Claimed ( Brides of the Kindred 1) by Evangeline Anderson

Hello to all,

                        Half the holidays is behind us already.. it's too fast ^^ and i'm starting to stress at the idea of not being ready for christmas.
However, there is no need  to be in summer or winter to read good books reading pleasure is one without limit which is fabulous...sometimes we just need to divert from our usual shelves....

This time i decided to give a try to a book that was waiting for me for way to long...i was fearing it's erotica side but  the blurb tempted me too much so i got the book and then i was too shy until now. let me tell you how happy i'm to have decided to give it a try and i'm also really happy to let you know that the digital version of this book is currently free ( amazon, smashwords, take your pick) so you can discover it to.
The only regret i have....only the first book is available in print at this point and that's a little frustrating as i would love to read Sylvan story as well ( but  it exist in pdf so not all hope is lost^^)

Before i start on book 2 let's give you my opinion on book 1 " Claimed" by Evangeline Anderson

Happy reading

Publisher: Evangeline Anderson

Publication: 2011

ISBN:  0373277210

Genre: paranormal romance, erotica, alien, scifi
Violence: mild
Language: mild
sex: very Steamy
Public: 18+

Short description from goodreads :

Brides of the Kindred Book One—Claimed

Olivia Waterhouse has just graduated from nursing school and has her whole life ahead of her—until she gets drafted. Problem is, she isn’t being forced into the Army, she’s been chosen as a Kindred bride.

The Kindred are huge alien warriors—a race of genetic traders whose population is ninety-five percent male. After saving Earth from the threat of invasion they demand a reward—the right to find brides among the population. The chances of being chosen are about the same as those of winning the lottery—guess it’s just Liv’s lucky day.

Baird is a Beast Kindred who recently escaped imprisonment and torture at the hands of the malevolent Scourge. Through the torment and pain only one thing kept him sane—the thought of finding and claiming his bride—Olivia. His need to possess her is a burning intensity that threatens to consume them both.

Angry at having her future and her family taken away from her, Liv vows to fight back the only way she can—by resisting. She has one month on the Kindred Mothership with Baird—their claiming period. If she can keep from having bonding sex with him during that time, she can go home and get on with her life on Earth.


But Baird isn’t going to make it easy for her. Every week he is allowed to touch Liv more and more intimately and according to the contract she signed, she has to let him. She’s determined to resist him but his touch sets her on fire. And just as she thinks she knows what she wants, a twist of fate and an attack by the faceless Scourge AllFather changes everything…

My opinion:

        

 I was happily surprised by this one. The author offer book 1 for free when you suscribe to her newsletter but i found it before and since the blurb seemed interesting i decided to give it a try even if the steamy part had me a little hesitant.

I guess i was probably in the mood for some aliens but that’s not enough to have me mmersed in the book as i was. Really the author managed to build her plot really well, with of course a lot of steamy part but you could even skip a few of them ( some really long) and stays in teh story... in fact i didn’t want to put it aide until i finished it.

I loved Baird, he was so patient and determined, after what he suffered it really show how much he loves his mate and he can be so tender it was moving...Olivia...i liked her a littel less... oh i understand why she wanted to fight the draft, i think i would do the same but after the way she didn’t seem to know what she wanted.. when she obviously enjoyed the time spend with Baird had me wanting to shake her a little....especially since Baird was attempting  to help her adapat a maximum.....

However  i was more smiling when i was reading about Baird’s brother Sylvan....he is quieter and responsible but so lost when it comes to olivia’s sister it was too cute; and while we do get an idea of what happened in this past, i’m really looking forward to read his story.

The only thing that bothered me a little was the lack of debriefing in a sense....after what Baird suffer the first time he has one and one very long it seems but after when it’s important it seems completely forgotten.... they are at war but no one has any doubt, any question at all....thatstruck me as a little too irrealistic but i loved the story to that point so while it bothered me it won’t keep me from  following the series a little at least when it’s available in print.

Score:  4/5

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

Challenges:

Mortal Kiss ( Mortal Kiss 1) by Alice Moss

Hello to all,

             I will just take 5 minute to share with you my opinion this latest read because after doing the intendance for a Chtullu roleplaying game ( 24h) i'm completely out and i just want a such deserved nap..... i don't think i will be able to cook anything for a week at least i'm beaten, worn out...

So there are books that just the blurb makes you want to read them, with a main idea, plot  original and really interesting...but that don't meet your expectations and sadly for me Mortal Kiss was one of those. I don't regret to have tried this author but at least for now i won't continue this journey. However now that you have gotten my feeling let see my opinion in more details

 Happy Reading

Publisher: Bantam Children

Publication: 2011

ISBN:  0857510568

Genre: YA, paranormal romance, shapeshifters
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 16+

Source: gifted

Short description from goodreads :

 How much would you sacrifice for just one kiss . . .

When smouldering Finn and sexy Lucas arrive in Winter Mill, life starts to get very complicated for Faye McCarron.
But two boys battling for her heart is just the start. Soon there's a dead body in the woods, a motorcycle gang on the prowl, and the snow just won't stop falling. Something evil is at work, and only Faye and best friend Liz can stop it. As Hallowe'en draws near they must uncover the dark and sinister secret . . . before it's too late.


Love paranormal romance, werewolves and ethereal spirits? Then this book is for you!

My opinion:

          I had this book on my shelves for several years now and i had been really interested when i was reading the blurb but at the end  i must say that i’ve been quite disappointed...the story isn’t bad per say but it didn’t work at all for me.

There were time when i did get immersed in the story but it didn’t last, for me there were too many things that were not working so even if the idea behind the book was good i could not stay focused or immersed in the story. The author managed to surprise me a little yes but not enough.

Faye is an interesting character and we do get immediately that she must have something special along with her aunt and the author does tell us what it is. Globaly, she is the character the most well build and the one with who i could relate or at least understand the most. She is loyal and determined.

Liz.... i didn’t like her at some point but since she was perhaps not herself i could let go but then i would really love to know if it was really her or not. Anyway, Faye consider her as a friend and while i didn’t think she was acting like one at the most critical point i’m not disliking her.

Lucas...  i don’t want to do spoiler but you do guess quickly that something is amiss... and then Finn.... he was the one that disappointed me the most....he is supposed to be matureand deeply, truly in love with Faye.. yet he is the one rushing to the ennemy at the first occasion “just to see” and even worse...he finds his soulmate after such a long time searching, one that he lost  in the past...so kind of one second last chance....and he accepts to give it up like that. Someone tells him it’s teh only way to save people so love doesn’t matter let sacrifice it.  I’m not saying it could not be an honorable thing to do but look at it that way: you finally find the one you have been searching for and you don’t even hesitate before renouncing , you don’t try to fight for her you just “ oh oki let sacrifice it”... for me it doesn’t make sense at all. It’s too irrealistic and too sudden.

Same goes for the ending...without telling you how it end the characters go back to their life like nothing happened,quite unmoved.. like it was perfectly normal....it’s too unbelievable. There is also a medium cliffhanger but really i didn’t even care for it.. the story was good but no more  as i think teh author missed soem point.... for example Faye looses her phone..so far nothing bad about it but then a few hours after Liz calls her... we only know later that she switched back to her older phone, that i can accept but then how Liz knew which number to call? She didn’t know she had lost her phone since they were not talking to each other....it’s a detail yes but there are other and  when piled together it makes me loose any interest..and i’m really not tempted to spend any cent to get the next one, perhaps the story gets better yes but  i prefer to focus on something else.

Score:  2/5

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

Challenges:

The Raven Boys ( The Raven Cycle 1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Hello to all,

 Now that the day is a little less hot i can stay on the computer long enough to post you this. I have decided to participate in a discussion for the TBR2015 reading challenge and once i start it's hard for me to stop in the middle of a book so i decided to finish it and to give you my opinion on it without delay.

It's not a recent title either so i guess most of you have read it already but once again i'm behind as i wanted at first wait to get the other books before starting^^ ( not that i did get them^^;;) so today here is my opinion on The Raven Boys!

 happy reading!!

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks

Publication: 2012

ISBN:  0545424933

Genre: YA, fantasy,urban fantasy, Magic
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 16+

Source: Arc gifted
 

Short description from goodreads :

 Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.


For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

My opinion:

          I have been wanting to try this series for a moment but at first i wanted to wait until it’s complete to avoid cliffhanger...not a bad idea but i couldn’t resist.

The writing is really fluid and engaging, the author makes you want to follow Blue and the boys and to discover all the secrets, the pace is just perfect as well, the world building is good and the characters, you have little bit of each personnality with the boys so you have to picka favourite.

Really it was good but, because there is a but, it still didn’t pull completely in.... i don’t know why exactly it’s hard to pintpoint but while i liked how the characters were built and researched it lacked something... i did like Blue and i’m glad we get a littel explanation about her powers but it came a little too late for....still she is a detremined and sensible girl. That put aside it felt strange to see her being attracted to Adam when she think Gansey is her soulmate, true love... i mean she does get the name of her future ( but forbidden ) lover and she flirt with another?!

Now i admit it’s hard to resist Adam because he is more in touch with the reality, he is loyal and his history is sad so you want to take his side. I did like a lot  and i understood his reasonning  but i don’t agree with all his choice.

Gansey.... he is a little harder to love, he isn’t bad he is a passionated guy really but his social skills are more than lacking, he doesn’t get how hios words can hurt other and how showing money at each occasion isn’t helping.

However he is loyal to his friend, he is determined to help Ronan and try his hardest to help Adam but hell is paved with good intentions and often he is making things worse. One thing i was disappointed in is the way he got jealous of Adam... it makes no sense at first at all safe if he is overly protective , possessive and doesn’t want to share friends

Then come the secondary boys and somehow  i feel more for them the sweet Noah, it’s clear what/who he is and it makes him one we want to help and protect. Ronan, that’s the still more mysterious one of the group ; he has big behaviour problems but  inside he is loyal and protective, teh way he helps Adam and how he care for the little birds that’s cute but he still has secrets and i want to learn more about him

 I guess that i was quite bothered with the ending.... it was partly predictable but i’m not satisfied by this temporary conclusion...some characters change too drastically and others acts without taking all into account when they should be the more responsible ones....

I do want to follow up the series even if the love triangle bothers me a little ( still no sense for me) as it’s well written and i hope the author will answer the questions left and make sense of the rest.

Score:  3,5/5

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

Challenges:

Guardians of Stone (Relic Seekers 1) by Anita Clenney

Hello to all,

                         After a short break with a weather normal for the season we are back with a heat wave and no matter how i want it that affects my reading mood.
So today i'm sharing with you my opinion of Guardians of Stone, i'm really enjoying the other series by Anita Clenney so i was enthousiast to try this one, especially with teh kind of power the heroine has, even better Anita reader's group were discussing it in June so i was eager to join them. Unfortunately despite ordering the book with a more than reasonnable advance it arrived too late ç_ç i still could join the discussion  part of it) but i was disappointed to have gotten it too late so now i know i should only hope to join aread along if and only if i already own teh book taht will avoid such disappointment.

Now let's see what the book is about and my opinion of it!

Happy Reading!

Short description from goodreads :

 Kendall Morgan is a human bloodhound. Spending her childhood hunting relics with her ambitious archeologist father, she knew the two of them shared a sixth sense for the history and location of objects—sometimes even people. What she didn’t know was that their paranormal gift could ultimately be their undoing.

After the tragic plane crash that killed her father as well as her childhood best friend, Kendall dedicated her life to finding and protecting relics. When mysterious, sexy billionaire Nathan Larraby hires her for his latest expedition—the search for four powerful relics —she’s thrown into a world of high-octane danger. He sends brooding mercenary Jake Stone to watch Kendall’s back, but he may have created danger of a different kind.


As the team chases down clues, a man called the Reaper makes a play for the artifacts and will stop at nothing to put them to his own sinister use. What’s worse is that Nathan hasn’t told the whole story, and the dark secrets he’s keeping could cost them the mission…and their lives.

My opinion:

          I had to wait to finally read this one but it was worth it. I like the psychometry ability even if i’m really glad not to have that gift so i was interested in the story but Kendall power is larger than that for example she doesn’t always need to touch an object to know something which makes it even more dangerous and intriguing.

 I really liked how Anita gave us bits of information along the story to makes us understand the characters better and at the same be even more intrigued but all these mysteries surrounding them, some elements could be too much but she really manages to make it believable so we can’t keep turning the pages.

Kendall is a young woman, having lost those dear to her she became quite independent and can speak her mind. She is working for the mysterious Nathan, a very wealthy young man, finding lost relics... their relationship is one of a kind. Nathan isn’t her lover but he is deeply protective of her and most importantly he is trusting her, also strangely her power doesn’t work on him.

Suddenly, Nathan is sending her on a new quest but this time she must have a teammate, Jake,  another person employed by Nathan but someone she doesn’t know. For an independent woman, the fact to have bodyguard/ captor on her heels isn’t that easy.

Jake is also mysterious, we know he is working for Nathan and perhaps not entirely on its free will. They bickers a lot but Nathan seems to be protective of him too even if he doesn’t show it in a good way. Charged with the task to find a specific relic while keeping Kendall safe isn’t to his liking at all. At first he is even doubtful of her abilities and it’s on that occasion that we can see that Jake is also looking for Nathan . He is a fighter and probably an ex soldier however while we have learned a bit of what happened the large majority is still a secret as even him is looking for some answers. As the mission goes so the goes up his attraction for Kendall and we get to discover a possessive and jaleous young man.

Nathan does have a reason for his actions but  those are still mysterois as are his power but i did enjoy seeing him go out on the ground to protect those who are his friends  and perhaps he would hope for me with kendall)

The investigation for the relics is really well buit with secrets and magic and more mysteries along the way. The story is fast paced with a lot of action and i loved how the  exchanges between Kendall and Jake were heating up, they do have more in common than it seems.

 Really the story is compelling and we are intrigued enough as not to want to wait too long for the next installment ( thankfullfy the third 3 books are already out) as we want answer to our questions...... for example i’m wondering is all the characters are who they believe they are but if i don’t want to spoil anything for you  i can’t tell you more.

A fun and addictive start for promising series.

Score:  4/5

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

Challenges:

Do you participate often in read-along?

Seal of Honor ( Hornet 1) by Tonya Burrows

Hello to all!

                     I hope the weather is being kind for all of you ( not too hot , not too cold, just right) because here it's not the case... i'm melting which is why i'm late to post because really  it's too much even for electronic.
 Now, in the USA it's the the celebration of their independance so big party  , barbecue etc ... for that reason i decided to review a military romance to change from the paranormal and urban fantasy a little^^ that way it fit the calendar too.
It's a new author to me and let me tell you i won't stop there, it was fabulous! However i will let you see that in more detail so without more delay here is my opinion on Seal of Honor by Tonya Burrows

 Happy reading

Publisher: Entangled Select

Publication: 2013

ISBN:  1620612585

Genre: romantic suspense, military romance
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: gifted ( thanks Amber!)
 

Short description from goodreads :

 It’s a good thing Gabe Bristow lives and breathes the Navy SEAL credo, “the only easy day was yesterday,” because today, his life is unrecognizable. When his prestigious career comes to a crashing halt, he’s left with a bum leg and few prospects for employment that don’t include a desk.

That is, until he’s offered the chance to command a private hostage rescue team and free a wealthy American businessman from Colombian paramilitary rebels. It seems like a good deal—until he meets his new team: a drunk Cajun linguist, a boy-genius CIA threat analyst, an FBI negotiator with mob ties, a cowboy medic, and an EOD expert as volatile as the bombs he defuses. Oh, and who could forget the sexy, frustratingly impulsive Audrey Van Amee? She’s determined to help rescue her brother—or drive Gabe crazy. Whichever comes first.


As the death toll rises, Gabe’s team of delinquents must figure out how to work together long enough to save the day. Or, at least, not get themselves killed. Because Gabe’s finally found something worth living for, and God help him if he can’t bring her brother back alive.

My opinion:

          Addictive and page turner story! I ‘ve read this one in one sitting despite an overbearing heat outside i was so immersed in the story and enjoying the characters that i couldn’t stop reading. Tonya Burrows created a bunch of operatives really too good they each have a troubled past, one way or another, and had to leave the official service . But those alpha men can’t stay behind a desk they live on the field so when they get the opportunity to join a special private team specialised in rescuing hostage they all want to be part of it.

They are a bunch of good guys but with some attitude trouble and fire is sparking between them which leads to very humourous exchanges i was smiling and laughing as much as biting my nails or wanting to cry at some parts. Really that’s that excellent. I’m not sure which guy is my favourite either but i do have a soft spot for Harvard and Quinn had me tearing up.

 Oh i did love the main couple of this story Gabe is a leader born and it was funny to see the big seal warrior loose his cool because of a small feisty woman. Gabe is really a man of honor and he is loyal to a fault bgut at the same time i wanted to punch him when he was so irresponsible sometimes. Audrey is an independent girl, determined to save her brother she not only speak of it she acts as she can. When she meet the team sent to save him she decide to join, refusing to be send packing home safely... i’m sure she wasn’t expecting all she will be confronted to but she does stay herself and i loved how she was able to center Gabe as much as pushing his buttons. They are the perfect couple, balanced where each one can take the other on when needed and let’s be honest thos big alpha men need someone to put them at their place from time to time.

 The pace, the level of action vs romance all   in this story was perfect for me and i can’t wait to read more of the team as they start to learn to work together ( and let say that book 3 being about Quinn i can’t wait reach that one). If you love military romance and romance suspense this oen is a must read

Score:  5/5

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

Challenges:

If you are celebrating, have fun but remember to stay careful too and for the others may you have a great weekend as well!!

Treasures and Finds+ June Recap

Hello to all,

                        Summer is there and not in a timid way, we are having a big wave of heat here ( even canicule) so it's unbreathable for me and i need to stay inside now...too hot even to enjoy reading. However things are calming down too so i hope i will be able to read more than i did in June, we are still waiting for my dog blood results but that's the only source of stress at this time.

Anyway thank you a lot for your patience and for your gifts and comments!

 Now let see June

Reviews

First some new to me authors

Written in Red ( Others 1) by Anne Bishop
Seven Kinds of Hell ( Fangborn 1) by Dana Cameron

then  a series  i'm following up with pleasure

Archangel's Blade ( Guild Hunter 4) by Nalini Singh

Challenges:

goodreads : 24/50

The official 2015 TBR pile Challenge : 9/12

2015 TBR reading Pile Challenge: 18/10

New to you Reading Challenge 2015: 11/6

 the Paperback Summer reading challenge started this month and so far i'm not doing that well since i only read 3 books , i do need to make some progress i'm quite happy it last until end of august or my oal would definitively be impossible to reach

TREASURES and FINDS

For REVIEW

none

WON

From Suzanne on her blog, Suzanne Johnson's Blog in her weekly giveaway

From Delhia (and the author Linda Grimes) on her blog, Between Dreams and Reality 

*signed*

 GIFTED

none

BOUGHT

none, no time to shop

So on bookish side, i did receive something so i'm happy

On the crafting side,i managed to find teh last item i needed for my last project but i had no time to start. i did send 2 happy mails though