ASHES ON THE WAVES By Mary Lindsey

April 5, 2017 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

ASHES ON THE WAVES By Mary LindseyAshes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey
Published by Philomel Books on 6/27/13
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Gothic, Paranormal, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover
Source: Author
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ReviewedbyDani

Liam MacGregor is cursed. Haunted by the wails of fantastical Bean Sidhes and labeled a demon by the villagers of Dòchas, Liam has accepted that things will never get better for him--until a wealthy heiress named Annabel Leighton arrives on the island and Liam's fate is changed forever.

With Anna, Liam finally finds the happiness he has always been denied, but the violent, mythical Otherworlders, who inhabit the island and the sea around it, have other plans. They make a wager on the couple's love, testing its strength through a series of cruel obstacles. But the tragedies draw Liam and Anna even closer. Frustrated, the creatures put the couple through one last trial--and this time it's not only their love that's in danger of being destroyed

Short and Sweet Review

Ashes on the Waves is the retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s Annabel Lee poem. Liam is crippled and only has the use of one of his arms. This has him and the townspeople believing that his is possessed by a demon. Because of this Liam is lonely and lost, as he believes what everyone is saying about him being a demon. He doesn’t have much contact with other people on the island so when his childhood crush Anna comes back to the island he becomes filled with emotions. Ashes on the Waves is your classic love story. But what we really need to know is if Liam and Anna’s love is strong enough to overcome the paranormal things that happen on this island. I loved the island it made the story. It’s creepy, isolated, and dark. The book starts of slow but it starts to take off. There’s a bit of a mystery in this book especially surrounding whats going on in this town. This book is beautiful, dark, and heart wrenching. I love all of Mary Lindsey’s books and this one is no exception. This is actually the first book I’ve read of hers and I definitely recommend this to all of my friends!

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VAMPIRE RISING (EMMA’S SAGA) By Shay Roberts

September 23, 2016 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

VAMPIRE RISING (EMMA’S SAGA) By Shay RobertsVampire Rising by Shay Roberts
Series: Heartblaze #2
Published by Snowfire Press on 6/30/16
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural, Young Adult
Pages: 272
Format: eARC
Source: Author
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ReviewedbyDani

Someone you’ve loved for centuries suddenly disappears, utterly erased from history. No one but you has any memory of this beautiful person. No one but you is grieving. And no one but you can repair this devastating hole in the fabric of reality.
EMMA RUE is in the fight of her life, struggling to find her beloved soulmate, a vampire who has disappeared from everyone’s memories but her own. Her quest is complicated by an unexpected transformation in her body, as well as the intervention of her powerful nemesis…
ROWAN OF WILDWOOD, the Empress of Witches. Rowan has a madly ambitious plan to reshape the world with her shadow magic, and only Emma is standing in her way. But getting to Emma won’t be easy. Emma has loyal and vigilant friends, not the least of whom is…
STEFAN HILDEBRAND, a werewolf now dying from a shotgun wound. Desperate to protect Emma, he’ll do anything to claw his way back to life. But does that include making a devil’s bargain with an entity called the Trickster?

My Thoughts

~ Vampire Rising picks up right where Vampire soul ended, so there’s no confusion when you start reading this book.

~ All of the characters from the previous book return, we also get to meet a few new ones.

~ I loved experiencing Emma’s past lives with her. It was interesting to see how she lived before she became Emma Rue.

~ I felt bad for Emma she just found Julian only to lose him, and not only that she’s the only one who remembers that he exist. I’m glad Emma didn’t give up on Julian after his disappearance she tries everything she can to get him back.

~Emma has a lot to deal with in this book, she’s trying to find Julian and she’s becoming a transcendent again.

~ Stefan is back and he’s also going through a change after meeting a guy named the trickster. I love how protective Stefan is over Emma, he continues to help her and watch out for her.

~ Rowan is also back and she’s trying to get a weapon back from Emma, while she also works on some experiments.

~ There’s also references to some of the novellas which made me so happy.

Overall

I loved this book as much as the first one if not more! The world gets more complex and I loved meeting the new characters as they added more to the plot. Vampire Rising ended with a cliffhanger and I just want to know what happens next! I love Emma as a character and I can’t wait to continue this journey with the Heartblaze novels. I would recommend this series and the novellas too!

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DEVIL AND THE DEEP By Megan Tayte

July 8, 2016 by 1 Comment

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

DEVIL AND THE DEEP By Megan TayteDevil and the Deep by Megan Tayte
Series: Ceruleans #4
Published by Amazon Digital Services on 9/30/15
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 314
Format: eARC
Source: Author
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ReviewedbyDani

Scarlett is living her happy-ever-after, back in the real world. Only the ‘happy’ part is proving problematic.

For starters, there’s the isolation. Being a Cerulean among humans is fraught with risk, so her time with people can only be fleeting. Which means being with Luke but not being with Luke.

Then there’s her Cerulean light, her power over life and death. Less awesome talent, as it turns out, and more overwhelming responsibility. And it comes with rules – rules that are increasingly difficult to obey.

But what’s really pushing Scarlett to the precipice is something much bigger than herself, than her life in the cove. A force to be reckoned with:

Blood.

When long-buried truths are exposed, will Scarlett keep her head above water – or will she drown in the blood-dimmed tide that is unleashed?

Short and Sweet

After Scarlett decided to leave Cerulea she has to learn to readjust to living back in the real world. Most of her days are spent in isolation, because of how humans take a lot of Ceruleans. Scarlett fills her time by trying to spend as much time as possible with Luke and her friends and also learning how to heal people.

My Thoughts

~ I felt bad for Scarlett, she couldn’t spend a lot of time with the people she loved, because of how it took her energy away and made her tired.

~ Scarlett did put herself in danger at times, she was also pushing her limits which could have killed her.

~ I liked that we did get to see Jude in this book. I liked how he helped Scarlett learn how to use her healing abilities and he also had her back when she was in danger.

~ We also got to learn more about Scarlett’s family, the Fallen, and more about Ceruleans.

Overall

I really enjoyed this book. The ending was a cliff-hanger and there’s still some unanswered questions, I can’t wait to see how things play out in the final installment Darkly, Deeply, Beautifully. I would recommend the Cerulean series.

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WILD BLUE YONDER By Megan Tayte

May 26, 2016 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

WILD BLUE YONDER By Megan TayteWild Blue Yonder by Megan Tayte
Series: Ceruleans #3
Published by Createspace Independent Pub on 5/16/16
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: Ebook
Source: Author
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ReviewedbyDani

When Scarlett Blake chose life-after-death as a Cerulean, she expected to grieve for all she left behind: her boyfriend, her best friend, her mother, her home. But at least Cerulea, her heaven, would be... well, heavenly. Right?
Wrong.
The world in which Scarlett awakens is very far from her idea of a utopia. Picturesque, sure, and serene. But there can be no paradise within the unforgiving walls of a prison, be they of cold, hard stone or beautifully blue water.
Now Scarlett faces her hardest decision yet: be a good, dutiful Cerulean, or be true to herself and fight for freedom.
And if she can find a way to escape, what then? Can she finally reunite with her lost sister? Can she save Sienna from the murderous Fallen? Can she evade her destiny with the Ceruleans?
Can Scarlett Blake ever reclaim her life-before-death... or must she let go of all she loves?

Short and Sweet

Life-After-Death is not what Scarlett expected it to be. Scarlett is now in Cerulea, and this heaven is more like a prison. Scarlett’s main goal is to find her sister, Sienna. To find her sister, Scarlett must decide if she should be a good Cerulean and follow the rules, or escape and regain her freedom.

My Thoughts

~ It was interesting to finally have Scarlett in Cerulea. We get to meet the other Ceruleans, and learn more about them and their history.

~ I think that Scarlett’s struggle to adjust to Cerulea is understandable. She had to leave her friends and family behind and then to be told she couldn’t see them was a pretty big blow to her.

~ I loved Jude in this book! It was nice getting to more about him and where he’s from. At one point I was liked the idea of him and Scarlett being together, but after learning why they couldn’t be together my heart broke for him.

~ Ahh the search for Sienna… Sienna is an interesting dynamic especially because we don’t know much about her except that she’s with the Fallen.

Overall

So far this is my favorite book in the series! I loved that we got to know more about the Ceruleans, and a lot more of Jude! The ending was really good and I’m ready to see what’s going to happen in the next book!!!

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FORGET ME NOT by Megan Tayte

December 5, 2015 by

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FORGET ME NOT by Megan TayteForget Me Not by Megan Tayte
Series: The Ceruleans #2
Published by Heaven Afire on 02/20/15
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 338
Source: Author
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ReviewedbyDani

IN THE FACE OF DEATH, SHE MUST PROTECT THOSE SHE LOVES.

The Ceruleans: mere mortals infused with power over life and death. Five books; one question: If the might of the heavens were in your hands, would you be sinner or saint?

Death is stalking Scarlett Blake. As if the encroaching darkness in her head wasn’t enough, she’s become disturbingly accident prone. Falling off a cliff isn’t ideal when all you want is as much time as possible to live, to love.

Her fate is horrifying. Unbearable. And inescapable. No one can save Scarlett from The End that’s looming. Not Jude, the Cerulean who is intent on Claiming her. Not Luke, the boy who is intent on loving her.

The clock is ticking, louder with every heartbeat. Now Scarlett must decide how best to protect the people she loves. Will she trust in Jude and the life-after-death he promises? Will she stand against the Fallen, who have her sister captive? Will she carry the burden of her death alone – every headache, every hallucination, every wrenching, aching emotion?

And when the clock falls silent, when the darkness eclipses the light, will Scarlett fight for life? Or will she have no choice but to surrender?

Forget Me Not is the second book in the Ceruleans series and I liked it more than the first book, only because we get to learn more about the ceruleans and Sienna, Scarlett’s sister.  Its fast paced, more painful, and deals with death but also has mystery and a sweet romance.

I liked how Scarlett is unwavering to not let her imminent death stop her from enjoying her time left. I really like Luke a lot in this book, he really loves Scarlett and is willing to do anything for her but is not a pushover. I also like Cara as she adds humor to the book.

 

My favorite thing about this book was when Scarlett got to learn more about Sienna through her diary and learning more about Scarlett’s fate.This book has a bigger cliff-hanger than the last book. The Ceruleans is becoming one of my favorite series. I can’t wait to read the next two books in the series. I would definitely recommend this series! It’s on Kindle Unlimited and the first book is Death Wish so check it out!
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GET DIRTY by Gretchen McNeil

June 15, 2015 by

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

GET DIRTY by Gretchen McNeilGet Dirty by Gretchen McNeil
Series: Don't Get Mad
Published by Balzer + Bray Genres: Young Adult
Source: Author
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ReviewedbyDani

The members of Don’t Get Mad aren’t just mad anymore . . . they’re afraid. And with Margot in a coma and Bree stuck in juvie, it’s up to Olivia and Kitty to try to catch their deadly tormentor. But just as the girls are about to go on the offensive, Ed the Head reveals a shocking secret that turns all their theories upside down. The killer could be anyone, and this time he—or she—is out for more than just revenge.
The girls desperately try to discover the killer’s identity as their personal lives are falling apart: Donté is pulling away from Kitty and seems to be hiding a secret of his own, Bree is under house arrest, and Olivia’s mother is on an emotional downward spiral. The killer is closing in, the threats are becoming more personal, and when the police refuse to listen, the girls have no choice but to confront their anonymous friend . . . or die trying.

Get Dirty starts where Get Even left off. I loved Get Even but Get Dirty blew me away. I love all of the characters and I was just rooting for them to figure out who’s behind all of the murders and torment. I was trying to figure out who is responsible for everything and when I thought I had the person, I was wrong.  I was shocked when I found out who the villain is.  I wasn’t expecting it and I was blown away by Ms. McNeil’s crafty writing. I read this book in 2 days.  I simply couldn’t put it down. I love these books and would definitely recommend this series to my friends.

Get Dirty is a WONDERLAND Hit earning six Cheshire hearts for it’s thrilling plot.

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THE MONSTER WITHIN
by Kelly Hashway

June 16, 2014 by

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE MONSTER WITHIN by Kelly HashwayThe Monster Within by Kelly Hashway
Published by Spencer Hill Press on 2014-04-08
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Greek & Roman, Legends, Myths, Fables, Young Adult
Pages: 296
Source: Author
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Reviewed by Dani

The moment seventeen-year-old Samantha Thompson crawls out of her grave, her second chance at life begins. She died of cancer with her long-time boyfriend, Ethan, by her side -- a completely unfair shot at life. But Ethan found a way to bring her back, like he promised he would. Only Sam came back wrong. She's now a monster that drains others' lives to survive. And after she kills, she's tortured by visions -- glimpses into her victims would have- been futures had she not killed them. Barely able to live with herself and trying to make things right, Sam ends up a pawn in a vicious game of payback within the local coven of witches. But when the game reveals what Ethan had to do to save Sam, she must make a choice that will change all their lives forever.

The Monster Within is about a girl named Samantha who comes back to life four days after she died from cancer. Her boyfriend is the one who brought her back, but whenever she asks how he did it he refuses to tell her. Samantha and Ethan move to a small town because they can’t go back home. The first night at there new place is when Sam realizes something isn’t right with her. To stay alive Sam has to suck the life out of other people. The book started out good, I was interested in finding out what Sam would do now that she has to drain the life out of people to stay alive as well as how Ethan brought her back. I did not like Sam at all. She made decisions that weren’t smart, and I can’t even keep track of how many lies she told. And it just bothered me that Ethan just wouldn’t tell her what he did to bring her back until the very end. I did like the fact that when she did kill someone she would get to see their futures and what their lives would have been like if she didn’t kill them. I found myself putting this book down a few times. I’m not sure if I would read the sequel.

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HEXED by Michelle Krys

June 8, 2014 by

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

HEXED by Michelle KrysHEXED by Michelle Krys
Published by Random House on June 10, 2014
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 386
Format: Hardcover
Source: Author
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Reviewed by Dani

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?
 
Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.
Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

 

Hexed is about a girl named Indie who finds out she’s a witch, and has to learn fast. Indie has to get the Bible back before every witch on the planet dies. When I got this book I was so excited, because I haven’t read a book that involves witches since I read L.J Smith’s The Night World. I kind of feel let down because I thought more would happen in Hexed, but I guess I’ll just have to wait for the sequel to be released. I wasn’t a fan of most of the characters except for Paige, Indie’s neighbor and Jezebel, Bishop’s ex-girlfriend. I felt like Paige was the only one using common sense, and Jezebel just seemed like a strong female character in general. The reason I didn’t like Indie was because she was shallow, self-centered, and I just couldn’t relate to her. I felt like she should have done more in the book but she didn’t. And Indie’s “Love Interest” just treated everything like a game and it got annoying. Overall, I found this book to be a let down. I would read the sequel just to finish this series and because this book left off on a cliff hanger.

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UNINVITED by Sophie Jordan

March 11, 2014 by

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

UNINVITED by Sophie JordanUninvited by Sophie Jordan
Published by HarperCollins on 2014-01-28
Genres: Action & Adventure, Love & Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Source: Author
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Reviewed by Miranda

From New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan, Uninvited is a chilling and suspenseful story about a girl whose DNA brands her as a killer, perfect for fans of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and Confessions of a Murder Suspect.Davy had everything—a terrific boyfriend, the homecoming crown, a bright future at Juilliard—but when her genetic tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome, she loses it all. Uninvited from her prestigious school and avoided by her friends and family, she is placed in a special class with other

 

I had the honor of receiving an ARC of Ms. Jordan’s upcoming novel UNINVITED at Authors After Dark. I have been so busy I didn’t have the chance to read it until Christmas Eve. I finished it within 24 hours because WOW it is so fantastic! Sophie Jordan has an award winning book on her hands. UNINVITED hits shelves in January and you do not want to miss out! UNINVITED’S tagline is “They Say She’s A Killer, One Day She Will Be.” This is one great tagline. It creates the perfect amount of intrigue. While reading UNINVITED you will ask yourself a bunch of questions about how we define ourselves and how far we will go to survive?! UNINVITED is beautifully written by Ms. Jordan’s brilliant pen. UNINVITED is by far the best young adult novel I have read this year. It gave me exciting chills the likes of which I haven’t had since I read, The Hunger Games.

UNINVITED gives the reader a feast filled with heady topics, chilling suspense and a one-of-a-kind romance. I fully expect the characters, Davina “Davy” Hamilton and Sean O’Rourke to become the next “YA It Couple!” One of the many things that make this a wonderful novel is the fact that there is no angst-ridden love triangle like most YA novels. Davy Hamilton is one smart and savvy teenager. Unfortunately, her world gets turned upside down in an instant and she is forced to learn a new way of living. Sean O’Rourke is a no-nonsense type of guy who has worked for everything he has. Sparks fly when these two are on the page together. I absolutely love them! I’m actually thinking about reading it again because it went by too fast! UNINVITED took my breath away with its invigorating five-star romance! Sophie Jordan rocked my world with UNINVITED! I cannot wait to find out what happens next!!

 

Xoxo,

Miranda

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