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Book Blog of a Hufflepuff
I an artist that loves and adores reading! I mostly read romance novels, YA, and graphic novels/manga, but will occasionally stray to other genres as well. I also read tons of fanfiction ;)
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Currently reading
The Last Hour of Gann
Highland Destiny
Highland Hunger
A Witch's Beauty
Once Burned
City of Fallen Angels
Clockwork Prince
The Nymph King
The Hobbit
Dragonsong
The Darkest Night 2 - Lords of the Underworld #1 (Harlequin Comics)
As I mentioned in the review of the first book, I bought #2 as soon as I was done with the first (and I bought them the DAY that Gena said they were available!). The graphic novel series is a nice companion to the Lords of the Underworld series. My only problem with it, is I think the graphic novel would be hard for someone who had not read the series first to follow along. Otherwise, a great read! And great for a fan of the series! :)
 - Gena Showalter, EARITHEN)
The Darkest Night 1 - Lords of the Underworld
I bought this the second Showalter announced it was for sale! If you're a fan of her Lords of the Underworld series, this is a nice visual companion to the books. My only problem with it was that if you had not read the series before picking this graphic novel up, I don't think you'd be able to follow it too well. So definitely make sure to read the series first, and this adds to it nicely :)
A Little Bit of Holiday Magic
I LOVED this book! I think the premise was adorable, and the story was great and the characters very believable! It was a cute read, and I'd like to read more of these two :)The only reason I gave it a 4/5 is because I felt the ending was a little rushed. Otherwise, I loved it!
Bound by Night
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I've been reading Ione's Lord's of Deliverance series, as well as a few of the Demonica books, so when I heard she was starting a vampire series I was excited!!To begin with, her take on vampires being slaves of the general human population was very interesting. Plus, her version of vampires in general is new, and you find out more in bits and pieces as they develop. Such as, without trying to be too spoilery, vampires are very sensitive to chemical warfare. And it seems that while they age much slower than humans, they may not be immortal like most vamps in books are.
It was a little hard getting in to the book at first, because I felt like there were a lot of past events and characters being thrown at me all at once who were going to be important...and it was a little overwhelming. After that resolves and we get to the two main characters, Nicole and Riker. (To give Ione credit though, I think it's her writing style. I remember having thought the same thing in the first Lords of Deliverance book. Get all the characters introduced at once - then it's easier to follow the story later. I will admit, for the most part it works.)
And can I say, I LOVE Nicole as a character? She has fears and is ruled by them, but refuses to give in to her captors, general bad guys, and even...well, that's a spoiler. The point is, she's terrified of vampires, she's pretty sure the people who kidnapped her are going to double cross her and slit her throat at ANY given moment, and yet she still fights them and refuses to do what she thinks is wrong. Bonus? She's not afraid to speak her mind, most of the time.
As things progress between Nicole and Riker, well, you pretty much want to kick him in the rear and tell him to get with it and get his act together. You follow them through the ups and downs, plot twist and turns, and like I said, overall I liked this book! I would definitely read it again! :)
(And I cannot WAIT until Myne get's his own book. Seriously, he needs to be next!!! Pretty please?)
Wicked in Your Arms
I'm new to Historical Romances, I'm a paranormal romance person myself, and I'm so glad I found Jordan's books! This series is beyond amazing! I tend to like books with strong female leads, and Grier does not disappoint. She'd rather hang out behind potted plants at parties and eat biscuits then put up with the false smiles and gossiping ton. Because of her 'new father' and her low birth status, Grier has it a bit harder than most to fit in. And when prince Sevastion decides to drag her character through the mud a few times in gossip...well let's just say, he gets a drink to the back of the head.Grier is witty, strong willed, and just wants to be loved for who she is. Who doesn't? YOU GO GIRL! Sevastion kind've starts off as an...well, an ass. You find out the WHY later, but he's just as stubborn as she is, with a sharp mind and keeping his people back home his number one goal. Not many people are that noble, eh?
I loved the sparring between them, how Sev will through something at her (verbally, of course) and how she throws it right back at him. (She doesn't care he's a prince, a jerk is a jerk right?) How they each resist each other, but so end up falling head over heels. And there was one part of the book I did not see coming at ALL, but it totally fit and brought them closer together. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time during that part!! I'm trying not to be spoilery, but once you finish the book - you'll know what I mean.
There are times when you just want to beat Sev over the head and tell him to get with the program, and Grier to buck up and have confidence in herself because SHE IS WORTH IT, but that's just because you come do adore both characters and just want them to get their happy ending. Because they both deserve it!!!
All in all? I LOVED THIS BOOK. And I'm buying the entire series. End of story. So go fall in love with Grier and Sev like you should, ok? :)
MacRieve
I had been waiting for this book to come out for a very long time!! (And then I ended up moving and the poor book got put in a box and had to wait a while to be read, it broke my heart.) And when I was finally able to read it, and read it in one day and one night, because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!! I am a huge fan of Cole's series, and this one did not disappoint! (Not to mention, the Lykae's are my favorite!)In MacRieve, Cole introduces a new species in this book. I really can't give it away or it'd be a big spoiler, but I love how diverse all of her books and characters are. Chloe is a brilliant character, a total go-getter, dream a dream and go work for it, stand up for yourself kinda girl. She can talk the talk and walk the walk. And being a hard core soccer player, she can dish what she can take.
Uilleam (aka MacRieve) has a very harsh past, and after his recent torture and escape, is pretty messed up in the head. He's dark, thinks he's had the end of the line, and when he finally finds his mate - Chloe - he thinks he's finally found his purpose in life. It's actually quite adorable when they first meet, he saves her, and they fall in love.
Actually, a good part of the book you're awwing and ooohing and how cute they are together and how MacRieve starts healing and getting better (mentally and physically). And then STUFF GOES DOWN and it...well, let's just say there are many parts of the book you're cheering Chloe on and want to berate MacRieve for his stupidity. (Though you really do feel sorry for him too...again, can't get too spoilery here!)
But the storyline is very well done, and the characters are so believable you cry and scream and coo along with them. Chloe and MacRieve are perfect for each other. It's just up to a certain Lykae to realize it ;)
So my suggestion? GO READ THIS BOOK. You can definitely read it on it's own, but you get so much more out of it if you read the series! You take home the gold agian, Kresley!
An English Bride In Scotland
I loved the premise of this book. Annabel, who's been training to become a nun, is suddenly whisked away to fulfill a contract her sister ran out on to marry Ross, a Scottish Laird. Overall, I liked the characters, the setting and the story.Why did I give it a 3 out of 5? It's hard to put in to words. There were parts of the story I LOVED. The beginning? I adored it. But then there were parts that were so...predictable maybe? Like Annabel is constantly being kidnapped, or threatened, or chased. And every time it happens, Ross tells her she has to stay at the castle until they capture who did it...and every time she 'finds a good reason to leave'...and it happens ALL. OVER. AGAIN. It's a big part of the book. I think overall it happens about 5 or 6 times. It becomes a little draining after about number 2 or 3, and you kind've want to skip ahead.
Annabel is very likeable, and so is Ross. And I think they work well together! And while I predicted the ending, to a certain extent, you're still pleasantly surprised how everything turns out. There are also a few parts that you think, that really didn't just happen, did it? But overall, a very nice read, and I'm glad I gave it a go.
How to Lose a Bride in One Night
I adored this book! I loved Annalise's strong character and her will to be able to take care of herself after her 'attack'. I'd also like to give a shout out to Owen, who even though knows Anna isn't telling him the whole truth, truly wants to protect her and teach her how to do just that. How he also thinks he's too 'dark' for her too, is just well, sweet. She sure fixes that idea though, haha!Overall, LOVED this book and loved the characters! The beginning was really interesting, and how they grew to love each other was fantastic!
The Darkest Secret
After I finished Lies' book, I was a little hesitant to read Secret's. I mean, you don't really get to know too much about Amun until the end of Gideon's book. But Gena Showalter never disappoints, and Amun's book was FANTASTIC!! And I was hooked from page 1.Amun is definitely one of the most caring and sweetest guys in the series. He's not afraid to say he's been whipped, and is constantly fighting with himself if he should be with Haidee, or if he's even good enough. I mean, he's totally B.A. AND a total sweetheart - it's a wonderful combination!
And Haidee herself is a total mystery. I went from totally despising her in the last book to joining GO TEAM HAIDEE in no time flat. And just...
There are no words, they're perfect for each other. READ THIS BOOK. You won't regret it!
The Darkest Lie
Compared to the other books in the series, this one took me a while to get in to - I'll admit it. While I liked Gideon, and adored Scarlet, it just didn't click with me at first. I kept reading though, because I love this series and Gena is a genius. I was so glad I did.I think my Kindle told me I was around 20% into the book when it got GOOD. The story just started coming together, and development happens...I can't go much without being spoiler-y, but man, I ended up LOVING the book!!!
(And I think it took me a while to get in to it only because you're as confused as Gideon is about what is going on. Once a few clues get thrown at you, things start filling in and just, it's AWESOME!)
And can I go on about how cool Scarlet is? Not only is she totally a BAMF, but I laughed and cried and raged all the way with her. She's a totally loveable character. And Gideon had me aww-ing and giggling and laughing all the way. An emotional rollercoaster, this book was! But I loved it for that reason.
So, keep trucking thru the first chapter or so if you struggle with it. It's so worth it :)
Any Duchess Will Do
It's hard to say, because I loved ALL of the books in the Spindle Cove series, but I'm pretty sure this one was my favorite!What else can I saw about Pauline except she is PERFECT. She's funny, wily, and has the guts to get what she wants. And Griffin well...I'm sure you'll find out ;)
And the story and character development are PERFECT! Seriously, read this book!!!
A Lady by Midnight
Kate is such a wonderful character, she's so sweet and lovely. Thorne, while seemingly a brute, is such a thoughtful guy, and a heart of gold. And the entire time, you're hoping they end up together - no matter what! And you want...well, no spoilers, but you want everything to be true and turn out right :)
Beauty and the Blacksmith
I've been waiting for this book! Through the end of book one, you want Aaron and Dianna to end up together. Aaron's an awesome guy, and you want Dianna to stop listening to her mother and start living for herself. They're the perfect match, the blacksmith and the beauty :)
A Week to Be Wicked
It's a hard decision, but I think this was my favorite book (so far) out of the Spindle Cove series. Minerva is fantastic. I love her character, she stands up for what she wants and owns up to who she is. And Colin is the perfect match for her, coaxing her out of her shell and being the rougueish rake that he is. And Minerva is so great for him, calling him out and pushing him to be better.Just to sum it up, I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Once Upon a Winter's Eve
I loved this novela, Violet was endearing and her mysterious stranger kept you guessing on what he really wanted. A great read!!
A Night to Surrender
I will admit, I don't think I've ever read any other types of Romance novels except Paranormal. But a chance review on Avon's website caught my interest, and I started this new series by Tessa Dare. And it didn't disappoint!! If it puts it in to perspective, I read all the books that were out in the series in a weekend, I couldn't put my Kindle down!I love the premise behind the entire series of Spindle Cove. A place where 'refined' young ladies can go to be themselves is really interesting, and I love all the characters. Susanna is brave, funny and full of spitfire. Bram is her perfect fit, I just can't get enough of those two!
I can't say much of this book without spoiling it, but it's fantastic. You won't be disappointing with this book, or the series! :)
