Now in My Bookbag: The Sicarri Hired Gun Serial 1-4, by A. J. Bennett & Julia Crane

This is a violent, intense, erotic, paranormal story. It is hot, steamy, and action packed. Most of the scenes are really graphic.

I really enjoyed the plot and the emotional drama. However, the descriptions and verbiage used in the sex scenes were a bit repetitive, and that bothered me. I wished there were different expressive terms and phrases used. Some ideas were underdeveloped.

There were surprise twists… some of them a little out there. The ending could have been more in keeping with the tone of the rest of the book, but the story was mostly enjoyable.
3 1/4 stars

Now in My Bookbag: The Secrets of Dargon, by Ciara Knight

It took a while for me to get caught up in this story, and it therefore took me longer to read. The previous book of this series, The Curse of Gremdon, captivated my imagination from the very first word.

The beginning of The Secrets of Dargon felt a bit sluggish, but the story began drawing me in about a fourth of the way through. Once it grabbed my attention, it began to reel me in. About halfway through, I was completely hooked.

From that point on, the story developed a better flow. The characters were strong, and became more complex as the rest of the story unfolded. Author Ciara Knight did a fantastic job of world building. She used descriptive words wisely without overdoing it. I felt a part of the story without feeling smothered by too many details.

The book was edited, and proofed, well. That certainly helped me stay within the story’s flow. I definitely appreciated that.

I enjoyed all of the action at the end. However, my favorite thing about the book was the major twist at the end. I did not see that coming, at all!

Overall the book was good, and I liked it. 4 stars

Now in My Bookbag: Awakening, by S.J. West

This book was a great read. Author S.J. West perfected the seamless transition from the previous Redemption Series to this Dominion Series. Awakening, Book One, continued the story of Anna and Malcolm in such a consistent manner. Their love story, family, and mission to improve the lives of the down-worlders, remained flawlessly connected to the end of Redemption, (the final book of the Redemption Series).

The book was well proofed and well edited. The flow was very good, and created effortless reading. The dialogue was well done, and the plot lines made perfect sense.

This story was so interesting, with enough twists to keep me guessing until the very end. There were so many surprises, it created a compulsion to keep reading. I had to know what happened next. I read straight through and was completely blown away by the ending. I immediately wanted the next book in the series.

5 stars

Now in My Bookbag: A Matter of Truth by Heather Lyons (A Fate Series Novel)

This book is unbelievably good. The story, which is a continuation from the previous two books of the series, brings an unexpected twist for the first half of the novel. The fact that Author Heather Lyons transitions this story from one reality to another, and back again, is extraordinary.

There are so many things that Chloe is able to learn, and discover about herself. There are lessons about family and the importance of love. There is an obvious maturity that develops during this book. It is a critical part of who Chloe is… who she must become.

This story is told masterfully. Lyons uses a cleverly designed plot to further the story and broaden the story-lines. Her mix of the magical with the everyday makes the perfect blend for a really great read.

Now in My Bookbag: Blood of the White Witch by Lacey Weatherford (Of Witches and Warlocks)

This book is one of those rare finds, as it brings me so many different emotions. The rollercoaster ride is written masterfully. The story is compelling from cover to cover and is impossible to put down.

Author Lacey Weatherford creates a thoroughly engrossing story. She further develops the characters I have come to know, throws in a lot of suspense, and adds several unexpected twists. The book is captivating and full of passion, in one form or another, generating every feeling from joy to extreme sorrow. The storytelling is riveting. It brings me smiles, laughs, sadness and tears.

This book requires more than one tissue. By the end, I am an emotional mess… but that is a good thing. It means Weatherford does her job well, because she makes me feel the story.

5 stars

Grab Your Copy Today... You Know You Want To

It is finally release day for the much anticipated short story anthology,

 Fairy Tale Confessions!!

Fourteen bestselling authors twist up your favorite fairy tales into all new content. Will your favorite have a happily-ever-after?

Get ready to meet some sexy, not-so-valiant princes, punk-rock princesses, villains turned heroes, and truly vile monsters wreaking havoc within our favorite tales.

Read about Dancing Princesses getting their groove on in a disco club, a seriously sexy Rumpelstiltskin, and one alluring Puss-in-Boots, plus many, many more captivating characters in these fourteen all new short-stories.

Featured stories include: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Snow Queen, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Puss-in-Boots, Rumpelstiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood, The Little Mermaid, Rapunzel, Alice in Wonderland, Hansel and Gretel, and Beauty and the Beast.

Available for purchase here:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1DQh7LP
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1gFdEov
B&N: http://bit.ly/1Mq4F8s
iBooks: http://apple.co/1IKNj25
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1fa3StC

(This collection and its authors are being featured at RT 2016 at the Fairy Tale Costume Party in Vegas, hosted by Sarah J. Pepper and Tish Thawer. Be sure to get your copy and stop by if you’re attending the event.)

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: Expel (Book #6 of the Celestra Series) by Addison Moore

“There is no comfort for me, no oil of joy in exchange for my mourning.” 

(Skyla Messenger, EXPEL by Addison Moore)

Indeed, this is a story of mourning. All of the main characters suffer mourning in some form throughout the book. It is very difficult to review this book without writing spoilers because the emotions and feelings generated by the story are completely wrapped around the prose.

The characters become much more complex as more information is filled in. Part of this character growth is driven by the aforementioned mourning. Part of the development is born from sheer determination of will. There is also development in learning from mistakes and hasty decisions.

The story ends in Moore’s prerequisite cliffhanger. There is also a surprising twist that creates the mourning of trust. This book is a recommended read in the continuation of the Celestra story. This book is a good read based on its own merits as well.

Now in My Bookbag: Forged in Stone (The Forged Chronicles Book 1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy

This book is an extension of one of my favorite trilogies ever, The Afterglow Trilogy. This new series is centered upon James and Ainsley. James is one of my favorite characters from Afterglow.

He is a tragic hero who is tarnished, by association with his evil father, even though he does the right thing when it matters. In Forged in Stone, it is a few years later and James is settled into his life as a Guardian. He meets Ainsley when he arrives unexpectedly at the Calloway home where she is housesitting. Both of their worlds are turned upside down.

This book is a study in how we become who we are. How do we trust and what do we fear most?

I really love this revisit to Energo, and I love being in the company of Charlotte and Liam once again. However, I must admit that the ending to Forged in Stone has left me a bit shell shocked.

I hope the wait for Forged in Ice is not a long one! 

Now in My Bookbag: Crossroads (Crossroads Saga #1) by Mary Ting

Overall, I liked this book. It took me a short while to become immersed in the story and connect with the characters though. The flow in the beginning was a bit confusing, with information revealed in a haphazard way.

Once the story began to flow comfortably, I began to enjoy getting to know the characters. The story also became much more engrossing. The action sequences were heart pounding and the revelations truly surprising.

I grew to really like Claudia as the main character. However, my favorite character by far was Gamma, and I loved the admiration and affection she shared with Claudia. Though I loved Michael, I found his character to be somewhat of an enigma and felt sure that future books might reveal shocking information about his past.

The paranormal elements of the story notwithstanding, this book was really a romance… complete with the gifting of hearts and souls (and all of the other gushy stuff). The book was a study in what it means to be soulmates. I felt that overall this book rated a light 4 stars.