mardi 28 avril 2015

Sweet Revenge ( Sin Brothers 2 ) by Rebecca Zanetti

Hello to all,

                    Since i've got a few minute to share my opinion with you i decided to follow up a series i started last year and liked a lot The Sin brothers series by Rebecca Zanetti.... i like a good romantic suspense and when  a touch of paranormal is added it's simply even more delicious to read.
As a bonus the last book in the series released recently so now you can enjoy it in it's entirety without having to wait.

Happy reading
Publisher: Forever
Publication: 2014
ISBN:  1455574457
Genre: romantic suspense
Violence: strong

Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+
Source: won


Short description from goodreads :

The One Man She Can't Have

Matt Dean was born to fight…and kill. A member of a secret black-ops military unit, he and his brothers were genetically engineered by the government to be the perfect soldiers with an expiration date. Now, with time running out, he's gone rogue in a relentless quest for the one person who can save them. His mission leads him to Charmed, Idaho…and to a beautiful woman with eyes like emeralds and a body made for pleasure.

The One Woman He Can't Resist


Laney Jacobs knows the mysterious, handsome stranger is trouble from the moment he walks into her bar, looking for a job. She's spent years running from her own past—the last thing she needs is a romantic entanglement. But Matt's strong arms offer her protection, and his gentle touch promises passion unlike anything she's ever known. As lethal forces surround them, revealing explosive secrets about Matt's past and putting everything—and everyone—he holds dear in danger, can he save them all before time runs out?

My opinion:
          Since I loved book 1” Sin forgotten” I could not wait to continue the adventure with the Gray brother and “Sweet Revenge” did not disappoint.
Rebecca Zanetti focus the romance on the elder brother Matt , but while the romance is important and quite steamy she also does not neglect the investigation part of the story and it’s something I absolutely adore. Matt is looking for the surgeon who implanted the chips who threaten his life and his brother’s, his search leads him to Charmed, a small city, where he finds a job as bouncer in a bar where the owner, the sweet Laney, rescued him when he was hurt in the alley.
For him this job is the perfect cover but it’s not counting the deeper attraction he feels towards Laney. Burdened by the guilt of his younger brother, Jory, death , he wants to stay focused on finding the surgeon and via her perhaps the key to their survival. However, when murders start happening in the small town he gets determined to protect Laney no matter the cost before learning her true identity because in this town secrets are numerous and the investigation far from easy.

I really loved how the author managed to keep the main story arc flowing while adding the actual investigation and building it so well that the suspense stays until the end and have surprised by several twists along the way. The investigation is really center in the story while well intertwined with the romance making the book one we can’t stop reading until the last page.

The action is quick and strong. Matt is a real protector all alpha but so deeply hurt you want to comfort him and Laney is a good heroine, I did not like her as much as I loved Josie but I could get attached.

 If you are looking for a romantic suspense with a light touch of paranormal this is really the perfect story to try and this book could be read as a stand alone if necessary but I do recommend you to read them in order it’s so much better…. A light cliffhanger is at the end but nothing you could not survive especially with the next book already released.



Score:  4,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review


Challenges:

jeudi 23 avril 2015

The Night Rainbow by Claire King

Hello to all,

                     As you may remember, this month i 've entered the reading challenge hosted by Lavender and with all that happened i'm a bit behind but i still have a few days left so i'm not giving up. However, Lavender also started a new program to promote books she loved..... we can win of those in exchange for spreading our own thoughts about it it's called the Lavender's library.  I like the idea of sharing our love of books that way and we are free to love or not of course.... i took this opportunity to discover books i don't think i would have gotten by myself but that her enthousiam put on my radar netherless.

So today i'm happy to give you my opinion on " The Night Rainbow" by Claire King, short review as i don't want to reveal the mystery but i do want to let you discover this book too.

 Enjoy!
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication: 2013
ISBN:  1408841843
Genre: contemporary
Violence: no

Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 16+
Source: received in the cadre of the Lavender’sLibrary program
 



Short description from goodreads :

Under the sweltering heat of the summer sun, five-year-old Pea - and her vivid imagination - run wild in the meadows behind her home on the edge of a small village in Southern France.

Pea’s father died in an accident, and now she only has her little sister, Margot, for company. Their mother is too sad to take care of them; she left her happiness in the hospital last year, along with the first baby.

Overwhelmed by grief, isolated from the other villagers, and pregnant again, Maman has withdrawn to a place where Pea cannot reach her, no matter how hard she tries.


When Pea meets Claude, a neighbour who seems to love the meadow as she does, she wonders if he could be their new papa. But the villagers view their friendship with suspicion. What secret is Claude keeping in his strange, empty house?


My opinion:
          This is really a sweet and moving story, some parts are a little sad but as a whole it ‘s really a great  tales about the children’s resources and their view of the world. It’s was quite magical and I could not avoid to tear a little from time to time especially since I understood early the double meaning but  it’s not a book you want to give up once started. You get quickly fond of Pea and you want to see her get her happy end and without real spoiler because of the genre you do get one, probably not the one you thought at first but still one.
We should never give up completely our childhood abilities because it’s true that as grownup we can easily forget what is the most important.

 The character are well build and you do get attached to them…..Claude really won me in a few pages with his kindness and merlin was for a lot in that early attachment.

I’m really glad to have discovered this book thanks to Lavender Library program because I probably would not have picked that book by myself and it would have been sad decision and it won me over completely. If you like sweet story, don’t mind having to use some tissues and wants to remember all the magic you could see when little this is a book for you I hope you find your own night rainbow.



Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: Source: a copy in exchange for an honest review in the cadre of the Lavender’s Library program. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review


Challenges:

samedi 18 avril 2015

Pirate’s Alley (Sentinels of New Orleans 4) by Suzanne Johnson

Hello to all,

                       If there is one author i don't want to miss any release because i'm never disappointed  that's Suzanne Johnson.  If you follow this blog since the beginning you saw  how my love for her writing only grew with each new titles as i kept being surprised...

After a long, really too long, wait due to publishers, book 4 in the Sentinels of New Orleans will be released next week and since i was lucky to get an early copy i can already share my opinion if this book with you. Despites all that's happening here, i did want to share my review with you before the release so that you could still pre order it as it's important for authors. So if you are interested in this series, if you want to read it after reading what i have to tell about it don't hesitate and buy it before tuesday!

If you haven't started the series yet, you really missing something but thankfully Suzanne is hosting a giveaway to win one of the first 3 books so please go tell her a big thank you while you participate and good luck!

Happy Reading!!!
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication: 2015
ISBN:  0765376970
Genre: urban fantasy,suspense
Violence: mild

Language: normal
sex: none ( allusion)
Public: 16+
Source: arc

Short description from goodreads :

 Wizard sentinel DJ Jaco thought she had gotten used to the chaos of her life in post-Katrina New Orleans, but a new threat is looming, one that will test every relationship she holds dear.

Caught in the middle of a rising struggle between the major powers in the supernatural world—the Wizards, Elves, Vampires and the Fae—DJ finds her loyalties torn and her mettle tested in matters both professional and personal.

Her relationship with enforcer Alex Warin is shaky, her non-husband, Quince Randolph, is growing more powerful, and her best friend, Eugenie, has a bombshell that could blow everything to Elfheim and back. And that's before the French pirate, Jean Lafitte, newly revived from his latest "death," returns to New Orleans with vengeance on his mind. DJ's assignment? Keep the sexy leader of the historical undead out of trouble. Good luck with that.

Duty clashes with love, loyalty with deception, and friendship with responsibility as DJ navigates passion and politics in the murky waters of a New Orleans caught in the grips of a brutal winter that might have nothing to do with Mother Nature.


War could be brewing, and DJ will be forced to take a stand. But choosing sides won't be that easy.



My opinion:
          Oh my I can’t tell you how much I loved this book; really the wait has been more than worth it. Suzanne Johnson manages to surprise us each time and in several ways while making us more than a simple reader caught in a fascinating story.

I’m still in hyper mode after my reading but I will try to explain why I’m so enthusiastic about this new instalment.
This story starts just a few weeks after the events in “Elysian Fields”… so while it could be still possible to jump into the universes starting with this book… I would not recommend it. With book 2 or even 3 it would not have mattered as much I think.  Yes the author gives us small reminders of what happened but to really catch all the subtle threats and implications it would be really better to start at the beginning so if you have the opportunity to do so I can only recommend you to start with book 1 and see the magic at work.

So like I said this is set a few weeks after DJ got injured and bonded to Rand….she is trying to adjust and all things considered she is doing quite well with all what happened. However peace never last long in New Orleans and soon our Sentinel has to face new challenge. The supernatural creatures being fed up with the power the wizards keep for themselves decided to call for a council of their own……and of course when it comes to power those hungry for it won’t give up easily.

First there are the matter of what happened (trying for no spoiler here^^) and justice must be given…yes safe that the definition if justice can differ. Jean Lafitte for example put trust and loyalty in high regards…so if you stab him in the back… vengeance won’t be he can forget….our Jean is not really forgiving and he has the time on his side.
Knowing that DJ’s Boss orders her to shadow him and prevent any incident from happening.
That’s only the beginning and one of the few things we could sure know Jean.

However more forces are at work and new elements over the past plot start appearing and the divers sections ( fae, vampires, shifters, historical undead, wizards, shifters etc) each react in their own way…. This can only lead to one thing: war if nothing is done to prevent it.

Dj has many friends or allies that are not wizard and she is one of the few capable to think more globally which can’t be said for her boyfriend Alex… as a enforcer he is a strict follower of the rules all is either black or white…all what DJ isn’t and that causes some tensions. I got quite angry with Alex at several moments but mostly he stays the same as he always was so far.
DJ has greatly matured…and more important she is starting to really see what she wants…now that she is forced to make some really important choice she is staying true to herself and I absolutely loved that.

Suzanne manages via the alliances, treacheries etc to give us a deeper insight of characters we have come to love or hate and really it it was done in a master’s way making us take side along with Dj ( perhaps not always the same as her either). We learn about past enemies and discover new ones.. the villains getting harder to identify sometimes and at other simply such that we want them to find their demise soon and in a very painful way ( hear me Rand…I did not like you and it’s getting worse). Also as we get a better understanding of the characters and their motivation we can see how it was never a real love triangle( I don’t see how some saw a quadrangle even^^;;), the romance get a little step back in profit of the action but Dj gets some clarity too making the romance one we want to see more of while at the same time we don’t really need it ( too caught into the story to mind).

I loved to discover the faes and while I’m not sure where I stand for some of them yet this made the book even more passionate, some characters are only cited for now but we find ourselves already wanting for more. The suspense is perfectly distilled and the action constant so I could not stop reading until the last page.

 Really this book was a fantastic read and I can’t wait for book 5 ( please no more than a year this time!) really it was fabulous and the ending while I won’t classify it as a cliffhanger really make us which for more soon.
If you love urban fantasy this is really a series you must read.

Score:  5/5

Disclaimer: Source: a copy in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review



 If you want this book you can buy it on  amazon or on  Bookdepository 


You can find more informations on the series and Suzanne on her Blog
and you have the opportunity to participate in her contest to win book 1 ( or 2 or 3)in her monthly giveaway in april so don't hesitate to give it a try!

mercredi 15 avril 2015

Embrace the Highland Warrior (Connor Clan 2 ) by Anita Clenney

Hello to all,

                  It's a little late in the day to post a review and i had planned to post it yesterday in fact but my mother has been hospitalized in emergency this weekend and not for something to be taken lightly as you can imagine she has become my priority somy reading time has been inexistant since then but thankfully i had finished this one first and just had to put the last touch at teh review. i do hope to read again soon as she is getting better because i did join a reading challenge this month afterall but i can't make any promise all will depent on how she is doing and when she is back home. I'm sure you all understand.

Anyway to make you wait here is my opinion on Embrace the Highland Warrior from Anita Clenney and if you love it the next book just released so no need to wait for book 3 ( there are also some novellas available if you love to read them in order too but only in digital i fear)

Happy Reading
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication: 2011
ISBN:  1402251262
Genre: paranormal romance
Violence: strong

Language: mild
sex: mild+
Public: 18+
Source: bought
 

Short description from goodreads :

 They were driven apart by a timeless secret…

Cody MacBain let the woman of his destiny slip away. A member of an ancient clan of Scottish warriors, he grew up beside Shay Logan as her secret protector, but his heart compelled him to become more. Until Shay’s true identity was revealed, and the fated pair’s chance was gone…

But danger will drive them back into each other’s arms…

Shay fell for the boy next door, suspecting nothing of the ancient secrets he guarded. After a stinging betrayal, she’s determined to banish the memories of her first love forever. But the past can’t let go, and the boy she once loved has returned to her a warrior determined to protect her from the unspeakable evil fate has planned…


But with all the Underworld after Shay, Cody will have to call in the entire Connor Clan to keep her safe.


My opinion:
          I love this universe; it has been a long time since I’ve read book 1 but I did fall back into it without problem.  I enjoy how the author links new characters to those we have come to love in precedent book so that we are not at all and even better there is enough information recounting that even if we haven’t read the first book to start we would understand this one perfectly.
 I loved to see the similarity between Cody and Faelan as both are really alpha male with an overprotecting instinct. It was also great to see how Faelan was adapting.

Now to focus on the main couple Cody and Shay, both were cute together and both had a misunderstanding in the past that hurt them more than each one imagined. So trust is a little problem at first when Shay discover that even more secrets have been kept from her but she is also guilty of some and that was the reason I got angry with her. Cody did his best to protect her and she jump to conclusion and try to drive him away ( then get jealous). Still, it was cute to see how deeply in love they both were.

Nina and Mathilda were both great secondary character and I do hope we will see more of them as a couple of women who make big warriors wants to hide is something I can’t get enough of.
I liked Jamie a lot less and I’m a little angry at how he bends the rules and even got against them when he knew Cody feelings….it seems he will be the next one so I do hope I will like him more than I do now.

The plot was well done it’s just the way the story is told that sometimes irks me and I felt lost…. The author sometimes move space and time without a real introduction so we are cut at big revelation for example, we don’t see the reactions of the characters like we would have hoped, and next paragraph we are in another country in another situation not linked to the last one… yes they were supposed to leave but still for me it gave me the sensation that something was missing. That’s the only downside I have with Anita Clenney ‘s writing style because I do love her stories anyway. There is humour, passion and a lot of action interlaced together to keep you on edge and smiling at several passage while biting your nails at others.

 In this book also a lot of other mysteries are announced, or brushed to add some tension like for example: what is Shay? What about her father? What emeralds but also what about Cam, Who is the prisoner and those are only a few among several. I would love to discover more about Ronan for example; yes I want the answers to the others mysteries but Ronan, Cam and the rest has me really intrigued now.

 It’s definitively a series I would recommend if you love paranormal historical romance. One, i do hope I will be able to follow up in its entirety .



Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review


Challenges:

mardi 7 avril 2015

Archangel’s Consort ( Guild Hunter 3) by Nalini Singh

Hello to all!

                         After a good Easter weekend under the sun, i 'm feeling quite invigorated  and since it seems we will get a few more days sunny with better temperature too spring is finally here and it was time.
What do i plan for my April reading goals? Mostly i will focus on reading as many paperback as i can since i've entered the reading Challenge hosted by Lavender ...so i will try to read some and left them to be reviewed later ( if i can) also i would like to read some of those i received for my birthday..which titles first i don't know i will see what i will feel like reading at the time . For now i started with a gift from last year and a series i've become really addicted to^^.

so Happy Reading!
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Publication: 2011
ISBN:  0425240134
Genre: urban fantasy, paranormal, romance
Violence: strong
Language: mild
sex: strong
Public: 18+
Source: gifted

Short description from goodreads :

 Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux and her lover, the lethally beautiful archangel Raphael, have returned home to New York only to face an uncompromising new evil…

A vampire has attacked a girls’ school—the assault one of sheer, vicious madness—and it is only the first act. Rampant bloodlust takes vampire after vampire, threatening to make the streets run with blood. Then Raphael himself begins to show signs of an uncontrolled rage, as inexplicable storms darken the city skyline and the earth itself shudders. The omens are suddenly terrifyingly clear.


An ancient and malevolent immortal is rising. The violent winds whisper her name: Caliane. She has returned to reclaim her son, Raphael. Only one thing stands in her way: Elena, the consort who must be destroyed…

My opinion:
        Elena’s story keeps surprising me as Nalini Singh really has created a captivating universe and has a way with words that entice you.
After reading some of the novellas I was happy to get back on Elena and Raphael and see how they were doing,  I love how the novellas helped me to have a deeper  insight on the book without being an obligatory reads either, however Archangel’s consort is the third book in the guild hunter series and to enjoy it I do recommend you to read the series in order. In this one we get a lot of memories of what happened before and some background info I do think I would have been a little lost if I had jumped in the series just now.


Elena is adjusting to her wings and even more to her place at Raphael’s sides and she is ready to fight for that. It’s something i love about her: her tenacity and the fact she doesn’t back down (even if it would mean she would be less bruised). She is keeping up with Raphael really well considering the circumstances all while trying to stay herself and true to her friends. Raphael is also learning but slower… he does recognise Elena’s need for freedom and he do try to indulge her but as a arrogant archangel it’s not so easily done^^ Still I love how he is and it’s part of what make me smile when they banter together.

This time I really appreciated how the author kept giving us news about characters from precedents stories, it helped me to fall back right in track while I had to wait a little bit before reading this book.  The whole series is built around a red line we still don’t really grasp and all events are linked together in way we don’t see immediately which leaves us for more surprises and;  it’s something I love because while we don’t have all the answers for the main story each book offer you some closure.

This time events are happening around the world, vampires loosing it to bloodlust, angels behaviour becoming erratic and lot of natural disasters… all put together  can mean only one thing: an Ancient is awakening and it could be Raphael’s mother Calliane. However it’s not necessarily happy news as before she went to sleep she was so mad she nearly killed him….but part of Raphael wants to hope even if he does not recognise it.
Elena’s presence is really an asset for him because her sheer determination is something that can change the situation.

However while the story focus on the events and Raphael history with Calliane, we also discover more about Elena’s past and family… I don’t want to reveal anything to those who are not that far in the series but let me tell you it sounds really REALLY promising!

I’m really considering jumping immediately on book 4 without any delays but I will perhaps check first if I don’t have novellas that should be read before which it’s not easy as Nalini Singh does have a way to get you addicted to her characters^^
Wonderful new instalment to the series!



Score:  4,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges: