Review: Evernight (Darkest London #5) by Kristen Callihan

Toe curling romance which will leave you breathless

Title: Evernight
Series: Darkest London
Author: Kristen Callihan
Publisher: Piatkus, UK
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Released: 26th August, 2014
Being quite particular about my Paranormal Romances, every time I pick a Darkest London Book, I know I will enjoy it. Kristen Callihan is my auto buy author and her Darkest London Books are PNR gems. (Read my review of Firelight, Moonglow and Shadowdance here, here and here)

Evernight is no different. Holly Evernight is a SOS operative with a genius and inventive mind. But her past catches up with her in the form of Will, the man whose heart she replaced with one of her inventions. While she is suffering from the affects of her abduction in the previous book, the deranged Will is determined to kill her. With a set up like this, how could I not be invested in this book.

This couple had been hinted in the previous book and even then I was rather intrigued by Will, the Sanguine Demon. Needless to say that he completely won me over in Evernight. He had a dirty mind and even dirtier tongue. Someone like him paired with the prim and composed Holly, promised to have fire and it delivers. I loved the fact that the only way Will could stave his madness by physically touching Holly. Ha! From the get go we had a touchy feel-y couple who almost hated each other. Filled will palpable sexual tension which will have you licking your lips, Evernight was extremely enjoyable.

I am amazed at how deftly Kristen Callihan has expanded the Darkest London world. It is even more incredible that it all started with a mysterious man with a mask. Archer will forever be my favourite hero written by her, even if Will came close, Archer will always have a special place in my heart.

If you a fan of Paranormal Romance, the Darkest London series is a must read. In fact if you haven't read a single book in this series I would ask if you have been living under a stone? Evernight has toe curling romance, awe inspiring world building and character who are not only complex but broken and real. Do yourself a favour and pick this series.

Review copy provided by the publisher

Blog Tour: The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3) by Marie Rutkoski

A truly heart rendering romance with tension and thrills aplenty

Title: The Winner’s Kiss
Series: The Winner’s Trilogy
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: Bloomsbury Kids, UK
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Released: 24th March, 2016
S ince the day I read Marie Rutkoski’s The Winner’s Curse, I knew all her books were going to turn out as gems. I am smitten with this series and all her books in this series simply too good to be missed.

As this is the last book in this trilogy, the stakes are high and the tension is intense. With the ending like in The Winner’s Crime, I was hanging on edge for The Winner’s Kiss. I am pleased to say that this book was one of the best out of the Trilogy. It was beautifully written and the plotting was perfection.

One of the strengths of this book is its main protagonist Kestrel. Set in an imaginary waring world but with no magic or fantasy elements, I never thought I will enjoy a heroine who couldn’t fight in an essentially fantasy story. Smart and beautiful, I love the fact that even if she cannot fight, she can still defeat her enemies with just her wits. She goes to hell and back and yet her inner courage shines through.

Her romance with Arin is beautiful and touching. While the first book was romance focused and the second book more about Kestrel’s life at court and The Winner’s Kiss has equal measures of romance and action.

I’ll admit it’s a long book, and usually long books give me hives but on this occasion I wanted even more. I adore how Rutkoski uses such gentle approach to storytelling. A little is always more and I simply couldn’t get enough of Arin’s and Kestrel’s interactions like an artist’s soft brush strokes coaxing colour on to his painting. On the action front, I cannot tell you how good the climax was. The interchanging scenes between Kestrel and Arin struck all the right cords for me. Each of them facing their enemies when the consequences of losing were dire.

Overall, this book is utterly unmissable. With characters that will stay with you, plenty of plotting and scheming, a truly heart rendering romance and tension and thrills aplenty. I whole heartedly recommend this book. Don’t think twice, just try this book!

As part of a blog tour, I’m pleased to say I have 3 copies of The Winner’s Kiss to giveaway. Enter via the Rafflecopter below or alternatively go to my Instagram or Twitter for an extra chance to win. UK only. Ends 15/04.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Read the next phenomenon in YA/NA

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Series: : A Court of Thron and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher:Bloomsbury Childrens Books, UK
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Releases: 7th May, 2010
Over the course of a few years Sarah J Maas has become something of an auto buy author for me. Which is rare as not every book turned out by YA writers appeal to me but I think Sarah has a skill to keep churning out which hits just the right spots for me. Her Throne of Glass series has become an annual celebration for me where I can immerse myself in Celeana’s world. I adore that series (Read my reviews of Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, The Assassin’s Blade) and cannot wait for Queen of Shadows coming in September. When I was given a copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses I was beyond excited but I had been saving it for a better time. And let me tell you the wait was worth it. Now I’m bummed that I don’t have the next book on me. As with any 5 star review the following may be filled with fangirling and dispersed occasional with squeals. Now that we have dispersed with warnings I can follow through my review.

Feyre lives in a small little village on the bordering human and faerie territories. She hunts in the nearby woods and provided for her family. While she has heard of the elusive faeries but has never set her eyes on them until one night when her family is nearly starving in the winter that she spots a wolf that may be fae and manages to bring it down. But a few days later she is taken away by a wild looking beast snarling at her door for killing a fae and she is taken to replace his life. She is to stay in Fae territories and live the rest of her life with the beastly Tamlin, and his unwelcoming friend. While she is served by an array of servants she is sill a prisoner in a guilder cage. However danger is not far away and soon she may be having feeling for her captor no prisoner should have.

I can admit that I’m not giving justice to the plot but believe me people it is awesome. A Court of Thorns and Roses (known as ACOTAR from hence forth) is a fairy tale retelling of the beauty and the beast. I love love love fairy tales and the combination of fantasy, action and beautiful writing made this book an instant favourite.

It has been a while since I have found a series which I can unashamedly fangirl about and this book is it. Feyre is such a well thought out heroine. She is self sacrificing and lives with her lazy and deplorable sister. When she first arrives at Tamlin’s Manor she is subdued and quiet but she finds her inner iron core soon enough. Her chemistry with Tamlin was off the charts and there romance was so, so sweet. It was slow burning, swoon worthy and honest to god made my heart skip a few beats. The Fire Night scene was unforgettable ands sexy as hell. This not a YA book. Not, it is anew adult and Sarah shows how New Adult is done.

There is character development where pretty much each and every character learns and grows from the experiences into his books and learns about each other.

The writing is excellent and the imagery used by Sarah J Mass is lush, beautiful and absolutely stunning. On a side note, do check out her Pinterest Boards to get an even better visual of her imagery. Like all her books, ACOTOR has a slow start and some people may even find it dragging towards the middle but I find that the action catches up to you quickly enough and in all fairness I am too busy exulting in the story to have noticed the slow pace. This book may be slightly long for your average YA/NA book but in my opinion is was worth it. In fact I want the next book even longer. The longer the better.

Tamlin is simply swoon worthy and he is everything I could ask for. He is mysterious, determined, noble and oh so smouldering. I wanted more of him. Also to mention Lucien whose banter with Feyre was spot on and provided this weird dynamic which I loved. What I should mention at this point is that Rhysand or Rhys as he is known is another character who is quite mysterious and dangerous I thoroughly enjoyed the role he played towards the end. As we see more of him towards the end, he leaves a very strong impression. I know in my bones and there is more for us in store about Rhys in Book 2 and I simply cannot wait for it.

Over all I predict great things for this series. I know that this series is going to become a phenomenon. There is no doubt in my mind that this book will rock great many readers. Not only does it appeal to the girly side of me which likes fairy tales, jewellery and dresses but also my blood thirsty side which demands blood, grime and body parts being flung about.

A Court of Thorns and Roses was intense, captivating, sensual, and it will make you obsessive over it.

Now that I have read the advanced copy I have an even longer wait for the next book which comes out next year. This was a book which left be hugging the book and heaving a giant sigh with a ginormous grin of satisfaction on my face. An absolute must read! I want MAORR!!!

Releasing 7th May. 2015. Mark the date on your calenders!

Review copy provided by Bloomsbury Childrens Books, UK

Audiobook Review: the Dream Theives (The Raven Boys #2) by Maggie Stiefvator

Gut wrenchingly beautiful

Title: The Dream Thieves
Series: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvator
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Released: 5th September, 2013
A fter the bombastic The Raven Boys, I could not wait to start The Dream Thieves. I have to say this series has become one of my favourites so far.

In Dream Thieves, the group is still dealing with the ramifications of the vents in The Raven Boys. The mystery of Cabeswater has to be solved but there are other things in motion which will take the story in a whole different direction.

What I most enjoy in this book is not the story or the plotting. In fact I think are the weaker points of these series. However it is the characters and the atmosphere which make this book as popular as they have been. A few new characters play major roles in this book and I can say I’m conflicted about them. The Grey Man and Kavinsky play pivotal roles in this edition of the story.

Where The Raven Boys was Noah’s book, The Dream thieves is Ronan’s book. Being in Ronan’s mind was excruciatingly painful and somehow it was exciting to see the world from his eyes. Then we have Adam had forever changed after the encounter in Cabeswater and he has his own demons to fight.

Blue and Gansey break my heart in this book and I firmly believe that I’m a little in love with him. YA books are choke-full of bad boys making many of us swoon but I love that Gansey is so different than all of them. He is refined, subtle, gentle and wonderful. A total boy scout and I love it. The author really knows her characters well that she is able to imbibe such subtle nuances within each dialogue and line. It breaks my heart that Gansey is probably going to die and I’ll be reduced to a mass to blubbering jelly.

I do believe the story progression is rather slow but with characters like The Raven Boys, I could watch them all day getting on with life as long as Maggie Stiefvator writes them.

On a side not, I think Will Patton does a bang up job of narrating this hauntingly beautiful story. His voice turns effortlessly dreamy to creepy in an instant. I recommend this book a 100%.

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted on Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My Pick this week is;

END OF DAYS (Penryn and the End of Days #3)by Susan Ee

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

 When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?



To say that I'm excited about this book will be an understatement. I adore this series and CANNOT wait to get my hands on this. The first book Angelfall is still one of my favourite book of all times and the last book which kept me awake until it was morning. The second book, World After was just as good and I'm sure End Of Days will blow my mind.

If you haven't picked up this book, then stop reading and start this series soon. You'll be begging for the end Of Days before you know it.
Me and a few friends have already started a re read of the series so, join us if you like.

Releases on 12th May, 2015  by Hodder and Stoughton


While commenting, please leave your WOW post links so that I can follow and comment back.

Audiobook Review: The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

Dark, sexy and utterly unputdownable. I want MORE

Title: The Young Elites
Author:Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites
Publisher:Listening Library
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Released: 7th October, 2014
Once in a while you stumble across a book which hits all the right spots for you? You think, 'How did this book manage to slip under my radar?' The Young Elites was one such book for me. It slipped right under my radar until I stumbled on it, read the reviews and started it. Adelina is a malfetto, meaning she has scars left behind on her body when she contracted the blood fever which swept the country. The malfettos are blamed for all the ill that befalls the country of Kenetra and a are discriminated and badly treated. even being the daughter of a wealthy merchant does not spare Adelina of that fate. Mistreated and forced to live under the shadow her beautiful younger sister Adelina grows resentful with each passing day until she decided to run away. However she manages to kill her cruel father in the process. Turns out that Adelina is no ordinary malfetto, but an Young Elites. Malfettos who emerged from the fever with supernatural powers had banded together and had been speaking of rebellion and Adelina finds herself among them.

There are a host of other characters notably, Enzo who is the leader of the Young Elites and an exiled prince. Terren who is the leader of the Inquisitors who are working to eliminate all mafetto from the country and Rafaelle, best friend of Enzo and also a male consort. There is a hint of romance with Enzo but that is soon smothered by the dark and gritty story line.

Adelina is somewhat evil. I think, that was my favourite bit of her personality. When she taps into the darkness simmering in her, then only can she manifest her powers. The ill feelings that were born in the mind of a child has been twisted into an bad and dark side of Adelina, the extent of which even Adelina is unaware of. I really enjoyed how Marie Lu portrayed and described this in the story as this was a pivotal point of the story. It is difficult to find a heroine in YA who had shades of evil in her and not the usual immaturity due to being young. Adelina has the potential to be exponentially powerful but only Marie Lu will be able to tell us how she manages to harness the power and the evil smoldering inside her.

What I also loved about this book that it just the right amount to everything, action, friendship, politics, and even romance. The romance was really light but when set against so much that is going on, it packs a punch.

The narrator Carla Corvo did a good job at Adelina's voice but when it came to the male characters voices they were indiscernible from each other. Moreover as the foreign names seemed Latin, they were pronounced in the right way ( I mean in a Latin accent) but at times it felt jarring and interrupted the flow of words.

After my little nit picking, The Young Elites was a high fantasy, adventure novel, with fantastic characters, excellent story line, beautiful setting, exquisite writing and it is a fine example of what YA for older audience should be like. Not more sex but more gory action. I was dark, sexy and deliciously mouth watering. There should more books like this in the market. If you enjoyed Leigh Bardugo's Grisha series or The Winner's Crime, you will most definitely enjoy this.

Now I'm off to find more tittles by Marie Lu while I kick myself for not picking them up earlier.

Review: Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1) by Ilona Andrews

Drop everything and pick this book. Now

Title: Burn for Me
Series: Hidden Legacy
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Avon, US
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Released: 29th October, 2014
E ver had a book which you loved so much that you could not make yourself write a review for it because you fear you will not be able to do justice to it. This is precisely the reason why I always struggle to write reviews for my favourite authors in the whole wide world. One part of me chastises that as a blogger I should get them as much exposure as possible but the other side always wins and I cannot make myself write.

I received Burn For Me as an advanced review copy months before writing this review. I read it as soon as it downloaded on my Kindle and then I reread it two months later as I loved it so much.

Ilona Andrews have developed a new world with new power players which rule the world. We have powerful magic families who by careful breeding , have insanely powerful and magical off springs who have various powers. These magical families are influential and rich. In this cut throat world lives Nevada who is a private investigator and is tasked with bringing a dangerous Prime magic user who unleashes fire, which she cannot refuse. Stuck between a rock and a hard place she reluctantly has to work with the sociopath Mad Rogan, another Prime who could destroy everything Nevada stands for.

I have screamed, shouted and squealed about how much I love Ilona Andrews and their brand of writing. Burn For me delivers all that and more. The world building is solid and all en-compassing which provides a perfect cauldron for this story to begin. We have Nevada who reluctantly takes this dangerous case under duress. The Andrews know there characters so well and they prove over and over again that writing an intelligent, likable , strong and yet vulnerable heroine works for readers every time. Nevada is witty, sensible, caring, kind but ruthless when it comes to her family. She feels real and her circumstances have shaped her into becoming the person she is now. Tough on the outside and goey inside. That is what catches Mad Rogan’s eye.

What I also love about this writing duo is how much research they put into every aspect of the story they write. The actions of the characters may seem strange but it is always explained by a bit of psychology. For example, in their Kate Daniels series they write the Pack Dynamics so well and the same with Mad Rogan. How he manipulates people around him with his power and influence is a piece of brilliance which cannot be over seen. The male leads in all their books are made all the more attractive by not just their looks but also their power, influence and intelligence. The last two aspects are what make every Ilona Andrew male lead unforgettable.

Also worth mentioning is how much realistic details are written into the story. Be it the type of guns used or if it’s a rapier or a sword or a talwar which makes the blood thirsty in me clap gleefully. Mad Rogan is dangerous, demanding, powerful and temptation incarnate for Nevada. He is crazy and I love how the chemistry between Nevada and Rogan flowers and soon it starts burning with the intensity of their attraction.

I can keep lamenting about how much I love this book and how wonderful this book is but nothing beats good ‘ole try it yourself. If you want to read some fantasy romance but are fed up of the angst filled Paranormal romance or you simple want to read an amazing, makes you smile romance book with lots of ass being kicked and keeps you on the edge of your seat, drop everything and pick this book now. I mean immediately. Now.

ARC provided by Avon via Edelweiss

Blog Tour Review: Hard Time by Cara McKenna

Illicit, sexy and unputdownable

Title: Hard Time
Author: Cara McKenna
Publisher: Piatkus, UK
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Releases: 6th November, 2014
This is my first time reading a Cara McKenna book and it most certainly won’t be the last. The premise of the story goes as such that Anne is a librarian but every Friday she has to go to prison to teach convicts and takes classes. There she meets inmate 806627, Eric Collier, who with his smouldering looks and his penetrating gaze won’t leave Anne’s mind. One day he gives her a letter about how he feels about her and hopes she replies back. Anne almost gives the letter away to the prison guards but in a last minute decision, she decides to read it herself. Hence begins one of the most unusual, sexy and illicit courtship I’ve ever read about.

I loved Hard Times. The situation with the forbidden romance kept me awake pretty much all night. Anne has had a difficult past with an abusive boyfriend who left her cut off from her own sexuality for 5 years until she meets Eric. Shy, timid but wanting she starts the affair with Eric who funnily enough is her safest option. Only able to see each other once a week, with guards around the room, every breath, a glance and even the smallest touch ignites a passion in her.

Eric on the other hand was such a beautiful person. Loyal, protective and almost brutally honest (apart from that one time), I loved how in a few simple sentences he is able to bare his heart and his most intimate secrets.

My favourite bit of the whole book was the letters between Anne and Eric. The letters were simple and basic but they were filled with raw desire and longing. I challenge anyone who would say that the letters did not move them. The whole way through my heart was doing little flips and just like Anne I was looking forward to each and every one of those letters. Every time Eric began with ‘Darling’ I swear I could hear my heart beat skip a little.

Admittedly the second half of the book is not as fast paced as the first half. The story takes a slightly different direction but it explores Anne’s comfort levels with dating a real life ex- con. Eric is sometimes brutally honest about his feelings and it took a while for Anne to really come to terms with the man who her letters and the man who committed the crime.

I absolutely loved and adored this book from start to finish. It kept me awake for most of the night and it’s a testament to the talent of Cara McKenna that I finished this book in less than 24 hours and fit in work too. I would be really surprised if anyone is able to take their eyes off the pages of Hard Times when Eric is writing those beautiful letters.

I’d recommend it to all romance readers who want to read a book which is actually exciting, sexy with a solid story and lush characters. I’ll soon be digging out the previous book by Cara McKenna as this is an author to watch out for.

ARC provided by Paitkus, UK 

Check out the other blogs which are part of the blog tour below.

 

Review: Magic Breaks (Kate Daniels # 7) by Ilona Andrews

My favourite book of the year, hands down.

Title: Magic Breaks
Series: Kate Daniels
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Ace/Hachette
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Released: 29th September, 2014
Magic Break was The Book for me in 2014. I love, I mean love Ilona Andrews and I swear I can gobble up any thing they throw at me. Kate Daniels books are my drugs and once I get a taste of the books nothing seems worthy or even worth my time. I have read this series about 5 times or maybe more, so my love is bone deep. The following review contains incoherent fan-girling and ridiculous amounts of gushing so I apologise for my poor grammar but I feel this deserves it and more.

This is a review of Book 7 in a 10 book long series so, if you are reading beyond this point and get spoiled, don't say I didn't warn you. After the event in Magic Rises, we are all prepare to the eventuality of Kate coming face to face with her nemesis, her father, Roland. More on that later. But first, I will rehash the premise. Kate is faced with a challenge to find a killer before an all out war between the People and the Pack in 24 hours, in the absence of Curran, which is bought on by the crazy Hugh.

We get to see Kate shine without being over-shadowed by Curran, which was never a problem for me, to be honest. But it was great watching her conduct herself and leading the Pack in Curran's absence with her characteristic sass and attitude and just Kate-ness. That should totally be a word.

A lot of old characters come back and new characters are also explored in Magic Breaks. We also get an explanation of Doolittle's reaction in Magic Rises to Kate's magic. I really enjoyed Dessandra and her brass attitude. She is annoyingly fun to hang out with and the unlikely camaraderie of Ascanio and Derek made me laugh out loud.. Barabos starts this book off by his funny prologue and the fun ensues.

Curran was absent through most of this book, but when he returns he makes up for it. I love the chemistry between Kate and Curran and I cherish every moment these two come together. They are one of my favourite couples ever and even the events in Magic Rises could not dampen my adoration for this couple. Kate has grown so reliant on Curran and vice-versa and I was happy to see that she has opened up after having such a eschewed childhood. She is a trained killer but her feelings for Curran are slowly healing her and her need for him touches me. She misses and pines for him when he is away and I view this as so much character development of a person who feared any interaction with anyone in the fear of their eventual deaths. Kate has come a long way and people who begrudge her (namely some readers) need to see the other side of her so called needy behaviour. Furthermore, Curran proves his love for Kate is above anything else in his life, in the end of Magic Breaks.

Hugh makes a come back in Magic Breaks but this time he has got bigger plans in his mind. I adore his interactions with Kate. He is such a sick, crazy bastard that make for interesting page time. He is twisted and an evil creature but his fascination with Kate is his downfall. Whenever he appears, he makes such an impact that he captivates the scene utterly and compels the reader to pay attention. When he made an appearance, I dropped my Kindle like a hot potato and ran around the room a little. Yes, I was that excited that shit was going to go down. Kate really has a knack of attracting strange, crazy men in her life and yes that includes her very own psycho killer, Curran. I love how bad Hugh is and he added this magnetism to a scene which is irreplaceable.

From the various reviews I've read that have been going around, I feel that some readers didn't like how the event's unfolded in this book. The long awaited showdown between Roland and Kate occurs and yes, admittedly it didn't go as what I had come to expect but it was still bloody, brutal and violent. Some readers also didn't like how Kate showed changes in her personality. I feel I need to defend my favourite series here, as what do you expect from 100 book series when it is in book 7, that the main character will remain exactly the same as you found her in book 1? No, Kate has gone through so much and she not a lone mercenary hiding from her powerful father but The Pack Alpha. She has her family and people she wants to protect and she can rely on. Is it so bad that she has learnt to rely on the person whom she wants to spend the rest of her life with.

Now that I have got it off my chest I can keep gushing how good this book/series is. I have said this before and I keep repeating myself but I feel that Ilona Andrews know what is like in a book and
personalise it for me.

The Kate Daniels books are like a lover for me. It knows where to touch and feel and coax the right response from me. It slowly gets under my skin, branding me as it's eternal lover and rendering me useless for any other book afterwards. That's right, after I read the latest edition of this series I fall in a reading slump so deep that it takes months to come out properly from it.

Moving on from my strange analogy, Magic Breaks is everything and more that a true fan of the series will appreciate, enjoy and love. It takes me on a ride and fulfills all the promises I have come to expect from it. Action. adventure, romance, friendship, family, sacrifice and Curran *squeal*.

If you are a fan, then you don't need any convincing to pick up this book, and if you have not started this book before and have read the above tirade than what have you been waiting for?

Pick up this series. Now.

ARC Review: Cover Him With Darkness by Janine Ashbless

Beautiful, provocative and sensual

Title: Cover Him With Darkness
Author: Janine Ashbless
Publisher: Tempted Romance
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Releases: 14th October, 2014
I absolutely love it when a book surprises me. I picked this after just reading the blurb and despite its lack lustre blurb I decided to give this a try. I am so glad I did. I was hooked from the first page.

Milja is the daughter of a Priest living high in the mountains and hiding a family secret. Her family is in charge of keeping a prisoner under the thousands of tons of rock. A man bound and captured in a cave deep within the mountain, naked and bound it her family's responsibility to fed it and ensure that it is keep here. Watching him since she was a little girl until one day she realises she is in love with him. When her father finds out he send her to the United States. Few years later, she comes back to tend to her ill father and all hell breaks loose. Will she uphold the request her father made or will she be compelled by her love to go release the man in pain.

It is due to books like these that I am willing to pick up new authors and new books. I want to be surprised, the rug snatched under my feet. Janine Ashbless was an unknown author to be but I am willing to pick up her works now that I have read Cover Him With Darkness.

Milda may be described as one of those heroines which may annoy some reader and she makes some very bad decisions. But under it all, she is a kind, and passionate person. She hides behind her meek façade but she has been so passionately in love with a man trapped under her house that she cannot stop thinking about them. He has taken over her mind. Usually I would cringe in a situation where the heroine claims she is in love with a guy she barely knows and the same happens in this story but somehow I believe her. He is fascinated and equally terrified of this beautiful man about which she knows nothing about. Sexual, lush and seemingly inviting she knows she is smitten for life. Azazel is another ball game all together. Dark beautiful, passionate, and insane he seems obsessed with Milja. I found him so hard to understand and I wish he had more page time. In my opinion he is the one who moves the story forward. He is so hard to decipher and from millennia's worth of captivity he has gone slightly insane. He is volatile, powerful and compelling. He is the epitome of a tortured hero but I loved how he becomes so vulnerable where Milja is concerned. I'm still not sure how and what he feels but I desperately want to know more.

Then there is Egan is the beta to Azazel's alpha and while I do find him sweet and somewhat endearing I feel that he lacks Azazel's magnetism.

The sex scenes are beautifully written which are sexy. Provocative and sinfully delicious without being raunchy or cheap. With Azazel's enemies hunting Milja, only the next book will tell us what Milja has unleashed by releasing him.

The story was written with such flare and this deep sense of respect about all this angelic and religious that I could feel the author's research and reverie on the book. Milja is deeply religious due to her upbringing and so many quotes from the Bible and religious texts are used and so beautifully woven intot he story line that adds that extra bit of authenticity to this dark romance.

Cover Him in Darkness is one of those books which will take you by surprise you and makes you sit up and take notice. It seems low key but it's dark, beautiful, and intense. I do hope the Janine picks this up for a sequel as that will make me very. Very happy. Highly recommended for paranormal romance, and dark romance readers.

ARC received from Tempted Romance via Edelweiss

ARC Review: Rival (Fall Away #2) by Penelope Douglas

Hatred, rivalry or love?

Title: Rival
Author: Penelope Douglas
Series: Fall Away
Publisher: Little Brown Books, UK  
My ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars 
Released: 27th August, 2014
  W

hen I got a chance to read a new tittle by an unknown author it is a gamble which paid off . Rival sucked me right in from the first chapter and did not let me go. I read this within a day.

 So, the premise goes like this, Fallon and Madoc are step brother and sister. Their parents neglect them and they hate each other. They live in the same house, always throwing verbal barbs at each other and they cannot be more different. Fallon is the punk, rock chick with tattoos and piercings and skate boards while Madoc is a jock, rich and entitled. On the surface they seem to hate each but inside them may have been a little in love with each other and somehow start sleeping together. But one day Fallon disappears which Madoc takes as a betrayal. Now 2 years later, Fallon is back but she has her own agenda.

I loved the set up so so much. How two kids learnt to deal with their issues, slowly grew up together, during the day they hated each other but at night, that was a different story. Everyone thought it was sibling rivalry but in fact it was the attraction they were trying to fight. They were young, stupid but in love, even if they didn’t know it. When Fallon comes back, Madoc is such a jerk towards her but slowly as the story moves forwards, the dual perspective reveals more into how they become each other’s poison.

They had this electrical attraction for the other they could not deny and no matter how poisonous their relationship was, they still wanted each other. The angst was turn up to the maximum and I loved the thrill of the rollercoaster ride Penelope Douglas took me on.

It is true that lately I have become a little jaded with New Adult books and they have all started merge together in my mind but I can assure you Rival is nothing like them. There is sexual tension, hatred, bad parents, love, friendship, sexy times and of course all consuming passion.

 I am glad I read Rival before, Bully as I have noticed with serial romance novels, when side characters get their own books, they lose the essential bit of uniqueness that makes you like them in the first place. Yes, Take Me On, I am taking about you. However, I feel that Rival retains the quirky, cockiness Madoc exuberates. In fact he shines with it and so does Fallon with her own sense of the world.

If I am honest I will say that Rival gave me the rush Beautiful Disaster gave me the first time I read it. I couldn’t take my eyes off it as I wanted more and more and was getting drunk in the madness of this venomous love hate relationship. But in the end something beautiful blooms out of this mess.

 My favourite line has to be

  “I don’t try to kill your demons. I run with them.”  

This encompasses so much between these two people. The hurt, love, hatred, everything seeping out the cracks. Ok, Now I have started to fan girl a little but I suppose it understandable. If I have to pick apart the story then I would say that the story lost a little momentum towards the end.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book which was highly entertaining and managed to put hooks on me and made me lose my mind that I had to write my thoughts down, immediately and thanking the publisher for sending me this book.

Recommended from all fans of Beautiful Disaster and New Adult genre.

  Releases on the 27th of August, 2014 and is available ( via Paitkus) as an ebook now

  ARC received via Little Brown books, UK

ARC Review:Firelight (Darkest London #1) by Kristen Callihan

Historical fantasy romance has never been this fun before

Title: Cursed
Series: Darkest London
Author: Kirsten Callihan
Publisher: Piatkus
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars

Wow! What an experience I have had. Kristen Callihan has built a brand new world which is both exciting and wonderful. When I requested it on Netgalley I had no idea I would have found such a gem.

All my friends know about my love for UF and Historical romances. This book had encompassed both my love for these two great genres. At the beginning I wasn't so sure how this would turn-out to be. It could have gone either way .So I started it with low expectations and I am so glad that I was wrong.

Miranda is a beautiful red-head who can produce fire spontaneously. She is struggling to make ends meet living with her father. In comes this enigmatic Lord who offers to pay all her debts if she marries him. Without any choice, she agrees to the union. How bad can it really be married to a man she did not love. Here is what the catch is. Lord Archer has a secret. He hides his face in a mask. He is this mysterious, enigma hiding his face in a mask and no one knows what he is up to or he thinks. She doesn't know what’s going on in his head. She is married to this person who talks to her, stimulates her mind. Whom she even calls her friend but she hasn't even seen his face. The sexual tension was staggering. What was Archer hiding? What did he look like? Why did he hide his face? These questions were not only driving Miranda mad, but were also making me crazy. I stayed up to the wee hours of the night trying to figure out the mystery.

The prologue was very nicely done. It piqued my interest in the book. The writing was fantastic. I was blown away by the complexity and the descriptive nature of the writing. It described London in the olden days perfectly .It felt like I was present there, walking on the cobbled stones and smelling the different smells wafting from the street. I loved Miranda. She was fiery, quite literally, and sane. Stupid heroines in romances are so common that I want to shoot them one by one but here Miranda was just right. She would give any Urban Fantasy heroine run for her money in the kick-ass department.

Archer, oh my! He is a perfect tortured hero. I was in love with him just half way through the prologue. The curse that torments him makes him believe he is not worth Miranda. Even though we don’t see his face in most of the book we all know he is all hotness and desire packing some serious romantic hero.

I can go on and on but how much I liked this book but that would take me all night. If you a UF fans and like Paranormal Romance or Historical this book is just right for you. Even if you are not,….read it anyway as I am sure you will not be disappointed cannot wait for the second book Moonlight.

ARC provided by Piatkus via  NetGalley.

An Ode to the Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews

I have contracted the Kate Daniels disease and I don’t want to be cured 

I have been quite vocal about my love for Ilona Andews, particularly how much I love their Kate Daniels series. However never have I written a review of any of their books. Sound peculiar doesn’t it. The reason behind is the simple fact that after reading either I jump straight to their next book or I’m too busy gushing, fangirling, and screaming around running in circles about how awesome the piece of literature I just read.

I may just have to correct myself here as I just realise that I have written a review for Magic Slays and going back and reading it proves my point again as the piece of writing makes no sense at all as it is full the fore-mentioned fangirling and spouting incoherent nonsense about how a shrine should be made to honour them.

So let’s start with the beginning shall we? It all started in 2010 when
I was reading every UF out there (which I sort of still do) and came across The Kate Daniels series. Everybody warned me how the first book was difficult but it gets better, so like a brave trouper I soldiered on with the first book and guess what I didn’t find it difficult in the least. Yes, the magic waves were a little difficult to get my head around but my mind was blown away by the no- sparkly grotesque vampires and the shape shifters who were mean and vicious with all sorts of weird and wonderful social structure built around them. The cherry on top was Kate. I loved her. Period. I would run away with her and have her little sword wielding children if she wants me to and no, I don’t even swing that away. No pun intended. I felt connected to her in a way I feel with a childhood beast friend whom I understand. The mood, her nuances, her personality, her behaviour felt so endearing familiar and yet it managed to surprise me time and time again.

One of my all-time favourite lines which true fans will recognise and so very Kate and that started everything. And many more but I don’t have the space and I don’t want to bore you all so here’s a little taster.

“Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty...”

  I am not even sure that I can find the right words or phrase something which will do justice to how much I adore this series and these wonderful writers.

Have you even thought that a book was written specifically for you. I mean, a personalised book, a story to push all your buttons and a guaranteed that you will like it. That is precisely how I feel about The Kate Daniel Books. It’s like slipping into a custom made suit built to fit your every contour, rise and fall and the lines of your preferences so that there is not a simple aspect out of place. The balance between, humour, action, romance, love, friendship, mystery, action, fear and almost every emotion under the roof is so perfectly written that when I’m reading, I literally cannot take my eyes off the pages. The writing is spot on for me.The heroine, the love interest, the side characters are so well crafted that they seem real. Heck, I want them to be real.

The action scenes are so brilliantly envisioned and no short cuts are taken. It is abundantly clear that both Ilona and Gordon have an innate understanding of fighting, weapons and the consequences of the actions. The romance is something to behold and I adore Curran. I tend to get carried away with male leads and I’ll be the first to admit that while my other bookie friends may be swooning over werewolves and shape-shifters but I have never been one of them. I was more a vampire girl but Ilona Andrews converted me. 

However, saying that, Curran doesn’t feature on my book boyfriend list. The reason being he is just so perfect for Kate and vice versa that I cannot even think about having him for myself or anyone else.

I have pretty much read every tittle by this writing duo and I am amazed each time that their beautiful writing transcends so well into other world and stories too. Nothing can beat Kate Daniels though.

It is a testimony to how much I love this series that it has become somewhat of a ritual to read the entire series back to back in prep for the new release every year. I have already read till book 6, Magic Rises and suffering from a book phunk for the next month as no other book is able to hold my interest. I start DNF-ing books which I never do otherwise. I may also assure you that even if I read the series for the 7th time (it may have been the 8th time, who knows) it still manages to lace me in a strait jacket and refuses to let me go. I sneek away and avoid all social contact until the series is completed. Yes, I have contracted the Kate Daniels disease and I don’t want to be cured. 

 

Don't be fooled by the awfully off putting covers as the cover do not justice to what's inside them.

It is such a shame that the whole Kate Daniels series is not available in the UK(only the first few books are) and I keep struggling to acquire a copy for myself but I am hoping the publishers will be able to see a growing fan base here and pick up this fabulous, out of the world series.

So, if this doesn’t convince you to give this series a chance, them go to Amazon or GoodReads and see the tons of reviews from reader all around the world on how extra-ordinarily great this series and these writers are. Try it and believe me you will not regret it. 

Let's just say I cannot wait for Magic Breaks and if it was available in the stores here I would have been camping outside the stores or even the publishers office to give me an advanced copy.

Review: Endless Knight (The Arcana Chronicles #2) by Kresley Cole

YA of epic proportions

Title: Endless Knight
Series: The Arcana Chronicles
Author: Kresley Cole
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, UK
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Released: 2nd October, 2013
Kresley Cole did it again. She steals not only my breathe but also my heart with her new YA series. Endless Knight starts exactly where Poison Princess ends. But the action doesn’t stop at that point. That scene is a long drawn out action sequence where a lot happens. There is still a lot of tension between Evie and Jack as Evie is still accepting her reality and Jack is struggling with what it means being with Evie while Selena is waiting on the side lines to pounce on Jack, putting Evie on edge.

The group of Arcana are still running away from other Arcana and Death and tensions are running high. They pick more members in their mismatched group and fighting together but none can trust the other.

Evie’s visions are still haunting her but the most dangerous is that it seems like Death has a personal vendetta against her.

Kreley Cole knows her trade and she weaves her story, her characters with such skill and finesse that all I can do is get swept by them. In Poison Princess I was utterly in Team Jack but Endless Knight has put in a dilemma. Cole has managed to change my mind so smoothly that I didn’t even see it coming. Now I’m so conflicted as to whom I like more. Do I like the smooth Cajun or the tortured soul. Don’t ask me as I’m baffled as I was convinced that Jack had totally taken my heart.

I’m not sure which direction the plot is going but if what I think is going to happen, then the next book will be epic. I have a few speculations and theory but I’m sure the three main characters, Arin, Evie and Jack are going to be rock my world and I’m lucky to have been part of this epic series.I absolutely cannot wait for Dead of Winter.

If you enjoyed Poison Promise, you’ll love Endless Knight. It has everything you could possibly want in a fantasy. Action, fantasy, world building, romance and sex. Yes, be fore-warned that this is for a slightly older YA audience.

Highly recommended.

Review: Poison Princess ( The Arcana Chronicles #1) by Kresley Cole

Apocalypse, survival and a prophesy

Title: Poison Princess
Series: The Arcana Chronicles
Author: Kresley Cole
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, UK
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Released: 2nd October, 2012
Like many others before me, I gave in to the temptation of getting on the band wagon of a popular new YA series. Let me start by a disclaimer that I love Kresley Cole. She writes the only PNR, I bother reading, The Immortals After Dark series. I am not going to start singing odes for the lady now but when I first saw Poison Princess floating about, I had my doubts? Will a writer who excels in writing steamy romances be able to capture the YA spirit? Will she be able to do justice to the themes YA stands for or will be become a giant snooze ball?

I shouldn’t have had doubts because she excels in writing this genre too. Evie is a rich, pampered Southern girl who has going back to her High School. Nobody knows but she has spent the last summer at a mental institution but now that she thinks she is better, she can begin her life again. Part of the popular group in her school, with the cheer leader squad and dating the school jock, Evie is the type of girl that YA readers tend to either hate or cringe at their mention as they are usually the bully, bullying the plain as a mouse protagonist. But Evie is different. She may the all the above but as she has her own secrets she was never mean and I felt a connection towards her. She was struggling with her own demons while battling her attraction to one of new kids at her school, Jack. He is everything your Mother warns you to avoid but he keeps staring at Evie and she can’t help but stare back. I think this is what put people off a little bit as it starts in a typical high school based drama.

But stick to it as it gets better. Way better. The apocalypse hits leaving Evie stranded, her best friend dead, her world destroyed and she is still being plagued by nightmares.

I have already given you such a long blurb but this is where the real story begins. I was riveted by this book. I admit, it took a little getting used to at first but once it took off, it felt that my feet would barely be able to touch solid ground again.

At the beginning we see Evie at her weakest but at the end, she comes out of her own and when she does, boy it was beautiful. The world building and the setting is realistic and the characters, each so unique that I can visualise them. The chemistry between Evie and Jack was exploding of the pages and I was afraid by poor Kindle would catch fire. Yes, you don’t have to chide me. I know I’m still talking about a YA book. Ahem. In the world of the supernatural, Jack held his own and he is exquisitely written. Never in my life had I thought Cajun could sound so sexy that he only has to say the words and I’ll be drawn in like a moth.

“If you touch me like that again, Evangeline,” he began in a husky tone, dropping to his seat once more, “in the space of a heartbeat, I will have you off this bike and onto the closest horizontal surface. And I woan be picky, no.” .

Moving on, I loved the back story and the folklore of the Arcana cards coming to life and discovering who and what the different cards are and what their powers are. There are still monster lurking around and I could not wait for the next book. So I promptly went online and got the next book, The Endless Knight. Modern technology was my salvation yet again.

I’d recommend this book to every YA Fantasy fan, wanting something more but cannot seem to find the right book which will provide that extra hum to the readings. A must read for fans of Kresley Cole, southern belles and Cajun boys with dark eyes which see everything.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted on Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're impatiently eagerly anticipating.

 My pick this week is;

DEAD OF WINTER (The Arcana Chronicles #3) by Kresley Cole

Can Evie convince her rival loves to work together? Their survival depends on it in this third book of #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole’s Arcana Chronicles, a nonstop action tale of rescue, redemption, and a revenge most wicked.

Heartbreaking decisions
Evie was almost seduced by the life of comfort that Death offered her—until Jack was threatened by two of the most horrific Arcana, The Lovers. She will do anything to save him, even escape Death’s uncanny prison, full of beautiful objects, material comforts…and stolen glances from a former love.

Uncertain victory
Despite leaving a part of her heart behind with Death, Evie sets out into a frozen and perilous post-apocalyptic wasteland to meet up with her allies and launch an attack on The Lovers and the vast army they command. Such formidable enemies require a battle plan, and the only way to kill them once and for all may mean Evie, Jack, and Death allying. Evie doesn’t know what will prove more impossible: surviving slavers, plague, Bagmen and other Arcana—or convincing Jack and Death to work together.

Two heroes returned
There’s a thin line between love and hate, and Evie just doesn’t know where she stands with either Jack or Death. Will this unlikely trio be able to defeat The Lovers without killing one another first

Releases on 6th January, 2015

Kresley Cole is one of my favourite PNR author and her YA is no less. In fact I like it better than her Immortals after Dark series. I loved , loved , loved the first two books in the series and cannot wait for Dead of Winter. The title is slightly different from the first two and so is the cover. The cover for Poison Princess was ah-mah-zing but Endless Knight was a little meh. Dead of winter on the other hand is, well, let's just say I'm glad I did not buy the paperback as I was planning and have ebooks instead. I hope the UK publishers do something different with this book.

Review: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (Love by Numbers #1) by Sarah MacLean

A Rake and a Spinster who won hearts

Title: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
Series: Love by Numbers
Author: Sarah MacLean
Publisher: Piatkus, UK
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Released: 1st of May, 2014
Nine rules to Break when Romancing a Rake is a story which will leave you smiling at the end. It centres around Callie who is 29 and according to everybody around her, she is soon to go 'on the shelf'. One night she decides she has had enough of acting docile and decides to take fate in her own hands. She makes a list of thing that she always wanted to do but never could because 'good ladies do not act so'. Hence begins her quest for fulfilling her list and in the process she bags herself the titled gentleman she had been pinning for 10 years.

I loved Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake. It had everything I'd hope for in a historical romance and more. I really enjoyed Callie, a woman fed up of being restrained by society and goes ahead and grabs her heart's desire. I enjoyed how she got the courage to break from convention and demanded*for example) to be kissed passionately.

This brings us to Ralston. I would not say that there was anything remarkable about him. He was a rake, a handsome rogue and Callie's unwilling partner in crime. I loved their banter together and how slowly over the course of time he learned to love the plain and plump Callie.

The plot was driven and it never slowed down. The back and forth between Callie and Ralston brought forward a few laughs and the dread in Ralston as Callie did one of her items in her list and his begrudging respect for her was nicely done.

Over all, Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake is a solid addition to the historical romance genre, which was entertaining, sweet, funny, sexy and left a smile on my face. Highly recommended for Historical Romance fans.

 Released 1st of May, 2014 in the UK

ARC provided by Piatkus, UK

Blog Tour: The Wizard's Promise by Cassandra Clarke.

Hello my lovely escapists, today I'm honoured to have the talented Cassandra Rose Clarke on my blog, talking about her latest book, The Wizard's Promise. It is no secret that I love what this lady pens down. I was blown away by The Mad Scientist's Daughter (read my review here) and then I read The Assassin's Curse and The Pirate's Wish. (read my reviews here and here). However, with the book's completion, the magic did not end there. Those who have read this series would know, how intricate and deep the world setting was, so Cassandra wrote another story on the same world. Squeal!!!

I know, it's hard to contain my excitement. Here's a cover and a blurb for you.

THE WIZARD'S PROMISE (The Hanna Duology #1) by Cassandra Rose Clarke

All Hanna Euli wants is to become a proper witch – but unfortunately, she’s stuck as an apprentice to a grumpy fisherman. When their boat gets caught up in a mysterious storm and blown wildly off course, Hanna finds herself further away from home than she’s ever been before.

As she tries to get back, she learns there may be more to her apprentice master than she realized, especially when a mysterious, beautiful, and very non-human boy begins following her through the ocean, claiming that he needs Hanna’s help

So here it goes

So, when given a chance, I asked if I could get a pictorial description on The Wizard's Promise. So here you go.

This is a book about a girl named Hanna. She wants to be a witch but her parents want her to be a fisherwoman instead. 

  She’s apprenticed to a fisherman named Kolur. He’s perpetually grumpy. 

 She and Kolur set out on a three-day fishing trip. A storm blows in… 

…and their ship turns up in a port several days’ sail away. You know what that means! 

 During the course of her adventure, Hanna encounters… 

 Mean sailors  

Best friends 

 Monsters  

Yaks 

 And a lord of the Mists determined pass through the boundaries between worlds. 

Permanently. She also meets Isolfr. He’s not human.  

Nah. More like  

Crossed with  

And together, they’ll save the world. 

 Hopefully. 

Now, doesn't that pique your interest? 

About the Author

Cassandra Rose Clarke grew up in south Texas and currently lives in a suburb of Houston, where she writes and teaches composition at a local college. She holds an M.A. in creative writing from The University of Texas at Austin, and in 2010 she attended the Clarion West Writer’s Workshop in Seattle. Her work has been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award and YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults. Her latest novel is the YA adventure fantasy The Wizard’s Promise, out in May 2014.

The Wizard's Promise releases  on the 6th of May, in the UK by Strange Chemistry.