Top Off Tuesday - Good GAWD!

I've decided to join Felicia, Christi and Amanda for their gratuitous shirtless covers on Tuesdays. Because nothing says Tuesday like flashing some skin! Hop over to Felicia's blog to see who else is participating!

OHMAHGAWD. I love this cover so hard. TATTOOS! AND SCRUFF! AND MUSCLES! YESSSSSSS! Also, this series is AMAZING! If you like gritty, dark, SEXYSEXYSEXY books, go forth and READ THESE! *falls over from the awesome*

Beyond Addiction (Beyond #5) by Kit Rocha
(No official blurb yet but the teaser for this scorcher of a book is: He was the one habit she could never kick.)
*quietly crawls off and dies*

Cress by Marissa Meyer [Review]

Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer
Format: hardcover
Source: purchased
Date read: February 10, 2014

Lunar Chronicles
0.5. Glitches
1. Cinder
1.5. The Queen's Army
2. Scarlet
3. Cress - Hardcover | Kindle
4. Winter (2015)

Marissa Meyer
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Thoughts on Cress: *stares at everybody* I just... *stares some more* I need more time with this series, guys. MORE TIME. Because I really really really really like it and Woooooolf and Scarlet and Cress and Thorne and Cinnnnnnder. And OMG, THE NEXT BOOK! WINNNNTER.

(Yes, this is a pretty accurate representation of what went through my head upon finishing this book. There might have been some KAIs wailed in there too. I don't know. It's all a shocked blur as I attempted to process.)

At 550 pages, this is a good sized book. And it wasn't enough. I wanted more. I want to go back and reread the first books and the novellas and ANYTHING I CAN GET MY HANDS ON IN THIS WORLD. I'm all flaily hands and crazy eyes and a whole bunch of other things that will probably scare small children if they get too close.

*whimpers*

Okay. There's a lot I want to talk about. Sadly, I'm going to have to gloss over all the flaily parts because I'm kinda anti-spoiler. I can say I'm still DEEPLY smitten with Wolf. He has a moment with Cress where he's talking about Scarlet that broke my heart. And Scarlet. SCARLET. Torn about her feelings for the big guy and yet still drawn to him and his melting looks. *quietly flails*

CRESS AND THORNE. Their relationship is both weirdly complicated and oddly simple at the same time. Thorne showed depth in this book but he's still the upbeat, irrepressible rogue we've come to love. Cress sees him in a way that might not be entirely accurate, but it's sweet and romantic all the same. And... then there's some stuff I can't talk about because spoilers.

Cinder and Kai spend most of this book apart, yet they're very much on each others' minds. Kai has a couple of moments where the weight of everything he needs to do to keep his people safe pushes down on him so hard he's almost crippled by it. And yet, like a good leader, he forces himself to keep moving forward and doing the things that need to be done.

Things are being put in motion for the final confrontation between Cinder and Queen Crazy Pants. Our heroes are battered and heartworn but they're not broken. Given what they've been through already, I expect this upcoming battle will test them even further.

And I really, really want Winter now.

RtP Week in Review (06/08/14)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett [Review] - I'm seriously smitten with this series and am very excited to read about the rest of the Magnusson clan.
• Top Off Tuesday - Top this!
• The Herald by Ed Greenwood [Review] - A solid ending to the series arc.
• Kyle Demore and the Timekeeper's Key by Samuel J. Vega [Review] - Fun and engaging with just enough craziness that you never knew what Kyle was going to encounter next.
• Death's Servant by C.J. Ellisson [Review] - Oh, this was a nice little peek at Jonathan and Dria's first encounter.
• Two's a Couple, Three's the Law by Eve Langlais [Review] - *thumbs up  all around*
• Blog Housekeeping [38] -Clean 'em up!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile - 10
• Doe and the Wolf (Furry United Coalition #5) by Eve Langlais
• Dark and Deadly multi-author anthology
• The Kraken King and the Greatest Adventure (Iron Seas #4.8) by Meljean Brook 
• Pia Saves the Day (Elder Races #6.6) by Thea Harrison - For review!
• Wings of Redemption (Return to Sanctuary #0.5) by Sarah Gilman - For review!
• The Tower's Alchemist (The Gray Tower Trilogy #1) by Alesha Escobar - For review!
• Freebies - Check the prices before you buy!
• He Ain't Lion (Ridgeville #1) by Celia Kyle (Paranormal romance)
• Like a Fox (Ridegville #7) by Celia Kyle (Paranormal romance)
• Blind Wolf by Aubrey Rose (Paranormal romance)
• Eternity and a Day (Desires of the Otherworld #1) by Aline Hunter (Paranormal romance)
• Books read - 12
• Currently reading 
• Deep in Crimson by Sarah Gilman

Globetrotting...

• On Tuesday, I talked about the new series I've started at KellyApple.com. ZOMBIES! Because I seriously love me some zombies!
• Free Books Need Love, Too! weekly reviews:
• Monday - Dress Your Marines in White by Emmy Laybourne
• Tuesday - GLA: Captured by Cavemen by Laura Bliss
• Wednesday - The Pretend Boyfriend by Artemis Hunt

Check it out!

• Seriously Series weekly update: *eyeballs that series started before 2014 category*  Onnnnne more. I CAN DO IT!
• Series started in 2014: 21/18 (+1 since last week)
• Series started before 2014: 17/18 (+3 since last week)
• Series rereads: 7/9 (+1 since last week)

Blog Housekeeping [38]

It's that time again! Time to polish up your blog until it shines!

POP QUIZ: When was the last time you backed up your blog?

Update:

• review archive - are you responsible for sites other than your own? Don't forget about those
• sidebar - check for buttons or links for events that have ended. Have any new events coming up? Now's the time to add them.
• reading challenges - update your progress, add links to challenges where you can link up. If you're a challenge host, do you try to comment on linked reviews? Now's your chance!
• blogrolls -  clean 'em up!
• crosspost - do you crosspost to Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, Library Thing? Don't forget to add your reviews to Netgalley or Edelwiess for those ARCs.
• check your subscription and social media links - if this isn't something that you normally check, now's an excellent time to make sure it's doing what it should be doing. (check out Felicia's Tech Tips for ideas on what to do if you're getting errors on your subscription link)
• check your static pages (About, Review Policy, etc) for outdated information, broken links, etc.
• review your profiles - when was the last time you updated your Goodreads or Facebook profiles? Is everything up to date?

Get ahead:

• June is HERE! What are you doing to get ahead? I'm a big fan of drafting reoccurring posts in batches. I'll schedule 2 or 3 months of Top Off Tuesday posts at a time.The template is always the same - I just have to find some sexy covers, drop in the synopsis, and BOOM! I'm done.

Misc:

• respond to review requests and other bloggy emails
• check your spam folder - legitimate emails can sometimes slip through, catch them now.
• check the spam filter on the blog - get rid of the spam! save the legits!
• make the rounds - check back on blogs where you left comments, maybe spread a few new comments around like candy.

Did you do everything that applies to you? Well done! Now...

BACK UP YOUR BLOG!

| Blogger tutorial | Wordpress tutorial |

The Next Blog Housekeeping is scheduled for June 21st! I hope to see you there!

Two's a Couple, Three's the Law by Eve Langlais [Review]

Two's a Couple, Three's the Law by Eve Langlais
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Date read: March 28, 2014

Eve Langlais
| Website | Facebook | Amazon | Paperback | Kindle |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Can one woman handle two dominant men intent on staking their claim?

Two’s a couple, three’s a ménage, not to mention the law. Welcome to an alternate world where the government gives tax breaks to women who choose to take on two or more men—and werewolves live amongst us.

Despite the laws encouraging polygamy, Chloe isn’t interested in a relationship with one man, let alone two. But all that changes when a werewolf client decides he wants her for more than just legal aid. He’s not alone though. Her nemesis in the courtroom, district attorney Anthony Vanderson, is also intent on seduction.

Caught between two men—naked and panting—she succumbs to passion, gets embroiled in a mystery and learns werewolves aren’t the only creatures living amongst humans.

Warning: This story contains adult subject matter and language that is probably not suitable for anyone.

Thoughts on Two's a Couple, Three's the Law: Fangirl alert: I love both menage books and Eve Langlais's writing. And werewolves. And other things that go bump in the night. So, you know, this one hit the spot. AS EVE LANGLAIS BOOKS TEND TO DO WITH ME.

Since that's out of the way, WHOO-EEE. Smokin' Alphas know how to give the lady a good time! Honestly, the two men couldn't be more different but they both light a fire in Chloe. And, man, does she fight it. She doesn't want to be involved with anyone long term, but those two delectable hunks just keep showing up and insinuating themselves into her life.

And into her pants. Really, though, can you blame her? Sexy men are sexy!

Meanwhile, Pete and Anthony aren't too keen on having another male invading their territory. Watching them come to terms with sharing Chloe with each other was fun. Because Alphas have a hard time backing down. And Chloe doesn't want to decide between them.

Fun and fast-paced with Eve Langlais's usual brand of sassy characters. I do love the ladies that can hold their own against bossy men. *thumbs up  all around*

Death's Servant by C.J. Ellisson [Review]

Death's Servant (The VV Inn #0.1) by C.J. Ellisson
Format: ebook
Source: provided by the author for an honest review
Date read: January 26, 2014

The VV Inn
0.1. Death's Servant - Kindle
1. Vampire Vacation
2. The Hunt
3. Big Game
3.5. Death Times Two

C.J. Ellisson
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Jonathan Winchester has clashed with his alpha one too many times. After another argument he leaves the Manitoba pack, his only home since the werewolf attack that changed his life. He returns to his home state of Virginia to start a new life free of pack politics. Jon finds work and meets a young waitress, Raine, who appears to be a lone werewolf, too.

As their relationship progresses, Jon’s embroiled in more intrigue than he bargained for and a danger bigger than he can handle. He's running scared until his own alpha tendencies surface, making him unable to leave the pretty werewolf’s problems behind. The young man is desperate to save Raine—even if his efforts may lead him straight to death.

Journey along in this first prequel novel involving the favorite characters from the bestselling V V Inn series. Written at reader demand, this stand-alone story explains how the beloved Jonathan came to serve the deadly redheaded vampire, Dria.

Thoughts on Death's Servant: Oh, this was a nice little peek at Jonathan and Dria's first encounter. More than that, though, it gives a lot of insight into Jonathan's character and shows him standing up for what he believes in. Even if it means putting himself in a bad position for werewolves he doesn't really know.

Might I just say that Jonathan is so young here. He acts in accordance with his desire to protect as an alpha but he's so raw and untried and unsure about what he wants now that he's left Romeo's pack. The situation he runs into gives him focus and allows him to practice what he's been preaching.

I loved that we got to see another side to Rafe and Jon interacting. In later books, they have a tendency to poke and prod at one another in an attempt to irritate. Here, Rafe willingly helps Jon and seems to be happy doing it. Plus, Rafe is a bit of a master strategist, manipulating pieces on the board to help Dria in any way necessary. I can appreciate that.

Solid story that gives a dark, intriguing look into the earlier life of Jon. There was a lot I really enjoyed here and I'm completely looking forward to more novellas (featuring Jon or otherwise) in this series.

Kyle Demore and the Timekeeper's Key by Samuel J. Vega [Review]

Kyle Demore and the Timekeeper's Key (Kyle Demore #1) by Samuel J. Vega
Format: ebook
Source: provided by the author for an honest review
Date read: February 15, 2014

Kyle Demore
1. Kyle Demore and the Timekeeper's Key - Paperback | Kindle

Samuel J. Vega
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

It was a horrible day in math class...that turned into the adventure of a lifetime.

In this exciting debut book from a fresh new YA author, come meet Kyle Demore: the oddball and outcast of Grayling Junior High. After Kyle accidentally turns Grayling's gym into a snow-packed toboggan run, he is expelled, only to be recruited for a school in another realm that he's already seen in some bizarre dreams. In Endera, nothing is the same, especially keys. Turns out they can unlock spectacular and magical powers--but only in the right pair of hands.

In Endera, Kyle finds he's no longer a social outcast. He finds friends, bizarre creatures, and the hardest classes he’s ever taken--and to his surprise, succeeds in. Things aren’t so simple though. Some people would rather see him disappear, for unlocking the powers of the keys also means setting free their dangers.

Kyle makes a mistake that leaves his best friend on the brink of death--and now the only way to save her is to find the rare Timekeeper’s Key. The thing is, some doors aren’t meant to be unlocked. Kyle must choose to take the risk of turning the key, or losing his friend forever...

Thoughts on Kyle Demore and the Timekeeper's Key: It took me a bit to get into this book. I blame myself, though. It had been a while since I read YA and I kept expecting DESTRUCTIVE SHENANIGANS and ANGER when Kyle was thrust into a new, overwhelming situation. Instead, he was remarkably resilient and managed to make things work. Which is awesome. It just wasn't what I was expecting. So, really, it was all me. Once I got over myself, I was all over Kyle's can-do attitude.

Sure, he made some mistakes at first but he found his groove and figured out where he fit in. I can appreciate that.

The world of Endera is fun. Magic and keys and abilities beyond anything Kyle could have conceived before he was brought there, made his journey an exciting ride. As the story progresses, we begin to see that not everything is as carefree as it seems. Danger is massing and it has the potential to cause a lot of upheaval.

Meanwhile, Kyle and his newfound compatriots learn to work together while mastering the skills that will make them a force of great good. THINGS HAPPEN along the way that test Kyle and bring home that not everyone has the same vision of peace that his teachers have.

Very fun and engaging with just enough craziness that you never knew what Kyle was going to encounter next.