Allegiance by Angela Louise McGurk [Review]

Allegiance (The Vampire Alliance #2) by Angela Louise McGurk
Format: ebook
Source: provided by the author for an honest review
Date read: May 3, 2014

The Vampire Alliance
1. Absolution
2. Allegiance - Kindle
3. Antithesis

Angela Louise McGurk
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Eve hadn’t wanted a second marriage, she wanted to remain happily unmarried rather than curse another good man to Rob’s fate. If only Tul had listened to her protestations. Instead the Senate are intent on making her relive her own personal hell. Worse, the instrument they seem intent on using to bring about her suffering is the creature, the merciless drone they’d created from all that remained of Rob.

The world seems to be conspiring against Eve and the Alliance, and even among Johan’s band of rebels not everyone is happy to have Eve as part of the group. With Tul missing and friends few on the ground, Eve begins to slip back into the pit of despair which had once consumed her and that may just lead her to behave more recklessly than ever before. Mistakes have consequences however, and for Eve the consequences of her actions may just decide the course of the future.

Is there a way to save Tul? Does anything of Rob remain in the Senate controlled puppet his body’s become? More importantly, why are the Senate determined to take control of Eve and just how far will they go to gain possession of her?

Thoughts on Allegiance: I enjoyed this book. Things go bad in a big way for Eve (BIG WAY), but we're given plenty of answers as to why she's been made to suffer through the years and what's been going on behind the scenes with the Senate. And those answers are a little frightening. THINGS HAPPEN, GUYS! THINGS HAPPEN!

And Eve's at the heart of it all.

Not by choice, either. She's a victim of circumstances she can't control and she doesn't always handle what happens to her well. She falls down and has to drag herself back up. Over and over again. Finding out what Rob's been turned into at the end of book 1 sets off a chain of events that culminates in betrayal of the worst kind, death, destruction, and Eve coming into her own.

I am VERY intrigued to see how all this will play out in the next book. It looks like Eve's barely scratched the surface on what she's capable of and now there's a whole slew of new badness to contend with.

Bring it on!

North of Need by Laura Kaye [Review]

North of Need (Hearts of the Anemoi #1) by Laura Kaye
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Date read: May 10, 2014

Hearts of the Anemoi
1. North of Need - Paperback | Kindle
2. West of Want
3. South of Surrender
4. East of Ecstasy

Laura Kaye
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Desperate to escape agonizing memories of Christmas past, twenty-nine-year-old widow Megan Snow builds a snow family outside the mountain cabin she once shared with her husband, realizing too late that she’s recreated the very thing she’ll never have.

Called to life by Megan’s tears, snow god Owen Winters appears unconscious on her doorstep in the midst of a raging blizzard. As she nurses him to health, Owen finds unexpected solace in her company and unimagined pleasure in the warmth of her body, and vows to win her heart for a chance at humanity.

Megan is drawn to Owen’s mismatched eyes, otherworldly masculinity, and enthusiasm for the littlest things. But this Christmas miracle comes with an expiration—before the snow melts and the temperature rises, Megan must let go of her widow’s grief and learn to trust love again, or she’ll lose Owen forever.

Thoughts on North of Need: Aww. I reeeeaaaaaally liked this one. Owen. OWEN. He was just so adorable and enthusiastic about everything. And Megan. Poor lady. She was a wreck when Owen showed up on her doorstep. An absolute wreck. With good reason, mind you. Watching her come alive again and find her way out of her grief to see what she has in front of her made me smile.

Plus, OWEN.

Yeah, I liked the guy. Can you tell?

Anyway. Besides Owen's enthusiasm and Megan's pain, I kinda adored the world building here. Gods. GODS. And their limitations. I mean, their powers are cool, too. BUT THOSE LIMITATIONS. Owen's expiration date was painful to watch approaching because the potential for badness was so great.

So, I really, really liked this book and I'm all over the next ones in the series. THEY ARE CALLING TO ME. (not literally, though, because that would be creepy.)

Top Off Tuesday - Good times!

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!

Muscles, nips and tats. Good times!

Her Tattooed Fighter (The Fighters of Absinthe #2) by Jenika Snow

There's fighting, and then there's bare-knuckle, hold nothing back fighting...

Sunny McGrieve has lived around fighters her whole life. With her dad training ruthless men who excel in MMA and fight in the underground circuit, she is no stranger to violence. But her father has warned her about that breed of male, and that means the man she wants, London Stein, is out of the question.

London enjoys women like he does his fights: hard and fast, and with no regrets. Then there is Sunny, the girl he wants but can't have. When he finally has her, London knows that he has no intention of letting her go. But her dad and Mack, the big Russian that sees her as a little sister, aren't his only problem, not when he has been challenged by a no rules fighter, "The Lion".

Torn by Fury by S.M. Reine [Review]

Torn by Fury (Ascension #6) by S.M. Reine
Format: ebook
Source: provided by the author for an honest review
Date read: June 21, 2014

Ascension
1. Sacrificed in Shadow
2. Oaths of Blood
3. Ruled by Steel
4. Caged in Bone
5. Lost in Prophecy
6. Torn by Fury - Paperback | Kindle

S.M. Reine
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Elise Kavanagh is marching on New Eden, the city angels have built from the bones of human victims. She's hellbent on making them atone for their sins--no matter the cost. Rylie Gresham has realized that werewolves are the key to defeating angels. They're apex predators, designed to bring powerful, immortal beings to heel. She has no choice but to follow Elise into war against Heaven…especially since it's the only way to protect her family from complete annihilation. The angels are prepared to defend themselves. Their magic will tear the universe apart. And if they have their way, there will soon be no Earth left to save...

Thoughts on Torn by Fury: I have a love/fear relationship with S.M. Reine's books. I love her writing, the characters, the non-stop action that wriggles out of the pages. At the same time, I have this instinctive fear response that tells me I'm going to have my heart ripped out while reading it. Somebody (probably Abel. Or Elise. Elise would totally do this, come to think of it. TOTALLY.) will also attempt to choke me with said heart. Maybe pull off a limb and beat me with it.

Guys, I love these books and I'm terrified of them. WELL PLAYED, S.M. REINE! Well played!

So. Yep. This time around I was gutted. Still am. My guts are lying on the floor next to me. It's not pretty. But then, most of the things Elise has to deal with aren't, so I'm in good company. Flat out, the ending is a doozy. Oh, and that middle part. And then there was the time in the beginning. And that other time.

You know what? The whole book is awesome. It's chock full of evisceration, beheadings, painful death, and epic badassery. Elise gets things done with style. Bloody, painful style. And I like that.

RtP Week in Review (08/03/14)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• Bout of Books 11 - IT'S COMING!
• Dragons & Dirigibles by Cindy Spencer Pape [Review] - Another look at how family isn't always blood.
• Top Off Tuesday - All the things I like!
• The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan [Review] - Courtney Milan writes some crazy good characters.
• The Kraken King and the Fox's Den by Meljean Brook [Review] - Mad fangirl love, ahoy!
• The Kraken King and the Inevitable Abduction by Meljean Brook [Review] - Seriously. This series ROCKS!
• Tank by M. Malone [Review] - I liked this one!
• Blog Housekeeping [42] - Clean 'em up!
  

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile - 1
• Freebies - Check the prices before you buy!
• Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer Armentrout (Paranormal YA)
• Books read - 12
• Currently reading 
• One Hot Second by Stacy Gail

Globetrotting...

• On Tuesday, I revealed the blurb and cover for Monstrous Tales #10 at KellyApple.com. The end is nigh!
• Free Books Need Love, Too! weekly reviews:
• Monday - Tarnished Knight by Bec McMaster
• Tuesday - GLA: Cavewoman: Spread Wide by Jessica Potisto
• Wednesday - The Maiden and the Monster by Mallorie Meldrum

Check it out!

• Seriously Series weekly update: I have no idea how I read so many non-series books this week. BUT I DID.
• Series started in 2014: 10/18 (+0 since last week)
• Series started before 2014: 6/18 (+1 since last week)
• Series rereads: 7/9 (+0 since last week)

Blog Housekeeping [42]

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

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:

• August is HERE! Have you drafted your weekly wrap-up posts? Are your meme posts drafted or scheduled for the month? What else can you do to get ahead?

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!

| Tutorial |

The next Blog Housekeeping post is scheduled for 8/16. See you then!

Tank by M. Malone [Review]

Tank (Blue-Collar Billionaires #1) by M. Malone
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Date read: April 2, 2014

Blue-Collar Billionaires
1. Tank - Kindle
2. Finn
3. Gabe
4. Zack
5. Luke

M. Malone
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

I used to think I had it all under control. Then a letter from the father I haven't seen in years changes everything. The only thing keeping my head above water is Emma. She's the one true and honest thing in my life. I don't need the money. I sure as hell don't need a father.

The only thing I need… is her.

Tank Marshall has thirty days to meet his dying father or he loses his inheritance forever. He hates his deadbeat dad but his mother needs surgery and he'd do anything for her. Even dance with the devil.

Emma Shaw dreams of a new life, away from the tragedy of her past but she's too broke to afford dreams. Until she gets the job of a lifetime, coaxing a rich client’s estranged son back into the fold. One meeting for $1 million. It's the deal of a lifetime.

Until she’s lying to the only man who makes her feel safe.

Thoughts on Tank: I really liked this one. While you could see the massive potential for problems as soon as Tank's father offers Emma the job of bringing his son back to him, the lead up to when everything comes to a head is fun.

And Tank... oh, man, I liked the guy. He's a little screwed up and a lot stubborn. His family life is complicated -- mom's sick, bro's hurting, and Tank's the one trying to keep them from falling apart -- and then he finds out he has a handful of other brothers he's never known about. Yeah, complicated. Emma is his light.

And she's not being entirely honest about why she's allowing her interest in him out after battening it down before.

Speaking of Emma, she hasn't had the easiest time of it recently. While the million Tank's father is offering her would go a long way toward changing things for her, some pain can't be outrun. And talk about complicated family dynamics. I didn't know what to make of Emma's sister for most of the book.

Family. You can't live with them, you can't escape their creepy boyfriends. *shudder*

Yeah, so I liked Tank, I liked Emma, and I'm completely looking forward to seeing the other brothers fall.