All posts by Kelly S

#Review #Giveaway – Falling Stars (The B Side) by JL Brooks

 

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Drugs, Sex, & EDM

It had all the makings of a perfect plot, and for bestselling author Lila Keaton-it was a hedonistic past she kept hidden far away. Many nights were spent crossing the velvet rope, dancing until dawn and bedding one of the worlds biggest DJ’s, Hunter Michaels AKA Arial Assault.

When Lila’s agent uncovers her thrilling secret, it appears as if nothing is off limits when it comes to pitching the story, whether Lila wants to tell it or not. Despite knowing her reluctance is career suicide, she cannot bring herself to open her heart once more to the man who nearly destroyed it.

Given the opportunity to escape her predicament, Hunter attempts to reconcile the pain he has caused, and rekindle the passion that was abandoned long ago. When a series of events causes history to repeat itself, Lila sets off unaccompanied through out the west to test her boundaries with the sensual and surreal, and ultimately come face to face with the only thing that can keep her from falling.

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kellys review

Falling Stars consumed me, tore my heart up, turns wickedly hot, then all of a sudden I am left here with my mouth wide open. I did not see this happening. There is a crazy turn of events that occur throughout this entire book. This book is intense, gritty, and stays with you. I cannot get it out of my head! Such a book hangover!

So, I will tell you a little about the story but not much detail because I absolutely cannot give anything away. Lila is an author and is at a crossroads. She can’t write and is handing in her resignation. Hunter comes rushing back into her life but she has many reservations as they have a deep, dark, dirty, and loud past together. Their past is incredibly intense. Lots of music, drugs, and alcohol. Then Grant gets put in the mix. He protects Lila and gives her what she thinks she needs. When things seem to be too good, they usually are. This is one instance in the book that catches you by surprise. Things get so crazy (in the best way possible). I totally felt like I was going to get the happily ever after that most people crave. But out of nowhere this twisted, contorted, bombshell gets tossed in the mix and you are in an entirely different world. I thought it was over but was far from it. I never seen this coming! When you read this, you will know exactly what I am talking about.

“Love grows in waves the way bass grows in waves, and just like bass, sometimes you have to step back from the speaker to really feel it.”

“I never realized what kind of power I had in my hands. I misused it, took it for granted, and now that it’s gone, I wonder if I will ever get it back. And if I do, can I be trusted not to do the same thing again? Words are like drugs, they have the power to harm and to heal. Build empires or destroy lives. Who am I without them?” I didn’t want a response. I knew life would go on, one foot in front of the other.”

“In the morning, everything looked different. The magic was gone, and it was time to go home. My memories are different than most. When I think back upon the scene, I do not see stars. There is only a fragment of space in which we ruled the night and held on for as long as the ride would allow. Some of us made it, and many fell behind.”

I could go on and on with favorite parts of the book but then what would the fun in that be? If you want to experience all the feels…then this is the book for you. Not your typical happily ever after but not everyone’s happily ever after is the same. And this one is perfect!

Buy-Links

Amazon

about-the-author

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JL Brooks is a former columnist turned novelist. What started as a bet changed her entire course in life. With a passion for adventure, she believes everyone has a story to tell. Chances are she will try to convince you to tell yours.

 

Title:  Falling Stars (The B Side)

Author:  JL Brooks

Publication date:  March 16, 2016

Model:  Jase Dan

Photographer:  Scott Hoover

 

 

 

 

#Review – Fractured Palace by RJ Loom – Blog Tour – #WOTR Attending Author

Title: Fractured Palace

Author: R.J. Loom

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Standalone

Release Date: March 22, 2016 

They say home is where the heart is. 

Ashton Roberts never understood that saying. Heart couldn’t be found anywhere in the rundown bungalow she grew up in. It also couldn’t be found in the luxury estate she moved into when her mother married her stepfather. 

All Ashton wants is to get her degree, meet Mr. Right and find the happy stable life she never had. But when life constantly throws her curve balls, she begins to wonder if it really is just a pipe dream.

Until she runs into her former neighbor, Reed Collins.

As a child, Reed had always been Ashton’s silent protector. As an adult, he is everything she has ever dreamed of in a man. If only he didn’t keep her at arms length. But as things heat up, guards drop and secrets are revealed which toss Ash back into the turmoil surrounding a tragic event from her youth. 

Will Ashton let her past fracture the perfect picture of her future? Or will the meaning of loyalty, family and love be redefined?

After laying out rugs and putting away towels she began a battle with the packaging for the shower curtain rings. The plastic was sealed on all sides and no amount of tugging or biting at the edges would tear it open. She growled in frustration.

“Uh…Ash?” Reed chuckled from his bedroom. “You okay in there?”

Great. He heard her. “Yeah,” she called out. “I just can’t get this package open. Do you have any scissors?”

“Hang on…”

Ashton continued her fight then hissed as the plastic edge sliced into her thumb.

Reed appeared in the doorway and held out his hand. “Give it here.”

Happy to get rid of the stupid package, she tossed it to him, then stuck her thumb in her mouth to suck away the sting. As he began to struggle with the container, his eyes lowered to her mouth. They lingered there for a moment before he lifted them to meet her own. “Are you all right?”

She removed her thumb from her mouth and inspected it for any bleeding. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she dismissed, tucking her hand in her back pocket of her jeans as if she could hide the fact she was just sucking her thumb.

Fortunately, her slight embarrassment was short lived. With one last hard tug, the package popped open and shower curtains rings flew everywhere. They ricocheted off of the medicine cabinet, sink and walls before scattering all over the floor and in the bathtub. But it was the one ominous plop which came from behind her that was cause for concern. Reed must have heard it at the same time because he stepped forward just as she turned. A lone chrome shower curtain ring sparkled back at them from the bottom of the toilet.

Ashton swung her head around and locked eyes with Reed in alarm. “Injured,” she called out, thrusting her hand in the air as if she were holding up a free pass.

“Oh yeah?” Reed chuckled and raised a brow.

“Yeah.” She nodded solemnly, cradling her hand to her chest. The small, barely visible slice in her thumb had suddenly and conveniently become a grave situation. “I could contract MRSA or some other nasty infection.”

His eyes flicked down to her hands then back up to meet her gaze. “Well, we wouldn’t want that.”

“No, we wouldn’t,” she agreed, narrowing her eyes as a smile slowly crept across his face. The smile would not have been worrisome had it been a regular smile. No, this smile should have warned her to take a step back. Instead, she got lost in the way it reached his eyes and showed off his white, almost perfectly straight teeth.

“Good thing your other hand is fine,” he pointed out just as he lunged forward to try to grab her wrist.

“No!” She squealed, jumping out of the way.

He laughed and pushed one of his shirt sleeves up. “I’m kidding, Ash. I wouldn’t do that.” Shaking his head, he turned back to the toilet. “I’m going in.”

Ashton watched from the safety of the doorway as Reed swooped in to retrieve the shower curtain ring. He tossed it into the sink then washed it and his hands, going all the way up to his elbows. After he was done, he flicked water at her then grabbed a towel.

Reed’s eyes met hers as he dried his hands. Their laughter died off and silence stretched between them. Eventually, he cleared his throat and averted his gaze to the floor. A crease formed between his brows and she wondered what he could possibly be thinking.

“Ash …,” he began and lifted his eyes back to hers. In that brief moment, Ashton’s heart beat faster and she swore she felt some kind of connection with Reed she had never felt before. She wondered if it was her imagination or simply anticipation for what he was about to say. Most likely, it was a combination of both.

“Jackpot!” Danny announced from the bedroom, shattering the moment. “I found Reed’s spank bank!”

In spite of the horrible timing, Ashton could not help but burst out laughing. Reed groaned and stepped toward where she stood in the doorway. They both looked over to find Danny with a huge grin on his face as he held up a couple copies of some car magazine.

She shook her head and turned back to Reed. “You share a gene pool with that one.”

“Yeah,” he said, running a hand over the back of his head before he looked back over toward his room. “Hey, Danny. Why don’t you go outside, dig a hole, jump into it and bury yourself,” Reed suggested as if it were a great idea.

This only made Danny laugh harder.  

“I’m just messing with him, Ash,” Reed murmured in her ear before he stepped passed her.

She knew he had been but her curiosity over what he had been about to say made her reach out to grab his arm to stop him. “Wait, what were you about to say in there,” she asked, inclining her back toward the bathroom.

His eyes shifted from the bathroom over to meet hers. He smiled but it was nothing like the smile he wore only a few minutes earlier. This one was weak at best. “Oh…nothing important,” he said with a shake of his head. Hooking a thumb over his shoulder, he took a step back. “I better get back to this so I have a bed to sleep in tonight.”

“Okay.” Ashton released his arm and watched as he walked back into his room.

kellys review

Oh my gods! Wow! Put your pajamas on, get your tissues, and settle in for the long haul. This is not a story that you can just pick up and put down whenever you get tired, need to eat, or even go to the bathroom. This is a story of love, sacrifice, and finding one’s self. Perfectly flawed fairytale!

We start the story off with Ashton. She is at a party and has to make a split decision to call her stepdad to pick her up. After she is picked and is gearing for an arguement they go look for her mother. She is dead. Ashton feels like she has been through it all. She has had a shabby home and upbringing, watched a string of boyfriends come in and out of her home, and was in the middle of her mother’s addictions. Her mother cleaned up, married her stepdad, and things went well until her mother relapsed and ended up dead. It was a devastating time but her stepdad continued to support Ashton. Ashton always knew what she didn’t want and worked incredibly hard to do everything in her power not to end up like her mother. Only this didn’t work out to her advantage. She constantly fell into bad relationships but the one thing that always seemed to help was her old friend, Reed. He always seemed to be there when she needed him. This goes back as far as her being 5. They used to be neighbors and Reed, along with his mother and brother, helped look after Ashton when she was in a bad spot at home. They would lose touch due to their age differences but he always popped up when she needed him most. Everything moves along and you just know this is going to work but Reed is beating himself up about something. Some terrible secret, some darkness, that he just can’t shake. This is where I leave you to find out the rest of the story. The twists and turns you are about to embark on cannot be given in a review. The only way to find out is to experience the emotions that both of these characters deal with. New love, turmoil, guilt, what-if’s….If you want it, this story has got it!

“It was all Ashton wanted, to be happy . She wanted the fairy tale with a Prince Charming, palaces and happy endings. Unfortunately, all she seemed to get was the part of damsel in distress. And it sucked.”

“So you’re the ‘Expect nothing from me. I get bored easily, guy’?” Reed chuckled and shook his head. “No, Ash. I’m just a guy who hasn’t found the girl I want to shape my world around. Simple as that.” Her brows pulled together in a frown. It was a sweet sentiment but something didn’t sit well with her. “Reed, you shouldn’t have to change for anyone.” His lips tilted up in a half grin. “I know. It’s the willingness that would be telling. And the right girl, would be willing to shape her world to include me in it too.”“Good answer, Mr. Collins,” she teased, even though she may have slightly melted on the inside.”

“My point is you cannot assume the motivations of others. You can judge but you have no idea what pushes people to make decisions that are unlawful or immoral. Sometimes , they may feel it is their only option.”

Perfectly flawed! This is an incredible journey to follow. Once I started reading I could NOT put the book down. It is exhausting chasing after fairy tales that don’t exist…but their fairytale is incredibly different and soooooo worth the read. If you have made it this far into my review I am not exactly sure what you are waiting for…you want a sweet love story? Go somewhere else. You want an emotional feelcoaster that is witty, funny, but also enough to break your heart and put it back together??? This is the story you NEED! A MUST READ!

R.J. Loom was born and raised along the shores of Lake Erie in Ohio, where she still resides with her husband, two children and two spoiled dogs. She loves books, music, travel and anyone with a great sense of humor. When she’s not writing, she can be found with her nose in a book, looking for more books to add to her “to-be-read” pile or spending time with her family.

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Falling Stars-The B Side Blog Tour by JLBrooks

Title:  Falling Stars

Author:  JL Brooks

Publication date:  March 16, 2016

Model:  Jase Dean

Photographer:  Scott Hoover

JLFallingStarsBookCover6x9-updated

Drugs, Sex, & EDM

It had all the makings of a perfect plot, and for bestselling author Lila Keaton-it was a hedonistic past she kept hidden far away. Many nights were spent crossing the velvet rope, dancing until dawn and bedding one of the worlds biggest DJ’s, Hunter Michaels AKA Arial Assault.

When Lila’s agent uncovers her thrilling secret, it appears as if nothing is off limits when it comes to pitching the story, whether Lila wants to tell it or not. Despite knowing her reluctance is career suicide, she cannot bring herself to open her heart once more to the man who nearly destroyed it.

Given the opportunity to escape her predicament, Hunter attempts to reconcile the pain he has caused, and rekindle the passion that was abandoned long ago. When a series of events causes history to repeat itself, Lila sets off unaccompanied through out the west to test her boundaries with the sensual and surreal, and ultimately come face to face with the only thing that can keep her from falling.

Add to GoodReads

JLFallingStarsBookCover6x9_BW_340-updated

Soulless (Once Wicked Series) by Sarah J Pepper

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synopsis

Our love is imperfect in the most perfect way. It is love done our way. Raw. Unconventional. Sexy as hell. Most importantly, it is honest to the core, or so I think. One little, white lie shouldn’t do so much damage. Yet, it changes me forever.

The worst part is that Declan whispered that sweet nothing out of protection. My safety is on the forefront of his mind, especially since there are others who’d hurt me simply to get at him. I never think that he would be the one to cut me so deeply. And it all starts with that first prick—the night he saved my life.

 

excerpt

His perilous stare deepened as his grip fastened around my waist. The maniacal thoughts passing over his eyes confirmed that I wasn’t the only one who wanted all the space between us eliminated.

I

could hardly breathe when his gaze fell to my lips. It left me speechless. It was the very way a passing glance could leave you without words. But Declan didn’t just take a glimpse. No, he unapologetically looked me over. He

loved

me, but didn’t say them in so many words. Yet, I heard them all the same. I heard them with each moan that echoed in the air. I felt them as he held me gently in his arms. Even if I didn’t feel the desire radiating off of him in a fury of passion, he bore that intensity in his gaze. The world around us melted away until there was on me and

him.

 About the series:

About the series “Once Wicked”

@unconventionaldamsels who rock piercings, refuse to conform to society’s rules, and aren’t obsessed with labels, check out the “Once Wicked” Series. Happily Ever After doesn’t dfine the misunderstood evil villains we love to hate, Their story is so much deeper than their fairy princess counterparts, yet were never told. That’s a damn shame. They aren’t alwasy as wicked as they are made out to be. Well, not all of them. So until the clock strikes midnight and the (other) glass shoe drops, enjoy these not-so-Prince-Charming book boyfriends in the modern series, #OnceWicked

TBR

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5762464.Sarah_J_Pepper

 

kellys review

Absolutely wicked! Alluring, tantalizing, haunting, twisted, dark…and the list goes on and on! There are not many books that leave me speechless after the prologue, during the story, AND the ending. But wow! Sarah J Pepper did it! So here I sit trying to figure out how to tell you that you HAVE TO READ THIS without giving anything away. Well, there you go. YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!

This is the story of Rumplestiltskin (goes by Stilts) who finds his love but only to make her the monster that he is. It’s not the fairytale we grew up with, but so much more. It is set to present day but we encounter many different fairytale characters that have been updated…a bit to say the least. Stilts is a demon and when he turns his love, Piper, into a demon like himself he finds that he is trying to preserve her innocence. He doesn’t want her to regret this decision by turning into a killer. In doing this he puts her into hiding and tells a teeny white lie to spare her the guilt. She is being protectd by Hans and El, brother and sister witches, who are also one of Stilts’ enemies. Naturally they all hate each other but a connection comes about in an unusual way. Not like a friendship but more of an understanding. Piper ultimately finds out about the lie but what happens next is nothing like what you’d expect. The connection that Stilts and Piper have is INTENSE (like the rest of the story). It’s a continual struggle of love and hate, right and wrong. Questionable motives and manipulation opens this story to all types of interpretations. Who is really the villain???

“So the idea of Prince Charming rescuing me from my jacked-up life was hysterical . But that was exactly what had happened; except my Prince Charming was a bad boy with a demonic complexion. Declan Stilts— alias Declan Rumpelstiltskin— was the kind of guy prissy girls had nightmares about.”

“The ugly stepchild of hate was love. That four-letter word had this incredibly unique way of luring a person in, getting them to put their guard down , and striking when they were most vulnerable. Love was what lowered my defenses. Love smacked me with the stupid stick. Love made me weak. Love got me killed. Love turned me into a killer. I didn’t know what love had in store for me, but I didn’t want to find out.”

“F***ing fairy tales were written about do-gooders who had made simplistic, popular choices. Those of us who had made choices at great costs were labeled as villains .”

I have so many quotes that I can keep adding. There is something for everyone in this story. INTENSE, INTENSE, INTENSE! Everyone has their story to tell and this is about Rumplestiltskin and the Pied Piper. Reader beware: The ending will grab your heart and twist it. The cliffhanger is dangerous! Love this new series!!!

“Every fairy tale has a happy ending, but I was no Prince Charming. However, sometimes the bad guys have the greatest romance to tell.” Absolutely true!!!!!!

 

Buy-Links
Amazon US ✦ http://bit.ly/ussoullessoncewicked
Amazon UK ✦ http://bit.ly/uksoullessoncewicked
Amazon CA ✦ http://bit.ly/casoullessoncewicked
Amazon AU ✦ http://bit.ly/ausoullessoncewicked
B&N ✦ http://bit.ly/soullessoncewickedbn
iBooks ✦ http://bit.ly/soullessoncewickedapple
Kobo ✦ http://bit.ly/soullessoncewickedkobo

 

about-the-author

5762464
Sarah J. Pepper specializes 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, bunnies, 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? Get a glimpse inside her head at www.sarahjpepper.com

Website: http://www.sarahjpepper.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahjpepper.authorTwitter: https://twitter.com/sarahjpepperInstagram: http://www.enjoygram.com/sarahjanepepperPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/peppersarahj/tsu: http://www.tsu.co/sarahjpepper
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Sarah-J.-Pepper/e/B007YHT7XS
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/sarah-j-pepper/3a/71/b5b

Paralyzed (Vagabond Circus #2) by Sarah Noffke

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synopsis

When the worst case scenario befalls the Vagabond Circus, Zuma knows she must ensure it doesn’t fall to doom. Titus’s job is to guarantee the show goes on, while the acrobats seek to avenge and rescue. Jack has no idea that he’s about to levitate himself into a deadly situation, and only Zuma and Finley can save him from a threat unlike what most have ever encountered. In this second whimsical and dark installment of the Vagabond Circus tale, the reader learns just how the ringmaster, Dr. Dave Raydon, rescued everyone in his troupe and also brought love and treasures into their lives. The unveiling of this history only brings more mystery as the true enemy to Vagabond Circus is unveiled. Charles Knight isn’t an evil man with a deadly agenda. He’s the worst kind of human being and he won’t stop until he’s ruined everyone and everything that the ringmaster loves. Paralyzed is an episodic ride that unravels the pieces of this fantasy circus one act at a time.

 

TBR

Goodreads

 

kellys review

Oh. My. Gods. The circus is still in town! This is a one of a kind sequel with the perfect tragedy, mysterious villain, that is full of fragile moments of love, sacrifice, and pain, but with the most perfect ending that left me absolutely speechless. There were many moments that made me laugh, kept me on edge, and twisted my heart. Sarah Noffke writes tragedy so good it hurts. By the time the story gets to the end I was so twisted inside…and then left with my mouth hanging wide open! I sat here thinking “What did you do to me?” and while I sat contemplating the hate mail that I wanted to send to the author for another jaw dropping cliffhanger…I took a deep breathe and decided that I will wait (im)patiently for Released to come out because, in true Sarah Noffke fashion, the ending will blow you away!

While the Vagabond Circus is trying to grieve the death of the beloved ringmaster, Finley and Zuma chase after Jack who is going to Knight’s compound to try and avenge the ringmaster’s death. Zuma is extremely upset with Finley and is really trying to punish him. The constant banter between Finley and Zuma in the car ride and seeing them breaking down each others walls was the best. We are introduced to Zuma’s family and Jack’s family. Both are very different and incredible in very different ways. But the story, the story is so much more. It revolves around the entire circus. We get to see snippets about how the ringmaster’s death affect everyone. The tightrope is unraveling and people are feeling helpless everywhere. And so many secrets! Then Boom! THE END! And that’s when I became speechless.

“But what Zuma always discounted was that life didn’t continuously unfold in logical ways. Dave often reminded her of that. Life is full of magic and if you try and explain it all then you lose the opportunity for bewilderment, which is a beautiful thing, he often told her.”

“Zuma reasoned that it was only because in her purest of hearts she had to admit that loving Finley was completely and absolutely unavoidable. She hadn’t forgiven Finley and didn’t know when that would happen, but even after everything she knew she loved him. Loved him with something so pure that it couldn’t be stopped. She’d tried to stop herself from loving him, but it was like changing the rotation of the Earth or snuffing out stars with a single thought. It just couldn’t be done. Such things were the natural order of life. Predators hunt prey. Night precedes morning. Zuma loves Finley.”

“Today we remember the man who brought magic back to this world by lighting a spark in all of you. You are all his legacy. You are the magic of Vagabond Circus.”

I. Can. Not. Wait. For. Released.

Incredible series that is sure to suck you in like gravity. Be prepared to be mesmerized!

Ok, you read the review…what are you waiting for? Go get this book!

 

Buy-Links

Amazon

B&N

 

about-the-author

9830676

Sarah Noffke writes YA & NA sci-fi, fantasy and dystopian. She is the author of the Lucidites, Reverians, Ren, and Vagabond Circus series. She’s been everything from a corporate manager to a hippie. Her taste for adventure has taken her all over the world. If you can’t find her at the gym, then she’s probably at the frozen yogurt shop. If you can’t find her there then she probably doesn’t want to be found. She is a self-proclaimed hermit, with spontaneous urges to socialize during full moons and when Mercury is in retrograde. Sarah lives in Central California with her family.

Halfway Bitten (Halfway Witchy 2) by Terry Maggert

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synopsis

Take a bite out of evil.

The circus came to Halfway, and they brought the weird.

When clowns, vampires, and corpses start piling up in town, Carlie has to break away from her boyfriend, Wulfric, to bring her witchy skills to the table- or grill, as the case may be.

When the body of a young woman washes up in the lake, it unleashes a spiral of mystery that will bring Carlie, Gran, and Wulfric into a storm of magical warfare.

Spells will fly. Curses will rain. Amidst it all, Carlie will make waffles, protect her town, and find out if a man from the distant past can join her in happy ever after.

With love and honor at stake, Carlie has no peer.

 

TBR

Goodreads

 

kellys review

Hauntingly, elegant, witty, emotional feelcoaster! The Halfway Witchy series is anything but halfway. Get ready for a wild ride. The circus comes to town! But not just any circus…a circus with secrets. Carlie is the resident witch that has a natural affinity to help others. She is currently with a half vampire half human, Wulfric, and dealing with his “baby-mama” who is a shifter. But this is just the beginning of the craziness that is about to unleash itself on Halfway. There are dead bodies showing up and circus clowns with acts that just don’t belong. There are many secrets and twists around every corner. As I read this story I came up with so many different endings in my head. Who exactly are the villains and the huge question, why? But as I am learng about this author, nothing is as it seems.

“There was an event just over the horizon, and the weird circus, dead girl, and roaming undead were woven tightly in a means that I couldn’t see —yet. Alex would help me unravel all of this unsavory activity that left my teeth humming with magical energy.”

“Problem was such a vague, ugly term. It could mean almost anything; none of which was good, unless it was referring to having three waffles and two hands, but that’s why we stack them. See? I solve problems.”

“We live three lives, you know. The one we are born to, the one we wish for, and that which we are left with when our dreams fade as shadows at dawn.”

“Witches don’t like being kept in the dark. We’re magickers, not mushrooms, and I resolved to find out who was spreading death on my lands.”

There is never a moment left without something going on. Carlie is absolutely hilarious and all the characters around her add to the charisma that she carries. She is an amazing main character and the author has molded her, and the others, in the most perfect way. The story is vivid, easy to follow, and so fun to get sucked into. Bravo! Now I am (im)patiently waiting for the next in this witchy series!

 

Buy-Links

Amazon

 

about-the-author

SONY DSC

Left-handed. Father of an apparent nudist. Husband to a half-Norwegian. Herder of cats and dogs. Lover of pie. I write books.

Beautifully Wounded (Beaumont Brothers #1) by Susan Griscom

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synopsis

18+ due to adult situations

A Stand-alone book 1 in the Beaumont Brothers duology.

What would you do if you had no place to go and no one you could trust?

“The lyrics are about you, Lena,” he confessed, and I watched his mouth as the tip of his tongue moistened his lips before he leaned his head down. Then those beautiful lips were on mine, soft, tender at first, then his tongue glided over my lips, breaking the seal. My pulse throbbed and quickened as his tongue swirled around mine. Taking and controlling, and… and I wanted this, needed his touch. I went limp in his embrace, and the heat rose under my skin, my body vibrated against his strong powerful one. Was this really happening?”

Jackson Beaumont prides himself on being a nature-loving, guitar-strumming, carefree sort of guy. When the mysterious Lena Benton walks into his bar looking scared and defeated, it’s not something he can ignore. He’s immediately consumed by concern for her and driven by his desire to help. She’s just so beautiful. So wounded.

After being shuffled from one foster home to another growing up, Lena Benton dreamt of finding her prince charming. When the captivating Troy Harington sweeps her off her feet shortly after high school graduation, she’s certain she’s found her happiness. Unfortunately, Troy’s true colors surface shortly after their marriage and things turn ugly. Lena only has one choice. She has to leave him. She has to run…

Lena’s escape has brought her to Jackson, and he clearly wants to be there for her, but can she trust anyone again after what she’s gone through? And will Jackson be able to help her heal without losing his heart?

18+ due to sexual content and mature subject matter.

TBR

Goodreads

kellys review

First off I need to say that one of the main characters of this story does experience physical abuse. This book is an incredible story with one strong woman that finds that she can trust again. If you have a trigger please be wary but the journey that she goes on is intense and passionate.

Lena is a woman who is being abused by her husband. She puts a plan in place to leave him but her plans are cut short when she needs to leave sooner rather than later. She does a series of things to hide her tracks well but she needs to stop to regroup. While trying to find this place to grab a coffee and figure out what her next move will be, she meets Jackson Beaumont. When he sees her he has a connection with her that he cannot shake. He is drawn to her, to help her. She reluctantly decides to stick around and to try and help herself but what she doesn’t count on is the trusting, loving, kind natured Jackson. He wants nothing more than to help her help herself. He shows her she can be independent and still ask and accept help from others.

“What cloud did you say you were from?” He laughed. “See that one over there?” He pointed out the window. “No, not that one,” he said, as my gaze followed his, “the lighter one, over there. The one shaped like Pluto.”“The dog or the planet?”“The dog, of course.” At that I smiled, and found myself relaxing a bit.”

“I’d never forgive myself for not being there for her. Now I was beginning to annoy even myself. I cared too much. I was in too deep, and I didn’t know how to pull myself up and out of the box of emotions I’d created.”

“I didn’t want to hurt her or take what she didn’t want to give. I wanted to be careful with her, more careful than I’d ever been with a woman in my entire life . I’d never cared or thought about what I took before. A kiss had always been just a kiss, never meaning much. This time, I cared because Lena deserved it. She deserved to be kissed the way a woman should be kissed, with tenderness and respect, but I couldn’t keep the heat out.”

This is a beautifully written insta-love with a breath taking happily ever after. Lena and Jackson help each other find a better person in themselves. I am absolutely in love with the Beaumont Brothers series. Grab your tissues….you’re gonna need them.

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about-the-author

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My blog: http://swblog.susangriscom.com

Find me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SMGriscom

Susan Griscom writes paranormal and contemporary romance. She’s hooked on gritty romances and is a huge fan of superheroes and bad boys confronted with extraordinary forces of nature, powers, and abilities beyond the norm mixed with steamy romance, of course.

She loves those days when she gets to sit around in her sweat pants, doing nothing but writing emotionally charged stories about love and violence and drinking coffee.

She lives in Northern California with her romantic husband and together they have five great superhero kids and eight mini-superhero grand kids, so far.

The Flip by Michael Phillip Cash

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synopsis

Julie and Brad Evans are house flippers. They buy low, clean out the old occupants’ junk, and try to make a profit. Enter Hemmings House on Bedlam Street in scenic Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. Too good a deal to pass up, but with an ominous secret. The old Victorian Mansion has dwellers that do not want to be dispossessed. As the house reveals it’s past, will the couple’s marriage survive The Flip?

TBR

Goodreads

kellys review

Modern day parnormal haunting with a historical twist. An intense read! Haunted houses, spectral memories, ghosts, haunted hearts…..Brad and Julie are a married couple who are also partners when it comes to buying and flipping houses. They are trying to get ahead and have come across the Bedlam House that is for sale for a price too good to pass up. Or maybe there is a reason it is so cheap. While Brad is starting the cleaning process of the house things take a terrible turn for the worse. Moods are changing, weird things are happening in the house, and their marriage could be put on the line because of some ghosts that just won’t leave. Brad and Julie are very easy to relate to and but have stumbled across strange happenings that can only be described as hauntings.

“I pity you. I would rather experience the limits of hope and despair rather than a cold, clinical existence where you never feel the depths of passion.”

“Love. It’s the great equalizer. Isn’t being loved or cherished enough to bring anyone peace? Sometimes I find that there was no haunted house, but a haunted heart.”

The Flip is a modern day romance with just the right amount historical fiction that will make your heart pump. You get to experience the entire story from all points of view, the living and the dead. A quick, hauntingly fun, read! Go grab it!

Buy-Links

Amazon

B&N

about-the-author

7060225

Born and raised on Long Island, Michael has always had a fascination with horror writing and found footage films. He wanted to incorporate both with his debut novel, Brood X. Earning a degree in English and an MBA, he has worked various jobs before settling into being a full-time author. He currently resides on Long Island with his wife and children.

Halfway Dead (Halfway Witchy Series 1) by Terry Maggert

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synopsis

Come for the waffles. Stay for the magic.

Carlie McEwan loves many things.

She loves being a witch. She loves her town of Halfway, NY—a tourist destination nestled on the shores of an Adirondack lake. Carlie loves her enormous familiar, Gus, who is twenty-five pounds of judgmental Maine Coon cat, and she positively worships her Grandmother, a witch of incredible power and wisdom. Carlie spends her days cooking at the finest—and only—real diner in town, and her life is a balance between magic and the mundane, just as she likes it.

When a blonde stranger sits at the diner counter and calls her by name, that balance is gone. Major Pickford asks Carlie to lead him into the deepest shadows of the forest to find a mythical circle of chestnut trees, thought lost to forever to mankind. There are ghosts in the forest, and one of them cries out to Carlie across the years–Come find me.

Like the forest shadows, danger can run deep. The threat is real, but Carlie’s magic is born of a pure spirit. With the help of Gus, and Gran, and a rugged cop who really does want to save the world, she’ll fight to bring a ghost home, and deliver justice to a murderer who hides in the cool, mysterious green of a forest gone mad with magic.

TBR

Goodreads

kellys review

I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.

I am having the hardest time describing how this book made me feel. First, witches. Enough said, right? But no, there is more. So much more. This is a fantastical paranormal world that is carefully constructed, very well hidden and could be sooooo true! The best part is that the characters that come to life in this story are from all different eras. It brings the witty, modern day sarcasm with some archaic beings and witchery. What could be better than that? You’ll have to read Halfway Dead to find the answer to that question (inserts evil laugh). Carlie is the main character and she is a white witch who is taught by her Gran. Carlie is more than content with her life but she is approached by two different people trying to find a certain area, but they both have different agendas. It seems that now Fate has set her on a new path to seek this area out. Now Carlie is set to find this magical place to uncover secrets but many more questions get raised in the process. You never know who you can trust when intentions get skewered by revenge, power, and sometimes love. The way this tale unfolds is incredibly calming but also intense. There is no shortage of crazy things going on and the plot moves pretty fast. I didn’t even realize I reached the end…well, until the end. I don’t even know if that makes sense, haha! The story kept me on my toes until the very end. It constantly had me wondering what direction they were going to go next. I needed to find out who all the players were and was continuosly trying to figure out their motive. A series of puzzles that need to be figured out. And in true style for any great author, they suck you in and then BAM! Kill someone! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!! It makes me want to cut the author off from any contact but I can’t stop and I need to know what happens next! So, on we go to Halfway Bitten (Halfway Witchey #2) to see what other heart wrenching evilness awaits me. Thank you Terry Maggert….you have a new fan!

“I treat my magic like a new pair of shoes. Someday, we’re going to love each other, but for now we’re just trying to fit together comfortably.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m naturally optimistic, but a practitioner of witchcraft knows that there is no such thing as an accident. Not around a witch.”

“I really do love a man who speaks in archaic dialect. It’s just so chivalrous, despite the fact that I could use a nice, deep lungful of air more than the declarative of a would-be knight. Wulfric backed up his sentiment with the kind of punch that spawns legends…”

A MUST READ!

Buy-Links

Amazon

about-the-author

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SONY DSC

Left-handed. Father of an apparent nudist. Husband to a half-Norwegian. Herder of cats and dogs. Lover of pie. I write books.

The Killing Season (Fear University 2) by Meg Collett

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synopsis

In the far Alaskan north, there are places the winter sun cannot reach. Places where light won’t shine for months. These are the places we hunt the monsters who feed on fear.

So begins the Killing Season.

For the next sixty-five days, we will face the darkness. Some will hunt the aswangs in the ever night, but I, Ollie Andrews, am here for one purpose: to search for answers to my past.

They told us to fear the arctic tundra and the monsters hiding in the deep, dark shadows. But, locked inside a base known for driving even the best hunters mad, I fear it’s not the outside we should worry about, but the deepest, darkest parts of ourselves.

The real monsters are within.

When a brutal murder brings with it the secrets of Fear University—and the threat of an unknown killer on the loose—we all must fight to stay alive. But with madness and paranoia setting in during a whiteout snowstorm, all we can do is hope we don’t destroy ourselves before the sun finally rises again. Because no matter how hard we fight, reality will always threaten to tear us apart.

And when faced with the most terrible of truths, even the strongest break.

TBR

Goodreads

kellys review

This series is un-freaking-believable! I had such a book hangover from Fear University. I read it in one sitting and could not get it out of my head. Then I get the opportunity to read The Killing Season and Meg Collett did it again. The author had me completely sucked in from the start. I spent hours reading (trying to do housework and normal every day things) but noooooo! All I could think about is what is going to happen next. This series is so full of twists and turns that you get to the point that you are not sure if you can trust yourself, almost as if you are the bad guy! Ugh! Trust is a very valued commodity for this story and the rollercoaster of emotions and actions will keep you on your toes for the duration!

We start right where Fear University ends. Ollie and Sunny are sent with the other hunters to Barrow for the killing season. Hatter and Luke are with this group as well. With the exception of Luke’s mother and NyNy (the scientist), Ollie and Sunny are left alone in the estate during the day while the hunters are on their hunts. Some strange things are happening and Ollie is at the middle of it. They get some diturbing news about Peg, one of the hunters are murdered, and Luke’s father seems out to get Ollie but gives her a mission to find the leak within the University. One thing after another, after another keeps happening and Ollie keeps finding herself in the middle. Then the Taber’s reappear! Boom! More craziness! The story never slows down and holds you in it’s clutches to the very end.

“He thought we were too screwed up to be together, and maybe he was right. But I liked our kind of screwy. It was just the right kind of dark and twisted, sprinkled with the perfect amount of crazy.”

“I can love you because I know where all your cracks are. Because I know when you need to be cussed out and when you need to be held. I know how to destroy you and I know how to repair you. I know you’re not a good man, but I know you’re the best kind of man in the world: ruthless and wicked and loyal and brave. I’ll help you fix the cracks and keep out the shadows but only when you need me to. And when you want to kill your father, I’ll hand you the knife. When we go to kill Max, I know you’ll watch as I dig his grave, and afterward, when he’s dead, I know you’ll kiss my bloody lips and still love me just the same. That’s why I can love you, Luke. Because we’re the only ones who can love each other the right way.”

“You can be my monster in the dark and I’ll be the shadows to shield you.””

This story is all about finding out who you are, where you belong, and embracing it. Absolute must read!!!

Buy-Links

Amazon

about the author

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Meg Collett lives deep in the hills of Tennessee where the cell phone service is a blessing and the Internet is a myth of epic proportions. She is the mother of one giant horse named Elle and three dogs named Wylla, Mandy, and Drax the Destroyer. Her husband is a saint for putting up with her ragtag life. Her paranormal romance series, End of Days, is currently available in its entirety. Fakers, a contemporary romance, is also available.