Sempre ★★★★☆ | #COYER Book Review

Author: J.M. Darhower
Genre: Contemporary Romance; Young Adult
Source: NetGalley- Gallery Books
530 pages

Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco had vastly different childhoods. Haven, a second-generation slave, grew up isolated in the middle of the desert, her days full of hard work and terrifying abuse. Carmine, born into a wealthy Mafia family, lived a life of privilege, never having to answer for anything he did.

Both now seventeen, a twist of fate causes their worlds to collide, making them question everything they ever believed. Entangled in a web of secrets and lies, they learn that while different on the surface, they have more in common than anyone would think.
     So much happened in this book I'm not sure where to start.  This book encompasses so much.  It's not just about human trafficking.  It's not just about the mob.  It's definitely not just any young adult romance.  I feel silly saying it but I had a hard time starting this book.  I was expecting something set in South America and that there would be a lot of violence in the book.  There was some violence but the story of Haven and Carmine make up for it in spades.  There were so many twists, turns and surprises in this book it blew my mind.  I found myself getting anxious thinking my gosh what can happen next?  By the end I was so totally engrossed with the book that I read for 4 hours straight to finish it.

     Haven was born a slave.  I thought since reading the synopsis that since she was a slave this book was set in another country because we aren't supposed to have slavery anymore in America.  The book starts out in California where haven has lived for her 17 years.  Just as there are all kinds of other illegal activities after reading this book I can believe that there are still slaves.  That thought is very upsetting.  Haven has spent her entire life secluded from the outside word.  Her views on things are sometimes very funny in their simplicity.  Haven gets taken from the house in California and her mother at the beginning of the book and is taken to a new house in North Carolina to live with the DeMarco's.  She has to adjust to a whole different life and her journey was interesting to read.

     There are 2 DeMarco sons.  Dominick and Carmine.  Dominick is your regular high school student.  Carmine is just a mess, there's no nicer way to put it.  He's seen some terrible things in his 17 years and in addition to that is considered a mafia prince.  He drinks and does drugs a lot.  He gets into fights with everyone.  But he can't understand why Haven doesn't like him.  The changes in Carmine once he decides to be nice to Haven and try to get her to like him are great.  The relationship between Haven and Carmine is one of the best I've read in a book considered Young Adult.

     Why do I say the book is "considered" Young Adult?  Well, it might be categorized as that since they are technically both 17 and then 18 in the book but there is drinking, drugs, sex and violence in this book.  I would say that it should be considered New Adult despite their ages.  The topics that this book covers are something that I'm not sure that many teenagers would be able to understand or enjoy.

     When the book finished I thought to myself huh I think there could be a second book... and there will be.  Apparently Sempre is book one of the Forever series.  Book two is called Sempre Redemption and I'm sure it will be even more action packed than the first book.  Its publication date on Goodreads is December 23rd.

Picking a few favorite quotes has been difficult with this book.  I highlighted a lot!

Favorite Quotes:

"Colpo di fulmine.  The thunderbolt, as Italians call it.  When love strikes someone like lightning, so powerful and intense it can't be denied.  It's beautiful and messy, cracking a chest open and spilling their soul out for the world to see.  It turns a person inside out, and there's no going back from it.  Once the thunderbolt hits, your life is irrevocably changed."

"The girl who had never been able to call her life her own taught a boy who had the world at his fingertips exactly what it meant to live."

  

Born in Blood ★★★★☆ | #COYER Book Review

Author: Alexandra Ivy
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: NetGalley- Kensington Books
352 pages

In a stunning new paranormal romance series—even edgier than her bestselling Guardians of Eternity books—New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Ivy lures readers into the dark, seductive world of the Sentinels—humans outcast by their hidden abilities, treading the line between life and death, good and evil, pleasure and pain…

Born In Blood

Sergeant Duncan O’Conner has seen it all before. A beautiful erotic dancer is found murdered in her home—no suspect, no motive. But there’s one clue: she’s missing her heart. It’s enough to make the hard-bitten Kansas City cop enlist the help of a necro—one of the dead-channeling freaks who live in the domed city of nearby Valhalla. It’s a long shot, but desperate crimes call for desperate measures.

Unlike the other “high-bloods” in Valhalla, Callie Brown considers her abilities a gift, not a curse. But when she reads the dancer’s final thoughts, she senses a powerful presence blocking her vision. This is no ordinary homicide. This is the work of a legendary necromancer who controls souls. A ravenous force that will put Callie’s skills to the test, O’Conner’s career at risk, and both their hearts on the line…literally.

     When I was flipping through the NetGalley site and saw Alexandra Ivy's name I had to request the book. I love her Guardian's of Eternity series. After reading Born in Blood I think that The Sentinels series could be even better. I really liked this book. It had me hooked from the start. It's not really a fast-paced book but more like a mystery where you're trying to figure out what's going to happen next. Add to that a steaming hot romance and this book has it all. My only complaint is that the cover model looks like Anya and not Callie. Callie has short spiky hair and Duncan describes her as looking like a pixie. I guess that isn't as photogenic. I hate it when they do that!

     My favorite character in this book was Duncan. He's the kind of guy any girl would be happy with. A good guy through and through. Duncan and Callie have worked together for years and both have fantasied about the other through that time. When there's a really strange murder Duncan sees his chance and insists on going to Valhalla with Callie. Sparks fly and it's one of those sweet relationships that you don't see enough of in the Paranormal Romance genre. Of course with every book like this we need the enemy... so there's Zak and Anya. As far as bad guys go I felt kinda meh about these two. It's the classic take over the world scenario and I just wasn't feeling it.

     All in all this was a great book and I look forward to more from The Sentinels series. I expected nothing less from Alexandra Ivy. The concept of "high-bloods" and Valhalla was unique and refreshing. Especially since two humans could produce a high-blood child. To me, it seems more like The X-men type of idea really. People born with special abilities are expected to stay together in basically a city in a bubble not interacting with "humans" unless they are needed like Callie is to help solve murders and such. I can totally see something like this happening in real life because people always fear the unknown. The whole book except mabye some parts with Zak was very believable. The next book in the series Hunt the Darkness is set to be published in June of 2014.

Redemption ★★★☆☆ | #COYER Book Review

Author: C.J. Barry
Genre: Metaphysical Thriller
Source: NetGalley- (Forever) Grand Central Publishing
336 pages

Reya Sinclair is a Redeemer of Souls. Her mission is to give Earth’s most depraved sinners a shot at redemption just before they are slated to die. Her own redemption is on the line as she fulfills her duties, leaving a trail of dead bodies in her wake. It’s all going perfectly well until one detective takes notice, possibly bringing her salvation to a halt.

Thane Driscoll is a good cop who’s seen too many bad guys get away, including the man who murdered his father. He exacts his own style of justice, even if it costs him his humanity. A string of mysterious deaths leads him to a woman who’s not quite human and might hold the key to finding his father’s killer.

When death and shadows descend, New York City becomes a battleground for the forces of light and dark. As the body count rises and sparks fly between them, Reya and Thane race to uncover a terrible truth. Can one man hell-bent on revenge and one woman determined to save her eternal soul be enough to keep the planet from spiraling into darkness?

Freak of Nature ★★★★★ | #COYER Book Review

Author: Julia Crane
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance
Source: NetGalley- Indie Inked
284 pages

Donate Body to Science. Check.
When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.

Yellowstone Heart Song ★★★★☆ | #COYER Book Review

Author: Peggy L. Henderson
Genre: Time Travel Romance
Source: Kindle Freebie
278 pages

Nurse and avid backpacker Aimee Donovan is offered the opportunity of a lifetime. She encounters a patient who tells her he can send her two hundred years into the past to spend three months in the rugged Yellowstone wilderness at the dawn of the mountain man era. The only requirement: she cannot tell anyone that she’s from the future.

How did a white woman suddenly appear in the remote Rocky Mountain wilderness? Trapper Daniel Osborne’s first instinct is to protect this mysterious and unconventional woman from the harsh realities of his mountains. While he fights his growing attraction to her, he is left frustrated by her lies and secrecy.

Daniel shows Aimee a side of Yellowstone she’s never experienced. She is torn between her feelings for him, and exposing a secret that will destroy everything he holds as truth. As her three months come to an end, she is faced with a dilemma: return to her own time, or stay with the man who opened her eyes to a whole new world. When the decision is made for her, both their lives will be changed forever.

Come Home to Me ★★★★★ | #COYER Book Review

Author: Peggy L. Henderson
Genre: Time Travel Romance
Source: Kindle Freebie
252 pages

Jake Owens is tired of life on his parents’ Montana ranch, catering to city folk who want a taste of old-fashioned country living. He enjoys life in the fast lane, with fast cars and even faster women. When he falls in with the wrong crowd and is accused of murder, a stranger’s bizarre offer at a second chance might be his only hope to clear his name.

Rachel Parker is highly devoted to her family. A tragedy prompts a daring move to the Oregon Territory for a fresh start in a new land. After meeting the wagon train’s scout, the meaning of a fresh start may be more than she ever imagined. 

Jake can’t believe he’s been sent back in time to act as scout for a wagon train headed for Oregon, and given the added burden of keeping one emigrant woman safe during the journey. He and Rachel are confused by their attraction to each other. Jake’s ill-mannered, unconventional ways are overshadowed only by his notorious reputation. Rachel’s traditional values and quiet, responsible character are the complete opposite of what attracts Jake to a woman. When their forbidden attraction turns to love, what will happen at the end of the trail?

The Cowgirl Ropes a Billionaire ★★★★☆ | #COYER Book Review

Author: Cora Seton
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
286 pages

Bella Chatham will lose everything – her veterinary practice, her animal shelter, and even her home – if she can’t find another source of income, fast. So when her best friend signs her up for the hot new reality television show, Can You Beat a Billionaire, Bella accepts the challenge and hopes against hope she can win the ten million dollar prize. If she doesn’t, it’s bye-bye pet clinic and shelter, bye-bye Chance Creek, Montana, and hello to marriage to the billionaire for a year! 

Evan Mortimer, billionaire, can’t believe he’s reduced to competing in a television contest to win a wife. Unfortunately, it’s the only foolproof way to secure his position as head of Mortimer Innovations. At least he’ll be able to dump his “spouse” at the end of the year. He has no intention of getting hitched for life.

Bella doesn’t expect her adversary to be handsome – or funny, or compassionate – but Evan’s all three, and he’s proving a tough competitor, too. When they end up sharing a tent – and a sleeping-bag – her body betrays her with a longing so deep it cuts her to the core. Still, this cowgirl must stay strong. If Evan uncovers her secret fears, he’ll use them to win the contest – and then he’ll own her for a year. She’ll be out of luck, out of cash, and stuck being Mrs. Mortimer until he kicks her to the curb. Too bad she can’t decide which is worse – winning the show and losing Evan forever, or losing the show and only being his temporary wife.

Evan can’t believe he’s falling for the one woman who doesn’t want him. This cowgirl’s not impressed by his money, his name, or his inability to sleep in a tent with her for an entire night, but every look and touch she gives him sends his desire through the roof. With a director determined to use his claustrophobia to make him look like a fool, and an adversary so sexy he can hardly see straight, he’ll need all his savvy to come out on top. Too bad he’s going to lose no matter how this show turns out. If he beats Bella, he’ll destroy the first woman he’s ever loved. If he doesn’t beat her, it’s bye-bye Mortimer Innovations.

Will either of them remember in time that it’s not who wins or who loses – it’s how they play the game that really counts?

To Conspire ★★★★☆ | #COYER Book Review

Author: Sara B. Gauldin 
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: ARC
86 pages

To Conspire is a fast paced mystery and crime drama that brings the element of conspiracy at all levels of public infrastructure into question. The story is based on a Detective who is ordered by her commanding officer to investigate the disappearances of several bankers off of the record. She is teamed up with a gentleman who ultimately causes her to question the simplistic view she has on crime.
     

     I find it ironic that I was just commenting on a novella and saying that they usually leave me feeling like the book lacked something.  To Conspire was only lacking in the sense that I would have liked for it to go on.  Perhaps author Sara Gauldin was hoping to leave the rest to our imaginations.  I know I have my own ideas of what I would like to happen next.  Actually I'd be very interested in another novella or book with Avery Rich and Ryan Kain.  I love watching movies like this but seldom read books in this genre anymore.  Despite being short it was action packed.  

     The main characters are Avery and Kain.  Avery is a police detective that is new to the area.  Her commanding officer tells her that he has brought her in to help investigate the disappearances of bankers.  He tells her that he can't trust anyone else to investigate and that it's off the books.  He tells her to meet up with Kain who is a known conspiracy theorist.  I would love to read more about Kain.  It's understandable in the story that the doesn't go out and give all of the info from his whole life away but the little crumbs that were given left me wanting more.  Avery and Kain team up to find the missing bankers but end up finding out a lot more and nearly lose their lives in the process.  

     This was a fast paced and action packed read.  Despite being a novella it doesn't lack in details.  I would recommend this to anyone who likes crime dramas, mysteries, conspiracy theories or are just looking for something different.  I would definitely read more from author Sara Gauldin.

Favorite Quotes:

"Part of me wondered if there was another side to this paranoid person, a side that could be open and receptive to another human being."

"Even if I survive this chain of events I doubt I will ever truly understand Ryan Kain.  Every time I think I am making headway figuring him out he says or does something to throw me off."

The Ghost and the Graveyard ★★★★★ | #COYER Book Review

 

Author: Genevieve Jack
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Kindle Freebie
308 pages

**The Ghost and The Graveyard is a funny, exciting, and sexy read intended for adults. Due to sexual content, language, and violence this book is recommended for ages 18+** 

Grateful Knight isn't looking for love when she moves into a rent-free house on the edge of a graveyard. At twenty-two, all she wants is to recover financially so she can move back to the city where she belongs. 

But sparks fly when the gorgeous cemetery caretaker, Rick, introduces himself and mentions his suspicion that her new house might be haunted. Her attraction to him seems supernatural, and despite her resolve to not get involved, she literally can't keep her hands off him. 

When things in Grateful's house start moving on their own, another man enters her life, Logan, a sexy ghost with a dark secret. He says Rick isn't what he seems, and indulging her passion for him could cost her soul. 

One thing's for sure, magical forces are at work in the tiny town of Red Grove, and they're converging on Grateful. Life will never be the same once she's forced to choose between the ghost and the graveyard.

Capri's Fate ★★★☆☆ | #COYER Book Review

Author: Daryl Devore
Genre: Paranormal Romance; Erotica
Source: Kindle Freebie
229 pages

What's a woman to do when a voice follows her home and makes mad, passionate love to her? 

Corporate business woman, Capricious Gray, is dragged to a sex toy convention by her best friend. Once a shocking, mysterious disembodied voice helps her with her purchases, it follows her home. Passion ensues, leaving Capri torn between lust for her fantasy lover and the desperate need for reality in her life.

Thall, son of one of the Fates, harbors the irrepressible need to be with the woman he's desired from afar for years. In order to make her his, once and for all, he must help Capri get past her fears, including the fear of what he represents - a fantasy.

Can fantasy become a reality for these two lovers?

Reverb ★★★★☆ | #COYER Book Review

Warning: This book may not be suitable for all audiences.  It has flashbacks to rape and torture.

Written by: J. Cafesin
Genres: Psychological Thriller; Romantic Suspense

James Whren is brilliant, beautiful, rich, and taken—with his genius for creating music. Desired by many, he commits to no one but his muse. On the eve of his brother's funeral his father shatters his life, and James is left abandoned in hell with no one real to save him.

His odyssey to freedom takes him beyond the looking glass, to the reflection of friends and lovers. Humbled and alone, James escapes to the Greek island of Corfu. But instead of finding solace there, loneliness consumes him.

Until Elisabeth, and her son, Cameron...

Reverb is a love story, a psychological thriller paced with romantic suspense. It is a tale of redemption—the evolution of a modern man from solipsist to integrated awareness, the journey inadvertently awakening his capacity to love.

Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge Kickoff

 I am very excited about this challenge.  Normally I do monthly challenges on Goodreads, and I hope to fit whatever books I read this month into those, but this is my first blog-type challenge!  So, the goal is just as the title says "clean out your e-reader."  I have some books given to me by authors that I need to read and review, some ePub books from Smashwords, some Netgalley books and the rest will be cleaning up my overloaded Kindle app.  I signed up for 10+ books but chose almost all of the extra books I had in my iPad. (yes there are more)  Here is the list of books that I plan to pick from to read this month... I added pics but it made it look funny... oh well.

The Count of Monte Cristo As Retold By Sherlock Holmes by Holy Ghost Writer (review freebie)





Reverb by J. Cafesin (review freebie)




To Conspire by Sara B. Gauldin (review freebie)


A touch of Ice by L.J. Charles (giveaway from contest)




Mirian by D.S. England (Smashwords freebie)





Resurgence by Johi Jenkins (Smashwords freebie)




Redemption by C.J. Barry (NetGalley)






Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci (NetGalley)





Accidentally in Love with A God by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff (NetGalley)





Every Last Kiss by Courtney Cole (Kindle freebie)




Light of Kaska by Michelle O'Leary (Kindle freebie)




The Reluctant Amazon by Sandy James (Kindle freebie)






Hot Secrets by Lisa Renee Jones (Kindle freebie)






The Light Within Me by Carly Fall (Kindle freebie)






See by Jamie Magee (Kindle freebie)






Awaken by Sarah M. Ross (Kindle freebie)




The Ghost and the Graveyard by Genevieve Jack (Kindle freebie)




Airborne by Constance Sharper (Kindle freebie)







Beyond the Shadows by Laverne Clark (Kindle freebie)




Destiny Divided by Leia Shaw (Kindle freebie)






Capris Fate by Daryl Devore (Kindle freebie)






The White Aura by Felicia Tatum (Kindle freebie)




No Such Thing by Michelle O'Leary (Kindle freebie)






Black Moon by C. L. Bevill (Kindle freebie)





Choice by Jean Booth (Kindle freebie)




Blood Warrior by H. D. Gordon (Kindle freebie)