Blackheath by Gabriella Lepore

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages:284
Series: The Blackheath Witches #1
Genre YA Paranormal
Rating: 2.5 stars

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Maggie Ellmes is dogged by a case of chronic bad luck. She figures that’s just her lot in life- that is, until the psychic at Blackheath’s annual carnival reveals that Maggie’s problems are caused by more than just ordinary misfortune: she’s actually been cursed.
Desperate to shake the hex, Maggie has no choice but to seek out the help of Joel Tomlins, a rebellious classmate who’s descended from Blackheath’s most powerful line of witches. After breaking all of his coven’s conventions to help her, Joel discovers that the curse isn’t as bad as Maggie fears. In fact,it’s much, much worse.

Review:

Maggie finds out one night at a carnival that she is cursed. She turns to the only person she can think of to help her. Joel Tomlins. The one guy she hates.

This wasn’t a bad read. The relationship between Maggie and Joel could use some more work. It would have been nice to see a little more depth and growth between the two. I will read the next book.

Devotion by Alexa Riley

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Standalone
Genre: Smut
Rating:1 STAR

Synopsis:

Aurora Adams has had everything in her life regimented. She’s been made to eat certain foods, wear certain clothes, and only do what her mother allows…all for the sake of her dancing career. Life is lonely and cold, but she doesn’t have a choice. When her mother decides to send her away for a year of training it’s just another blow to her already fragile heart.

Noah Hill has never had passion for much in his life. But one look at Aurora and his world ignites. From the moment he sees her on the stage, he knows she ahs to be his. When her mother stands in the way, he has no other choice.

Will Aurora finally have a chance to break free, or is she trading one cage for another? When temptation leads to devotion, maybe the truth isn’t so important.

Review:

Okay let’s get to this shall we?

I normally love Alexa Riley books. There have been some in the past I didn’t like but nothing and I repeat nothing of the AR books made me loathe as much as this one.

Granted I know this is a smut book but still, somethings are just a little to ridiculous even for smut.

Fair warning this is a rant review and I will be spoiling events happening in the book. Please advert your eyes now.

For those who continue on to read.

1. The hero. I tend to love AR’s alpha males but Jesus this dude did not get the water works going at all. His “dirty” talk made me want to run to the shower and drown myself in bleach.
2. The heroine. Could we have a less of a realistic girl. Imagine if you will, your mother has controlled your entire life. You have never had an interaction with the opposite sex ever. Your life is nothing but dance. Even the food intake has been monitored. When you are sent away to a “strict dancing” training, the “coach/instructor” tells you to eat whenever you want. Makes a move on you. Wouldn’t you freak out?
3. A day well actually several hours after she loses her v-card, the heroine also does anal with the hero and takes it like a champ. Can we call BULLSHIT!!!!!!
4. The hero. He just had a raper vibe to me. I just had a big problem with him.

This was a complete fail to me. Though I will still read AR books. This one I am staying far away from.

Broken Trouble by Kristan Billups

My edition: Kindle (Owned)
Pages:375
Series: Broken Storm #1
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis:

Seventeen year old Nova has one last chance to turn her life around. When the judge gave her an ultimatum of getting herself and her life together or going to prison, she is sent to a ranch in the middle of nowhere swarming with hot cowboys. The same ranch that she had burnt a barn down on that had sent her back to Juvenile detention.
The same cowboys that had almost lost their ranch because of her.
How do you change when everyone hates you and doesn’t trust you?
How do you change when you don’t want to?
Which life will she choose? The fun but dark life she’s been living her entire life or something even better?
*This book is a reverse harem novel*

Review:

This wasn’t what I thought it would be. I’m really grateful for the author for building up a romance between Nova and the guys. I hate when authors write reverse harems and they guys and the girl are insta love. I hate insta love in all forms of books unless smut, because well smut.

Another aspect I like about the book was the relationship between Nova and the horse Storm. Their connection was awesome. I like their budding friendship more than the romance.

I am already wanting the next book. It’s suppose to come out sometime this year. Hopefully soon. I want more of Nova and Storm.

There was one thing I didn’t dislike it but I didn’t like it either, which was Jayden’s pervy ways. He tended to come on to strong but Nova put him in his place.

The Vampire Gift 1: Wards of Night by E.M. Knight

My Edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages:408
Series: The Vampire Gift
Genre: Paranormal, Supernatural
Rating: 2 stars

Synopsis:

When 17-year old Eleira wakes up in a strange, unfamiliar room high above the redwoods of California, she has no idea what’s waiting for her in the dark.

A trio of hauntingly beautiful vampires with a taste for her blood…

An ancient sanctuary locked away in time…

And a wicked queen determined to do anything to hold on to her rule.

Caught between three vampire brothers and coveted for her bloodline, Eleira is swept into a world of supernatural magic where nothing is as it seems and betrayal lurks behind every corner. She must fight for her survival or risk being made prey for the very creatures who keep her there. But when she discovers a dark, twisted prophecy with her at its center, she is pulled deep into the hear of THE HAVEN… and realizes that vampires she seeks to escape might just be the key to her salvation.

Review:

This reminds me so much of another series, Shade of Vampire.

The similarities

A girl is taken to a whole other village. The village has humans who are slaves. The girl notices that it is always dark outside. The Haven is protected by wards that a witch keeps up. The girl is desired between two brothers. One brother a asshat, the other a sensible vampire. Their youngest sibling is more tolerant to not being a full blown monster. The vampires all live up in houses built in the trees.

The differences.

The witch is also the queen of the Haven who also happens to be the brothers’ mother. In California high in the Redwoods. Their youngest sibling is a boy instead of a girl. Their father is the ruler of the rival coven.

I didn’t like this all that much. The writing, though it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t the best either. Granted I have read worse. Main reason I am not going on with this series is that I was seeing way to much of Shade of Vampire and I couldn’t full open up to the story. Not for me.

Destiny Risen by Hilary Thompson

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages:456
Series: Strabright #3 Final Book
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis:

The world cries for Peace, but she can’t stop fighting now.

One hundred years before, the Great Sickness reduced the world to three scattered cities. Now Asphodel has risen, Tartarus no longer burns, but Elysium still waits at the edge of the earth.

Trea’s destiny is still uncertain- but with her own personal prophet to help, the choice will finally be hers to make.

Three sisters.
Four fallen stars.
Seven minutes to determine the future of our world.

Review:

I kind of fought with this one. Before half way I couldn’t figure out why this one was taking me so long to get through. The after I got half way through I figured it out. It was Lexan. Even though I like Lexan as a character I just found his POV a little slow. I loved Astrea’s so much better than Lexan’s.

I still loved the story but I didn’t like it as much as the other two. I think it has to do with Elisyum. I didn’t like the city and the people there weren’t the best. Too many trials and not enough trust. Just having to read about the city wasn’t piquing my interest.

Even after halfway I still fought because I went into a book slump and it was just hard to finish this. Again loved the story but there were just parts that made this tough to get through. The end was worth it though.

Feels Like Home by Evelyn Adams

My edition: Kindle (owned)
Pages: 203
Series: The Southerlands #1
Genre: Romance, Chick Lit
Rating: 2 stars

Synopsis:

Tired of living under the shadow of her mother’s bad choices, Autumn Maddox left home the first chance she got. But when her carefully constructed life crumbles around her, Autumn’s forced to return to the small southern town that never let her forgot she came from the wrong side of the tracks.

Jude Southerland, the town doctor, is used to taking car of people and with a pedigree that has the Ladies Auxiliary reaching for their fans. he’s easily the town’s most eligible bachelor- a status he has no intention of changing. That is until he almost runs down the Maddox girl he never noticed in school and suddenly finds her lush curves, dark curls and blue eye consuming his thoughts, day and night.

Autumn would like nothing more than to live happily ever after with Jude. But with every local matron in the valley trying to marry him off to their own daughters, she knows they won’t let her forget that she’s not good enough and never will be. With the chance to finally find happiness, can she overcome her family history and find the confidence she needs to believe in herself or will she let love pass her by?

Review:

What was turning out to be a good book fell flat at the end. The romance was good. The hero was awesome, the setting was so-so. What kill this book besides the ending was the heroine. She is the reason the ending suck.

Our dear hero comes from a wealthy Southern family. He is perfect in every golden boy way as the town doctor. When one of his patients past away, he sees the granddaughter at the funeral that the patient always talked about. He’s attracted right away. Jude Southerland almost runs over Autumn Maddox the next morning. After that he can’t get her out of his mind.

Autumn Maddox comes from a family with a drunk mother who man hopped, where her oldest brother died in a car wreck with the youngest brother. She feels as if she is no good for Jude because of her family.

Now ladies and gentleman lets go and look at the blurb…

Autumn would like nothing more that to live happily ever after with Jude.But with every local matron in the valley trying to marry him off to their own daughters, she knows they won’t let her forget that she’s not good enough and never will be.

Sadly I did not get any of that. The only drama of this sort that happened was when she met his family and his best friend asked a couple questions. After that the story fell to utter ruin. The end was rushed out and I pretty much skimmed the rest of it. I didn’t even bother reading the full epilogue which set up for book two.

This was a complete bust for me.

The Nanny Crisis by T.M. Cromer

My edition: Kindle (owned)
Pages: 168
Standalone
Genre: Romance, Chick Lit
Rating: 2 stars

Synopsis:

New father Ty Jensen is in dire need of a nanny for his motherless infant. So when rainbow-haired Lana Martell shows up late for her interview, against his better judgement, he hires her on the spot. Ty finds himself falling hard and fast for his feisty employee.

Sassy Lana Martell has a penchant for attracting trouble. One look at her frazzled employer and she knows her heart is in jeopardy. But she also understands starting something with Ty could have her back at the bus stop with a one-way ticket to royally screwed.

As passion flares between this single father and his sexy nanny, an unexpected threat emerges to destroy the new life they’ve created. Their faith in each other is tested, and in the end, it comes down to one question…can Ty save Lana before she falls victim to the evil from her past?

Review:

I skimmed the last 20 pages of this book. The ending sucked and the middle suck. The beginning was decent. I don’t read much of straight romance novels. This book is a reason why.

It seemed as if a 200-300 page book was crammed into a 168 pages. The romance wasn’t believable. I felt nothing for any of the characters. This was suppose to be about a nanny and the father of child falling in love but didn’t get that. Yes she was a nanny but it focused so much on the romance. The baby was mostly just a backdrop prop.

OTT drama llama is the only way I can explain this book. Everything bad seemed to happen to the heroine. It was just too much for me.

Insanity by Lauren Hammond

My Edition: Kindle Owned
Pages:227
Series:Asylum #1
Genre: YA, Mystery, Mental health
Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis:

Adelaide Carmichael and Damien Allen couldn’t be more opposite.

Adelaide’s mother abandoned her when she was ten years old, leaving her to be raised by her abusive and alcoholic father.

Damien on the other hand came from a wealthy family, was a local celebrity, and seemed to have a bright future ahead of him.

Despite their differences, Adelaide and Damien were young, wild, and fiercely in love.

And they had a plan.

They were going to run away.

Be together forever.

And their plan was set in motion, until tragedy struck and for some reason, Adelaide wound up in the Oakhill Institution for the insane.

Adelaide has no idea what she did to wind up at Oakhill, but she knows one thing for sure…

She wants out

And after Damien follows her there to aid her in escaping, Adelaide slowly begins putting together the pieces of her memory that are missing.

And it doesn’t take Adelaide long to figure out that sometimes…

That one true love never dies.

Warning: Do not read if you have a weak heart. 

Review:

All I can really say is, what the hell took me so long to read this?

This was amazing. I like how the author had it going back and forth from past to present. There were times I had to put the book down and think shit what the hell is going on.

Set in the 1950s Adelaide was walking down a dirt road while her father was at work. Damien passes her in his convertible. When she hears a voice call to her she is suddenly swept up by a brilliant pair of blue eyes.

Adelaide is a patient at Oakhill Institution. She has no idea why she is there. When finally she sees a familiar face, Damien. He’s an orderly. He has a plan to help her escape. Only until then she has to learn how to survive and not get sent down to the basement. But when she switches doctors she wasn’t prepared for Dr. Watson. He is gorgeous.

Why do I have to be broke? Why? I need the next three books like now. Again why did I take so long to read this? It has been on my kindle for about a year and half.

The only thing I didn’t like is the constant reminder that the heroine’s hair is ebony.