ARC Review: Dark Swan (Otherworld Assassin #3) by Gena Showalter

Dark Swan

The Otherword Assassin #2.5

by Gena Showalter

*ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Blurb via Goodreads:

The Alien Huntress series is back with fan favorite AIR agent Dallas Gutierrez from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling paranormal romance author Gena Showalter, who doesn’t disappoint with this sizzling hot alpha hero.

Lilica Swan isn’t quite human or otherworlder; she is the best—and worst—of both.

She is willing to do whatever proves necessary to save her sister from the seductive and deadly Alien Investigation and Removal agent, Dallas Gutierrez, even bonding her lifeforce to his by effectively marrying him. But the bond will fade without consummation. Can Dallas resist his insatiable desire for the powerful beauty? Or will she lead to his ultimate downfall?

About the Author

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels. Her series include White Rabbit Chronicles, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, Lords of the Underworld, Alien Huntress and Intertwined.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated all over the world. The critics have called her books "sizzling page-turners" and "utterly spellbinding stories", while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”. 

Connect with Gena:   Facebook    Twitter     Goodreads     Website 

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My Review

I was hesitant to start Dark Swan because it's been so long since I've read the others books in the Otherworld Assassin series. I'm so glad I jumped right back to it. It was so easy to just fall right back into the world that Gena created in this series. The characters are so magnetic, aggressive but charming in this... gritty sort of way. Lilica (such an awesome name) is such a well crafted, head strong character. You want her to conquer the world. Save her sister who has lost her way. She and her sisters lived one hell of a life... if you can even call it a living. Lab rats basically. Enter Dallas... sigh worthy, gritty, sexy Dallas. He lived a hellish life as well. They make an add pairing but you can't seem to get enough of them when Lilica accidentally bonds them together.

Steamy, sexy, gritty, heart-stopping.... I couldn't get enough.

I was sad that this wasn't a long, full length novel. Being a 2.5, these were two characters that I would've read a 500 page novel on just because I couldn't seem to get enough of them.

Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars
Cover Rating: 3 Stars
Plot: 5 Stars - Plenty of ups, downs, highs & lows. You cheer & you rail for and at the characters.
Climax: 5 Stars! Crazy how the power was there all along.
Ending: 5 Stars (I was so sad that it was wrapping up and ending. Pretty sure I pouted aloud as I read the last few pages.)

ARC Review: Can't Let Go (Original Heartbreakers) by Gena Showalter

Can't Let Go

The Original Heartbreakers #5

by Gena Showalter

*ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Blurb via Goodreads:

With trust issues a mile long, Ryanne Wade has sworn off men.  Then Jude Laurent walks into her bar and all bets are off.  The former Army Ranger has suffered unimaginably, first being maimed in battle then losing his wife and daughters to a drunk driver. Making the brooding widower smile is priority one. Resisting him? Impossible.

To Jude, Ryanne is off limits. And yet the beautiful bartender who serves alcohol to potential motorists tempts him like no other. When a rival bar threatens her livelihood, and her life, he can’t turn away.  She triggers something in him he thought long buried, and he’s determined to protect her, whatever the cost.

As their already scorching attraction continues to heat, the damaged soldier knows he must let go of his past to hold on to his future...or risk losing the second chance he desperately needs.

About the Author

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels. Her series include White Rabbit Chronicles, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, Lords of the Underworld, Alien Huntress and Intertwined.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated all over the world. The critics have called her books "sizzling page-turners" and "utterly spellbinding stories", while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”. 

Connect with Gena:   Facebook    Twitter     Goodreads     Website 

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My Review

Gena Showalter knocked it out of the emotional ballpark with Can't Let Go! It has been, by far, my favorite of the Original Heartbreakers Series. Jude is the most addictive male role to date in the series (at least for me he was!) and I adored Ryanne's spunk, independent, take no crap attitude. It's hard to find lead female characters that do not annoy me at least once throughout a novel. Ryanne's constant sexual banter back and forth with Jude was absolute perfection. She was the one flame that was able to melt the ice surrounding his tattered heart. They had amazing chemistry that basically slid right off of the pages. 

The plot is fast paced with never a dull-moment. The entire cast in this series are so well-crafted that I feel like I could jump in my car, drive to this Strawberry lovin' small town, and pop in Ryanne's bar for a drink with these folks. I live in a small town but this world that Gena Showalter has crafted makes me green with envy! Everyone is so close but not of the nosey variety (mostly anyways ha). 

One of my favorite Jude moments: "Every day, in a thousand different ways, you undo me, love. You're my world." Take a moment... swoon.... Who knew Jude, the ice-cold, stone hearted, bitter soldier could rock my literary world with words? He's amazing. 

Overall, huge 5 Star read for me. Loved it! I can't wait for Brock & Lyndie's story!!!!!


Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Cover Rating: 4 Stars
Plot: 5 Stars - Plenty of ups, downs, highs & lows. You cheer & you rail for and at the characters.
Climax: 5 Stars!
Ending: 5 Stars <-- LOVED the epilogue!

ARC Review: Can't Hardly Breathe by Gena Showalter (The Original Heartbreakers Series)

Can't Hardly Breathe

The Original Heartbreakers #4

by Gena Showalter

*ARC received directly from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Blurb via Goodreads:

Bullied in high school, Dorothea Mathis's past is full of memories she'd rather forget. But there's one she can't seem to shake—her long-standing crush on former army ranger Daniel Porter. Now that the sexy bad boy has started using her inn as his personal playground, she should kick him out…but his every heated glance makes her want to join him instead.  

Daniel returned to Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma, to care for his ailing father and burn off a little steam with no strings attached. Though he craves curvy Dorothea night and day, he's as marred by his past as she is by hers. The more he desires her, the more he fears losing her.  

But every sizzling encounter leaves him desperate for more, and soon Daniel must make a choice: take a chance on love or walk away forever.

About the Author

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels. Her series include White Rabbit Chronicles, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, Lords of the Underworld, Alien Huntress and Intertwined.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated all over the world. The critics have called her books "sizzling page-turners" and "utterly spellbinding stories", while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”. 

Connect with Gena:   Facebook    Twitter     Goodreads     Website 

Grab Your Copy When It Hits Shelves

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My Review

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC Paperback copy of Can't Hardly Breathe from Gena Showalter. I've read each book in The Original Heartbreakers Series and loved them all so far. I was hoping that I would love this one but I always get a little worried when series move past three books.

I absolutely had no reason to be worried. Gena Showalter continued with this series in the best way possible. Her amazingly crafted characters were solid, emotional, relatable, broken but healing, and unforgettable. The lead female character, Dorothea (Thea), is learning to love herself after being bullied most of her life, cheated on by her ex-husband, and losing the baby she had just found out was growing inside of her. Our absolutely drool-worthy hunk of a broken war hero, Daniel Porter, is the perfect blend of masculine prowess, heart of gold, good intentioned, and natural born protector.

Dorothea knocks his socks off with her raincoat sans nothing else attempt at seduction which sets our plot in a heady, lust-filled, twisting and turning tornado which kept me glued to the pages. I didn't want the story to end. I was sad there wasn't an epilogue but absolutely thrilled with the tiny glimpse at the next couple to be featured in the Original Heartbreakers Series. I can't wait for their story!

Overall, epic story of two seeming broken souls who have to overcome their own fears and insecurities to finally be able to look towards the future and stop looking back. Huge 5 stars for me.

Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Cover Rating: 4 Stars
Plot: 5 Stars - Plenty of ups, downs, highs & lows. You cheer & you rail for and at the characters.
Climax: 5 Stars!
Ending: 5 Stars <-- Would've LOVED an epilogue.

Review & Excerpt: Hades (Demonica) by Larissa Ione!!!!

 

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Review & Excerpt Tour for Larissa Ione's HADES! HADES is a novella in Larissa's Demonica Series as part of the 1001 Dark Nights Collection and is exclusively available as Amazon Kindle and Paperback. Grab the latest installment in this sexy series!

 

Amazon US Kindle ** Amazon Paperback ** Amazon UK Kindle

    About HADES: A fallen angel with a mean streak and a mohawk, Hades has spent thousands of years serving as Jailor of the Underworld. The souls he guards are as evil as they come, but few dare to cross him. All of that changes when a sexy fallen angel infiltrates his prison and unintentionally starts a riot. It’s easy enough to quell an uprising, but for the first time, Hades is torn between delivering justice — or bestowing mercy — on the beautiful female who could be his salvation…or his undoing. Thanks to her unwitting participation in another angel’s plot to start Armageddon, Cataclysm was kicked out of Heaven and is now a fallen angel in service of Hades’s boss, Azagoth. All she wants is to redeem herself and get back where she belongs. But when she gets trapped in Hades’s prison domain with only the cocky but irresistible Hades to help her, Cat finds that where she belongs might be in the place she least expected…   

About Larissa Ione: Larissa Ione is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. An Air Force veteran, she traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.      

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The thought of living one more day the way he’d lived the last five thousand years made him want to throw up as he prowled the length of his crypt until he swore the soles of his boots cried out for mercy.

Azagoth had left him hours ago with all kinds of assurances that Cat wouldn’t be harshly punished for what she’d done. But Azagoth’s idea of “harsh” was a lot different from Hades’s. Well, not usually, but for Cat, definitely.

Hades just hoped Azagoth hadn’t suspected that anything had gone on between them. Technically, Hades hadn’t gone against Azagoth’s orders, but the Grim Reaper wasn’t a fan of technicalities. And if he did anything to punish Cat for what Hades had done, Hades would fight that bastard until he was too dead to fix.

Snarling, Hades threw his fist into the wall. Never, not in his entire life, had he felt this way about a female. Hell, he hadn’t felt this way about anything. Oh, he’d always been passionate about meting out justice, but this was a different kind of passion. This was an all-consuming desire to be with someone. To be something better for that someone.

He hadn’t known Cat for long, but in their brief time together, he’d shared things he’d always kept private. He’d given comfort and had been comforted. He’d wanted, and he’d been wanted back.

She wants to go back to Heaven, idiot.

Yeah, then there was that. The chances of going back were extremely slim, given that in all of angelic existence, only a handful of fallen angels had been offered the opportunity. But just the fact that she wanted to go was troubling.

Oh, he understood. Who would choose to live in the grim darkness of the underworld when they could flit around in light and luxury? But dammit, Cat was wanted down here. Could he make her see that?

Closing his eyes, he braced his forehead on the cool stone wall he’d just punched. Pain wracked him and not just because he’d broken bones in his hand and they were knitting together with agonizing speed. That pain was nothing compared to the ache in his heart.

He needed to be with Cat, but how? He supposed he could try reasoning with Azagoth. Sometimes the guy wasn’t completely unbending. Especially now that he had Lilliana. She’d leveled him out, had given him a new perspective on life and relationships.

But would it be enough?

Because one thing was certain. If Hades couldn’t have Cat in his life, then Azagoth had saved it for nothing.

 *Fans Face*

You know, as a young child, we grow up watching movies where Hades is portrayed as a nasty, decrepid, definitely not a

 

 

 

Happy Release Day & Review: Snow White Lies by Sarah J. Pepper

Snow White Lies

Twisted Fairytale Confessions

by Sarah J. Pepper

Cover Art: Sarah Storm, Wilcox Photography, Platinum Imagery and Design

*ARC given directly from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Evil poisons everyone. Period. Our mouths water when we sink our teeth into what we have always craved. Surrendering to our desires by biting off delectable piece of the forbidden fruit is nothing more than a meager confession: Poison tastes sinfully sweet,”—Confessions of the Big Apple Debutante, by blogger Miss Snow White.

Grab Your Copy:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1B4MhLF

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Kobo: http://bit.ly/1FZNyDp

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1wWXUz4

I specialize in dark, paranormal romance – think “happy ever after” but with a twisted, dark chocolate center. Real-life romance isn’t only filled with hugs, kisses, unicorns, and rainbows. True-love can be more thoroughly described in times of darkness and tribulation. It’s in those harsh moments where you see what a person is truly capable of – both the good and bad. Sometimes prince-charming isn’t always on time, and the glass slipper is a little snug. However, it doesn’t mean Charming is not Mr. Right, and who says every shoe is the perfect fit?

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I have loved the other two Twisted Fairytale novels written by Sarah Pepper. I knew I'd end up loving this one as well because of the synopsis & overall idea of this novel. The cover! Ahh! The cover is amazing just like the other two in this series. So, so eye catching! I was super excited to get my hands on this baby!

 But.... This one is definitely my least favorite of the three. :( It started out with a bang, I was loving it, and then it just started to feel like I was walking in circles. It's hard to describe. The characters & overall world built in this novel, the twist on the old fashion 7 dwarfs, was great. It was dark, gritty, and full of action. 

The first bit when you're trying to learn who is who was a little difficult. It was a tiny bit hard to keep up with because so many characters were introduced so quickly which jumbled up my mind a little. I loved the Huntsman but would've loved to have seen more of him in the present and not so much in the past. I won't lie... I sort of skipped several flashbacks because I felt like the story wasn't  moving in the present fast enough. I wanted to see more of the Huntsman & Snow White together. Just them interacting and not so much back and forth. I truly loved the dwarfs but I won't lie and say that they're easy to keep up with. LOL It's hard to remember and really create their identity within your imagination and hold it there when there are so many other characters bouncing around.

I know of all of that sounds so negative... ack. I don't mean to be a total debbie-downer because at the end, I really did enjoy the novel overall. The pace of the novel picks back up near the last quarter and I didn't want to put it down. It sort of had highs & lows for me. I'll definitely continue to read anything else this author puts out. This one just didn't quite live up to my hype. Maybe that's my fault. I've loved the other two sooooo much that I just expected the same thing from this one. : / 

So overall, I liked it, not my favorite, but I did like it. 

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

Cover Rating: 5 Huge Stars

Plot: 3.5 Stars

Characters: 3.5 Stars

Climax: 4 Stars

Ending: 4 Stars

Review, Guest Post, Giveaway: Beast Charming by Jenniffer Wardell

Beast Charming

by Jenniffer Wardell

Fairytale Retelling

Fiction/Fantasy/Comedy/Romance

Published by Jolly Fish Press

*ARC obtained directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Synopsis:

Beauty Tremain had spent her life being thrown into the path
of ogres and noblemen by her title-hungry father, Noble
Tremain (whose name is really Frank.) Escaping the bonds of her
sadistic matchmaker father to work for a dragon-owned temp
agency, Beauty hesitantly takes a mysterious job working for
a butler in an enormous mansion. When the mansion’s owner,
James Hightower, proves to be a seven-foot-tall brooding beast
with the bad habit of hurling statuary from the rooftop, it’s up to Beauty to roll up her sleeves and
argue her way to a paycheck.
When Beauty and James start having feelings for each other, however, they determine their
relationship is the least of their concerns. Beauty’s father re-enters the scene armed with lawsuits
and threats. To add to the chaos, James’s mischievous ex-fiancee shows up to reclaim him.
Beauty and the beast need to somehow control their tempers long enough to return the favors
with schemes of their own.

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Jenniffer Wardell is a fantasy romance author and general fairy godmother-at-large. She's always on the lookout for witty dialogue and a well-earned happily-ever after. Anyone who wants to chat or trade jokes can find her at http://www.facebook.com/JennifferWardell, https://twitter.com/wardellwriter, http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com or http://jennifferwardell.tumblr.com.

Meet the characters: Beast Charming

by Jenniffer Wardell

    When you really want to get to know a character, describing their hair and eyes simply aren't going to cut it. Raven tresses and emerald eyes tell you nothing about the character's sense of humor, temper, hopes or dreams.

    So, with my new book, "Beast Charming," I've decided on what I hope is a more effective introduction. I've chosen a passage from the book that I think gives a pretty good insight into the character's personality.

Beauty (Yes, that's really her birth name. She hates it)

From the book:

   Three hours later, there was still no sign of him.

   Since that time had included a dinner featuring Waverly’s melt-in-your mouth roast, Beauty took the continued absence as a clear sign that JamesBeast was an idiot. Of course, since she was the one who’d gotten herself lost in the middle of the rapidly darkening woods trying to find him, it was probably a case of the gnome calling the gremlin short.

   She muttered insults at both of them as she pushed aside a low-hanging branch, ducking out of the way before it could snap back and smack her in the face.  She’d had the genius idea of following the trampled undergrowth, completely ignoring the fact that she could have been following a very angry bear for the last 20 twenty minutes who would now have every right to sue her for stalking. That, or she was walking in an enormous circle, and JamesBeast was hidden somewhere watching and laughing his head off.

James (a.k.a. Beast, a.k.a. the most stubborn man on the planet)

From the book:

   Hating the guilt he could feel threatening to overtake him, he dropped the girl and watched while she scrambled into a sitting position. “Did you get the answer you were looking— Not that farway, you idiot …. . ..” James Beast  cut off the rest of the threat to reach forward and grab the girl again, stopping her panicked retreat straight back into the middle of the thorny bush he’d yanked her out of. He picked her back up, and lookeding for a place he could put her back down without having to rescue her again. When she started sobbing, he shook her a little. “Stop it. I’m trying to help you run away without the chance ofyour collapsing in the woods and dying of blood loss.” He pointed towards the front of the house, hoping Waverly wasn’t anywhere near a window at the moment. “Do you think you’re capable of escaping that way without doing any more injury to yourself?”

Waverly (Like Cher and Madonna, he's cool enough that he doesn't need a second name)

From the book:

   His expression turned rueful. “I’m afraid that my larger purpose in hiring you isn’t nearly as intricate as James undoubtedly believes it to be.” He moved closer, smile flickering again.   “Though I must admit to being flattered that he’s overestimated my genius in such a manner.”

   “Any chance you could let me in on what that larger purpose is?” she asked, lifting her hands in a helpless gesture. “If I know where we’re supposed to be going with this, it might help me restrain the urge to hit the man with something heavy.”

   Waverly raised an eyebrow, the gesture so much more expressive than when she did it that Beauty was briefly tempted to start practicing the look in front of the mirror. “If either of you had paid proper attention in the library, you would realize I’ve already explained the complete extent of my ‘secret plot’ to both of you.”

 Oh my goodness. This author just continues to blow me away. Jenniffer Wardell has this amazing, witty sense of humor that interweaves into her storytelling. Her writing just flows effortlessly for me. Beast Charming was thrilling, refreshing, full of wit, charm, & an amazing bit of humor all mingled together. It brought about new life to an old, classic fairytale!

The characters were stunningly crafted! I'm actually having an internal debate about whether or not I loved this version of Beauty & the Beast more so than the original cartoon... Yes... it was THAT good. 

Reading Jenniffer's guest post above (THANK YOU FOR THAT JW!), you'll immediately get a sense of what I mean when I say that the characters are perfect. Beauty is strong, independent, and oh so smart-mouthed. Hehe. I loved her! It's so nice to see a female lead who isn't afraid to take charge and go after what she wants. She's lived a horrible life thanks to her father pushing her on every prince & single noble man within a million mile radius. Her & her sister... I don't envy them for being the laugh of the ball at times. But they kept their heads high & they finally managed to get away from him to live their own lives. 

Beast! I really, really loved his character. I liked the strength and the internal debate that he had going on within himself. He was a "beast" of a business man until he literally became, well... a beast. Then he shut himself out of the business world, not wanting people to see him looking more like his nickname. Waverly! Ah! I think he's truly one of my favorite characters in the entire novel. I loved every time he graced the pages. He had this calm sense of all-knowing about him that just hypnotized me. 

The plot was great! I wasn't expecting some of the twists and turns that Jenniffer took while working through their story! 

Overall, perfect 2nd novel by Miss Wardell. I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!!!! 


Overall rating: 5 Stars
Cover rating: 5 Stars PLUS! Do you see that cover?!? I'd love to have it framed on my wall! 
Characters: 4.5 Stars <-- I would've loved to have seen more of Beauty's sister. I really enjoyed her sister but I almost felt, at times, like she fell a little too far into the background here and there when she should've stood out more. But overall, I did love everyone! 
Plot: 5 Stars
Climax: 5 Stars
Ending: 5 Huge Stars! So glad to see they got what was coming to them! (And that Beauty went back for the vines hehe - I'm so glad the author added that bit into the ending!!!!!!!) 

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