Tag: book 2

Hatching the Phoenix Egg (Mare Tranquillitatis: Book 2) by Joel Horn

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment
Hatching the Phoenix Egg (Mare Tranquillitatis Series Book 2) by [Horn, Joel]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: September 24th, 2016

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Science Fiction

Series: Mare Tranquillitatis

Lost Coast Rocket – Book 1 (review here)

Hatching The Phoenix Egg – Book 2

Where to find: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Would You Travel a Half-Billion Miles to Escape Your Past?

That’s exactly what Ken O’Brien does in this sequel to Lost Coast Rocket.

Driven by a broken heart and a mysterious compulsion he can’t understand, Ken launches himself into space. During this one-way trip, he has just ten years to answer as many cosmic questions as he can before his body succumbs to the hostile space environment.

But he’s given an unexpected gift and his life is extended. How he spends this gift, however, makes him the most hated man in history. Will the world absolve Ken of his extreme sin? More importantly, will the green-eyed girl who broke his heart forgive him for what he was driven to do?

˃˃˃ Hatching the Phoenix Egg is Book 2 in the epic Mare Tranquillitatis Series

The adventure began in Lost Coast Rocket, the first book of the series.

My review:

This book starts after the launching of the Tranquility and Ken narrowly avoiding being arrested by the FBI. He goes off into orbit around the earth and the moon and starts his journey to Jupiter.

While he is on his way to Jupiter, his friends are left behind to pick up the pieces. Akira breaks the news to Carol and Mary that he will not be coming back and that he was the boy who Dawn was looking for. The FBI investigates them and finds nothing but does take all of Ken’s rockets that were at the clubhouse. Which was no big deal because they didn’t get anything important.

I found Ken’s travel to Jupiter fascinating and very intriguing. It definitely made me wonder when we’ll finally send manned expeditions to Jupiter and its moons. I also thought that him choosing a school to share his journey with was fantastic.

The comet, Ken wanting to save the world from it and how people reacted is totally what I would think people today would act if something like that ever happened. The riots, the food shortages, everything was written about how I expected people to act in an apocalyptic situation.

I did find Ken a bit self-absorbed in this book. But, he was dealing with his own issues and facing his own death. So I understand why he acted that way.

The end of the book was great. So many things were wrapped up and so many storylines, carried over from the first book, were resolved in a satisfactory way. I am wondering if there will be a 3rd book. From the way this one ended, I can see a 3rd one being written.

I will warn everyone, this is not a YA book. The first one, yes. This one, not so much. It is so much darker than the first one. I will also mention that I didn’t get the title until the end of the book.

I would give Hatching the Phoenix Egg an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Hatching the Phoenix Egg. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Can’t Forget (Solum: Book 2) by Colleen S. Myers

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments
Can't Forget: If she can't forget her past, she won't have a future. (Solum Series Book 2) by [Myers, Colleen S.]

3 Stars

Publisher: Champagne Books

Date of publication: June 6th, 2016

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Series: Solum

Must Remember – Book 1

Can’t Forget – Book 2

Distant Memory—Book 3

Before the Fall—Book 4

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Like Roswell meets Lost in Space.

Four months have passed since the E’mani—those pale alien freaks—destroyed the Earth and scooped up the remains. Elizabeth “Beta” Camden was one of those taken. But she escapes and confronts her prior captors successfully with the help of their enemies. Yet she knows the E’mani won’t forget about her. She should stay vigilant and ready. Her heart refuses to listen. Beta falls in love with Marin—he of the hot hands and slit eyes.

Too bad she was right.

This time the E’mani don’t come in force. This time the E’mani slip in silently. And any hope she had of a peaceful life is lost. Beta knows what she has to do and it isn’t playing house. She leaves in the dead of night to find the E’mani stronghold and end them once and for all. But love is a tricky bitch. And Marin refuses to let her throw her life away. It takes a threat to his safety to make her realize, if she can’t forget her past, she won’t have a future.

My review:

I have been spoiled lately. Up until this book, all of the books that I have gotten that have been second books in a series have been standalone. I could read those books and not have to worry about the back story. Then I read this book and broke my streak.

From what I can gather, Elizabeth Camden (aka Beata) was involved in an attack against the E’mani (creepy pale aliens). Her allies are the Fost, long-time enemies of the E’mani. I am going to go out on a limb and say that this book starts a few weeks after that attack.

I could not connect with Beata and actually disliked her during a good part of the book. She came across as abrasive and insecure. My feelings did change towards her but I had to struggle not to let them slide back into the dislike category.

I did feel bad for her during her flashbacks. Back to when she was with the E’mani. I actually shuddered when reading those scenes, they were bad. I wouldn’t wish what she went through on my worse enemy.

The middle of the book is when I started changing my feelings towards Beata. To suffer such a tragedy was unthinkable and I cried with her. But to go off and not tell her husband, not the best decision she made. Then all of the assumptions that she was making about Marin and the other Fost woman were immature. I could see that nothing was happening with Marin. I wanted to reach through the book, slap her and say “Stop being silly before you lose him for good.”

The end of the book was fantastic, with a ton of action and one heck of an ending.

I would give Can’t Forget an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread Can’t Forget. I am on the fence if I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Duplicity (Julia Gooden Mystery: Book 2) by Jane Haseldine

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments
Duplicity (A Julia Gooden Mystery Book 2) by [Haseldine, Jane]

5 Stars

Publisher: Pinnacle Books

Date of publication: January 1st, 2018

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Series: Julia Gooden Mystery

The Last Time She Saw Him – Book 1 (review here)

Duplicity – Book 2

Worth Killing For—Book 3

You Fit the Pattern—Book 4

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

In Jane Haseldine’s new novel of riveting suspense, Detroit newspaper reporter Julia Gooden is up against the city’s most devious criminal—and her own painful past.

Julia Gooden knows how to juggle different lives. A successful crime reporter, she covers the grittiest stories in the city while raising her two young boys in the suburbs. But beneath that accomplished façade is another Julia, still consumed by a tragedy that unfolded thirty years ago when her nine-year-old brother disappeared without a trace.

Julia’s marriage, too, is a balancing act, as she tries to rekindle her relationship with her husband, Assistant District Attorney David Tanner, while maintaining professional boundaries. David is about to bring Nick Rossi to trial for crimes that include drug trafficking, illegal gambling, and bribery. But the story becomes much more urgent when a courthouse bomb claims several victims—including the prosecution’s key witness—and leaves David critically injured.

Though Julia is certain that Rossi orchestrated the attack, the case against him is collapsing, and his power and connections run high and wide. With the help of Detective Raymond Navarro of the Detroit PD, she starts following a trail of blackmail, payback, and political ambition, little imagining where it will lead. Julia has risked her career before, but this time innocent lives—including her children’s—hang in the balance, and justice may come too late to save what truly matters…

My review:

I was excited when Jane Haseldine contacted me to review her 2nd book in the Julia Gooden series. I had absolutely loved The Last Time She Saw Him and hoped that Duplicity would be just as good. I wasn’t disappointed.

The book starts a few months after The Last Time She Saw Him ended. Julia and David are working on repairing their marriage. David flaked out during the last book and moved out when things got tough. He also had an affair with a fellow lawyer. Julia is working on trusting David and she is going to therapy to help get over the guilt she carried over her brother’s disappearance when she was seven.

Julia is working on a story about Nick Rossi, who is on trial for a number of charges. Which seems like a conflict of interest but she claims it isn’t. The same day that she is going to be in court, following the trail, her son, Logan is going on a field trip to the courthouse. She promises Logan that she will be there for the field trip.

While reading a newspaper, she finds out that the identity of the key witness was leaked to the press. This means that Rossi knows who he is and there is concern that he will try to take him out. She tries to call David to warn him, but he isn’t answering his phone. So she heads towards the courthouse, when the bomb goes off. The bomb kills 13 people and injures many more, including David and the judge presiding over the case. Luckily Logan’s bus got caught up in traffic and never made it to the courthouse.

I loved the whodunit about the bomb because the author kept it under wraps and threw out red herrings left and right. Just when I thought I knew who set it, bam, it goes in a different direction. So when it was revealed who was the bomber at the end of the book, I was very surprised. Probably as surprised as Julia.

David did have my sympathy after he got hurt. But what came to light afterward, well let’s just say that I wouldn’t have been as nice as Julia. I probably would have beaten him in the hospital bed.

The end of the book was awesome. Full of action and surprises, I was kept in suspense until the very end.

I would give Duplicity an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Duplicity. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Hers to Heal (Black Eagles Ops: Book 2) by Vonnie Davis

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments
Hers to Heal: A Black Eagle Ops Novel by [Davis, Vonnie]

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of Publication: November 22, 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: Black Eagle Ops

Her Survivor – Book 1 (Review Here)

Hers to Heal – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

In this powerful, sensual romance from the author of Her Survivor, a broken woman meets a shattered warrior—and discovers a passion strong enough to heal each other’s deepest wounds.
 
Navy SEAL Reece Browning sacrificed body and soul in the line of duty. He survived torture at the hands of America’s enemies, but lost his career and his voice in the process. Traumatized and desperate to get his PTSD under control, Reece escapes to Eagle Ridge Ranch. Under the big Texas sky, he finds peace, a renewed sense of purpose—and a woman who makes him feel like a man again. Her smile lights up his dark days, and her caress helps him forget the night terrors.
 
Ex-Marine Gina Wilson also bears painful scars: emotional wounds inflicted by men she once trusted with her life. She has fought hard to overcome her demons and build a good life for her daughter, and Reece is too intense, too damaged, too raw to let into her heart. Yet she’s drawn irresistibly to his steely gaze and heated embrace. No one else understands what it’s like to suffer in silence. And when Gina’s daughter is threatened, it’s Reece who risks everything to save the day.

My review:

I am a big fan of Vonnie Davis. This series that I have been reviewing (Black Eagle Ops) has struck a chord with me. Call me a sap, but I do not like seeing people (even fictional people) in pain and Reese, Ashley and JJ were in a ton of it. My heart broke reading why Reece suffered from PTSD. It broke, even more, when it was revealed what happened to Ashley.

I liked Gina. She took no crap from Reese, at all. Which is fine because a man like Reese needs a strong female who he can’t push around. And he couldn’t definitely push her around.

Piper is my favorite character in the whole book, along with Junebug. She was a 6-year-old wise guy. Her immediate latch on to Reece to be her Daddy was hilarious as was his reaction when she told him. She flat-out told him that he was going to be her Daddy. I did find that she would morph from sounding 6 to sounding 18 and then back in the same sentence. The first time it happened, it threw me off. Didn’t take away from Piper’s cuteness, though.

Once the secondary plot got going, it didn’t lack for anything. The action was great and I did end up in tears when Reese did what he did.

The end was pretty typical and I loved it. I do hope that there is going to be a story on Ashley and JJ or any of the other members of the group.

I would give Hers to Heal an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Hers to Heal. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

My Addiction (Club Desire: Book 2) by Cassie Ryan

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment
My Addiction (Club Desire Book 2) by [Ryan, Cassie]

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 25th, 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: Club Desire

My Obsession – Book 1

My Addiction – Book 2

Where I can find this book: Amazon |Barnes & Noble

Book synopsis:

In a novel of sensual passion and deep commitment from the author of My Obsession, an undercover cop finds a soulmate who surrenders to his healing touch.

Fiercely independent and determined to free herself from her father’s manipulation, tech expert Kate Fretwell finds a refuge in L.A.’s elite BDSM dungeon scene as the hot new thing to political and Hollywood A-listers. Still, all that glitters gets old, and Kate soon tires of the stream of well-heeled masters who expect her to be at their beck and call. Then she meets a very different kind of Dom—one whose quiet confidence, strength, and command bring her most willingly to her knees.

Undercover FBI agent Dex Alexander fits right into his assignment to expose terrorist links to one of L.A.’s most popular clubs. The case has reawakened a desire to find the perfect companion, and he knows that beautiful, vulnerable Kate is a woman he could love. But when her father’s corruption unwittingly makes Kate the target of a bigger enemy, Dex brings her to his Phoenix home—and his dungeon, Club Desire. Here she shows him just how eager she is to give him everything . . . and more.

My review:

I am going to come right out and warn everyone that this book defiantly isn’t for anyone who is A) easily offended by BDSM lifestyle and B) people who are easily offended by graphic details about the BDSM lifestyle. If you are offended, hit the back button and head to my next review. If you are easily offended and keep on reading this review well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I loved how this book balanced BDSM and regular life. Unlike other books that I have read in this genre, the sex takes 2nd place to the storyline, and I loved that. I have read books in this genre that once the sex was introduced, the storyline went out the window. So it was very refreshing to see that the storyline was kept up once the BDSM scenes started (which was fairly early in the book).

I liked Kate. She was one of those heroines who didn’t take jack from anyone. I think the scenes where she stood up to Stanton (ie, punched him in the junk) and when she finally told her father off was excellent, and I thought it showed off how spunky she was.

The attraction that she had to Dex was instantaneous, and I loved the flogging scene. Now, usually, I am not into that stuff, but the way it was written and the way Dex and Kate discussed her soft and hard limits piqued my interest. And how he took care of her afterward was tremendous and did show what kind of guy he was.

Dex is my new book boyfriend. He is hot and cares about his woman/Sub (and his past Sub’s). The only thing that I didn’t like was that he couldn’t tell her that he was investigating her and that he was FBI. It killed him, and when she found out, it hurt her.

The subplot with the money laundering, the terrorists, the Dungeon, and its clients was OK, and it was resolved satisfactorily. Well, except that poor Kate got hurt.

The sex scenes between Kate and Dex were hot, hot, hot. They lit the pages on fire!!

The ending was excellent, and the epilogue was great. I can’t wait to see if Dex and Kate are going to be mentioned in book 3 (if there is a book 3).

I would give My Addiction an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread My Addiction. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Somewhere in Time (The Fine Art of Deception: Book 2) by Alyssa Richards

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments
Somewhere in Time: A Time Travel Romance Book Series (The Fine Art of Deception 2) by [Richards, Alyssa]

4 Stars

Publisher: 

Published: November 9, 2015

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Series: The Fine Art of Deception

Undoing Time – Book 1 (review here)

Somewhere in Time – Book 2

Where to find: Amazon

Book synopsis:

One wrong touch could ruin everything…

Adeline “Addie” Montgomery has finally found her soulmate in Blake Greenwood. As the forgery trial begins for her former boss, Otto, her happily-ever-after seems to be taking shape. But when Otto puts everyone she loves back in danger, Addie must look to the past to make her future possible.

As Addie and Blake make progress finding her missing family, demons who’ve hunted her for centuries threaten to destroy the life she’s come to love. Once again, it all comes down to a choice: loyalty for her family or love for her soulmate. Her decision could transform the world…

Somewhere in Time is the second book in the Fine Art of Deception series, a set of supernatural romance mystery novels. If you like delicious plot twists, alternate histories, and well-executed time travel, then you’ll love Alyssa Richards’ can’t-miss series.

My review:

This book starts off a month or so after the first book ends. Addy and Blake spent a month in Paris, getting to know each other and just falling even more madly in love. But reality sets in when they get home. Addy and Blake are set to testify in Otto’s trail of art forgery and theft. Understandably, Addie is a bundle of nerves about testifying against him. Otto was a scary man with connections everywhere.

Leaving Addy at their penthouse, Blake heads over to the courthouse to testify against Otto. Only thing, he doesn’t exactly make it into the courtroom. He is attacked by two men, taken into an alley, given what was supposed to be a lethal dose of something (it wasn’t stated) and left in the alley to die.

Meanwhile, Addy gets an ominous phone call from Ellen, her ex-co-worker basically warning her that she better have another plan set up in case Otto’s trial doesn’t happen or he gets off scot-free. Addy is unnerved, as I would have been, and throws up her lunch. This disturbs her to the point where she feels a migraine coming on and she decides to go to her house to get her medications and some family keepsakes.

While she was there, her migraine gets oh so much worse, even with her taking her medication and she lays down with a wet washcloth and club soda (which made me go yuck) to have a quick nap. After waking from her nap, she immediately senses a man’s presence in her house and guess who that was? Otto. See, all of Otto’s witnesses have miraculously decided not to testify against him. Otto decides to lay everything on the table with Addy. He wants her to work with him on a special project of his…using her talents to tell Otto which paintings were fakes and which ones were real and he would sell the real ones and make a killing on them. He also wants to possess Addy like he possessed Carolena, Blake’s mother. He also dangles a carrot in front of her. She helps him and he helps her find her missing grandfather and father and he leaves Blake alone. If not, well, he doesn’t help her and he doesn’t leave Blake alone. Simple enough. So she decides to think about it.

Basically, the story after this point is Blake and Addy trying to outsmart and outmaneuver Otto while trying to solve the mystery of what exactly happened to her father and grandfather.

Blake and Addy were still going on strong and their sex scenes were beyond hot. More glimpses into their past life as Sassy and Jack were seen and Otto was introduced as also being connected to them as Gary, Sassy’s fiance or boyfriend (the book wasn’t exactly clear as to what he was). Which explains why Otto was so intent in going after Addy and Blake. It was history repeating itself and it was kinda freaky.

The last part of the book was probably the most interesting part for me. There was a small twist and a huge twist thrown into what I thought was going on. What I didn’t like is that it ended in a cliffhanger. I absolutely do not like cliffhangers. But this one was pretty good and it definitely makes me want to read book 3.

I would give Somewhere in Time an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Somewhere in Time. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Whatever You Call Me (Best Friends: Book 2) by Leigh Fleming

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment
Whatever You Call Me

4 stars

Publisher: Envisage Press, LLC

Date of Publication: September 20th, 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: Best Friends

Precious Words – Book 1

Whatever You Call Me – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis: 

Annie Cooper is fed up with Washington. More importantly, she’s done with being Senator George Cooper’s daughter and all the expectations that come with it. She changes her name and tries to start fresh after quitting her job, but the only position she can find is in the political world she despises.

Kip Porter is a two-term congressman from a blue collar district along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay whose ambition leads him astray from the core values he—and his constituents—hold dear. He needs Senator Cooper’s backing to get his bill through the Senate and plans to use Annie to do it.

What starts out as a simple game of hidden identity soon becomes complicated. Annie wants to prove her worth on her own terms, but the closer she grows to Kip, the more she needs to come clean. With unexpected romance blossoming between them, will Kip keep his own secrets, or reveal the truth in the name of love?

My review:

I am going to start this review by saying that I love the cover of this book. It is so simple and no half-naked men on the front of it. Not that I don’t like it (because I do), but after a while, all the men start to look the same, and I stop appreciating the covers. So this cover is refreshing.

I am going to be honest here, Annie got on my nerves after she got the job working on Kip’s campaign. I understand that her father was awful (not abusive…he liked the ladies, he was a powerful senator and well, those don’t really mix), I really do but I kinda wanted to read through my Kindle, shake her and say “Stop judging all men by what your father did, you idiot”. She also kept catching Kip at the wrong time and either storm off, slamming doors (like a flipping teenager), or she begrudgingly would allow him to explain.

She also chose to lie to Kip and Tom about who she was and use another name. Which kinda made me think, “What did she put on her I9’s and W2 form?” (I overthink when I read books sometimes). I did end up liking her in the end, but man, it was a struggle.

Oh, but Kip was just bad. He had Tom hire her only because she was Senator Cooper’s daughter, and he needed Senator Cooper to back a pipeline bill. The only issue, Kip falls for her, and it becomes this big mess. He wants to tell her the truth and but can’t because A) she said to him that men only went after her to get in good with her father and B) Tom kept telling him not to.

Speaking of Tom, I didn’t like him from the beginning. Anyone who says “Bro” at the beginning/end of every sentence has an immediate jerk status in my eyes, and oh boy, did he live up to it. Also, him keeping stuff from Kip about his campaign made him come across as a self-serving asshat. I hope that he got what was coming for him.

Kip and Annie’s romance was delightful, even though it started on the wrong foot, and the sex scenes were hot.

The end of the book was perfect and sweet.

I would give Whatever You Call Me an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Whatever You Call Me. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Tamzin Clarke v The Mummy (Tamzin Clarke: Book 2) by Lauren Stock and Robert Stock

~ Jolie ~ 3 Comments

Tamzin Clarke v the Mummy by [Stock, Lauren, Stock, Robert]

Publisher: Dragon Girl Press

Date of publication: July 23rd, 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Fantasy

Series: Tamzin Clarke

Tamzin Clarke V Jack the Ripper – Book 1 (review here)

Tamzin Clarke V The Mummy – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Life was finally getting back to normal after Jack the Ripper turned Tamzin’s town upside down. 

New excitement surrounds the Mummy Extravaganza exhibit at the science museum. Tamzin’s dad has received some of the artifacts, and he seems to have a past with the curator of the exhibit, Miral Nefertari.

Amidst all the excitement, people have started disappearing. Tamzin has been having dreams about pharaohs and priestesses from ancient Egypt. Could this have something to do with the scarab brooch she found in her father’s antique store?

Tamzin is on the case.

My review:

I am in love with this series!!

I reviewed Tamzin Clarke V Jack the Ripper back in September. I was impressed that a high schooler could write such an engaging book. Well, I am going to repeat that for this book. I am also going to say that the author is a very talented young lady (man, I sound so old saying that).

The book starts with Tamzin and Daniel talking. Daniel has told her how he feels about her, but Tamzin isn’t sure how to take it. She was flattered, and she likes him, but she has a boyfriend (Jimmy). Plus, there is the fact that he is a ghost, and he is the brother of her mother’s partner.

The next day, Tamzin is working in her dad’s antique shop when she receives a shipment of Egyptian items. They are going to be featured at the local museum in a pyramid exhibit called the Mummy Extravaganza. While she is unpacking (and checking) the items, she comes across an ankh that almost calls to her. A little weirded out (as I would be), she grabs a scarab beetle that had been shipped to her dad a few weeks ago. She puts it on (it’s like a brooch), it starts crawling on her, BITES her and she passes out. While she is passed out, she has a vision of a pharaoh and a high priestess. These, from the view of the servant girl and the pharaoh, continue throughout the book.

Not everything is OK in Tamzin’s world. Her mom is still in the hospital, recovering from her attack from Jack the Ripper. Her dad is enchanted with a new friend, the new museum curator and is at the museum helping her with the exhibit. Jimmy, her boyfriend, is growing distant with her. The only good thing is Daniel, the ghost. Tamzin is helping him try to figure out why he was murdered over 30 years ago. Also, she is forced into campaigning for Mayor Turner…who has decided to run for governor. So, yeah, she has a lot on her plate.

From there on, the book gets excellent. People are reunited, people break up, a toy monkey is trying to protect Tamzin, and The Mummy makes his appearance.

The ending was not something that I expected. I loved how the author introduced the next book (which I can’t wait to read).

How many stars will I give Tamzin Clarke V The Mummy: 5

Why: A great and inventive take on The Mummy. I would definitely let my early teen on up reading this book.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Teen

Why: No sex (some very innocent kisses), very mild violence

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Dream Maker (Nashville Nights: Book 2) by Erin McCarthy

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments

Dream Maker: A Nashville Nights Novel (Nashville Nights Series Book 2) by [McCarthy, Erin]

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 18th, 2016

Series: Nashville Nights

Heart Breaker – Book 1 

Dream Maker – Book 2

Love Taker – Book 3 (review here)

Genre: Romance

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

The bestselling author of Heart Breaker returns with another sultry Nashville Nights novel of country hits and stolen kisses, as a one-night stand turns into the beginning of an irresistible partnership.

Shane Hart loves the ladies. Like hit records, he can never have too many. Shane swore long ago never to treat a woman the way his abusive father treated his mother, but his traumatic past has kept him from making any solid commitments—even to a fiery redhead like Avery O’Leery. Shane’s happy enough to rescue her from a tight spot, but that’s as far as their connection goes—until their unforgettable liaison has him rethinking his impulse to love ’em and leave ’em.

Avery has big plans: first, shake the dust of small-town Kentucky from her boots; second, become a bona fide songwriter; and third, keep the truth hidden about her birth father  from everyone in Nashville. Nowhere on that list is she supposed to land in bed with a sexy stranger who rescues her off the street at midnight, especially if that stranger is Shane Hart. Avery’s trying not to fall for the dreamy music producer who could make or break her career. But her best-laid plans seem to be no match for a love that feels like destiny.

My review:

Before I write the review, I suggest you guys look at the titles of the author’s book and tell me what song/artist she got the title’s from. I had a clue (the lyrics kept going through my head, but I was drawing a blank on the name of the artist). It wasn’t until I decided to google the lyrics in my head that I got a hit and I was impressed.

Now, let’s get on topic with this review.

I didn’t think I would like this book. It did start on a funny note. The first  two sentences went like this:

Shane Hart never went out of the house with the sole intention of hooking up with women. Getting laid just happened to him.

I giggled when I read that because it set the tone of the first few chapters perfectly. I know I will have people reading what I wrote and go, “What is so funny about a guy who sleeps around. A manwhore?” I have a skewed sense of humor about stuff like that because when the manwhores do fall in love, they fall hard.

Shane is the brother/producer to country star Jolene Hart and her fiance/husband. The night he meets Avery O’Leery, who had been left on the side of the road by her cheating boyfriend, Ben. Shane decides to wait with her while she gets her purse back. The chemistry between them was electric, and I wasn’t surprised when they ended up together. I was surprised that Avery was a virgin when she slept with Shane and Shane was too. I also was surprised that she walked away from her encounter and left him a note that said, “Thanks for being decent.” Of course, he takes it the wrong way.

Fast forward three months later and Avery is doing pretty well for herself. She got her life together within weeks of breaking up with Ben. She landed her dream job as a junior songwriter for a publisher called Rusted Truck. She has fantastic roommates and is pretty happy with herself. But she keeps on thinking about her night with Shane.

She happens to meet Shane again when he stops by Rusted Truck, shopping. They (her boss and Shane) happen to hear her playing a song that she had written and wanted to run it by his sister. While there, he also fuels the rumor mill when he asks her out to dinner. He also asks her if she was pregnant in front of her friend and coworker. I was mentally shaking my head at this point. Avery could get fired because she isn’t supposed to be involved with clients in any way outside of the office.

Avery also has a huge secret that she is keeping. Not going to tell.

Shane has a secret too. His mother was beaten on an almost daily basis by his father, and if Shane got between them, he would get beaten also. He has been affected by what happened (I mean who wouldn’t be) to the point where he doesn’t ever celebrate his birthday. I felt awful for him because he was almost held hostage by what his father did, years ago, and it nearly cost him his relationship with Avery.

The end of the book was pretty explosive. A whole lot of stuff happened and was revealed. But it ended in what I consider a HEA.

How many stars will I give Dream Maker? 3.5/4

Why? A sensual romance that keeps you reading. There was a small lag in the middle of the book but the author did a great job of getting momentum up in the book.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why? Lots of hot steamy sex, some violence (which includes a fist fight in a music studio) and language.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Escape Aether (The Trinity Key Trilogy: Book 2) by L.M. Fry

~ Jolie ~ 3 Comments

Escape Aether: A Teen Steampunk Novel (The Trinity Key Trilogy of the Aehter Series Book 2) by [Fry, L.M.]

Publisher: Eleah Enterprises

Date of publication: March 30th, 2016

Series: The Trinity Key Trilogy

Into Aether – Book 1 (review here)

Escape Aether – Book 2

Save Aether – Book 3

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Steampunk

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Valera longs to escape her sheltered life and overbearing mother. She just never imagines that her opportunity would arrive after being kidnapped.
Now she has a decision to make: face a world filled with danger and discover her own power, or return home where it’s safe and live in a gilded cage.

My review:

What an amazing 2nd book of the Trinity Key Trilogy!!

Escape Aether starts right where Into Aether leaves off, Valera being shoved off the airship platform. Julia kidnapped Valera because she believes that Valera can help her merge the rest of the Trinity Key. After saving Valera, they head straight away to Subterria. That’s where Julia thinks that her father had kept her part of the Trinity Key. Unfortunately, Subterria is in the middle of a civil war, caused when Julia’s father attacked Harmony’s Circus and Harem of the Horrific. While they are there, they meet up with Marcus Corvus, Valera’s step-uncle. Who was even eviler than I remembered in the first book. It is in Subterria that Valera starts harnessing aether and discovers that she can use/control heat.

Then the book shifts to Theo, who is still in Aetherland with her mother, father, Victor, Vivi, Nessie, and Victoria. Theo had discovered that she could cause storms and control lighting. She can also speak to Valera in her mind, but that link has been muted for some reason. The only reason that she knows Valera is alive is that she can still draw on aether. If Valera were dead, then she wouldn’t be able to draw on it. She makes the decision, with Victor and Nessie, that she is going back to Subterria to get Valera back. They get to Subterria shortly after Julia and Valera but get held up after Theo is attacked by Rufus Corvus. She is saved from him (and well, he was pushed to his death) by Victor and Benji, the strong man of Harmony’s circus. His death was awful. I had dreams of being crushed beneath gears for a few nights after I finished the book.

While they are there, they find out that Valera is willingly with Julia and that upsets both Theo and Victor. Valera does apologize to Theo and she wants Theo to tell her family that she loves them.

I’m sorry Theo. This is something I have to do. Tell my family that I love them.

They also find Titus, Victor and Valera’s stepfather, in the dungeon and decide to take him home to Victoria. When they arrive home, they are met by members of the Elder’s guard, which Theo takes out with aether. After she is taken into custody, she is charged, by the Elders of Aether, with heresy and treason. All because she and Valera combined their two keys.

On the Julia and Valera front, things aren’t going as well. After finding out that her father didn’t have the key, Julia decides to head to Boulder, Colorado. She is looking for a town called Goldsville. That is where her father’s vault is. While they were out on their adventure, Marcus finds Goldsville and where he thinks the vault might be, Azure Springs. So they head off to there.

Not going to go much into the book after this point. But I will say there is so much packed into the last half of the book, that it was hard for me to put down. Also, to see Julia and Valera’s transformations during the book was excellent.

I had started off the book not liking Julia. But as the book went on, and I read more and more about her life, I began to feel bad for her. Let’s say that she had it rough.

Valera had been hidden from the world by an overprotective mother and it showed. By the time Marcus came into the story, she was starting to develop a backbone. Her interactions with Marcus made her stronger.

The ending was not what I expected, but it was perfect. Not everything gets resolved and there are even more problems. I can’t wait to read the next book and see how the trilogy ends!!

How many stars will I give Escape Aether? 4

Why? A well-written steampunk/dystopia/fantasy. Very vividly written with great world-building, this is a series that stays with you even after you are done reading it.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Teen

Why: Very clean. No sex (just a few kissing scenes with Theo and Victor). Mild violence and no language.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**