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Lady of Intrigue by Sabrina Darby – a Review

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Lady of Intrigue by Sabrina Darby – a Review

 

Lady of IntrigueAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Lady Jane Langley values logic and reason over passion and emotion. Her intellect has given her value in the eyes of both her father and society. Logic gives way to terrible, icy fear when Jane finds herself in a devastating carriage accident… an accident in which she is helpless to do anything but watch as her aristocratic companion is murdered.

But this was no mere accident. This was an assassination. Spy and grandson of Lord Landsdowne, Gerard Badeau is methodic in his dark, shadowy work, knowing that any display of emotion could get him killed. Something about the mysterious woman and her cool blue eyes stays Gerard’s lethal hand. Now he has both a witness and a hostage.

And if he doesn’t kill Lady Jane Langley, he risks a fate that is far, far worse…falling in love with her.

 

Review;

Lady of Intrigue by Sabrina Darby is the sequel to her first historical romance Lord of Regrets. I have not had the chance to read Lord of Regrets or anything else by Sabrina for that matter, but found it quite easy to follow along and figure out all that was going on throughout the story. For that matter, I have to say that I really enjoyed Lady of Intrigue. From the first chapter Sabrina had me under Gerard and Lady Jane’s spell and found it very hard to put the book down.

The story is written in such a way that you can’t help but want to find out what’s going to happen next. The book is titled Lady of Intrigue, but for me I’d call it Man of Intrigue because Gerard was one very intriguing and captivating male character for me. He lives his life in the shadows and cloaks himself in mystery, that in the words of Shrek, he’s like an onion, onions have layers, lots of layers (I crack myself up sometimes) and Ms. Darby slowly peels back each and every layer, laying Gerard bare and open to Lady Jane Langley to see the real person who’s been hiding away in the shadows.I really enjoyed getting to know Gerard and who he really is, why he’s lived in mystery and shadows for so long, and then realizing that it doesn’t have to be like that anymore thanks to his Jane.

As for Jane, she’s quite the female lead and holds her own beside Gerard. If I were in her position, a prisoner in the hands of an assassin, not knowing if he’s going to let me live or not, I don’t think I’d have handled it as well as she did. Given the time period of the book, Jane doesn’t act like the typical female of the time. She’s quite brave, feisty, stands up to Gerard and pretty much tells him like it is. I like that she didn’t shy away from him, but instead slowly and steadily manages to get under Gerard’s skin, and break down that wall he’s been hiding behind. She brings out the real Gerard, and with it a love that builds strong and true.

Watching Gerard transform and want to become someone better and worthy of Jane is very satisfying and commendable. You can’t help but pull for this couple, especially Gerard. I don’t know how many times I was worried for him because of his ‘jobs’ that he had to carry out. I was sitting on the edge of my seat hoping and praying that all his ‘jobs’ weren’t going to catch up to him at the end and he’d be the one lying on a road with a gunshot in him or a broken neck. Thankfully this one ends with a very satisfying HEA for me.

Lady of Intrigue by Sabrina Darby is a fast paced read, filled with mystery, suspense, danger, intrigue, angst and love. Gerard and Lady Jane are two very strong and compatible lead characters who had no problem carrying the story, and bringing you along on their adventure. The secondary characters are well written as well, and play the part of supporting cast to help further Gerard and Jane’s story along. For anyone who’s a fan of historical romance I feel this one will be right up your alley.

Until next time, happy reading!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Born of Betrayal by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

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Born of Betrayal by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

 

Born of BetrayalAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
Years ago, family loyalty caused Fain Hauk to give up everything he loved: His military career. His planet. His fiancée. Even his name.

Now decades later, everything has changed. He’s built a new life out of the ashes of his old, and he’s vowed to never let anything threaten his loved ones again.

But when old enemies align themselves with new ones, he’s caught in the middle of a brutal war. And when fate throws his former fiancée back into his world and she has her own agenda that includes taking his head for what he did to her years ago, more than just his life is at stake. The fate of the Ichidian universe and that of his brothers-in-arms hangs in the balance. Winner take all.

It’s kill or be killed, and never has the battle been more fierce…

Or more fun.

 

Review:

Holy Hanna, what a book!! The last line of the book synopsis couldn’t be more fitting. The battles in this one were fierce and at times deadly, you didn’t know who your could trust or not trust, but it was also a lot of fun to read. I absolutely loved Born of Betrayal. Finally learning about what happened to Fain and Galene all those years ago was worth the wait. What a story they had to tell, and I was on the edge of my seat every moment along the way.   Born of Betrayal had more twists/turns, ups/downs and surprises in it then a rollercoaster ride at Disneyland. I can’t count the times Ms. Kenyon managed to tie me up in knots over events and some of her surprises that took place in this book. Now when I say surprises, you’d think it be fun and happy right? Nooooo, she pulled some mean surprises on me, to the point where I couldn’t stop reading till I found out if it were true, or Ms. Kenyon was yanking my chain. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to untangle my nerves again after reading this one. Ms. Kenyon should have put a warning label on this book: “Warning, be prepared to be a nervous wreck, wanting to pull your hair out, feeling like you’ve been put through hell while crying your heart out!” That pretty much sums up my emotional journey as I read Born of Betrayal.

Speaking of the twists and surprises, I can’t elaborate on any of it or I’d spoil too much of the book and I hate spoiling plot line for people. Plus, if I did elaborate, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy the emotional journey that I experienced…evil laughter echo’s throughout our forum, LOL!! I’d hate for you not to experience all that is Fain and Galene’s story. Even though I did feel like I was being tormented at times while reading this one, there were also a lot of bright spots in Born of Betrayal. Thanks to Kenyon’s sick sense of humour and spot on sarcasm with her characters and their unique personalities. I especially enjoyed the courting scenes between Fain and Galene with their grown son Talyn as their chaperone. Poor Fain, and what his son put him through in this one. We met Talyn and learned his story in the previous installment Born of Defiance. The dynamics between Fain and his son were interesting to watch unfold. They went from barely speaking to each other, to having one of the best reunion/acceptance scenes I’ve ever read. Let me tell you, that scene was so touching and heart-wrenching to read that I had tears tracking down my face, and it’s a scene that will stay with me for a while yet.   Beautifully written, well done Ms. Kenyon. Another lovely and well written scene was Felicia and Talyn’s Unification(a wedding as we know them). It was emotional but in a good way, and seeing Fain’s family reunited for that event filled my heart with joy for Fain, Talyn and Galene. After being apart for so long, they finally had a family moment they could treasure for the rest of their lives.

I absolutely loved every minute of Born of Betrayal. It was emotional, funny, serious, suspenseful, and deadly. I also enjoyed seeing past characters return to reunite, support each other and do battle with their enemies. This series has a great cast of characters and they each bring something special and unique to each book.   Ms. Kenyon didn’t leave a stone unturned in this one. She brought it full throttle and I can’t wait to read Born of Legend. Based on the tidbits I’ve read online for that one, and it’s main couple, we are in for a bumpy ride, filled with much of what I’ve come to expect from Sherrilyn Kenyon. The ending to Born of Betrayal left me with more questions then answers, and wanting more information then what I was given. I’m not happy I have to wait 7 months to get to the next installment and find out what happened where this one ended.

Until next time my fellow Menyons, happy reading!!!

Reviewed by Marcie

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Duchess Decadence by Wendy LaCapra – a Review

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Duchess Decadence by Wendy LaCapra – a Review

 

Dutchess DecadenceAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Thea Worthington, Duchess of Wynchester divides her time between social engagements and playing her luck against fickle fortune. Yet every gamble is only a bluff—a means to hide from the pain deep within her, and the loss of a babe she never held in her arms. Now Thea’s luck is about to run out. Her estranged husband has returned and seeks a reunion…

Plagued with guilt over what happened to his wife three years ago, the Duke of Wynchester has kept his distance. The duke is resolved to piece his family back together, especially now that he’s discovered his beloved brother—long thought dead—still lives. But Thea’s lovely, porcelain facade is on the verge of cracking…spurred on by the duke’s brother’s secretive, malevolent animosity.

With everything riding on her future, Thea plays a daring game of chance for love and her marriage…and this time, the dice are most certainly rigged.


Review;

Duchess Decadence by Wendy LaCapra is book three of her Furies Series. This is the first book by Wendy LaCapra that I’ve read, and I wish I had read the first two books in this series before having read Duchess Decadence. There were times I felt a little lost regarding characters and back stories as I read this one. Right off the mark it’s made clear that Thea and Wyn have a history together, as well as a history with her Furies. From what I learned reading this book, the Furies are comprised of a group of women who to me seemed a head of their time. They weren’t the type of women to sit back and be dictated to by their husbands and men in general. They preferred to make their own ways, own decisions and pretty much do what they wanted whenever they wanted. I like these Furies.

As I said, there is much back story that I lacked having not read the entire series, so I tried to piece things together as best I could. Wendy did a good job at filling in the blanks for me as the story went along, but in my opinion I highly recommend that this series be read in order. I feel events, relationships and general storyline are tied together and carried on from book to book, and would’ve made more sense to me had I read the previous two books. However, that being said, I just plugged along and found the more I read, the more I enjoyed Thea and Wyn’s story. Their story is one of heartache, love lost, tragedy, angst, and second chances. Thea was a breath of fresh air in comparison to Wyn’s stuffy uptight personality. Wyn perfectly excuded the typical male of that time period where women are concerned. He constantly saw Thea as some delicate wall flower that could break at any moment if handled wrong, or worse, turn into some kind of hussy if exposed to too much ‘intimate relations’. No wonder poor Thea thought Wyn to be cold and without feeling in the beginning of their relationship. Wyn made me chuckle a few times as well was wanting to cuff him upside the head and tell him to wake up and really see his Thea Marie. I particularly enjoyed the scenes where Thea would turn sly and flirty and ask Wyn to misbehave for her. I could see the look of shock on his face perfectly in my mind’s eye and chuckled every time. I really enjoyed their scenes together and getting to know this couple.

Ms. LaCapra has a writing style that’s easy to read, and has the story flowing effortlessly from one scene to the other. Her characters were well developed, and I could easily see and feel the tight bond of friendship the Furies have for one another. As well, the angst and feeling of time and love lost is real and palpable between Thea and Wyn. Ms. LaCapra seems to have a talent for bringing such feelings to the forefront and letting them pour off the pages as the story unfolds. The overall story and plot line are entertaining and have a little bit of suspense and danger surrounding our couple thanks to Wyn’s no longer dead brother Eustace. Now there’s a character I didn’t like from the get go. He gave me the creeps from his first moment on the scene, and I knew he was up to no good. How his brother Wyn was blind to this side of his brother is beyond me, but thankfully by books end Wyn grows a brain a figures things out. Yay for Wyn!!

In the end I did enjoy Duchess Decadence and getting to meet Thea and Wyn, along with her fellow Furies. I only wish I had met them sooner and read the first two books in this series. I may just have to go backwards now and read the first two books. I can plainly see why The Furies series is a hit for Wendy LaCapra. Looking forward to more from this author.

Until next time, Happy Reading everyone.

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Engagement Game by Jenny Holiday – a Review

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The Engagement Game by Jenny Holiday – a Review

 

The Engagement GameAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
What’s a little blackmail between friends…

The black sheep of the old-money Rosemanns, advertising executive Marcus has made his own way in the world—and done extremely well for himself—but his family is still pressuring him to join their investment firm and settle down with a quiet, unobjectionable girl.

Which is why the sexy Rose Verma is the perfect date for his family’s charity ball. A bleeding-heart lefty from the wrong side of the tracks, Rose has never met a stray dog she didn’t love or a polka-dotted mini-dress she couldn’t rock. Marcus has enough dirt on Rose to “convince” her to play along. And if he lets it slip that they’re engaged, all the better.

But all’s fair in love and blackmail, and Rose is ready to play a few cards of her own…


Review:

Loved It!!!! I’ve never read a novel by Jenny Holiday before, but I can plainly see I’ve been missing out. The Engagement Game is book 3 of her 49th Floor series and even though I haven’t read the previous two books, this one was no problem to get into. They can all be read as stand alones. The Engagement Game was a fun and flirty read, that had me chuckling out loud a couple of times thanks to our would be couple Rose and Marcus. These two couldn’t have been more opposite to one another, but as they say, opposites attract, and boy oh boy did these two have an attraction to one another.

Rose is a larger then life kind of character that you can’t help but be charmed by from your first encounter with her in this story. She’s the type of woman who can put any colour combo or pattern combo together in her clothing and be able to pull it off. She’s like these women I see out and about and wish that I could pull off that look that they have going on. You know the one’s I mean ladies, the one’s we are envious of. Anyways, I digress, Rose’s witty, quirky, and fun personality just drew me in, and I somehow knew that our straight arrow, no nonsense millionaire was going to have his hands full with her, in more ways then one if you catch my drift. 😉 Even though they butted heads upon their first meeting, that quickly gave way to a fun, flirty, and sexy chemistry that just kept on building throughout the story. I really liked that Ms. Holiday took the slow route with Rose and Marcus’ romance; a) because we got to explore both characters at a leisurely pace and learn what makes them tick, and b) the slow pace only heightened the chemistry between our couple causing a combustible moment when they finally do the deed.

Speaking of getting to know our couple at a leisurely pace, we quickly learn that Marcus has two sides to his personality. The no nonsense millionaire businessman, and a fun flirty side that Rose manages to draw out of him, and make him realize all the fun he’s been missing out on. It’s nice to watch Marcus develop this more relaxed easygoing side with Rose. It makes him all the more charming and appealing, and allows us to see how he suppressed this side of himself thanks to his disaster of a family. Being complete opposites of one another and having grown up on opposite sides of the tracks so to speak, Rose and Marcus are perfect for each other because they bring a nice balance to each other and their lives. Both are so much more because of the other and they really do click from their first meeting. I couldn’t have asked for a better pairing between our hero and heroine in this one. Rose and Marcus are the stars in this book and do they ever shine in their roles.

The Engagement Game by Jenny Holiday is a fast paced, fun and easy read. It’s the perfect type of story for a lazy afternoon, or rainy day where you can just curl up in a cozy blanket with a glass of wine and your book. I loved every minute, and Rose and Marcus were a wonderful, well written couple that had no trouble carrying the story, bringing it to life and keeping me interested right to the very end.

Until next time, happy reading everyone

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Dragonbane by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

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Dragonbane by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

 

Dragonbane
Dark-Hunter / Were-Hunter series
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Release Date: August 4, 2015

DragonbaneAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

 

Description:
Out of all the mysterious boarders who call Sanctuary home, no one is more antisocial or withdrawn than Maxis Drago. But then, it’s hard to blend in with the modern world when you have a fifty-foot wingspan.

Centuries ago, he was cursed by an enemy who swore to see him fall. An enemy who took everything from him and left him forever secluded. But Fate is a bitch, with a wicked sense of humor. And when she throws old enemies together and threatens the wife he thought had died centuries ago, he comes back with a vengeance. Modern day New Orleans has become a battleground for the oldest of evils. And two dragons will hold the line, or go down in flames.

 

Review:

I absolutely loved Dragonbane by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Book 26, I can’t believe it, 26 books in this series and it hasn’t dulled once, nor is showing any signs of slowing down. There’s just something about Kenyon’s writing, storytelling ability and imagination that makes each of her books fresh and exciting. This one had everything but the kitchen sink thrown in, oh wait I think a sink could have come flying from the kitchen in one the battles in Santuary in this one, LOL!!! Just kidding, I don’t recall an airborne sink in any scene. 😉

Dragonbane picks up where Son of No One ends. Maxis’ brother Illarion is now living at Santuary with him and adjusting to life outside of the Fey realm. We are also introduced to their other brothers; Blaise who is also part Mandrake and lives in Avalon, and Falcyn, I wouldn’t want to get on his bad side, just saying, he’s one ornery dragon. Along with meeting Maxis’ other brothers, we also learn he has a wife, who happens to be an Arcadian dragon and Amazonian dragon slayer. She comes to town to ask for his help in rescuing their children, twin dragonets Haydn and Edena. Since Maxis walked away from Seraphina centuries ago, thanks to her tribe, he never knew she was pregnant and that she gave birth to twins. Now thanks to her leader Nala who’s in league with the gallu demon Kessar, yes he’s back and wanting revenge in the worst way against everyone who’s wronged him, they must find a way to mend fences and work together. Easier said then done in Maxis case thanks to everything he’s suffered at the hands of Seraphina and her Amazonian sisters.

Throughout the story we are bombarded with tons of information about the Dragon race, how Werer-Hunters came to be, who the first one’s were, the cause of the hatred between the Arcadian and Katagaria, the creation of the Omegrion and how Savitar came to be it’s leader. There was so much information in this one at times I felt like my head was spinning and I was on information overload, but in a good way. It helped to keep everything in perspective and helps to answer any unanswered questions us as the reader may have still had regarding the Were-Hunters. We are also privy to flashbacks of Max and Sera’s life together in her Amazon tribe, what happened to him at her sisters hands and why he left her. His story is rather heartbreaking at times and I did shed a few tears for him. There wasn’t a single thing about Max I didn’t like, Seraphina however had a lot of groveling and making up to do in my books. By the end of the book I approved of her as Maxis’ mate.

Along with all the information we learned in this one, it was also fast paced and non- stop action when the battles ensued. Nothing like a Kenyon battle scene to get the blood pumping and nail biting happening. There was also plenty of Kenyon humour and sarcasm flying about throughout the story that had me laughing out loud and snorting many times. What can I say, Dev, Fang, Fury, Thorn and Styxx have to be the best at letting the sarcasm fly and use it at the most inappropriate times possible. Love it. Heck Fang was even rubbing off on Seraphina at one point when she tells her Amazon sisters to ‘arm up bitches’, then turns to Max and says; “You left me in Fangs company too long.” LoL!!! We also get to see many of our faves from Santuary and New Orleans come together to help Max, and due battle against Kessar, Apollo and company on Olympus. There’s also a new little tidbit about Savitar that we learn, and get to see some intriguing interaction between him and Apollymi, and a very touching scene with her and Styxx. I think one of my fave scenes has to be when Thorn drops in on the Omegrion council to inform everyone about what’s going down on Mount Olympus. It was perfect Thorn, he hit all the sarcastic high-notes and no other character could have pulled that scene off. That’s one of the things I love about Kenyon’s characters. No two are remotely the same, or have similar personalities. Each one has their own distinct nuances that make each unique to the story and keep me coming back for more.

For anyone who’s a fan of Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series this one is a must read, and won’t disappoint. All I can say is I can’t wait for Dragonmark. If the way this one ended is any indication of what’s to come, then in the words of Seraphina; “arm of bitches” cause there’s going to be hell to pay for Apollo, Kessar and company. Man I hate waiting……..is it August 2016 yet????

Until next time, happy reading my fellow Menyons!

Reviewed by Marcie

 

 

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Falling for the P.I. by Victoria James – a Review

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Falling for the P.I.  by Victoria James – a Review

 

Falling for the PIAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
She could never trust a cop…

Teacher Kate Abbott’s fresh start in Still Harbor was the beginning of the life that she and her two best friends always imagined for themselves. Still, being a working single parent of a special needs daughter hasn’t exactly improved Kate’s love life. But Kate’s preference for nachos over men quickly disappears when she meets the oh-so-sexy Matt Lane.

Until she finds out he’s a cop.

Matt is a former cop-turned-private investigator, and he knows fear when he sees it. A cop clearly spooked Kate…or hurt her. Still, something about the gorgeous professor catches his attention, and despite his “no settling down” policy, he can’t resist her. But all of the attraction in the world won’t be enough to overcome Kate’s past…

 

Review:

I just loved Falling for the P.I. Victoria James had me falling in love with Matt from the get go, and loving the budding romance between him and Kate. They were just perfect for one another. This was a story with plenty of emotion, learning to trust, letting another into one’s life, and believing in love and the good guy. It was a lovely feel good read for me.

Ms. James does a wonderful job with her character and plot development. She brings us along slowly allowing the reader to meet her star couple and learning who they are and what shaped them into the people they’ve become. The story was very realistic, down to earth, with real issues and drama’s that take place in people’s everyday lives. You could feel the family dynamics between Kate, her sisters and the their kids, as well as, the relationship that is continually growing between Kate and her daughter and Matt. Those scenes with Matt, Kate and her daughter were so sweet they had my heart melting with each interaction. Considering Matt never saw himself having a family after everything that happened to him prior to Kate, just made it all the more special watching him with Kate’s daughter. They make for a very cute family.

The issues and struggles that Kate has with starting a relationship and trying to trust Matt are real and believable. It was very easy to see her side of the big picture and understand where she was coming from, but we could also see Matt’s views on the situation and understand where he’s coming from. There were so many times I wanted to try and solve their dilemma’s for them, but at the same time I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see how they would solve it themselves. In the end, I couldn’t have asked for a better ending. Everything just came together perfectly for me, and judging by the epilogue of the story I can see why this is book 1 of the Still Harbour Series. I’m looking forward to having Kate’s sisters stories told and meeting the men that will give them their HEA.

Until next time, happy reading everyone!!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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All Wound Up by Jaci Burton – Review & Giveaway

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All Wound Up by Jaci Burton – Review & Giveaway

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All Wound Up
Play by Play series – Book #10
by Jaci Burton
Release Date: August 4, 2015

All Wound UpAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:

Aubry Ross is way too busy for a love life. But baseball player Tucker Cassidy keeps ending up in her emergency room, and he’s kind of irresistible. Tucker has no intention of playing games with Aubry—he’s dead serious about romancing the daughter of the team owner, even if it does put his job in jeopardy. 

 

Review:

For any fan of Jaci Burton and her Play by Play series this is a must read. I absolutely loved Tucker and Aubry. They were perfect for each other and came off as genuine characters. It didn’t take long for me to be pulled into their story and want them to have their HEA. Both Tucker and Aubrey are fun, passionate, dedicated and love their jobs. Aubry is in med school and very busy being a doctor, while Tucker is a pro baseball player and very busy perfecting his craft to be the best he can on the mound. However, both feel there is something about the other worth getting to know, and carve out time from their busy schedules to explore it. Their scenes together are both fun and flirty, but when they get down to business….fire hazard warning…..you’d best have a glass of ice water nearby. Holy Hanna, does Jaci know how to write a sex scene. I swear the pages were smoking as I read those scenes. Aubry and Tucker are both extremely passionate people when it comes to sex, and aren’t afraid to tell the other how they like it. I’m thinking Jaci must have set a few pencils on fire writing those scenes, LOL!!

There wasn’t a single thing I didn’t like about either the characters or the story itself. For anyone who’s a sports fan, this series is perfect for you, and I being a fellow sports fan loves this series. When Jaci’s writing a game scene it’s like we’re actually there watching the game, whether it be baseball, football, hockey, etc. I’m always on the edge of my seat, cheering the pro and their team on, wanting the victory for them. It’s very easy to get caught up in the action of the game the way Jaci describes all the nuances and events going on. This is just another reason I love this series and Jaci’s writing. She has a knack for incorporating the sporting scenes with the romance. It just adds another layer of excitement to the story. Plus, she always has a solid core of secondary characters to help further our main couple’s story. Tucker’s family is hilarious, I loved every scene with him and his brothers. The sibling rivalry is present with all their teasing and bantering to one another, but deep down you can feel the love and respect that they have for one another. Plus, the way they seamlessly accept Aubry into their brother’s life and their family is lovely to watch.

In my opinion I’d say Jaci has another hit on her hands with All Wound Up. It’s fun, flirty, passionate and sexy all wound together to create an exciting and fast read. My only let down was when I read the last page, turned it and their wasn’t more to read about Aubry and Tucker. However, I was happy to see that the first chapter for the next in the series was there and it’s about Tucker’s twin Barrett. After meeting Barrett in this one, I can’t wait to read his story and watch him fall head over heals in love and get teased by Tucker. All Wound Up is a fantastic edition to this series and whether you are a sports fan or not you won’t be disappointed. However, if you are a sports fan then the sport scenes are an added bonus for you. The characters were well developed, genuine, real and you felt every moment of their passion for life and one another throughout the whole story.

Until next time, happy reading!!

Reviewed by Marcie

Giveaway beige

Jaci’s publisher is offering a paper copy of ALL WOUND UP to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Jaci Burton on Facebook

4. Please FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on TSU

5. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

6. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway open to USA only.

9. Giveaway runs from August 4 – 7, 2015

 

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Born of Defiance by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

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Born of Defiance by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

 

Born of DefianceAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
Born an Outcast, Talyn Batur has spent the whole of his life fighting against the prejudice of his people. An Andarion without a father is not something anyone wants to be. But when his companion’s brother draws him into a plot against the Andarion crown, he finds himself torn between the loyalty to their planetary government that his mother has beaten into him and his own beliefs of justice and right. Now, he must decide for himself to remain a pawn of their government or to defy everything and everyone he’s ever known to stand up to tyranny. It’s a gamble that will either save his life or end it. And when old enemies align with new ones, it’s more than just his own life at risk. And more than just his homeworld that will end should he fail.

 

Story behind the story;
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

For those who are wondering about the order reversal of Born of Betrayal (Fain) versus Born of Defiance (Talyn), I originally intended to write Fain’s book first and then go back in time to do Talyn’s. But as I was writing Fain’s book, I realized that because Talyn’s book takes place first there were too many spoilers in Fain’s book for Talyn. Too many things that needed to be revealed in Talyn’s story before we had Fain’s. Not to mention the Andarion political unrest and how Cairistiona regained her freedom and overthrew her mother, which is the plot for Born of Defiance (Talyn), plays directly into the plot of Born of Betrayal (Fain). So, it was only natural that they come out back-to-back in chronological order. I know it sounds a bit confusing when I try to explain it in vague terms to avoid spoilers, but it isn’t confusing in the books themselves. Just as in movies and TV shows, sometimes you have to go back in time to show how certain things develop and how some relationships are formed to give the audience a full understanding of the world where everything takes place.

As to why Talyn is considered a Gen 1 book and not Gen 2 (aside from the fact that it takes place a little before Born of Night) there’s only sixteen years between Fain and Talyn, and Andarions age slower than humans do. To put their ages in perspective, Fain is only a couple of years older than Dancer and Talyn is only a few months younger than Darling and Maris, i.e. Darling would have only been one grade ahead of him in school, and Talyn is a lot older than Adron, Jayce and the rest of the Gen 2 characters.

When it comes to the Gen 1 and Gen 2 designations, age has nothing to do with the separation. What makes a book or character Gen 1 or Gen 2 is where we are with The League at the time they are taking place. Gen 1 is under the old League rule and Gen 2 is under new League rule after the war between The League and The Sentella. I won’t tell you how that war ends as we’re in the middle of fighting it. But eventually, the war will end and Gen 2 begins when it does. There will be many surprises about the war and both factions in upcoming books, so please stay tuned.

 

Review;

Okay, after all that info, Sherrilyn Kenyon rocks!!! I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy, as I bow down before her. In all the years I’ve been reading Ms. Kenyon’s works, she never ceases to amaze and blow me away with her imagination, creativity and ability to create worlds and characters you swear could be real. She is just that good at her craft in my honest opinion and Born of Defiance is an excellent example. Once again she pulls us into her League series that’s filled with many creatures/species all vying for supremacy by being deceitful, sneaky, underhanded and unfair to anyone who stands in their way. There are no means that some of these characters won’t go to in order to gain what they want. We get an in depth look into Andarian culture in Born of Defiance and I have to say that Ms. Kenyon appropriately named this book because Talyn definitely defies all the odds and everything thrown his way. No matter what happens to him in this book, one thing very clear is that he has a will of iron and will always stand strong no matter what. He didn’t get the Ring name Iron Hammer for nothing baby!!

As Sherrilyn Kenyon explains a bit in her ‘story behind the story’ the events in this book take place before and during Nykyrian’s book(Born of Night-book 1). I will admit there was some confusion on my part due to certain events that take place, but it didn’t derail my ability to love this book. I absolutely loved Talyn’s character. I have no idea how Kenyon can write compelling character after character but she does. Just when I think another one of her characters can’t worm their way into my heart they do. There isn’t a single thing about Talyn you won’t love. Aside from being drop dead gorgeous according to his female Felicia, he’s also strong, brave, trustworthy, honourable, loyal, intelligent, and one Andarion you’ll always want on your side. Even though he’s born an outcast thanks to actions on his father’s(Fain Hauk) side, he doesn’t let it stand in his way no matter what. Sure nothing comes easy for him, but he eventually winds up earning everyone’s respect, even those who always looked down on him due to his caste. What’s a caste you ask, well according to Andarion culture, how you are born determines your worth in society you pretty much can say. So since Talyn was born without a father and family name to claim, he’s seen as an outcast in society and not worth anything. Anything Talyn has ever achieved he’s had to earn through blood, sweat and tears. Hence his Ring fighting career, which you could say is equivalent to our UFC fighting. Only on Andaria you fight to the death in most matches. Thanks to Talyn’s caste he can’t even marry and have a family of his own, so he turns to a companion service(kinda like an escort service only a bit higher up) and meets his female Felicia, who you will love as much as you love Talyn. These two really are sweet and just perfect for one another. Many times my heart was breaking for these two as we see all the garbage they have to deal with daily.

Along with learning about Andarion culture and events that lead up to present day in this series, once again Sherrilyn has some very interesting and surprising reveals we don’t see coming as usual. We have reveals about Talyn himself and Jayne, which we will see relates to Talyn, Jayne’s husband Hadarian, and Nero who’ve meet in previous books. We also learn why Fain did what he did and that it wasn’t all his fault. Thanks to Nykyrian’s fraternal twin Jullian, his grandmother, and relatives, poor Talyn was dealt the life he’s had to deal with. There were so many times I was disgusted by their behaviour towards Talyn and his mother I wanted to step into the Splatterdome and tear into them like the Iron Hammer could do. They’re an awful group of Andarians, and like I said, there are creatures/species who will stop at nothing to get what they want and this is exactly how Jullian, his grandmother and relatives act towards anyone they see as a threat to themselves, including their own blook, Nykyrian. We’re also given more information regarding Nykyrian’s treatment from his family. All these reveals just blew me away. Tack on the Iron Hammer’s Ring matches, the fights between the Tavali and Andarions, battles between Tayln, his mom and Jullian and company it makes for a very action packed story.

Born of Defiance is another great installment to Kenyon’s The League Series. There was never a dull moment in this book. It has everything any Kenyon fan has come to be familiar with when reading one of her stories. There’s action, adventure, tons of emotion rolling off the pages, well developed plot lines and characters, fun and and imaginative worlds and stories within stories that keep us occupied from beginning to end. To my fellow Kenyon Menyon I promise Born of Defiance does not disappoint, and for those who aren’t a fan yet, I promise you will be after your read this one. However, I do suggest going back to the beginning of the series first.

Until next time, happy reading!!

Reviewed by Marcie

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