Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs – Review, Excerpt and Giveaway

 

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Description:
Kenna is tired of being “normal”. The only thing special about her is that she isn’t special at all. Which is frustrating in a world of absolutes. Villains, like the one who killed her father, are bad. Heroes, like her mother and best friend, are good. And Kenna, unlike everyone else around her, is completely ordinary— which she hates.

She’s secretly working on an experiment that will land her a place among the Heroes, but when a Villain saves her life during a break-in at her lab, Kenna discovers there’s a whole lot of gray area when it comes to good and evil and who she can trust.. After all…not all strength comes from superpowers

 

 

Review:

Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs is the 1st book in their new YA Hero Agenda series. When I read the description of the book, it appealed to me and I decided to read it. WOW I am glad I did. I really enjoyed Powerless, as it was exciting and a fun read. It is a YA story, in a world of Superheroes and Villains, and a perfectly fun book for adults

We meet Kenna Swift, our heroine, as she is working late in her mother’s lab. Kenna feels inferior, as she is powerless, which is rare, as she comes from a strong family. Her mother is a renowned scientist and her deceased father was a powerful super hero. Kenna has been taught to hate and fear powerful villains. While working late night at the lab, she hears a noise and before she can do anything 3 of those feared Villains are in the lab. They tell her that they mean no harm, they are trying to find one of the villains brother, who they claim is being tortured by the super-heroes. Kenna does not believe them, and stands up to the three Villians. She turns out to be a tough, sassy, fearless heroine, even if she is powerless. The three men escape when Kenna manages to sound off the alarms.

Kenna begins to suspect something is not what she believes, and accidently finds the young man who is missing being tortured. What will follow is an exciting adventure, where Kenna will meet up again with the three young men, as well as her best friend, Rebel and an ex boyfriend, who is a tech geek. Together they try to beat the odds in fighting the unknown superheroes who may just be the villains after all. Kenna will begin to see that not all the good guys are truly good, and not all Villains are bad.

The last 1/3 of the book was a hold on to the edge of your seat exciting climax, with many surprises and twists. There was also a budding romance that was developing between Kenna and Draven, one of the Villains. This did not go too far, but I expect more from this couple in the future books. Powerless was a fun and exciting story, which I feel all ages would enjoy. This is the start of a wonderful collaboration between Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs.  I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

excerpt

 

“You never answered my question. What are you doing down here so late?”

Those bright blue eyes sear into me as he takes a step back. “I have to go.”

His sudden evasiveness makes me suspicious, so when he starts to move past me, I
sidestep into his path. “Excuse me,” I say, “but this is a secure level. Are you
even authorized to be down here?”

“My dad,” he says, scowling at me. “He’s a security guard.”

A security guard? The facility might be so big that I can’t keep track of everyone
who works in every lab, but I know all the guards by name. Especially the night
guards, since I’m usually the last one here.

Travis and Luther are on duty tonight. Travis and his wife just had their first
baby, a girl named Tia. Luther is old enough to be my great-grandfather and he never
married.

I take half a step back as my suspicions turn to concern. “Who’s your dad?” I demand.

This guy definitely has the look of a villain.

What if he really is one?

He glances nervously over his shoulder. “He’s-”

I shake my head and start to walk away before he can finish the lie.

He reaches for me, but I shrug him off. My heart is beating way too fast. This could
go way bad, way quick.

“Please, just listen.” He waits until I’m looking him in the eye before he
continues. “You know me,” he says, his voice taking on this weird, hypnotic tone.
“We’ve met before.”

His eyes start to burn brighter and brighter. Oh crap. He must be a villain, and one
with a psy power. The vilest kind. Fear and anger collide inside me as I wonder what
to do about him trying to mess with my head. How to play this? I can’t exactly tell
him I’m-

Suddenly, the floor beneath my feet shudders violently, knocking me off balance. I
lurch forward into Dark-and-Scowly’s arms. He catches me, grabs my upper arms, just
as a concussion wave of air and sound hits us.

That sounded-and felt-like a bomb went off in the lab. If we weren’t a hundred feet
underground and shielded by every protection science and superheroes can create, I’d
think the supervillain Quake had struck. But that’s impossible.

Then again, impossible doesn’t always apply in the superhero world. After all,
impossible didn’t keep Dark-and-Scowly from being where he doesn’t belong.

Suddenly, every alarm in the facility blares. I freak. The lab! All that
research-Mom’s and mine-is priceless. The superhero blood samples alone are more
valuable than anything else in the building.

Panic overrides judgment and I push away, but his grip only tightens. The jerk. A
little super strength would be really useful right now.

“You can’t go in there.”

“Who are you?” I demand, struggling to get out of his grasp. If he really is a
villain, I don’t want him near me or this lab. Not with what villains are capable
of. “What have you done?”

He doesn’t answer. More pissed than ever, I fake left and pull right. He follows my
fake-out, and as his hair swings with the momentum, I see the mark I’d been looking
for earlier. Not under his right ear like the superheroes. Under his left.

Shit.

“You’re a villain.”

 

 

About the author

TeraLynnChildsTracy WolffOne fateful summer, Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs embarked on a nine hour (each way!) road trip to Santa Fe that ended with a flaming samurai, an enduring friendship, and the kernel of an idea that would eventually become Powerless. On their own, they have written YA tales about mermaids (Forgive My Fins, Tempest Rising), mythology (Doomed, Oh. My Gods., Sweet Venom), smooching (International Kissing Club), and fae princes (When Magic Sleeps). Between them, they have three boys (all Tracy), three dogs (mostly TLC), and almost fifty published books. Find TLC and the #TeamHillain headquarters at teralynnchilds.com. Check out Tracy and the #TeamVero lair at tracydeebs.com. Hang out with all the heroes, villains, ordinaries, and none-of-the-aboves at heroagenda.com. 

Hero Agenda Social Networking Links

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Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler – a Review

Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler – a Review

 

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Description:
Mina is seventeen. A virgin. And pregnant.

Mina is top of her class, girlfriend to the most ambitious guy in school, able to reason and study her way through anything. But when she suddenly finds herself pregnant—despite having never had sex—her orderly world collapses. Almost nobody believes Mina’s claims of virginity. Her father assumes that her boyfriend is responsible; her boyfriend believes she must have cheated on him. As news of Mina’s story spreads, there are those who brand her a liar. There are those who brand her a heretic. And there are those who believe that miracles are possible—and that Mina’s unborn child could be the greatest miracle of all.

 

Review:

A crone walks in at closing time to Mina’s pizza joint job (bringing to mind that of the queen in disguise from Snow White). She chooses a booth featuring a portrait of the Madonna. Instead of ordering food, she unloads a prophecy. Like Mina would stick around for that nonsense?! Like any sensible, uneasy 17 year old, too freaked out to listen to the rants of an old woman: Mina tears out!

“Mina, no! Wait!” Iris called out. “I need your approval, you have to accept…”

Yes, Iris. Yes, whatever you need to hear,” I said, without turning back, already trying to erase her face from my memory.

Mina inadvertently sets in motion the most impossible event of her life. Hindsight is 20/20, but who would’ve thought: A modern day miracle?! Welcome to Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler. I put another book down, already a chapter in, to inhale this book. I gave my 12 year old daughter so many updates — I had to pry it from her hands!

I’d tried doing some online research, but that only made everything infinitely scarier: diabetes; chronic fatigue syndrome; multiple forms of highly rare, highly untreatable cancers; depression. Nothing fit, not really, but I was still terrified.

Well, who could expect an immaculate conception?! Isn’t this subject too sacred for fiction? It’s not an easy topic; quite delicate (even offensive) in fact, especially if you’re faithful. While I am, I’m neither zealous nor disapproving by nature – it was intriguing! Mina was clearly selected. How can this be done to a child?! How much will it mirror the Virgin Mary? An endless amount of questions and events begin Mina’s journey to self-discovery, to “the ultimate test of character”.

I was struck by the enormity, the gravity, of the job ahead of Mina: How to explain her situation. It’s outrageous, preposterous. It’s biblical. Who could believe the old woman is responsible?! It reminded me of Merida from Disney’s Brave running back to the witch’s cottage – only to discover she had cleaned shop and Merida would have to find her own solution. But believe it or not, though Mina continuously replayed the life-altering meeting in her mind, she took to her new responsibility with a maturity (and grace) she didn’t even know she possessed.

A problem I had with the book was the absence of explanation. I’m familiar with the birth of Jesus Christ, but this…isn’t…the same story. Just because Mina yelled out her consent, clearly under duress, the old woman is only a fleeting, silent visitor. Searching for answers resulted in more questions. It came down to purpose and faith. But did it never occur to Mina that she was merely the vessel – that she would in fact never raise the baby? I put the book down repeatedly, bogged down by all the What if’s…

There is no way Mina could have imagined the rejection and harassment. I was crushed. One BFF feels lied to while the other is skeptical yet supportive; her mother was resolutely on Mina’s side yet painfully silent when Mina’s father’s fury dethroned any semblance of peace in the house. And what of the best boyfriend she never thought could be hers?! Unconvinced and worst of all, deceived. I was exhausted by all the disappointment Mina’s pregnancy caused and protective as a mother, for the cruelty she had to endure. And this was only Mina’s first trimester! I kept praying this was only a “test”, but why would they (who is they?!) allow a child to suffer through humiliation and scorn? I was riveted, despite the nearly 500 pages in which Ms. Detweiler takes to tell you.     

“I don’t want people to think there’s a random daddy running around out there, some kind of meaningless one-night stand. How do I win, Mom? How do I make people hate me the least? Because that’s the best I can hope for.”

Wow, right?! Ms. Detweiler wrote a wonderful, fictional story about the creation of miraculous life.   The supporting cast of characters does a phenomenal job of embracing the unknown and giving life to fear.

“But it’s like that old saying—‘those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.’

The ending was not my favorite. You can imagine what happens, that’s no big spoiler. It’s the fact…that it did? Was Ms. Detweiler really going to speculate as to the baby’s future?! She’d be writing history and that’s a path I’m not interested in following.

I loved Mina’s crisis of faith; I loved her commitment (even when a tiny spark of romance threatened to veer her off course – swoony storyline amidst so much division); I loved her age-appropriate meltdowns. Mina was meant to be marvelous and I believe Ms. Detweiler achieves just that.

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

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Mia and the Bad Boy (Backstage Pass #2) by Lisa Burstein-a review

MIA AND THE BAD BOY (Backstage Pass #2) by Lisa Burstein-a review

Mia and the Bad Boy

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ABOUT THE SERIES:  Five guys thought winning a making-of-the-band reality TV show would be the pinnacle of their career…until their band scored a sell-out stadium tour and became the hottest group in the country. Trying to keep their personal lives out of the tabloids while they maneuver media near-disasters and dodge rabid fans leaves little time for romance—not that their manager would allow it anyway.

But maybe, if their luck holds out, a summer on the road might lead each guy to that one girl he’s been waiting his whole life to sing for…if fame doesn’t get in the way.
Join The Heartthrob, The Bad Boy, The Big Brother, The Shy Guy, and The Cute One as they hit the road in search of their one true love. Could it be you?

About the book: Release Date May 19,2015

This good girl’s about to meet her match…

Ryder Brooks is living the dream—he’s famous, loved by millions of girls, and miserable. All he really wants is to write his own music, not Seconds to Juliet’s sugary sweet pop. In order to do that, though, the “bad boy” of the band will have to play by the rules. And that includes behaving with his new—and super cute—über-good-girl tutor.

Mia Reyes is in fangirl heaven. Tutoring her favorite member of her favorite band? It’s a dream come true…until it turns into a complete nightmare. Ryder is nothing like she thought. He’s crude, arrogant, and pretty much a total jerk. And the worst part? She’s roped into pretending to be his girlfriend so that no one finds out he’s being tutored. Fake kisses, plenty of PDA, and even sharing his hotel room…

But sometimes even the baddest of bad boys needs a little redemption.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: MIA AND THE BAD BOY is the second installment in Entangled Teen Crush’s contemporary, young adult Backstage Pass romance series focusing on the boy band Seconds to Juliet. Each installment will be written by a different author focusing on a different member of the band. This is seventeen year old bad boy rocker Ryder Brooks and sixteen year old Mia Reyes’s storyline.

Told from third person perspective MIA AND THE BAD BOY follows shy, quiet, nerd girl Mia as she is hired to tutor Ryder Brooks for his high school GED. Ryder has kept secret his failure to complete high school ( among other things) and in this Mia is hired by the band’s manager to help prepare Ryder for his final test. Without alerting the media or the other members of the band, Ryder suggests Mia pose as his girlfriend in the hopes of fending off the nosy paparazzi who make it their business to uncover everything about the band. What ensues is a quick build up of friends to lovers between a bad boy, and a good girl who is afraid to do anything wrong. But Ryder hides another an even bigger secret and when the truth is revealed, Ryder accuses Mia of betrayal and breaking his heart.

The relationship between Mia and Ryder begins as employer and employee. Ryder is desperate to complete his GED in the hopes of attending a prestigious music college and Mia is the last in a long line of tutors who must get past Ryder’s bad boy ways. When our couple must make public their relationship, what was once pretend becomes something more; something real. Because MIA AND THE BAD BOY is a young adult storyline, the lone $ex scene is implied and fades to black.

The secondary and supporting characters include all of the members of SECONDS TO JULIET as well as the band’s smarmy manager LJ Pearl. There is a mention, in the story, as it alludes to the real-life boy band NSYNC and in this, the series reflects some of the issues encountered by JT and the boys with their own success and controlling business manager. From a ‘making of the band’ type scenario to worldwide success, the comparisons are many including the name of the band’s manager which is too close to NSYNC’s original manager Lou Pearlman. There is a slight One Direction feel to the boy band make up as well.

MIA AND THE BAD BOY is a quick and easy read without the usual drama of the YA triangle –thank goodness. The characters are engaging and animated; the storyline interesting and predictable but familiar. There is little to no foul language; and no suggestive or graphic imagery. If you are a fan of the YA storyline, you may enjoy MIA AND THE BAD BOY and the Backstage Pass series, but saying that, the storyline is geared to a younger reader, perhaps teen girls who thrive on the boy band phenomenon.

READING ORDER
1. Aimee and the Heartthrob by Ophelia London (April 2015)
2. Mia and the Bad Boy by Lisa Burstein (May 2015)
3. Daisy and the Front Man by Rebekah Purdy
4. Anya and the Shy Guy by Suze Winegardner
5. Abby and the Cute One by Erin Butler

Copy supplied by the publisher (Entangled Teen Crush)

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Summer After You and Me by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski-Review, Spotlight & Giveaway

The Summer After You and Me by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski-Review, Spotlight & Giveaway

 

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Description:
Sunbathing, surfing, eating funnel cake on the boardwalk—Lucy loves living on the Jersey Shore. For her, it’s not just the perfect summer escape, it is home. And as a local girl, she knows not to get attached to the tourists. They breeze in over Memorial Day weekend, crowding the shore and stealing moonlit kisses, only to pack up their beach umbrellas and empty promises on Labor Day. Lucy wants more from love than a fleeting romance, even if that means keeping her distance from her summertime neighbor and crush, Connor.

Then Superstorm Sandy tears apart her barrier island, briefly bringing together a local girl like herself and a vacationer like Connor. Except nothing is the same in the wake of the storm. And day after day, week after week, Lucy is left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and broken home. Now with Memorial Day approaching and Connor returning, will it be a summer of fresh starts or second chances?

 

Review:

The Summer After You and Me by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski is a sweet YA story about family, friendship and romance. It takes place in the Jersey shore, during the aftermath of hurricane Sandy. Lucy is our heroine and she is the protagonist that drives this story. 8 months after Sandy destroyed so much of the community where she lives; Lucy is back home with her parents and brother.   Memorial Day is close, which signals the start of summer, and the tourists will be visiting in droves, which due to the ongoing restoration, doesn’t sit well with the local residents. Lucy is working part time at the local clam restaurant, while also doing volunteer work that she hopes will help her get a scholarship to be a marine mammalogist.

As Lucy prepares to go to work, she spots Connor, who spends the summers with his family in the house next to Lucy.   The last time she last saw him was right before the storm hit, after he had kissed her, opening up a possible new relationship; but he never called her all these months, as he had promised. Giving up on any chance of a relationship with him, Lucy began dating her best friend Andrew, and now that Connor is back, she tries hard to ignore him.

Connor’s reputation as a womanizer, and the fact that he is a seasonal resident, makes him not a favorite among the locals, which includes Lucy’s brother, Liam, who hates him. This is also a very nice story of family, and friendships, as they all try to recover and rebuild their town from the devastation of Sandy. I thought that the first half of the book was somewhat slow. It did pick up a lot in the second half, which turned this into an enjoyable story.

Lucy slowly begins to realize she had no romantic feeling for Andrew, and that she still felt something for Connor. This is a very slow to build relationship, which will affect all those around Lucy. Her friends become upset that she never told them about her feelings toward Connor, and her brother really bad to Lucy when he finds out. For the majority of the book, Liam was nasty and provocative toward his sister, helping pull her friends away, as he could not control his hatred of Connor.

This turned out to be a very nice sweet story that will see the beginnings of a romance, forgiveness, rebuilding of lives and friendships, as well as togetherness for families. With the real life background of the Jersey shore devastation, and the people helping one another to rebuild their town from the hurricane, this was a very nice and emotional read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

excerpt
 

Connor opened the gorgeous double doors, each with half-moon stained-glass windows on the top, and motioned me inside. “After you.”

The house had that distinct yet hard-to-describe smell of a beach home that had been closed up for a while. I walked to the center of the high-ceilinged foyer and immediately pic­tured pine garland and twinkling white lights wrapped around the sweeping banister.

“Wow. I’d love to spend Christmas here,” I said and immedi­ately regretted being so sappy.

Connor smiled. “You could fit a twelve-foot tree in this hallway.”

I admit, over the years I’ve had my share of Connor-centric fantasies. However the image of him watching his children pad down the stairs on Christmas morning had never been one of them…until that very second. I liked thinking about Connor that way.

“Come on. You’ve got to see the master bedroom.”

The wholesome image of a Malloy family Christmas van­ished. Aha, I thought. That was the Connor I knew.

“Uh-uh,” I said. “The widow’s walk. I want to go there first.”

“Race you,” he said and took off running.

He beat me up the two flights and was waiting for me in the third-floor hallway toward the back of the house. Off the hallway was an art studio, with a drafting table and a bookcase. There was also a telescope standing near the window.

“Follow me.” He crossed the studio and unlocked the dead­bolt to the narrow door leading outside.

“You’ve already been up there?”

“First thing I did when I got here,” Connor said.

“Not the master bedroom?”

“Nah, that’s the first thing I wanted to do when you got here.”

I thought it was just more flirty banter, but Connor’s flushed cheeks looked as warm as my body felt. He stared at me for a beat too long and my throat constricted. I was suddenly aware that I’d left the house with slept-on hair and no mascara. The look on Connor’s face told me he hadn’t noticed. His eyes never left mine.

Finally he said, “Come on, Luce. I’ll follow you.” The space was tight when I passed in front of him, and the closeness of his body gave me the shivers. I opened the door and stepped outside onto a small patio. I walked toward the wrought-iron spiral staircase that lead to the widow’s walk on the roof and placed my hand on the railing. My knees felt shaky as I began the climb, but I never looked back.

 


About the Author pink
Jen Salvato

 

Jennifer Salvato Doktorski is the author of two YA  novels and is a freelance nonfiction writer. Her first paid writing gig was at The North Jersey Herald & News, where she wrote obituaries and began her lifelong love of news and coffee. She lives in New Jersey with her family.

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Halfway Perfect by Julie Cross & Mark Perini – a Review

Halfway Perfect by Julie Cross & Mark Perini – a Review

 

Halfway Perfect

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Description:
Eve’s time as a fashion model nearly destroyed her-now she’s determined to build a career behind the camera lens. But landing a coveted photography internship brings her face to face with her dark past-and her ex.

While Eve is snapping pictures, up-and-coming male model Alex is launching his career-which, for him, involves maintaining a fake relationship with his (secretly) underage co-star, Elana.

But Alex is falling for Eve, and Eve won’t let herself get hurt again. If Alex can pull off a fake love with Elana, can he convince Eve to risk a secret affair with him?

 

 

Review:
Halfway Perfect by Julie Cross & Mark Perini is considered a YA novel. I have read just about everything by Julie Cross, as I enjoy her writing. I wasn’t sure I would like this YA storyline that Julie wrote with Mark Perini, but I am happy to say it was different, but very good. The background of this storyline that more or less is detailed in the above blurb, which revolves around modeling and the fashion industry.

Eve Nowakowski is our heroine, who is a student in an Ivy League school. She lands an internship with a famed photographer, which Eve hopes will land her a scholarship. While Eve is helping with the setup of a photo shoot, she also makes an impression with her own pictures.

But while working, she sees someone from her past that brings back bad memories. It seems that Eve is former teenage super model, Eve Castle, who walked away from a modeling career that would have put her at the top. No one knew why the real Eve Castle disappeared, except the false rumors that followed.

Eve, who is now 18, has no interest in returning to her career, and tries to keep her distance from her former agent & ex, who was a major reason for her running away. Alex is the young model, who is the male lead of the photo shoot. Alex is also 18, and he has to pretend that the 14 year old girl in the shoot is his girlfriend.

What follows, without giving any spoilers, is a story of the dark side of the pressure filled fashion industry, as well as abuse. Eve and Alex become very good friends, both finding themselves attracted to each other. It is Alex who will discover the truth about why Eve Castle walked away. He will have to decide whether he can afford to become romantically involved with Eve, if it will hurt his career. Eve becomes entangled into worrying about the young 14 year old girl, who seems to be walking into her steps from years before.

Eve maybe out of her league, as she has financial troubles, and her association with both Alex, Wes, her former agent and Elana, the young girl, which could create problems that  will put her deeper in debt, and possibly lose her scholarship.  

Halfway Perfect is a very well written story by Julie Cross & Mark Perini. We get a nice peek into the fashion industry, modeling, the pressures, the weight issues and overall stress. There is a romance between Alex and Eve, but not too much. I thought the first 1/3 of the book was a bit slow, especially where Alex goes home to his family. But the groundwork needed to be laid out. The last 2/3 was very good. It is the story told in two Pov’s that makes you want to keep reading to see how it will all turn out.    


Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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Pippa of Lauramore by Shari L. Tapscott – a Review

Pippa of Lauramore by Shari L. Tapscott – a Review

 

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Description:
Princess Pippa of Lauramore is about to turn eighteen, and in honor of the great occasion, her father King Ewan invites thirty princes and lords from kingdoms near and far to compete for Pippa’s hand in marriage.

Arrogant Prince Lionel of Vernow is expected to win the competition handily, but spunky princess Pippa refuses to marry such a pompous man without a fight. When she spies Galinor, the dark-haired, blue-eyed prince of Glendon, she sets out to make him hers—convincing him to join her on a midnight ride away from the festivities.

When King Ewan catches Pippa, he orders her to spend twelve days of confinement in the castle, but she refuses to be contained while her fate is decided without her. Enlisting the help of her childhood friend Archer, master archer of the kingdom, they make a pact to do everything in their power to ensure Galinor’s victory in the marriage games.

But as the games progress and the stakes get higher and higher, Pippa and Archer are forced to not only confront marauding bandits, angry dragons, and King Ewan’s wrath, but also the growing attraction between them…

Review:

Pippa of Lauramore, is book one in The Eldentimber Series by Shari Tapscott.   This is a story that fairy tales are made from.  Our story opens with a celebration of birth for the coming of age Princess Pippa of Lauramore.  Princess Pippa has just turned eighteen, and her father King Ewan has invited thirty eligible Princes to compete in a tournament. The winner of the tournament will receive Pippa’s hand in marriage.  Her family is keen on one such prince – Prince Lionel of Vernow.  But Pippa does not see him the same as her family does.  In the midst of the festivities she knows that she must find the one Prince that is right for her.  There must be one that can and will defeat Prince Lionel for her hand in marriage.   As the guests toast to her eighteenth birthday, Pippa notices the one man that she thinks may just be able to save her.  He is tall, dark and handsome.  He has eyes as blue as a cloudless sky and the face that any artist would love to paint.  His name is Prince Galinor of Glendon.  From the moment they lock eyes Pippa is smitten.  Pippa has decided she wants to leave the festivities and show her new Prince an amazing place.  Just as they are about to leave, the kingdoms Master Archer finds them.  He instructs Pippa that it is not a wise idea to leave the castle walls. But Pippa begs him not to tell her father that she is leaving the castle walls alone with a man. Reluctantly and at Pippa’s urging Archer agrees.    But soon her father finds out and Pippa is punished to her quarters for twelve days.  Punishment means she will miss most of the tournaments festivities and the chance to help her true prince win…  Or will she.

Pippa soon devises a plan to help her Prince Galinor win the tournament. She enlists the help of the one man that has always stood by her side, her longtime friend and mentor, Archer. But the more Archer helps her, the more torn she becomes about the one she has chosen to be her prince.  Her heart begins to realize that the man she may seek quite possibly is the one that has always been there for her.  But they both know that a mere archer can not marry a princess, and so the tournament continues.  Will true love win out or will she be destined to live a life with a prince she does not wish to marry?

Prince Lionel is a cocky, arrogant, brooding prince of man.  He is the character that you will love to hate.  From page one I despised him.  And my feelings towards him did not improve at all throughout the story.  His demeanor is completely off putting and you truly want to see him come to a horrible fate.   Pippa is a young woman, strong willed, witty and headstrong.  She thinks she knows exactly what she wants and does anything in her power to achieve it.  Her character is real and authentic and exactly the type of woman you would want as a friend or for your children to look up to.  She is not afraid to speak her mind in a time when that was unheard of.   Prince Galinor is valiant, handsome and strong. He is the “prince” fairy tales are written about.  He is the one you want to win the heart of young Pippa.  And the one you want to know even more about.   I fell completely head over heels for this young prince.  That is until Archer sauntered (reluctantly) into the picture.  Archer will win you over and leave you begging for more.  And in an amazing and beautiful journey he may just become the true prince Pippa is looking for.

Will Pippa find the prince of her dreams?  Will she end up having to marry the insufferable Prince Lionel?  Will her father allow her to have a marriage based on true love and not the one decided upon by a tournament?  This book is a must read if you want to find out.  This  journey is new and fresh,  the twists and turns are  palpable. 

The authors  writing places you right into the story – it pulls you in and holds you there.  From the main characters to the sub-characters – you want to know it all.  You want the backstory and the future story all at the same time.  This is not your everyday foo foo fairytale – this Princess knows how to go about getting exactly what she wants and she can hold her own with the best of them. But be warned – this book contains magic – and any young girl (or old girl) will get lost in its pages and lose all track of time. I absolutely loved this story from page 1 to the end. Finished it in one day!   It is full of royal regality and reverence.  It places you right in the mix of the tournament and the turmoil.  From kings to princesses, from fairies to dragons it is a pure mix of magic and magnetism. Did I mention the dragons! Swoon!   This is one that I will buy a hard copy of and pass on to my daughter as a true treasure to hold for generations.  And I can barely contain my excitement that this series will continue – as I will continue to follow Mrs Tapscott!

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by Author

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I Am Her Revenge by Meredith Moore – a Review

I Am Her Revenge by Meredith Moore – a Review

 

I Am Her RevengeAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
She can be anyone you want her to be.

Vivian was raised with one purpose in life: to exact revenge on behalf of her mother. Manipulative and cruel, Mother has deprived Vivian not only of a childhood, but of an original identity. With an endless arsenal of enticing personalities at her disposal, Vivian is a veritable weapon of deception.

And she can destroy anyone.

When it’s time to strike, she enrolls in a boarding school on the English moors, where she will zero in on her target: sweet and innocent Ben, the son of the man who broke Mother’s heart twenty years ago.

Anyone… except for the woman who created her.

With every secret she uncovers, Vivian comes one step closer to learning who she really is. But the more she learns about herself, the more dangerous this cat and mouse game becomes. Because Mother will stop at nothing to make sure the truth dies with her.

 

 

Review:

I Am Her Revenge by Meredith Moore is a YA thriller. I have never read Meridith Moore before, but the book blurb sounded different and interesting for a YA novel.

Vivian is our heroine and not really a very likeable one at that. We learn pretty early on that Vivian has been brainwashed and trained by her mother beginning as a child to enact a revenge that the mother has lived with all her life. Vivian now 17 is on her way to a boarding school in England. Her mission, and she cannot fail, is to win the affection of a young man on campus, who is the target of her mother.

Ben is the golden boy on the campus, and it is his father who dumped Vivian’s mother years before, and literally broke her heart. “Mother” is in fact criminally insane, and will stop at nothing to ensure Vivian does what is expected of her. There were some scenes shown during her childhood that did not sit well with me.

Vivian slowly makes friends with Ben, ignoring him at first. When her mother puts the pressure on, Vivian and Ben become an item, and she uses all that she has been trained to do to win him to do her demands. She is to make him leave school, marry her, and eventually ruin his life. But slowly Vivian realizes that her life as she knew it wasn’t what she thought it was. With a childhood friend (the only one she ever had), seeing how normal teenage friends act, and her feeling sorry for Ben, Vivian will slowly begin to find out the truth about her own life, and her mother.

The final third of the book is very exciting, with a dangerous attempt to escape her mother and save Ben. As we raced to the climax, filled with twists and turns, the excitement is pulse pounding.

Meredith Moore impressed me with her writing, which was very well done. I will say that especially in the first half of the book, Vivian wasn’t really likeable to me, and in fact the whole process was a bit creepy. Once she begins to see another side, she does become better. This is a different type of YA storyline, and it was necessary to show how Vivian was brainwashed. However, that being said, I do like my hero/heroine to not want me to smack them. Lol I Am Her Revenge was a good story, and totally different then what I have read before.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep – Review & Giveaway

Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep – Review & Giveaway

 

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Cold Burn of MagicAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
There Be Monsters Here. . .

It’s not as great as you’d think, living in a tourist town that’s known as “the most magical place in America.” Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power.

I try to keep out of it. I’ve got my mom’s bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library. And a couple of Talents I try to keep quiet, including very light fingers and a way with a lock pick.

But then some nasty characters bring their Family feud into my friend’s pawn shop, and I have to make a call–get involved, or watch a cute guy die because I didn’t. I guess I made the wrong choice, because now I’m stuck putting everything on the line for Devon Sinclair. My mom was murdered because of the Families, and it looks like I’m going to end up just like her. .

 

 

Review:

Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep is the 1st book in her new YA Black Blade series. When I found out that Estep was writing a new YA series, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I devoured this book in one day, and am thrilled to say Jennifer Estep has another winner. I loved loved Cold Burn of Magic. For those of you who are not into YA, I think you would enjoy this series, since to me this book can be enjoyed by adults also.

The wonderful thing about Estep’s writing is that she creates some fabulous characters. One of the best heroines is Gin Blanco from her Elemental Assassins series. Cold Burn of Magic will introduce a wonderful new heroine, who can be a young version of Gin Blanco.

Lila Merriweather is our heroine and what a great one. Lila has lived alone for many years, after her mother was murdered. She lives in a hidden room in the basement of a library, and makes decent money being a thief, stealing from the rich for her family friend, Mo.  Cloudburst Falls is a magical town run by the powerful magical families. There are a number of families that are competitive with each other, but work together to control humans. Lila tries to steer clear of these families, since becoming noticed would be dangerous.

While at Mo’s shop, Lila finds herself helping three people from an attack. In doing so, she unhappily is forced to take a job with the Sinclair family. Lila will be guarding Devon, our hero, which creates emotional turmoil for her, as it brings back memories of her mother.  

What follows is an exciting and wonderful story of Lila discovering life with the powerful and rich Sinclair family, and her growing feelings for Devon, whom she likes but wants no part of any relationship. We get to meet other families, especially the evil Draconis family. There are also unseen monsters to keep your distance from. There are many twists and turns, as well as betrayals that Lila will be in the forefront to protect Devon. I can’t tell too much more, as it would be spoilers. I was hooked in this story from the start, and could not put it down. The last half of the book was pulse pounding, as Lila had to face so many obstacles. As we raced toward the end, there were some surprises.

Cold Burn of Magic was a fascinating read, and I cannot wait for the next book. Jennifer Estep is a wonderful writer, who creates great stories and fantastic characters. I loved Lila, Devon, Felix, Oscar and Claudia. The world-building in this story was so well done, it flowed seamlessly. Thank you Jennifer Estep for this wonderful new series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

BLUEANDYELLOWGIVEAWAY

Jennifer’s Publisher is graciously offering an ARC of Cold Burn of Magic, a Bookmark and a Pen to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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9. Giveaway runs from April 5 to 10, 2015

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