Now in My Bookbag: Devastation (A Beastly Tale Part 3) By H.J. Haag

Devastation is a phenomenally written conclusion to the Beastly Tale Trilogy. It has intelligence, humor, frustration and acceptance.

Benella is such a wonderful character… endowed with intellect and beauty. It is a pleasure to see the way Haag continues Benella’s development through the completion of the tale. She constantly learns, grows and matures, and she is one of my favorite female characters in a long while.

Haag builds this world with the tools of her imagination. Throughout the trilogy, this world develops more and more definition until it becomes real. The characters, both lovable and unlovable, have clear identities. The settings and storytelling are perfection.

This book, and this series, are extremely well written and should be on everyone’s must-read list. 

5 stars!

Now in My Bookbag: Deceit (A Beastly Tale Part 2) by M.J. Haag

Deceit is a beautifully written, heartwarming, heart breaking read. Haag is a magnificent storyteller. The result of her skill is a magical tale and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Benella’s choices are almost always based in logic. She realizes that to free herself, she must first free The Beast. The Beast’s decisions are purely tied to his emotions. He has, after all, been cursed to live in the body of an animal for fifty years. The beauty of the story lies in the complex relationship between the two.

Deceit is intelligent, enticing and a wonderful treat for the imagination. The cliffhanger is shocking, heartbreaking and well thought out.  It is a 5 star book and a must read.

Now in My Bookbag: Renegade (Heven and Hell #4) by Cambria Hebert

Renegade is full of emotion without all the angst (which I truly appreciate). For me though, there is a little bit too much lag in places, a little too much ‘filler’ while waiting for the ‘real’ action to start. There are quite a few twists in the telling of this story. It just feels as though the story would be told just as well without the extraneous happenings, ie… green fog..

I must admit that I didn’t really see Riley’s nor Ana’s paths ending where they did. I can say that for most of the ancillary characters. What I did expect, and am so happy to see, is the strength Heven develops throughout the series. Hebert tells the story of Heven brilliantly. Hebert lovingly weaves Heven from a broken shell into the warrior with a heart that she was always meant to be.

I am torn on my rating for Renegade. There is a lot of action (necessary and unnecessary). There is a little too much filler, but the parts of the story necessary for the journey are really good. Because the rating actually falls between 31/2 and 4, I am giving this book 4 stars. I do recommend to those who have already read the rest of the series.

Now in My Bookbag: Tirade (Heven and Hell #3) by Cambria Hebert

Tirade is written with a lot of action and a bit of emotional loss. There are a couple of sections that seem repetitive and drag by just a bit, but the story is well told and engaging. The character development of Heven is great. The growth into her destiny is well written.

There is still a story to be told about Ana and the island in her care. Also, the addition of Riley as one of the ancillary characters in the story creates the expectation that his character will also be further developed.

The story ends on a minor cliffhanger. It is just enough, however, to create the desire to know more. This book is a solid 4 of 5 stars.

Your Amazon Links to Steamy Contemporary Romances

Ready for the Seduction? 

Enter the decadent world of E.B. Walters series....

Amazon http://bit.ly/SlowBurnKindle
Amazon http://bit.ly/MineUntilDawnKindle
Amazon http://bit.ly/KissMeCrazyKindle
Amazon http://bit.ly/DangerousLoveKindle
Amazon http://bit.ly/ForeverHersKindle
Amazon http://bit.ly/SurrenderToTemptationKindle
Amazon http://bit.ly/Impulsekindle
Amazon http://bit.ly/IndulgeKindle

Now in My Bookbag: Charade (Heven and Hell Series Book #2) by Cambria Hebert

This followup to the fabulous Masquerade is a solid second book for the series. It is an enjoyable read that highlights Heven’s beginning growth into her destiny. She and Sam have each other. What could go wrong?

Charade is the perfect name for this book. Everyone wears a mask or two in order to hide something from someone. There are lies of omission and lies of commission. Is the goal of the charade to protect or to commit treachery? There is a lot of guessing about people’s motives. Then there are a couple of characters that make you scream at the book because you can’t believe that the characters can’t see what is so obvious to you.

Hebert works all of these things together to create an intriguing book and a definite cliffhanger to pull you into Book #3 in the series. 

This is a 5 star book for me.

Now in My Bookbag: Masquerade (Heven and Hell Series) by Cambria Hebert

This book is very interesting. There is an unusual dynamic between the characters that makes the story more complex and each development somewhat unexpected.

Heven and Sam certainly make an interesting couple. She is a character whose self esteem is shattered, and he is the knight in not-so-shining armor who reminds her that she is lovable. The ancillary characters are complex in their own ways, and their motivations sometimes unclear. The alternating POVs become a bit confusing when the story includes the voices of “The Hate” and “The Hope.” In the end though, the story sorts out and is more interesting thanks to those POVs.

Masquerade is very engaging and well-written. It is an excellent start to the series.

Now in My Bookbag: Every Last Breath (Dark Elements) by Jennifer L Armentrout

Armentrout never fails to deliver a great read, and this is no exception.

Every Last Breath is the perfect ending to the Dark Elements series, and it captures me from the very beginning. I find myself unable to put this book down until I finish every last word. I am driven to know what truths are revealed for Layla, Roth and Zayne.

I must unravel the complexities surrounding Layla as she searches her heart and makes decisions that are heart-wrenching, but necessary. Roth reveals himself to be far more than just the Crown Prince introduced in the beginning of the series, and Zayne develops a level of maturity that is forced upon him, ready or not. Each of these characters evolve into multi-dimensional individuals.

I have yet to read a story told by Armentrout that is anything but exceptional. She is a masterful storyteller. This entire series is so well-written, and I whole-heartily recommend it as a must-read.

For me, Every Last Breath is a definite 5 star book.

Now in My Bookbag: Awakening (A Timeless Series Novel) by Lisa L Wiedmeier

Awakening is a good read and a pretty good conclusion to Cheyenne’s Timeless saga. There are things that I like about the way this series completes and things that I do not. The story sorts itself out eventually, and ends on a note that is appropriate for the young adult audience.

The ending is a bit cliche. The thing about this book that bothers me most is the repetitive, angst-filled theme through the first half of the book. While I suppose it reveals what Cheyenne feels and thinks at the time, it is a little too much of the same thing over and over.

The action in the second half of the book is what earns a higher rating from me. It makes the book less stale and far more interesting. For me, this book rates about the same as Daylight (the previous book from the series). 3.75 of 5 stars.

I would give the series 4 stars overall.

Now in My Bookbag: Daylight (Timeless Series) by Lisa L. Wiedmeier

“I was again alone. There was no sunshine, there was no Colt, no Mom and Dad. It was just me in this prison of misery with no escape.” (Cheyenne Wilson, Daylight)

Daylight is such a departure from the tone of the previous novels in this series. This is somewhat understandable given the way Promises ended. Wiedmeier does a great job of introducing the stages of grief through Cheyenne’s narrative, even while the story produces an unexpected tangent. However, Wiedmeier builds on this tone so much that the novel has a morose undertone throughout.

The tragedy at the end of Promises helps bring Callon and Cheyenne closer together, which I believe is the intent all along. Wiedmeier introduces a lot of new characters in this book. It does, in a way, create a new sense of family for Cheyenne, but her narrative makes this family feel just as oppressive as it is uplifting. The somber feeling of the book lends itself well to the emerging theme of dark versus light. The surprise ending to this book affirms this perception.

This book is less enjoyable to read than the previous two for a very simple reason. I have a hard time letting go of the depression initiated at the beginning of the story. It would be nice to have a little more balance from the beginning. For me, this book gets 4 of 5 stars