Avoid this if that doesn't appeal to you, but if you don’t mind so long as the topic interests you (which in case it did for me), dive right in but prepared for a couple of unrealistic things that may bother you.

I was in 3^rd grade when I first heard about the lost city of Troy and since then, mythology hasn’t let go of the grip it has on me. As soon as I came across this book and saw the combination of mythology, history and women’s fiction, I knew I had to read it and I was not let down. I went into this expecting a good adventure and that is exactly what I got.

This novel follows the story of two women, namely Myrina, who lived in the Bronze Age and Diana who lives in present day.

Diana is approached by a mysterious man who tells her that proof that Amazons existed has been found. The man proceeds to hand her an image to back up what he is saying. Diana is definitely vary but she is also intrigued because well she is passionate about Amazons and something about the writing in the image seems familiar. It turns out that the notebook her grandmother left her was written in the same language and so begins our adventure as Diana follows the same path Myrina did over thousands of years ago.

Diana for the most part is a pretty decent female lead. She is headstrong and can make her own decisions. She doesn’t let the men make her choices for her but instead does what she feels is right. She’s grown up, she can handle herself… for the most part. Sometimes she may need to be rescued and sometimes her decisions land her in icky messes but really the one thing that bothered me about her is how oblivious she can be. Especially with the whole thing about her grandma. It’s GLARINGLY obvious what’s going on there yet Diana was blind to that for a major chunk of the book.

Also, I do not buy the fact that this chick translated an ancient scripture in a manner of days. Uh.. NO. Even with the ‘translating dictionary’ Diana had (her grandmother’s notebook), it should still take more than a mere 5 days. Remember when I mentioned unrealistic things? Yup, this was one of them.

Myrina was an interesting character to say the least. Both Diana and Myrina get thrown into circumstances that turn their lives upside down, they follow similar paths but their stories are different. Myrina travels all the way to a city to find the Moon Goddess so that her sister can be cured of the blindness that came as a result of a fever. Myrina is a wonderful sister and more than that, she is a brave warrior. She is a hunter at heart and she is a strong female lead and a great leader. In spite of all these wonderful things about her, I never really liked her. I didn’t dislike her, but her story, while fun to follow, was not nearly as enjoyable as Diana’s. Perhaps this is because Myrina’s story has an underlying sadness to it. When you realize that all of this occurred in a past so distant, in a part of history that has been lost and might not ever be recovered, it makes you feel very melancholic.

One of the loop holes in Myrina’s story was her elder sister. I have no idea what happened to her. Perhaps I accidentally skimmed over the part (hey, the book was long!!), or perhaps it was never mentioned.

The world building is were some of the other issues arise. The scholars in this world are constantly looking down on women and I know this happens in the real world. I KNOW. But the extent to which it happens in this book kind of pisses me off. It seems overdone. Then there was also the thing about the female lead being half American and other scholars constantly mocking her for her ‘Americaness’ when according to her she was raised in Britain. Really? Are we really going there?

The author brought some original twists to the tales we know and some of them, well, some of them just didn’t work for me. They were believable. The author didn’t just pull them out of nowhere but sometimes some things don’t work for you and nothing can change that. There were also other things that the author threw into the mix which didn’t sit well with me but I learned to live with those grievances to enjoy the adventure I was on.

One of my other issues with this novel was the romance. No the romances. Neither of the romances were all that well developed. The romance is not the focus of either story (okay so perhaps Myrina’s tale has a tad bit more romance) but I never saw it coming. I mean I knew there was going to be a romance, but there wasn’t enough development in either case to make the romance more believable. They seemed to have popped out of nowhere.

With that said, Myrina’s romance, even with my annoyance of how it seemed random, was so sweet. It really just brought out emotions. Yes I was annoyed that Myrina willingly gave up who she was but then her romantic interest is just so adorable that it’s hard to stay mad. There is so much respect in their relationship and so much love and SO MUCH COMPANIONSHIP. They can tell each other things. They do get mad at each other but they are sweet together.

Diana’s romance was… iffy. Nick is not the best love interest out there. He has been lying to her since the dawn of time and has pulled her inside this complicated web of lies and really I have no idea how she could trust him after everything that he has done. I know I wouldn’t. Pretty face be damned (although I am not sure we know what he looks like exactly).

There are secrets, lies, ancient civilizations and heaps of mythology involved and if you’re looking for an adventure, this book does give you one.

But it’s best not to go into this book expecting to be wowed. Similar to a typical Darn Brown book, the excitement only lasts for the period you are reading the book and once you’re done, everything will fade away. This book makes for excellent brain candy and I’d recommend this to fans of Dan Brown but also to anyone who is looking to lay back and just chill with a good adventure. Don’t let the number of pages scare you off for they go by pretty fast and the book will be over before you know it. 

ARC Review: Donners of the Dead by Karina Halle

Donners of the Dead by Karina Halle
Release Date: 24th Feb
Buy: Amazon

Goodreads Summary

Jake McGraw was unlike anyone I’d ever known. He was brash, rude, unapologetic and arrogant; chauvinistic, close-minded, and terribly stubborn. He was built like a tree, tall with a hard chest and wide shoulders and hands that looked like they could wrestle a bear. He was a cigar-chomping, scruffy-faced, beast of a man. I was pretty sure I hated him. And I know he hated me. But among the flesh-eating monsters in these snow-capped mountains, he was the only thing keeping me alive

The year is 1851 and pioneers in search of California gold are still afraid to travel on the same route as the tragic Donner party did years before. When the last wagon train to go into the Sierra Nevada mountains fails to arrive at their destination, Eve Smith, an 18-year old half-native girl with immense tracking skills is brought along with the search party, headed by an enigmatic former Texas Ranger, Jake McGraw.

What they find deep in the dangerous snow-covered terrain is a terrifying consequence of cannibalism, giving new meaning to the term “monster.” While the search party is slowly picked off, one by one, Eve must learn to trust Jake, who harbors more than a few secrets of his own, in order to survive and prevent the monstrosities from reaching civilization.

A while ago, for a Top Ten Tuesday post, we were asked to list the top 10 books we wished would exist. One of the things I wanted more of was a historical romance book that wasn’t set in England or Europe for that matter so you can imagine why I wanted to read this book so much (not considering the fact that I love everything written by Karina Halle). I wasn't disappointed. Karina worked her magic and out came a highly entertaining historical romance. 

Eve is a young woman who lives with her uncle. Her father died a while ago and it affected her mother so profoundly that she stopped talking. As a half breed, she is shunned by society and doesn’t get the same opportunities as her cousin. She isn't seen 'fit' enough to engage with society but her best friend, Avery, is a champ and helps her out the best he can. Her uncle only tolerates her and wouldn’t think twice about championing her out if that meant he could get more money (in my opinion). Avery’s life changes when a band of Texans come. They are looking for a tracker to help them get through the mountains. They also pay handsomely so she joins their group with her best friend and a companion but little does she know what she’s getting into *cue dramatic music*. The mountains are hiding something terrifying, monsters no one could have dreamed of. Will they survive? Or will they turn into the same monsters they are running away from?

Eve was a very likable character. She was brave but she also possessed survival instincts. She was smart and instead of giving up, tried to find alternate solutions. She was a survivor. I think one of the the best things about her character is that it is very easy to imagine her in that time period. She is not a lady because of who she is, a half breed, society cannot bind her but at the same time she isn’t so out of place for the time period this book took place in.

I had mixed feelings about Jake though. He was an asshole at first, referring to Eve as a savage and hating on her Indian heritage. As you get to know more about him, it becomes clear that there is a reason for his hatred and when you learn his story his actions are easier to swallow. My biggest problem with him was well, him. He bears scars from something that happened in the past but all of that is forgotten as soon as he becomes infatuated with Eve. On the positive side though, he really was a fun male lead. Perhaps not as wonderful as some of Halle's others but yeah.

The romance did not work. It pains me to say this but it did not work. It was insta. Jake starts being a jealous creeper even though they’ve barely known each other for a hand full of days for half of which he was rude to her. The romance could have been more developed. There was some obvious chemistry between the two but the romance itself wasn’t strong. I wasn’t swooning. Towards the end, the romance did become easier to swallow but it disappointed me since I can usually count on Karina to develop the romance really well.

With that said, the creepy in this book was WONDERFUL. I was legit scared and oh my god the cannibalism and the beliefs surrounding it was so wonderfully executed. I had goose bumps and was on the edge of my seat and scared as fuck.

The plot was excellent. It was just straight forward adventure and survival and there were tons of hardships. The author did not cut back on the gory and gave us all she had. The journey was exciting and the author never took the easy way out. The turns this book took were also realistic (in terms of the situation they were in).

The ending was slightly cheesy though. I don’t know what it is with me but I cannot stand those kind of endings. I am not the biggest fan of epilogues and I don’t see the need for them for the most part.

All in all, Donners of the Dead was an exciting read that combined history and romance with a lot of horror that resulted in a book that can be quickly devoured and is extremely satisfying. You cannot expect anything less from Karina. 

Review: No One to Trust by Iris Johansen

No One to Trust by Iris Johansen
Release Date: August 26th, 2003
Publisher: Bantam
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

He is the most terrifying of killers: ruthless, cunning, charismatic. And he has the means to get whatever he wants. And what Rico Chavez wants most is Elena Kyler--and he wants her dead. Trained as an assassin, Elena didn’t need anyone to survive. But now she finds herself on the run from one dangerous man and turning for help to another.

Sean Galen was a man without illusions. He knew it was only desperation that caused Elena to accept his help--a mother’s desperation to save her young son from a psychopath father who would raise their son in his own chilling image. And yet he was determined to get this woman who had never been able to trust anyone or anything in her whole life to accept him as her ally. But both Galen and Elena know that Chavez’s power and wealth mean there is no place they can be safe and no one they can trust--not even each other. Already Chavez’s assassins and connections to those in the highest positions of power have turned this into a war with no rules.

With two shocking acts of brutal violence, Chavez shows he will stop at nothing and that nothing will stop him. Soon a trail of horrifying murders will follow Galen and Elena across country to a last stand and a shattering showdown. For Chavez is a master of control and he wants more than just to take Elena’s life. He wants her alive long enough to see him destroy every reason she has for living. He wants her to turn against everything and everyone she ever believed in. He wants her to commit the ultimate act of betrayal. And by the time he is through, he wants her to beg him to take the only thing she’ll have left to give: her life.

No One to Trust was surprisingly good. I was a little worried about giving Johansen a second chance after having most of my alarms set off when I read the The Killing Game. This book, while set in the same universe, was so much better in so many ways. 

For starters the female lead was incredibly likable in a way Eve perhaps wasn’t. The way Elena grew up hardened her. She was not a female lead to pity but one to admire. I was fascinated by how strong she was. She was kick ass in a way that I, as a reader, haven’t come across often. She was willing to do whatever it took to keep her child safe but she wasn’t ruthless, she just did what she had to survive. It wasn’t the bad ass in her that was willing to walk over anyone but the mother in her that would do anything she had to in order to protect her son. She was vulnerable but she tried to overcome her faults. Most importantly, in spite of her kickassedness, she wasn’t afraid to ask for help when she needed it, after making sure the person was trustworthy of course.

Sean was very interesting. I was surprised by how easily he developed feelings for Elena but I loved how he never pushed her. He made his feelings very clear but he also made it clear that he didn’t expect anything in return. He knew she would walk over him if she had to to protect her son. It’s very easy to admire a lead who respects the female lead and doesn’t view her as an object to protect. Instead he views her as a person who is more than capable of killing him but he wants to take care of her because no one else has.

The romance between the two, despite the fact that it came out of nowhere (not necessarily insta.. but just.. yeah), was very well done. Elena is bound to have intimacy issues, and yes they weren’t cured in one go. It took her a while to finally let go and they had to work to get to the point. She didn’t just wake up ‘cured’. One of the things I really loved was how their hotness was not in fact emphasized. Sean’s handsomeness was mentioned in passing but the focus was clearly on their personalities so it was easy to see why they would fall in love with one another and it was easy to admire the romance. 

The secondary characters were a definite plus which is why I was disappointed by some of the twists this book took. Another drawback for me as a reader was the fact that it was set in the same world as the Eve Duncan series. I usually wouldn’t mind so much but seeing that I don’t feel any tenderness towards the characters in that series, it becomes somewhat of an issue.

The suspense itself was nicely developed and the book kind of just flew by in a way that didn’t feel rushed.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick entertaining read to help them cool off. 

ARC Review: Take Me Home for Christmas by Brenda Novak

Take Me Home for Christmas by Brenda Novak
Series: Whiskey Creek #5
Release Date: October 29th, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Mira
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

Christmas is a time for remembering….

Too bad all memories aren't pleasant. Everyone in Whiskey Creek remembers Sophia DeBussi as the town's Mean Girl. Especially Ted Dixon, whose love she once scorned.

But Sophia has paid the price for her youthful transgressions. The man she did marry was rich and powerful but abusive. So when he goes missing, she secretly hopes he'll never come back—until she learns that he died running from an FBI probe of his investment firm. Not only has he left Sophia penniless, he's left her to face all the townspeople he cheated….

Sophia is reduced to looking for any kind of work to pay the bills and support her daughter. With no other options, she becomes housekeeper for none other than Ted, now a successful suspense writer. He can't bring himself to turn his back on her, not at Christmas, but he refuses to get emotionally involved. He learned his lesson the last time.

Or will the season of love and forgiveness give them both another chance at happiness?

NOTE: I have not read the first 4 books in this series. Also, some of the things I say may offend some people. Read at own risk and keep in mind that I am not trying to victim blame.

Good morning, evening or whatever time of the day it is in the part of the world you live in.

I’d like to welcome you to the second episode for my talk show where I interview people who don’t exist in our idea of reality.

Before we get started, it would be a good idea to summarize what happened so you aren’t completely lost. Take Me Home for Christmas is about a young mother, who has been in an abusive marriage for the past 14 years. When her husband dies, it comes to light that he was running a scam and basically talked almost everyone in the town out of their money never mind the fact that he left his own family in a state of bankruptcy. People are being awful and basically storm through her house and take everything they can find (with her consent). Her ex-boyfriend, who she cheated on, comes in as a knight in shining armor offers her as a job as his housekeeper/cook/assistant because he pitied her. Things become awkward and he starts a relationship with one of his friends which we all know is set to be doomed.  

*walks onto the set*

*sits down*

*takes down yarn and needle*

Rashika: Oh this? I thought crocheting would help me get a grip. It helped me get past the parts where I wanted to bang my head on a wall and seeing that we’re going to be inviting the whole gang, I thought I’d need it. At least I am sober this time. Isn’t that a good thing?

Rashika: Why don’t we welcome the gang onto the set.

*A bunch of people walk in.. some are holding hands.. some are looking at someone who is in a relationship with longing*

Rashika: Ted and Sophia were the stars of this book right?

Everyone: Yup.

Rashika: Why don’t you all take a seat. This could take a while.

Rashika: Now that all of you are seated, I have to ask, if some of you thought that Sophia was being abused by her husband why the fuck didn’t you try to help her? If you didn’t believe her excuses why didn’t you bother to find out more, to see if there was something you could have done? Why?

*they all look around awkwardly*

Rashika: And Ted, this is the woman you’ve supposedly been in love with for the past 14 years of your life, why didn’t you do anything? Why did you believe the excuses she gave when you should have at least tried to find out more. You of all people. *shakes head*

Ted: I didn’t know okay? I was too angry. I didn’t want to see her or talk her lest I decide to forgive her. It would make my life miserable.

Rashika: Well you sure didn’t have a problem making someone else’s life miserable.

*turns around to see Eve staring at Ted with a look full of longing*

Ted: I am sorry. I didn’t want to. I was trying to move on. I am 34, I couldn’t spend the rest of my life lusting/loving a woman who was no good for me.

Rashika: Of course you couldn’t. I appreciate you tried to move on but dude, you could have spared your friend. She deserved better.

Ted: She does. I agree. And hopefully she’ll find someone better.

Rashika: Yup. So, why do you love Sophia so much?

(quote taken from book)

Ted: “But, oddly enough, it wasn’t her beauty that drew him to her. Not entirely. It was the vulnerability in those big blue eyes- and the way she was trying to show her love for Alexa, despite her difficulties”

Rashika: Ah I see, so you like being her savior?

Ted: Yes.

*starts crocheting*

Ted: Umm are you going to ask us more questions?

Rashika: Give me a minute.

.....

You do realize you didn’t really complement her personality as much as you did her beauty.

Ted: And?

Rashika: You tots blew it, she wanted you to complement her personality. Her husband was a douchebag and she was basically his trophy wife, how dense ARE you?

*Ted looks around guiltily*

Rashika: I’ll ask Sophia stuff now. So, Sophia, what century do we live in?

Sophia: That’s an odd question. The 21^st of course.

Rashika: Then why was it so hard for you to do anything about your situation? Why, for the past 14 years, have you been stuck in a marriage that is a nightmare? You hated your spouse and he had physically abused you, bad enough that you feared for your life. Before you talk about how he was a good father, anyone with a pair of eyes could see that he was NOT setting a good example for Alexa. Why could you not do something about your situation?

Sophia: I was afraid I wouldn’t survive if I tried to get away. And even if I did get away, he would never let me see Alexa again. He would win. Plus, I was getting what I deserved.

*gets up and walks around*

Rashika: So you thought you could turn to the bottle. That would help Alexa right?

Sophia: Stop it. Stop being so judgemental. I was the biggest victim.

Rashika: I am not saying that you weren’t, you definitely were but your lack of a backbone was really annoying.

Sophia: I try okay. I do the best I can. I am so grateful to Ted for helping me out. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t know what I would have done. And the same goes for Eve.

Rashika: Oh I know what you would have done; you would have let yourself and your daughter starve to death because you’re so incapable of helping yourself out.

Sophia: Excuse me?

Rashika: Why do you need a Prince Charming to come along and save you?

Sophia: I got myself on my feet for your kind information. I worked as a housekeeper and did all these things for him. I even took typing classes.

Rashika: But you did all that so you could impress him didn’t you? Like a kicked puppy who only wanted to be loved.

Sophia: Is there something wrong with that, after the kind of life I lived for the past 14 years?

Rashika: Yeah, the fact that you are incapable of doing anything on your own. You will always need someone to help you out.

Ted: Back off okay? I helped her because I couldn’t stand what she was going through.

Rashika: So, charity right?

*awkward silence*

*crochets during the silence*

Rashika: So you guys, great friends. Really. 

Oh Ted, I got a question.

Why did you like not move on for 14 years?

Ted: Because I was still in love with Sophia.

Rashika: But 14 years… that's kind of long. And you were just a kid, how could you not have been in a proper relationship since then? Is that even healthy?

Ted: I CANNOT COMMIT OKAY?

Rashika: Okay. Calm down man. Hey Alexa.

Alexa: Hey lady

Rashika: So like how did you not know your dad was an asshole who abused her mother?

Alexa: HE ABUSED MOM?

Sophia: YOU HORRIBLE WOMAN!!! HOW COULD YOU TELL HER THAT? SHE WASN’T SUPPOSED TO KNOW.

*crochets while waiting for everyone to settle down*

Rashika: Can we continue?

Sophia: I am not letting you interview my child.

Rashika: Now you don’t get to make that choice do you? So shut up.

How could you not see the signs Lex? You’re 13. You know your dad basically controls your mom’s life. How do you not see it?

*Alexa runs away crying*

Sophia: Look what you’ve done.

Rashika: What had to be done?

Sophia: Did you invite us on this show to insult us?

Rashika: Maybe?

Ted: You horrible woman.

*everyone leaves*

Oh. Cool. I was just going to talk about how I liked that she actually did decide to stop being the victim and stood up to the asshole sheriff but whatever floats her boat.

So what did we learn guys?

We learned that women will probably always need a dude to fall back on because, Prince Charming and that crocheting can be very therapeutic and can prevent a self inflicted head injury.

Thank you for joining me today. I hope you had a great time.

Before I wrap this up though, I just wanted to say a couple of things. While it may seem like I didn't enjoy the book at all, it did have it's moments. I did laugh and it was a fairly quick read. My main problem lay with the fact that Sophia was completely incapable of helping herself. She always needed someone to give her a push and could not stand on her own feet. Her daughter was more responsible than her and that is just embarrassing. The fact remains that in spite of all my problems with this book, it was relatively enjoyable and I would still recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, light read. 

Review: Viking Fire by Andrea Cooper

Viking Fire by Andrea Cooper
Release Date: July 29th, 2013
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Buy: Amazon

Goodreads Summary

856 CE, Ireland is a land of myth, magic, and blood. Viking raiders have fought the Irish for over half a century. Rival Irish clans promise only betrayal and carnage.

Kaireen, daughter of Laird Liannon, is suddenly forced into an arranged marriage with her sworn enemy, a Viking. She refuses to submit. With no mention of love, only land and the protection of her clan, she endeavors to get her betrothed banished from her country. Will love find its way around her stubborn heart?

Bram, the Viking, finds himself without future or inheritance as a younger son in his family. A marriage to the Laird’s daughter would grant him land if he swears fidelity and if his men will fight along with the Liannons against any foe—Irish or Viking. However, the Laird’s feisty daughter only holds animosity for him and his kind. Is marriage worth the battle scars of such a relentless opponent?

With the blame for a rival laird’s death treacherously set against the Liannons, Kaireen and Bram must find a way to lay aside their differences as an unforeseen darkness sends death snapping at their heels.

I like my historical romances but the ones I usually read are set in the 19^th century. My one attempt at reading something set farther back was a complete fail *cough Born in Sin cough*. This book is set even farther back, in ‘856 CE’  but the idea of Vikings being involved was intriguing enough for me to overlook the last time I got burned.

This was certainly a whole lot more tolerable than Born in Sin but the story itself was lacking. The setting was pulled off really well but when it came to the plot and characters, things just didn’t work out.

Starting with the main character, Kaireen, who is a speshul snowflake. She isn’t ordinary like her sisters, her father taught her how to use a bow and arrow and she also happens to be the only sister who gets a dowry. I do not understand. Why is she so special? She seems too brazen for a girl in that time. and is always running around doing things she shouldn’t be. The only quality about her that I actually like was how she was somewhat self-centered. We’ve encountered all those female leads that are so nice it’s sickening. The ones who probably go skipping around town throwing flowers everywhere from their special flower basket *gags*. I liked how she was actually aware of her position as the daughter of the leader of the clan. She wasn’t rude to the servants but she didn’t go out of her to be nice… and she actually got pissed at how she was treated during the term of her punishment (which she got for running around doing things she shouldn’t have… so that’s another plus).

I was really surprised by how everyone around her seemed to be fawning over ‘the enemy’ and she was the only one who had the common sense to actually realize that he was the enemy. Hotness shouldn’t be used as a way to redeem a character. That never helps. I suppose he’s never done anything ‘wrong’ but how can they be so certain he isn’t like the rest of the Vikings that raid their lands? What happened to self-preservation?

Getting to said enemy, Bram, why? Why is he so enthusiastic to marry her? I mean from what I understand he basically creepily observed her and fell in love and wanted to marry her. What? No. Ugh. He also happens to be a tad bit too perfect for my liking. Stopping men from beating up their wives, rescuing sisters (not once but TWICE), swearing fidelity to a girl he hasn’t married and who knows nothing about him, oh and he’s really hot.

The romance set off all my alarms, INSTA LOVE ALERT. One day she is hating on him, the other she is worried he is going to die. What? How did you even get there? I thought you didn’t want to marry him and now you’re telling yourself you don’t love him. Huh? Let’s not forget they know NOTHING about each other (well Bram did creepily observe her).

The plot did not work at all. It lacked substance. It was like trying to piece a puzzle where the pieces obviously did not fit. The pacing in general was messed up. Events occurred one after the other but they were never dwelled on. It was almost like a check list. They get attacked, check, there is a fire, check, etc. I just don’t understand what the point even was. The villain was very dull and seemed more like a wannabe than anything else. Like being evil for the sake of being evil and nothing else. I didn’t completely understand what made her tick and why she was out for blood. Some of the things were just vaguely mentioned never to be talked about again. The plot was all over the place and things didn't really tie back.

Simply put, this book did not work. It was decent enough but it lacked substance and couldn’t keep my attention.