Review: The Spirit Heir (A Dance of Dragons #2)

The Spirit Heir (A Dance of Dragons #2) by Kaitlyn Davis
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: October 30, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Barnes and Noble

Book Description:

From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis comes the second book in the thrilling A Dance of Dragons series--perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Graceling, and Game of Thrones!

Drenched in darkness and surrounded by the echo of screams, Jinji waits deep in the dungeons of Rayfort, haunted by the memory of the knife stabbing Rhen, plagued by a  foreign voice whispering through her mind. A few floors above, Rhen rests trapped in a coma, about to wake to a changed world—a world where his best friend is a woman, his nephew is the king, and an enemy army surrounds him on all sides. But human wars are insignificant compared to the darkness gathering unseen. Memories  of lives she never lived flash through Jinji's thoughts, hinting at a past that cannot be  repeated. A mysterious phantom visits Rhen, carrying cryptic messages of the future.  And somewhere out there, the shadow continues to lurk in silence. Uncertain of their relationship and tempted by new feelings, Rhen and Jinji must find a  way to work together. The fate of humanity rests on their shoulders and the real battle has only just begun…

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"The Spirit Heir" by Kaitlyn Davis pretty much picks up where the last book left off. Rhen and Jinji are back in Rhen's kingdom and they are dealing with the reproductions of what happened when the shadow came to court and a war was started in Rayfort.

One thing that I had trouble with with "The Shadow Soul", the first book in Davis's "A Dance of Dragons" series, was that it was a bit hard for me to get into the story at first. There was a lot of world building (which is always a necessary evil) and getting to know the characters, but that didn't happen with "The Spirit Heir". Maybe it's because I was already familiar with the characters after reading the first book and I was just genuinely interested in what they would do next, but I was engrossed in the story from the beginning.

Release Day Launch: Nocte (The Nocte Trilogy #1)

Nocte (The Nocte Trilogy #1) by Courtney Cole
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: November 3, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Save me and I'll save you...

My name is Calla Price. I’m eighteen years old, and I’m one half of a whole. My other half-- my twin brother, my Finn-- is crazy.

I love him. More than life, more than anything. And even though I’m terrified he’ll suck me down with him, no one can save him but me.

I’m doing all I can to stay afloat in a sea of insanity, but I’m drowning more and more each day. So I reach out for a lifeline.

Dare DuBray.

He’s my savior and my anti-Christ. His arms are where I feel safe, where I’m afraid, where I belong, where I’m lost. He will heal me, break me, love me and hate me.

He has the power to destroy me.

Maybe that’s ok. Because I can’t seem to save Finn and love Dare without everyone getting hurt.

Why? Because of a secret.

A secret I’m so busy trying to figure out, that I never see it coming.

You won’t either.

♥ ♥ ♥

Except:

Glancing up, I suck my breath in when I find dark eyes connected to mine, eyes so dark they’re almost black, and the energy in them is enough to freeze me in place.

A boy is attached to the dark gaze.

A man.

He’s probably no more than twenty or twenty-one, but everything about him screams man. There’s no boy in him. That part of him is very clearly gone. I see it in his eyes, in the way he holds himself, in the perceptive way he takes in his surroundings, then stares at me with singular focus, like we’re somehow connected by a tether. He’s got a million contradictions in his eyes….aloofness, warmth, mystery, charm, and something else I can’t define.

Release Day Blitz: Life Next Door (Love Not Included #2)

Life Next Door (Love Not Included #2) by J.D. Hollyfield
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Romance
Release Date: November 3, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

There is only one thing in life that professional pastry Chef Priscilla Westcott values more than baking and wine, and that’s honesty. A quality she soon learns that her marriage lacks when her husband runs off with their next door neighbor.

Divorced and alone, Priscilla is determined to make changes in her life. She decides to approach her new goals like one of her beloved recipes. 

Surely with a little time, a dash of patience, and measured planning she can whip herself—and her life—back into shape.

However, when a new—and utterly delicious—neighbor takes up residence in the house that ruined her marriage, Pricilla fears that her careful world will fold faster than a deflated soufflé.

Trent Walker knows what he wants and his sweet, sassy neighbor is at the top of the list. He’s certain that the chemistry between them would be explosive, but Priscilla fears that an affair with him, however hot, could be a recipe for disaster.

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Promotional Event: Books, Blogs, & Reality

Books, Blogs, & Reality by Ryan Ringbloom
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 24, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Life can suck…

When reality becomes overwhelming, seeking comfort in fictional fantasies keeps hope alive. And while this escape may be a little delusional, it’s also therapeutic.

Sharing secrets is daunting, but virtual friends don’t often judge and they are always ready to share a glass of wine…or three…while typing out life’s latest endeavors.

Brooke believes obstacles only add to romance, not detract. Rachael longs for a more intense relationship, or so she thinks. Lizzie misses the excitement in her life, but sometimes new situations find you when you’re not even looking. And Jess believes a tiger can change his stripes. It can’t.

Bound by a shared passion for blogging about happily ever afters, these four young women use keyboard therapy to work through their expectations, anxieties, and inadequacies, all with the hopes of achieving the perfection found in romance novels.

Completely blinded by what they think life should be, they navigate their unique paths in search of what they envision is right. But when reality taunts them with persistent curve balls, will they be strong enough to choose wisely? Or will their happy endings escape them?

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Excerpt:

It’s not uncommon for people to have two sets of friends. The “real” friends; these are the ones who live nearby, the ones you see or talk with occasionally (less and less as time goes on). Then there are the “virtual” friends; these are the ones you talk to (well, type to) every day. The latter group comes from all over. You’ve never actually met any of them and yet you trust them with some of the deepest, most intimate thoughts and details of your life. You share way too much information and in return, they over-share way too much back.

On Brooke Bloomfield’s twenty-third birthday, she went to lunch with her real life best friend, Lauren. The two girls had a very nice time. They gossiped in between chews, catching up, because even though they lived only ten minutes away from each other, they still hadn’t seen each other in quite some time. When the bill came, Lauren grabbed it, insisting she treat Brooke on her special day. They hugged goodbye at their cars and promised to meet for lunch or a drink soon.

Promotional Event: Coming to Rosemont (Rosemont Saga #1)

Coming to Rosemont (Rosemont Saga #1) by Barbara Hinske
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Women's Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: February 18, 2013
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Forensic accountant Maggie Martin's well-ordered life is shattered by her husband's untimely death and the double life he concealed. 

Dealing with the financial and emotional wreckage left in Paul's wake, she is stunned to learn he inherited an estate known as Rosemont in the seemingly-serene Midwestern town of Westbury. 

Seeking a fresh start and a quiet, solitary life, she moves halfway across the country to make Rosemont her home. 

Before she can unpack her first box, she's knee-deep in a battle against political corruption, where defeat and retreat are not an option. Still bearing the scars of betrayal, will she find joy, romance and possibility in Westbury?

Coming to Rosemont is the first book in the Rosemont series.


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Excerpt:

“Now,” Tonya said, “As you know, I have been calling for an independent audit of Westbury’s books. At first, I simply thought this was a good practice. I never dreamed that something could be wrong. But the more I requested and pushed for one, the more the Mayor and the other Council Members balked and stalled and misdirected the conversation.”

“I grew up the oldest child in a large family,” she continued. “I’ve heard plenty of wild excuses and tall tales in my time. My mother always knew when one of us was lying, and I guess I’ve inherited her nose for nonsense.” At this, a chuckle rippled through the crowd. “I felt like I was back in my mother’s kitchen with my brothers when these guys were making excuses to avoid an audit,” she said.

Review: Frostbitten

Frostbitten by Heather Beck
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: June 23, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Great beauty hides dark secrets...

Seventeen-year-old Anastasia Lockhart has never led an easy life, but when she starts getting into serious trouble, she’s sent to live with her grandparents in Cedar Falls. 

The small, picturesque town hasn’t changed since she visited four years ago, with one exception – the presence of a handsome, mysterious boy named Frost. 

Despite warnings from her grandparents and friends to stay away from Frost, Anastasia can’t deny their attraction, and the more time they spend together, the deeper in love they fall. 

Unfortunately, Frost has a secret that is beyond Anastasia’s wildest imagination, and she soon finds herself in the midst of a supernatural legend that has haunted Cedar Falls for years.

Can Anastasia and Frost’s love really overcome anything, or are their fates much darker?

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Frostbitten follows Anastasia Lockhart who at the beginning of the story is being shipped off to her grandparents in Cedar Falls because her mom can no longer deal with her teenage antics. Anastasia used to spend her summers in Cedar Falls with her grandparents when she was younger and she had fond memories of the people and town. She’s hoping this will be a chance for her to start over and get back to the person she used to be.

Heather Beck created an amazing setting and I really loved the town of Cedar Falls, but the thing I loved most about this story was how well written it was. I liked how strange everyone was acting and how you know right away that something isn’t quite right between the people in the town. I also really liked how there’s this kind of rivalry mixed in with mystery. I thought that whole angle was great.

Book Blitz: Raven (Chronicles of Steele #1)

Raven (Chronicles of Steele #1) by Pauline Creeden
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: October 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

This is the complete Steampunk Fantasy novel - all four parts of the serial in one volume!

Human life has value.
The poor living in the gutter is as valuable as the rich living in a manor.
The scoundrel is no less valuable than the saint.
Because of this, every life a reaper takes must be redeemed.

Raven has lived by this first tenet since she was trained by her father to become a reaper. But since his death, she’s been spending years redeeming the lives she’s taken. 

By her count, she’s even and it’s time for that life to end. If she settles down and becomes a wife, she might just feel human again. But on the way to the life she thinks she wants, the baron of New Haven asks her to complete a task which she cannot ignore… Just when Raven decides to give up on her life as an assassin, she’s pulled right back in.


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Excerpt:

Two sets of footsteps clipped across on the cobblestone. Before they rounded the bend to the stable door, Raven’s fingers twitched over her knife. When she saw Gorman and the younger baron, she relaxed and continued attaching her weapons.

“Can I trust you?” Baron Darius’s voice rose hesitantly as he approached.

She smiled. “I’ve saved your life once and promise to do it as many times as necessary.”

“Why?”

“It’s the reaper’s way. A life for a life.”

“How many have you killed?”

Raven clinched her jaw. “Too many.” Her gaze met the butler’s. “Will he have his own horse?”