ARC Review: Ever the Hunted (Clash of Kingdoms #1) by Erin Summerill

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: December 27, 2016
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
400 Pages

The first in a duology, Ever the Hunted is a romantic, page-turning fantasy debut that will appeal to readers of Sarah Maas and Rae Carson about the outcast daughter of a bounty hunter who must track her father's killer in a world of mad kings, warring kingdoms, and dangerous magic.

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook.

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble.

Well, this book was a pleasant surprise. I'm going to try to give a brief little summary without spoiling anything - almost any bit of detail is a spoiler in this case.

Following the death of her father, Britta gets captured by the King's guard after poaching on his land. In exchange for keeping her house and freedom, Britta makes a deal to track down her father's killer and bring him back to answer for his crimes. The problem with this is her childhood best friend, Cohen, is being charged with the crime. Knowing that she's basically exchanging his life for hers, she sets out with three of the King's guard on a trek across the kingdom to find Cohen. Running parallel to this story is the fact that there are two kingdoms on the verge of war - one houses magical users, the other forbids the use of magic. Both plots stand on their own but weave together at the end that just makes me excited to read the conclusion.

Britta wasn't exceptional. The story not entirely unique. But the way the author told it made it enjoyable for me. There were even parts that I thought I had figured out but then was pleasantly shocked at the reveal. I loved Cohen's horse - talk about sass, Siron definitely had it and I loved it. I can't wait to learn more about side characters that I found intriguing and hope that Summerill expands on them in the follow-up.

And also, there was no insta-love! The love story that exists, exists because of a history between the two characters. It's believable especially with the flashbacks interwoven throughout.  If you're a fan of fantasy and magic, I think you would really enjoy this one.

And look how shiny the cover is!

 I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

ARC Review: Song of the Fireflies by JA Redmerski

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Forever
464 Pages

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J. A. Redmerski of The Edge of Never brings us a heart-wrenching New Adult novel.

Elias Kline and Brayelle Bates have been inseparable since they were kids. When Bray moves to South Carolina, separating the two for the first time, they realize that their innocent childhood friendship has developed into something much more. So when Bray returns to Georgia -and to Elias-four years later, things between them couldn’t be more perfect…until one fateful night changes everything.

Desperate not to go to prison for a terrible accident, Elias and Bray decide to run. As they try to make the most of their freedom, the two find themselves relying on a rebellious group of people who tempt the duo into a wild and daring new life. But they can’t run from their troubles forever.

As the consequences of their past catch up to them, the couple must face reality. Even if they can make it through the unimaginable, Elias knows the truth about Bray’s painful history, and in the end he may not be able to save Bray from herself…

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

There were so many things wrong with this book, I don’t even know where to begin. Let’s just start with the one quote that’s said multiple times throughout this book, “If you’re not guilty, then why did you run?” At least 75% of the trainwreck revolves around that question. I’m going to try to make this review as spoiler free as possible, but I may need to reveal a few details so to understand my position.

Let’s start with our cast: First, there’s Elias Kane. He falls in love at a very early age only to have the love of his life bail the minute they decide to have a real relationship. He tries to move on, only to end up back in the arms of the girl who caused him so much pain. He’s fiercely loyal to the extent that his personality resembles a lost puppy following around their master. 

Source

Then there’s Brayelle Bates. She’s obviously the love of above said puppy. Bray, as everyone calls her, runs so hot and then so cold that it’s really hard to tell where she stands on anything. Everything is always about her – no one understands her, the darkness follows her, she can’t live like this, blah blah blah. I get that she has a mental disorder, but the author set her and her disease up horribly that the whole time I was reading, I was like

Source

Then there’s the plot – or lack thereof. Bray and Elias end up together after Bray flees the state to get away from her feelings. She comes back and everything is ok, they’re in love after all. Then there’s a party that ends up with a dead girl at the bottom of a cliff. Bray, convinced that she’s going to prison, decides to run and Elias goes with her. They pack up their car and hit the road. Side note: I’ve decided that Redmerski is incapable of writing a story without the main characters living out of a car or on some roadtrip. Anyway, I digress. Along the road, more drama happens and they find themselves without a car, money, or even clothes. But never fear, there’s a group of strangers that let them freeload off of them for months. Months spent partying on the beach just doing drugs and having sex. Literally, that’s the story. Oh wait, there’s a police standoff at the end – can’t forget about that.

 Source

There was just so much wrong with the writing and with the plot that I ended up skimming the last 20% because I was bored and annoyed. I understand that as a NA novel the characters have more freedom, but the amount of drug use in this book bordered on extreme. Same with the amount of sex. Sex was used as a transition. The author needed to end a scene but didn’t know how – sex. End of a chapter – sex. End of a fight –sex. And not even good sex scenes, I skimmed over those as well. And I’m sorry, but if you’re doing anal for the first time, there needs to be prep, you can’t just stick it in and have it be pleasurable for the girl. I figured that was common knowledge. 

This is this third book I’ve read from Redmerski and despite my hopes that maybe it will get better, it just keeps getting worse. Needless to say, I will not be reading anything else by this author.

I received an copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley for my honest opinion and review.

ARC Review: Never Desire a Duke (One Scandalous Season #1) by Lily Dalton

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
375 Pages

A secret from his past holds the key to their future...

A Marriage Beyond Hope

Lady Sophia has long been estranged from her husband, Lord Vane Barwick, the Marquess of Claxton, whose rumored list of amorous conquests includes almost every beautiful woman of the ton. Yet a shocking encounter with him in a crowded ballroom—and a single touch—are all it takes to reawaken her furious passion for him. But how can she trust the man who crushed her dreams and took away the one thing she wanted most?

A Love Beyond Reason

Lord Claxton has never forgiven himself for the youthful mistake that ruined his marriage to Lady Sophia. Now, after nearly a year abroad, the reformed rogue vows to win back the only woman he's ever truly loved. He'll do whatever it takes to prove he can be the honorable husband she deserves—and the passionate lover she desires. As the snowdrifts deepen outside their ancestral home, can they rekindle the flame that burned so bright and find a new path to forever?

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

If you know me well, you know that I have baby fever (in fiction, and fiction alone). Books that involve babies and pregnancy are some of my favorite guilty pleasures. I have bothered just about everyone I know to recommend me some good "baby books," including Jenn. (Sorry, Jenn!) So when I saw some great ratings for Never Desire a Duke and then saw that babies play a pretty big role in the story, I jumped on that.

When she needed him most, Vane Barwick, Duke of Claxton, was not there for his wife, Sophia. After months apart and rumors galore, Vane has returned to revive his relationship with his beloved. Too bad Sophia is having none of it. She has a deal for Claxton: a heir for a legal separation. When fate keeps them stuck in Vane's childhood home together, they must decide for themselves what they truly want from the other.

I enjoyed reading about the main characters of this story immensely. While both have faults and both angered me at one point or another, I loved their story and how these two interacted. Sophia and Vane have wonderful chemistry that no reader could deny. (And the smoldering, passionate sex scenes help with that.) The minor characters played out their roles wonderfully, and some that the reader is meant to loathe in the beginning were actually redeemed in the end. Each character had their own story, and they were well-rounded. That is something that many authors seem to forget, and I applaud Lily Dalton for her talent of creating full characters.

The book was pretty dang good. It didn't blow my mind, but it was extremely enjoyable and one that I know I will more than likely reread when I need a good swoon. The pacing was perfect. It never dragged for me, nor did it move too quickly for me to enjoy the story. This book is just a genuinely good story. The author has a real talent for writing historical romance. 

I don't read a ton of this genre, but when I do, I really enjoy it. Never Desire a Duke is no exception. It has a wonderful, passionate romance that left me sighing and smiling and wishing I could wear a fancy dress to a party with a lot of attractive men. After my experience with this story, I can assure you that I will be continuing with the series. I look forward to seeing what Dalton produces next. If it is anything like Never Desire a Duke, I'm sure that I'll enjoy it.

I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review via Netgalley.

ARC Review: Parasite (Parasitology #1) by Mira Grant

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: October 29, 2014
Publisher: Orbit
512 Pages

A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.

We owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.

But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives...and will do anything to get them.

Goodreads. Twitter. Website. Facebook.

Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes & Noble.

Sometimes humanity is the reason we can’t have nice things.

Imagine a world where there is no more illness. That’s right, no more colds, flus, diseases, even cancer. Now imagine in that same world, people willingly let themselves get implanted with tape worms. Yup, you read that right. Due to science and research, scientists have discovered a way to keep the human race healthy. All that’s needed it a regularly implanted tape worm into your system. 

When I sat down to read this with my blog partner, Emily, I had never read any of Mira Grant’s work. I didn’t really know what to expect, but Emily assured me I wouldn’t be disappointed. And I wasn’t. In this futuristic world that Grant has created, a company known as SymboGen has developed bio-engineered tapeworms that allow their human host to remain healthy. This seems all fine and dandy until people start acting strange – sleepwalking but violent strange.

Sally Mitchell is one of the many who have received this parasitic worm implant, and thanks to this implant, she survived a life threatening car crash. The only lasting scar is the amnesia which has robbed her of any memories of who she was before the crash. Six years have passed since the accident and Sally has had to relearn everything. She now has a job, a boyfriend, her family, and SymboGen paying for all her medical expenses. 

Parasite is mostly told from Sally’s – or Sal, as she likes to be called now- point of view. At the beginning of each chapter/section, we get a little scientific background told through interviews and journals from the three scientists who discovered the worms. But for the most part it’s Sal’s voice that we’re listening to. We follow her confusion as people all around her succumb to this “sleeping sickness” and then we follow her determination to find out what’s really going on with SymboGen and the implants.

Grant’s writing style is very precise and intriguing that I was sucked in, wanting to know more, wanting to know if my predictions were correct. Though the pacing was slow at times, it never really bothered me. It fit the style – how we wait forever for information that’s vital but when it comes we’re like “YES!”. Her characters were clearly defined and so real. Sally, the reluctant heroine who at times was hard to like because she was so empty and damaged, but I felt for her. Her life was stolen, in more ways than one, and she’s just trying to find the truth and survive it. Nathan, Sally’s boyfriend, was a highlight for me. Nathan is one of the few who refused the implant and his devotion and trust is Sally is heartwarming. 

The blurb about the book gives away the main plot: the parasites want to live. And while I found a few of the main “oh my gosh” moments to be predictable, I really enjoyed the journey that we were taken on. With all the advancements going on in science today, it’s not hard to envision this world and that’s a pretty scary thought to me. It brought a sort of realism I didn’t expect. I am very excited to see where this story goes in the sequel, especially with the ending this one had. 

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: In His Command (Don't Tell #1) by Rie Warren

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: August 6, 2013
Publisher: Forever Yours
363 Pages

In the dystopian future, two men discover attraction isn't just dangerous, it's deadly.It is the year 2070. Generations ago, the world was annihilated by catastrophic environmental events. The survivors were driven to live in big city centers ruled by the Company. To rebuild the world’s population, the oppressive Company had one rule: all homosexuals must be exterminated.

Commander Caspar Cannon has a stellar military reputation—and a life-threatening secret. When a revolution rips through the territories, Cannon is ordered to escort Company executive Nathaniel Rice to a secure location. For months, the commander has harbored illicit desire for Rice, knowing he cannot act on his attraction. Privileged, polished, and groomed to one day take over the Company, Rice is drawn to the rugged, military man. Yet Rice has his own mysterious agenda, and he knows their love can be as dangerous as the wasteland they must traverse.

Now leaving the besieged city behind, the two men embark on a journey that becomes a minefield of sabotage, betrayal—and forbidden passion. But when danger catches up to them, can Cannon trust the secretive man who holds his heart—and his fate?

WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS MATERIAL UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18. 

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

I wish I could just post a bunch of quotes from this book as a review. If you could get a glimpse, you'd understand how… difficult it was to finish this. I'll just leave you with my top five reasons for not enjoying this book and then give you a couple of quotes to accentuate my thoughts.

1) The author tried way too hard to make the narrator sound like a man, and her back-and-forth prose (between poetic and callous) did not work for me in the least. I could not picture the main character as a male. No matter how hard the author tried, the perspective felt very feminine. With the hardships the two main characters go through, Caspar (our narrator) did not seem to accurately represent the man he was supposed to be. He was a contradiction through and through. I sincerely disliked him, and his wishy-washy personality. His inability to trust was understandable at first, but over time, it bored me and the constant reiteration was tiresome. 

2) I didn't like the main characters, Nathaniel aka "Blondie" and Caspar, nor did I understand their insta-lust relationship. They were awkward and unrealistic to the era of which they are a part, and the author was never able to give me a real emotional connection--to any of the characters, even the minor ones, for whom we, as the readers, were supposed to feel sorry. I left this book scratching my head, wondering which characters should've left their mark on me. The interactions were also extremely uncomfortable, and unbelievable. Everything about In His Command was completely .

3) The book went on f-o-r-e-v-e-r. And I still didn't understand what was really going on by the end. The plot was nonsensical in my opinion and though there were some very intriguing ideas put forth, they were never given the proper attention. In His Command was one big ol' jumbled mess.

4) What could've been. There was a really good story buried underneath the flaws of this book. I'm a big fan of M/M romance novels, so when I found out a big name publisher was giving one a go, I was immediately on board. The dystopian side of this story is almost realistic based on the (sadly) common views of homosexuality today, and I was interested to see the author's take on this futuristic society. It was not well done in my opinion. It was actually quite bizarre, and it only got worse as the book went on. Nothing made sense, each event was piled one on top of the other until you were too overwhelmed to understand what the hell was going on. Cue the frustration. 

5) The awkward sex. Oh boy. It was awkward. There was dirty talking (them) and horrified laughter (me). There was absolutely nothing erotic about this erotica. I was actually rather turned off by the displays of intimacy between these characters. I skimmed almost all of the sex scenes, because no. The sex between the minor characters was almost unbearable. I'm making weird faces just thinking about this. 

Okay. I have to admit though. Something about the book compelled me to finish. Most likely it was because this book was a train wreck: horrible, but impossible to look away from. The author could've had something great, but it was the overly dramatic point-of-view and the plot that was in shambles did nothing for In His Command. It is more than likely that my journey with this series, and probably this author ends here. I'm no longer interested.

I received an e-copy of this novel for my honest opinion and review from the publisher via Netgalley.

ARC Review: Facade (Games #2) by Nyrae Dawn

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Forever

Can love save them?

After her father commits a crime that shatters her family, eighteen-year-old Delaney Cross is tired of pretending everything is all right. Packing up her car, she sets out to find the people her father hurt. Her search leads her to places she’s never been—and into the arms of Adrian Westfall.

To the outside world, Adrian is a sexy, charming ladies’ man. But his playboy persona is just an act. Secretly his soul is tortured by a memory too painful to share. Only Delaney seems to see through his façade to the real man underneath. And for the first time in his life, Adrian feels he can begin to open up about his past.

Together, Adrian and Delaney share a passionate love they never expected to find. Yet both still harbor their own secrets. When the dark truth is finally revealed, will it bring them closer together—or tear them apart forever?

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

Oy vey. This book was hard for me to rate. I would step away from it, give myself space and then come back with a clear head and be like, I'm going to give it 3 stars. But then I would start to think about the plot and everything that happened and I would get mad until I had to walk away again. Ultimately, I couldn't find it in myself to give this book 3 stars no matter how much I wanted to.

Facade is the second in a series of love stories based on gmaes (hence the series title) that involve unlikely pairs falling for each other against odds. Adrian and Delaney both have tragedies and heartache in their pasts, which are intricately linked by a secret that could destroy one while bringing closure to the other. Each presents a certain face to the world, a mask of sorts that they hide behind. To the outside world they're fine, surviving. Inside, they're dying.

While I enjoyed Dawn's writing style, it was very clean and easy to read, I found myself extremely frustrated with her characters. Adrian, the party guy to all of his friends, was in constant pain. And while I felt for him, I also got tired of listening to him constantly tell us that he had to hide his true self, that no one would understand his pain, that it's better this way.

Delaney, on the other hand, I just didn't like. The author wrote her in a way that screamed; feel sorry for me, that she wasn't a horrible person for what she was doing to Adrian. Well, I'm sorry, she was. She carried around a secret that was so big, so completely life altering to Adrian, and she just kept hiding behind the "it's not the right time" excuse. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but never changed it. The whole book was spent waiting for this bombshell to dropm because, come on, we all knew it was coming, that when it finally did, I didn't care anymore. The extra shocking reveal wasn't that shocking since it was something that I had predicted towards the beginning of the story (although it made me hurt for Adrian). I found that I enjoyed the interactions between Colt and Chey (characters the first book was based on) much more than I cared about Adrian and Delaney. Their entire relationship was built on a lie, or an admission of truth if you want to get picky. And I just could not get behind it.

The first book was enjoyable, this one, not so much for me. I look forward to seeing what the third book brings as I am a fan of this author's work.

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.