Tag Archives: Illusion

Illusion by Lea Nolan – a Review

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Illusion by Lea Nolan – a Review

 

IllusionAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Things aren’t always as they appear…

New school. Cross-country move. Broken heart. If only these were Emma Guthrie’s worst problems. Instead, she must battle a trio of enemies–human and spectral–who may or may not have joined forces against her and everyone she loves. All while pretending to be over Cooper Beaumont, her ex-boyfriend and true love, to shield him from her arch-nemesis’s revenge.

Worse, when the fight escalates, Emma is tempted to use black magic, which will endanger her soul. As her enemies close in, join forces, and fight with new and dark magic she’s never seen before, Emma must harness the power within her to fulfill an ancient prophecy, defeat a centuries-old evil, save her family, and reclaim the only boy she’s ever loved.


Review:

I went over my previous review to remember where Allure had left off. Not only did I find my place, but I recouped the joy I experienced stepping into the world building of Lea Nolan. Emma, our intrepid heroine, squares off against dark magic from the onset and you’re fighting alongside her until the end, as in the very last word. Illusion is book 3 of the Hoodoo series and also its finale. I weep for its conclusion, but Lea Nolan leaves an enchanting, spellbinding impression on you.  

As comfortable as Emma’s become with the practice of hoodoo (an apprentice root worker being mentored by the most powerful of the South Carolina Lowcountry), when confronted by evil, a menacing spirit plaguing Emma from the grave and 2 zealous rivals, it’s beyond tempting to fight fire with fire – even if it means going against what you swore never to wield. Will Emma withstand the allure of revenge? One can only be pushed so far before you’re crossing fundamental lines and absolving such behavior.

“…it’s considered justice work rather than a spell worked for revenge.”

Any way you look at it, it’s a caveat used to ease her conscience. Lucky for everyone involved, everyone good that is, Emma is surrounded by loving, engaging characters who help Emma stay to the light. Emma is young, just about to turn 15, but she displays such fortitude wrestling, and resisting, the passions of vengeance.

Aside from the diabolical maneuverings of malevolent forces, give it up to Ms. Nolan and the swoon-worthy love story *standing up, applauding*. I may have been a tad bit critical in my last review (I was/am a mom embarking on teenage daughter-dom – I’m not so irrational any more, lol).   Emma and Cooper should be indulging in the beauty of first love promises, but the enemies stalking and threatening Emma aren’t to be taken lightly; she’s willing to sacrifice her heart to save Cooper’s.  

I want to stroke his face or rub his back, anything to take away the lingering pain…But I can’t, because that simple gesture would send the wrong signal and only encourage him.

Foreboding prophecy or not, Emma and Cooper are adorable and completely loyal to each other. In a moment of “weakness”, a hug to forget troubles, “I sink into him like a marshmallow in a vat of melted chocolate.” I felt it! They’re just so stinking cute! Illusion is a great piece of writing that I won’t soon forget.

I wouldn’t dare end this glowing review without addressing the care and respect Ms. Nolan gives to the hoodoo practice. I was riveted by the sounds and scents and solutions alike. You’re mesmerized by the incantations and seduced by the ingredients so fully, you’re committed to the execution of the ward/spell. And in a twist, a distasteful one to be sure, we’re subjected to shiver-inducing, gut-spewing. Emma fights the good fight, but that doesn’t prevent her nemesis from hitting below the belt. Well done, Ms. Nolan!

In a stunning finale, the interest never wanes. You navigate through subplots with equal enthusiasm and Ms. Nolan delivers each with triumphant aplomb. The tears shed were only due to my heart’s overflow. I adored this book and Emma. She embodies pure spirit and is a genuine hero for all to admire.  

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

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Illusion (Swept Away #1) by J.S. Cooper-a review

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ILLUSION (Swept Away #1) by J. S. Cooper-a review

Illusion

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 11, 2014

The day started like every other day…

Bianca London finds herself kidnapped and locked up in a van with a strange man. Ten hours later, they’re dumped on a deserted island. Bianca has no idea what’s going on and her attraction to this stranger is the only thing keeping her fear at bay.

Jakob Bradley wants only to figure out why they’ve been left on the island and how they can get off. But as the days go by, he can’t ignore his growing fascination with Bianca.

In order to survive, Bianca and Jakob must figure out how they’re connected, but as they grow closer, secrets are revealed that may destroy everything they thought they knew about each other.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: ILLUSION is the first installment in J.S. Cooper’s contemporary, new adult, Swept Away romantic, suspense series focusing on movie reviewer Bianca London and billionaire Jakob Bradley.

The storyline finds Bianca and Jacob kidnapped and abandoned on a deserted, tropical island. Although our couple did not know one another, it will be revealed that they have more in common than their recent abduction. A few days struggling for food and water find Bianca struggling with her attraction to Jakob. It is only when another stranger mysteriously appears on the island with messages of danger does Bianca begin to suspect that Jakob knows more than he is letting on.

The relationship between Bianca and Jakob is first established by an ‘accidental meeting’ but within a matter of a few hours, Bianca will find herself drugged and abandoned with a man she knows nothing about. Jakob is either her savior or the devil but as the storyline builds Jakob’s presence will become all too readily apparent.

There are some issues with the heroine that cannot go unaddressed. She knows something is wrong beyond the obvious; the man with whom she has been partnered and abandoned on the island continues to push for information and answers as well as revealing some important details that he should not have known. In this, our heroine is ‘too stupid to live’ and places herself in the hands of a man who has lied to her from the start. There are moments of unbelievable stupidity for a woman whose recent life has been centered around uncovering the truth.

The overall premise is easily deduced from the kidnapping and abduction, to the reasons for the secrets and lies but in the end, it still makes for some interesting reading when the truth is finally revealed. The storyline ends on a cliff hanger so beware when you set out on your island adventure.

J.S. Cooper pulls the reader into a suspense filled mystery where the past meets the present; where a father’s love for his daughter is shrouded in lies and deceit; and where a woman’s need for answers finds her facing a mad man whose is willing to destroy everything to get what he wants.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Illusion by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

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Illusion by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

 

 Illusion
Chronicles of Nick – Book #5
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Release Date: April 1, 2014IllusionAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
Be careful what you wish for…
You just might get it.

Nick Gautier is tired of his destiny. He doesn’t want to be the son of a demon who’s fated to end the world. Nor does he want to see another demon or other preternatural creature who wants to kill or enslave him. He just wants to be normal and have normal problems like everyone else.

But normality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. When he gets sucked into an alternate reality where his mother has married his mentor and his Atlantean god best friend has become a human geek, he begins to understand that no life is free of pain, and that every person has a specific place in the universe… Even the son of a hated demon.

Most of all, he sees that his powers aren’t the curse he thought they were, and that the world needs a champion, especially one its enemies can’t imagine rising up to defend the ones he should destroy.

Old enemies and new friends square off for a major battle that will either restore Nick to his real world, or end him forever.



Review:

OMG, OMG, my head is still spinning.  This book was freaking awesome and then some.  I can’t even begin to put into words just how amazing this edition to the CON series is.  I’m telling you now, if you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for????  Seriously people, you are missing out if you haven’t read this one yet, or for that matter the whole series up to this point.  Ms. Kenyon has done it again and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series Defiant that comes out next April.  Why do I have to wait a whole year, why????  Okay, enough of my ranting, I shall be patient, or try to, now onto my thoughts.

As I said, this edition to the CON series to me is a pivotal point in the series. We learn so much in this one.  There are connections made between the past, present and future that I had my sticky notes attached to my Kobo as I read this one. I kept jotting down little tidbits of information to keep every thing straight and help me connect the dots.  If anyone would have seen my Kobo by the time I was done reading Illusion, ppl would have thought I was nuts.  LOL!!!  The major reveal in this one is who Kody’s parents are!!! I’m still flabbergasted, but I’m so happy over who they are.  No I’m not telling you, it would spoil the way Kenyon reveals it and I don’t do spoilers.  So if you want to know, go read the book!!  Kody up to this point has been pretty secretive about herself, her family and basically how she comes to be a part of Nick’s life, but in this one we learn everything about her. I really enjoyed the way Kenyon sort of split the story’s plot between Nick being stuck in an alternate reality without his powers, and learning about Kody.  This makes me want her to be Nick’s HEA all the more now. I really do like these two together and hope they make it to Nick’s DH book in one piece, especially given the crazy things that happen to these two in this series.  

Along the way, we also get to see many of our favourites return, along with some new and interesting characters.  However, being stuck in this alternate reality doesn’t mean events, or people are the same here.  Nick learns the hard way and fast that he can’t take anything, or anyone for granted.  The only person he can trust is himself at his point.  As Nick struggles to find a way back to his reality, we also get to see and learn more of Caleb and Zavid(Aamon demon) whom we met in the last book.  It was also nice to see more of Adarian and his relationship with Cherise.  After reading those scenes with Nick and Adarian, we get a good dose of hope that Nick can indeed redeem his future’s self and that maybe, just maybe his father wasn’t as bad as first thought thanks to Cherise.  One new character who grabbed my attention is Xevikan, and I can’t wait to learn more about him, especially going by what we’ve learned so far, and how Illusion ends.

Of course in true Kenyon form, there is plenty of action, well written fight scenes, and of course her classic Kenyon humour and snarky one liners from Nick.  Man I love that character and am enjoying watching him grow and develop his powers and seeing what he needs to do in order to change his future’s path.  There was never a dull moment in this book, and it just seem to fly by thanks to Kenyon packing if full of important and mind blowing information.  There were many times where I was able to draw conclusions and make important connections to events in the Dark Hunter series.  As we’re halfway through the CON series and getting closer and closer to Nick’s adult DH book, I can see where Ms. Kenyon is starting to overlap events and start to the tie the two series closer and closer together.  Like I said, this one is amazing and indeed worth the read.  Once again if you haven’t read this one, you are missing out people, I don’t know how else to say it.   Just trust me on this one, go read the series, you won’t be disappointed. 

Until next time, happy reading!!    

Is it April 2015 yet??????  LOL!!!

Reviewed by Marcie

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