He Ain’t Lion ( Ridgeville1 ) by Celia Kyle

Hello to all,

                         this week i'm a little late to post a review but i'm currently looking for all the material i could need to create the christmas gifts i have in mind and that takes time ( even more than i'm not sure of what i want to do or how long it will take) Anyway you got some giveaways to participate in the meantime and today we are back with our feline shifter reading goal.

This time i decided to check an author from whom i really loved a book, Celia Kyle has a series with bears shifters that i really loved and i discovered she also has one with feline ( and other) shifters so i had to try it since the first book was free ( temporary promotion).

So today  i'm glad to share with you my opinion on " He Ain't Lion"

 happy reading.

Publisher: Summerhouse Publishing

Publication: 2012

ISBN:  9781476234298

Genre: paranormal romance, erotica, shifters
Violence: mild
Language: mild
sex: very strong
Public: 18+

Source: free promotion

Short description from goodreads :

Life sucks… And then you get turned into a werelion…

Curvaceous, blonde bombshell Maya Josephs is looking for a little action to take her mind off of her recent break-up. Crazy werecats or not, an evening at Genesis is exactly what she needs. And when she meets the hotter than hot, super-sexy owner, Alex O’Connell, the alpha lion shifter is just the man to fit the bill for a one-night stand.


Dumped like a rotting piece of meat by her ex, Maya is on the prowl, fixin' to do whatever it takes to get herself a piece of the gorgeous furball. Besides, what’s the harm in a girl having a little bit of fun?

My opinion:

          This story was quite good but really more steamy that the level I was expecting after discovering this author via her Grayslake series ( my review here) , this one is really erotica and what was even more disturbing was that it started right by that part…We don’t learn a lot about the characters before things get hot, the only things we are told is that shifters, cats, lions in particular hold twice a year a kind of orgy with selected human  in hope to get cubs since real mates a few.

Then Maya appears, a human, knowing nothing about shifters but hoping to get a night of Fun because one of her friend told her about the party. Maya has been dumped by her ex because she has curves let say I hate that man even if we don’t even have a glimpse of him but still I didn’t really like Maya behaviour…. Yes she wanted to feel attractive and all but jumping on one stand with strangers just to prove she can? Not something I agree with and I stopped to connect with her then.

Alex is the head of his pride and a better lion than those I have read about in other series (though females are still as bad), he is protective of his kin and never expected to see a unknown human enter during their celebration. Knowing the risk he tries to make her leave but too quickly his lion part get the upper hand and he is wanting this  female and no other… for his benefit , Alex did try to ask Maya, not clearly, not enough but he did ask in his way before acting.

It’s only the next day when the consequences start showing that both characters learn a little about each other (and when I say a little is really a little) Maya was lucky to have shifters friends she didn’t know about. So the story is all about their steamy night together ( Maya, Alex) then Alex retrieval of Maya and a little bit of explanation about the situation. Yes it’s a novella, so it short but still I would have preferred more depth  not just steamy parts.

If you want a steamy short romance with shifters this could be one for you but if you want more story, less steamy and longer I would tell you to check her other series Grayslake which I really loved more and which focus on bears instead of feline

Score:  3/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

Somes international Giveaways

Hello to all!


                   Seems like i'm coming down with something and my reading is more slow ( which in return makes me a little grumpy) but i wanted to start the week with some good news so here are some international giveaways for you to enter.

 First  Vailia at Vailia's Page Turner has some great giveaways going so let see the list:

* For the blog hop "Stuck in a good book" Vailia is offering either your choice of a book under 15dollars OR 2 books she reviewed and to which she granted 4 dragons ( her equivalent for stars^^) and she does review a lot of book so the choice is large.

You can participate until the 25 September so only 3 days left ^^. Hurry and enter Here

*She didn't stop there though  you have another possibility to win a book under 15dollars in the Falling for Books hop.

To be precise you can win your choice of a fall release as long as it's under the limit ( and released in fall) for that you just have to enter before the 30 september Here

and last but not the least:

* you can win a September Release during the New Release giveaway hop, Vailia offer you a book published in September ( print, ebook your choice), there are some suggestion but you are free to pick any one you want as long as it follow the rules and is under the limut of 20dollars.

You can enter Here before the 30september.

Don't hesitate to check her blog she often has other great giveaways!




Not happy to offer you only those, i remind you that you can also enter on Brenda's Blog " Crazy Four Books"

By commenting at least once you get the opportunity to win any book she reviewed ( or will review) in september
Not a lot of work for some great choices

You can participate here before the end of the month.

On her blog you can also find other giveaways and they are open to international each time she can do it ( when it's part of a blog tour she isn't responsible for the rules)

Enjoy!


Let's focus on a third Blog which is offering us a lot of opportunities to win: i'm speaking of Mythical Books and if you are used to participating in blog hop you must have seen it at least one.

At the moment there are several hops in which they take part so i will give you the links and not the pictures:

* First you have still a few hours left to enter her stop in the " Fairy Tale giveaway Hop" you can win any book with fairies under 18dollars so hurry and enter here

* In the " Stuck in a good book" giveaway hop, on their blog you have the opportunity to win any book they rated 4 or 5 stars if the price is under 19dollars, or you could even get one of your choice if you manage to justify your choice well^^ ( very kind of them!) Enter before the 25 September Here

*If you enter before the 30 th September you could win any Highlanders book, could be historical, paranormal, etc as long as it has highlander and the price stay under 20dollars you can have it if you are the winner of their stop in the "highlander giveaway hop". International  you can enter Here

* Once again the "September New Release giveaway hop", at Mythical books you can win your choice of a September 2014 Release under 21 dollars. You can participate Here

Don't hesitate to check it often as the giveaways are quite numerous.


 I'm sure they are others and i will try to add them to the specific giveaways page until then... GOOD LUCK!

The Mane Event (Pride 1) by Sherry Laurenston

Hello to all,

 Looks like Septembre will offer us a few sunny days at least and i quite crave days without rain at the moment.. but back to the reading planning.

This month i will try to finish what i received for review while still taking time for my crafting activities but first i want to share with you my discoveries in the paranormal genre about shifters but to change a little i will tell you about feline shifters: lions in particular. This will be a topic for the next week.( Don't worry i don't plan to read only about them either ;) )

So Let's start with a book "The Mane Event" which includes  not one but two stories for your reading pleasure.


Happy Reading

Publisher: Brava

Publication: 2007

ISBN:  0758220367

Genre: paranormal romance, shifters
Violence: mild
Language: mild
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: won

Description from goodreads :

Christmas Pride

How come all the good-looking ones are insane?
That's what runs through NYPD cop Desiree "Dez" MacDermot's mind the minute she hooks up again with her childhood buddy, Mace Llewellyn. It isn't just the way he stares at her with those too-sexy gold eyes―as if he could devour her on the spot. Or the six-four, built-like-a-Navy Seal bod-o-death. It isn't even that he sniffs her neck and purrs, making her entire body tingle. It's more about that disconcerting, shifting-from-man-to-lion thing that unhinges her...and makes her want more.

Mace likes making Dez crazy. In fact, he likes her any way he can get her―in bed, on the desk, here, now, again. Together, they'd always been trouble, but Dez has no idea just how good trouble can feel...


Shaw's Tail

Brendon Shaw, hotel owner and lion shifter, has seen better days. He's been beaten, had a gun to the back of his head, and had to be rescued by a Pack of shape-shifting wolves. He didn't think he'd survive the night, much less find the woman of his dreams. And he never thought the woman of his dreams would have a Tennessee accent and wear cowboy boots. Once he sets his sights on her, the predator in him is ready to pounce and never let go.


Ronnie Lee Reed is ready to change her life, and New York City is the place where any girl―even one who runs with a Pack―can redefine herself. First order of business: find a mate, settle down, and stop using men for sex. Even big, gorgeous, lion-shifting, oh-my-what-big-um-paws-you-have men. Then again...

My opinion:

          A Christmas Pride was an enjoyable story despite the really explicit and numerous steamy sex scenes. I don’t mind a little but I felt as it was too much for the length of the story.  Also I found strange that  it’s the fact that he is a shifter that makes Dez accept Mace… I didn’t want her to be racist or anything but she doesn’t have to adjust at all and in matter of minutes they are in bed together? Man or shifter I don’t care but it was too quick, not realistic.

The investigation was not really part of the story either yes there is a murder a yes we learn who but it’s all secondary the “romance” is first and foremost.

The thing that made this one interesting for me was that it focused mostly on feline shifters, lions especially, and it’s a first for me. I’ve already encountered different kind of feline shifters as secondary characters ( hey even Curran is a lion and main character) but it’s the first time I’m reading about a group.  Let say that they are far, far from my favourites ^^;;  but Mace being more wolf than lion in his behaviour helped to make him good even he is  too oppressive for my taste

The secondary characters were really funny as well like smitty’s pack and I would love to see more of them so if you want a story with lot of steamy explicit scene, shifters and some humour you can try this one

Shaw’s Tail is the second story in this book and it takes place directly after the events of the previous story, or to be more exact it starts during the events at the end of “a Christmas Pride” as it focus on Shaw point of view of said events and their consequences.

 Brendon Shaw did not really catch my interest before but I’m glad this one is about him because he is the kind of alpha I love. Yes he is a lion but he never really gave power to the females quite the opposite because he wants to take care of his cubs ( which is rare)… he didn’t grow up in a pride so his childhood was quite different from other breeding male and for him the family come first as the loyalty. I can’t resist one like that. However honestly… right at this moment the one I want to learn more about is his younger brother Mitch he sounds perfect as well ( meaning not the general lion submissive and being traded off)

Ronnie is a surprising character… she made me smile a few times but I really can’t connect with her. I really can’t recognise myself in her at all and thus it’s not one that I like but  she is funny sometimes, determined and protective which are quality I love. She is a good match for Brendon I guess.

It was interesting to see Mace and Dez again of course even if it’s only for a few appearances we could see how their relationship evolved during the few days after Christmas and it was funny and touching.

Now the style of the story doesn’t change at all and the steamy scenes are even more numerous, some I would say are erotica without a doubt and once again it made love the story less as I didn’t feel it was needed that much. However in this second story we have more humour as well and a lion dancing mambo is impossible to resist^^;;

If you want some feline shifters this is a series you can pick if you love steamy, if you prefer sweet romance better to pass this one

Score:  3/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

Witch Song ( tome1) par Amber Argyle

Bonjour à tous!


                Cet été un livre qui a attiré mon attention depuis sa sortie aux Etats-Unis c'est enfin vu publié en français par une toute jeune mais prometteuse maison d'éditions " Lumen"! Je voulais au début partager mon avis à son sujet lors de la parution le 28 août cependant la fièvre de la rentrée accaparait un peu trop les esprits et je craignais que vous ne soyez pas assez disponible or ce livre en vaut la peine.

Maintenant que la rentrée c'est faite et que les horaires sont distribués, les derniers achats effectués bref que la pression est retombée je tiens à vous faire connaître " Witch Song" premier tome de la série du même nom par Amber Argyle.
Pour l’anecdote, Amber Argyle fait face en ce moment à des ennuis de santé alors si vous lisez ce livre n'hésitez pas à la contacter pour lui dire merci ou simplement partager vos impressions cela lui fera certainement plaisir.

Sans plus tarder donc voici mon opinion sur Witch Song et; mesdames et messieurs instituteurs et professeurs de français veuillez prendre ce titre en considération pour motiver vos élèves à la lecture ;)


Bonne Lecture

Editeur VF: Lumen 2014
Titre original: Witch Song  ( edited 2011)
Genre: fantasy,YA
Violence:  niveau moyen
Langage: normal
Public: +12ans

Prix : 15euro
Obtenu : copie en échange d’un avis honnête

Quatrième de couverture de l'éditeur Lumen:

Dans les profondeurs de la forêt, à l'abri de la haine des habitants du village voisin, Brusenna mène une existence paisible aux côtés de sa mère. Elle sait simplement qu'elle est une sorcière, une des Gardiennes de la nature qui contrôlent les éléments par la force de leur chant. Quand, un matin, sa mère l’abandonne pour aller combattre un ennemi dont elle ignore tout, le monde de Brusenna bascule.

Jeune et sans expérience, elle se retrouve seule dans un pays ravagé par la sécheresse, où se lève le vent de la guerre. Les Chasseurs ne tardent pas à la débusquer, car elle est désormais la dernière. La dernière des sorcières. Avec une seule mission : survivre. Et un seul allié, le Protecteur chargé de l'amener à bon port.

La dernière des sorcières parviendra-t-elle à empêcher leur chant de s’éteindre ? Sous la plume ensorcelante d’Amber Argyle, suivez Brusenna sur les routes d’un monde menacé, quand une quête où ses choix peuvent sauver ou condamner les Hommes !

Avis:

          Envoûtant et émouvant, « Witch Song » tient vraiment ses promesses et même mieux que cela.

Commençons par la première impression : celle de la couverture. Un Travail magnifique vraiment ! Mathieu Samson est en charge de cet aspect des choses et il ne s’est pas contenté d’un copier/ copier de la version originale oh non. Le  type d’écriture du titre est changé et maintenant il correspond mieux au récit selon moi, il est aussi beaucoup plus attrayant. Ce n’est pas tout, l’illustration est plus claire et plus en avant que dans les autres éditions ce qui donne vraiment la sensation de pouvoir se perdre dans le regard de l’héroïne. C’est vraiment très bien fait, on est captivé dès le premier regard. La texture de la couverture souple est également très agréable au toucher.

Autrement dit, rien que concernant l’aspect extérieur c’est vraiment un bel  ouvrage et qui vaut largement les 15 euros demandés.

Toutefois le contenant  n’est qu’accessoire vis-à-vis du contenant or ici il  va de pair avec un très bon récit et Amber Argyle est parvenue à créer un univers dans lequel on prend plaisir à s’aventurer et se laisser entraîner. L’histoire n’est pas un récit initiatique même si l’héroïne Brusenna, dite Senna, découvre ses pouvoirs de sorcières progressivement ainsi que la force qu’elle a en elle. C’est vraiment un récit de fantasy.

Dès le départ, on s’attache à Senna qui tente de faire de son mieux, elle doute souvent d’elle ce qui parfois est un peu lassant mais c’est humain surtout qu’elle doit tout apprendre seule comme elle se retrouve être la dernière sorcière. Elle a grandit assez bien entre le début et la fin de ce tome et c’est principalement du à Joshen, son protecteur. Elle a une certaine innocence et bonne volonté qui nous donne vraiment envie de la suivre.

Joshen est le fils d’un protecteur aguerri et il a toujours voulu suivre ce chemin, cependant lorsqu’il aperçoit Senna c’est tout de suite beaucoup plus personnel. C’est un garçon volontaire et très loyal, nombreuses sont les lectrices qui rêveraient d’un pareil jeune homme si dévoué à leur côté.

Senna et Joshen sont parfaits ensemble mais la romance est assez secondaire dans ce récit et il ne faut pas vous attendre à plus qu’un baiser ou deux. L’action et la magie, elles, dominent. Dès les premières pages, on découvre la magie propre aux gardiennes (elles sont assez similaires  à des druidesses dans le sens où leur pouvoir est relié aux plantes et aux éléments) liés à leur chant. Elles sont chargées en fait de maintenant l’équilibre et d’aider au rythme des saisons… c’est vraiment positif mais comme souvent il y a des ignorants. Certains les craignent, les accusent de tout et de rien et d’autres les chassent, cette situation en a amenée certaines à se vouloirs asseoir leur pouvoir et vendre leur services dans une forme de vengeance pour ces traitements. Or c’est oublié qu’il y n a d’autres qui savent ce que les sorcières font et ce qu’elles offrent comme les protecteurs et ceux dont l’activité dépende de leur aide. Mais voilà les sorcières ont vu leurs rangs diminuer progressivement et la situation du monde s’est dégradée ce qui n’a fait que renforcer les hostilités.

C’est dans ce contexte que Senna découvre qu’il y a bien plus de chose liées à son chant que ce que sa mère lui a appris et une fois sur les routes elle va devoir faire de son mieux pour libérer les autres et que l’équilibre soit rétablis.

 L’action commence vraiment dès le départ et le rythme est assez soutenu de sorte que l’on est prit dans le récit et qu’on ne veut pas s’arrêter avant la fin. Les chapitres sont toutefois assez courts ce qui permet une lecture plus facile lorsque on l’a moins de temps et que l’on est forcé de faire une pause.

A mes yeux il n’y a que deux bémols à ce récit : si vous êtes un amoureux des animaux, que vous avez un petit cœur certains passages vont vous arracher des larmes tellement ils sont poignants et bien écrits. Le premier je peux le comprendre vu l’histoire à vrai dire je le redoutait dès el début. Le second non  pour ma sensibilité c’est trop et ils auraient pu trouver d’autres solutions (à noter aussi un qu’on semble simplement « oublié ». Je le précise c’est mon ressenti mais aussi la raison je ne peux pas donner une note parfaite.

Ensuite, le second point, je pense que j’aurai préféré si l’histoire s’était arrêtée à la fin du combat avec Espen et son résultat; et que les chapitres suivants soient inclus dans le tome 2. Pourquoi ? Simplement  du fait que c’est L’histoire de Senna et soudain elle se laisse dominer, effacer au point que certaines décisions sont prises- que je n’approuve pas- alors que logiquement  Senna aurait dû s’y opposer. Elle a des alliés, elle sait que les sorcières ont des partisans et pourtant elle les laisse passer au second plan oh une partie d’elle regrette mais je ne sais pas. Je pense qu’après tout ce qu’elle a vécu, ce qu’elle a apprit et fait elle aurait dû agir autrement et je crains vraiment  les conséquences que cela va avoir pour la suite.

Pour résumer : » Witch song » est vraiment un fabuleux récit dont je souhaite la suite avec impatience et que je recommande sans hésitation si vous aimez les récits avec de la magie, des personnages attachants et si vous recherchez un livre pour vous tenir en haleine.

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: Toutes les opinions exprimées ici sont les miennes, il s’agit de d’un avis honnête et personnel. Aucune compensation n’a été fournie en échange de ce dernier.

Vous pouvez retrouvez Amber Argyle sur son site ( en anglais)

Challenge:

Fantasy Lover (The Dark Hunterverse1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Hello to all!

                   September is back and it also means that christmas is fast approaching. No need to stress yet but next week is my brother birthday and for that i need to stress because i'm not ready ( yes i'm more reading for Chritsmas than  for next week... go figure)

This summer i participated in my first books trade,  i had gifted books, was gifted some but i never did a book trade first because a lot of them are US only and then i don't have that many books i want / need to part with ( and those i have even new don't seem to be wanted). I was a little stressed too but when i saw on the list 2 books that had me tempted for so long i nearly forgot about them i had to try. Thanks Nyx for making this first experience such a good one!

So i got two books and today i will share my opinion on the first one....to resume i'm really glad i got it but let see why in detail.

Happy reading

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication: 2002

ISBN:  0312979975

Genre: paranormal romance
Violence: mild (few direct one but remembrance of torture)
Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: book trade ( Thanks Nyx!!!!)

Description from goodreads :

 Dear Reader,

Being trapped in a bedroom with a woman is a grand thing. Being trapped in hundreds of bedrooms over two thousand years isn't. And being cursed into a book as a love-slave for eternity can ruin even a Spartan warrior's day.

As a love-slave, I know everything about women. How to touch them, how to savor them, and most of all, how to pleasure them. But when I was summoned to fulfill Grace Alexander's sexual fantasies, I found the first woman in history who saw me as a man with a tormented past. She alone bothered to take me out of the bedroom and onto the world. She taught me to love again.

But I was not born to love. I was cursed to walk eternity alone. As a general, I had long ago accepted my sentence. Yet now I have found Grace--the one thing my wounded heart cannot survive without. Sure, love can heal all wounds, but can it break a two-thousand-year-old curse?


Julian of Macedon

My opinion:

          I’m delighted! This book was recommended to me ages ago but I don’t know I was a little afraid because some classified it as erotica and thus I didn’t go all my way to get my hands on it. Such a mistake because this is a fabulous paranormal romance with steamy scenes, yes but not erotica, at least in my opinion.

As you probably have learned by know it’s not the steamy scenes, even really hot ones, that bothers me but more how they are written and the reason of their existence in the story. For me it must make sense and the writing must not sound vulgar.

With Fantasy Lover I found one a story that really had me turning the pages alternating between smiling, laughing out loud or crying a little over sweet, touching moments. The writing style is flowing and easy to get immersed into, the vocabulary just what it needs to be and the space of the story just perfect.

I really enjoyed the mythology part as well as the historical one, it’s not a historical romance don’t worry however Julian is a Spartan from  the antiquity period and as such when the author gives us some element from his life before that takes place in the past yes. To say the least I’m really happy not to have been born a Spartan… I can try to understand why they acted how they did but still it sound too cruel for someone of this time. Julian’s life isn’t one I would feel envious of really he suffered so much that you want him to be free and happy. Yes I said free because not only his life has be more than hard and he suffered a lot then but some deities decided to make it worse and if you had any lessons in Greek mythology you know how devious and cruel those could be….. in this instance Julian was cursed to be a love slave…. Cruel enough when you know he was a proud and powerful general but add to that the fact his slavery is eternal, never ending. The curse made him stuck in a book and women can call him for one month he will have to give her pleasure then back to the book until another encounter which in several millennia can be quite spaced in time.

Even if he has some goddess’ blood in him, Julian isn’t that strong to suffer such a treatment during so long without being deeply affected by it. I appreciate the fact the author really took his psychology into account while building his character because it’s so well done.

Grace also is a great heroine, she is compassionate and strong in her own way. Her life hasn’t been as hard as Julian’s but she is also deeply scared which is the reason her friend Selena offer her Julian’s Book.  After having been deeply used (believe me her ex is one you would want to strangle and see him suffer… really suffer he doesn’t get all he deserves grrrrrrr) , she has been hurt  and she refuse any relationship because of that. She wants the One, the one who will love her and stay not some fling or one night stands. That’s something I appreciated about her and even with Julian at her command she stays true to her value and decide to help him.

Julian’s family was too funny^^ I mean Cupid you imagine the love god as a lot of things but I doubt a biker was the first idea that came to your mind^^. The others gods and goddesses who made an appearance were quite true to what I learned during my Latin lessons and that made them so realistic and funny I couldn’t help smiling or be angry because those can never let you indifferent^^;;

The relationship between Julian and Grace develop during the month they are together which is the kind of relationship I enjoy reading about. As they learn slowly about each other we see how they were destined for each other but even that doesn’t mean they won’t have to fight for it. There was also a little touch of romantic suspense to make us stick in the contemporary part of the story and I really loved how it was done.

Really I’m glad I finally got to read this one thanks to Nyx/ Celine and if the rest of the series is has good I can only want more but even if I have to stop with this one it simply perfect as it . So if you are tempted to discover this one follow your instinct^^

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges: