Lev (Shot Callers #1) by Belle Aurora

Title: Lev
Series: Shot Callers #1
Author: Belle Aurora
Source: eARC directly from the author
Rating:

From the moment Lev Leokov spots the young woman hiding behind her hair in the middle of the gentleman's club, he can't take his eyes off of her.
For the very first time in his life, he is affected. Having been told his entire life that he can't process or understand emotion, he considers it a big deal.

When Mina Harris gets caught red-handed with a wallet that isn't hers, she falls apart. She's tired, lonely and hasn't eaten in days.

Lev offers her an ultimatum... A nice warm bed, a hot meal and a job, or the cops.

Mina takes her chances with Lev.
After all, a person with nothing has nothing left to lose.

 

  First and foremost I'd like to thank the author, Belle Aurora very much for an advance readers copy of this book.
I will admit I haven't been that updated with my Belle Aurora book but I've been a fan of hers ever since I started the Friend Zoned series and of course we cannot forget RAW but I digress, we're here to discuss this new book of hers, LEV- so let's do this!

I started this book knowing nothing about it. I didn't even read the blurb. It was like new Belle Aurora book. Check. MUST. READ. Check.

We start this book with Mina Harris a young girl who is basically at the lowest of low in her life. She is a runaway orphan who is living off the street struggling to even get her next meal. She becomes so desperate because of her hunger that she ends up at a local strip club where she decides to do something drastic. Something so out of character for her- to steal. Now she is basically no inexperienced at this that she doesn't notice the guy across the bar watching her captivated by her secret beauty. So, she nabs the wallet thinking she's invisible and that's when she goes head to head with our hottie hero Mr. Lev Leokov.

Yups ladies and gents. Lev Leokov. He is the hottie dark hero of this story. Ever since he was young Lev understood that he was different anyone who knew him knew there was just something different about him. He was a recluse, unemotional, and silent boy. His sister and brother always kept an eye on him and helped him adjust to societal norms being his guardian angels. He is immediately drawn to this shy, quiet and damaged girl. From that first meeting on things unravel and we see the true Lev Leokov the sweet, possessive and adorably protective man. He thinks he doesn't show emotion and cannot care for anyone else but throughout the story we see a different man come to pass.

His eyes roamed my fresh face. "You can't hude behind make-up. You can try, but you won't succeed. Not with me." He paused then said "I see you" 

He crossed his arms over a broad chest. "Masks don't suit a person with your face." 
"My face?" I asked. 
"A face like yours makes men stumble over themselves." He titled his head to look at me through a new angle. "Faces like yours are carved into statues, immortalized in stone for the world to see over the ages." He let in a deep breath then exhaled slowly. "You...are art." 

 I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It reminded me in a lot of instances of the first book of Friend Zoned series. Not to mention that this is sort of a spin-off of of that series. (You'll understand in the ending) It was intriguing, steamy and you easily fall in love with the characters. I was especially intrigued with the supporting characters and their hopefully future stories. But there were parts of the book where I felt like the writing was rushed but at the beginning of the book there came a point where I felt it a bit dragging specially the first few chapters and some in the middle. But overall I loved it. It was so sweet. I loved getting into Lev's psyche so I was really into the parts where it was Lev's POV.


I totally recommend this book to everyone who enjoy reading contemporary romances or those fond of realistic fiction books. :)
Anyway, til the next review. Peace!
xoxo
Carrie

Review: Shredded by Tracy Wolff

Title: Shredded
Series: Extreme Risk
Author: Tracy Wolff
Pages: 304
Publisher: Random House
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Goodreads |
Rating:

In this intense and exhilarating New Adult series debut, a hotshot snowboarder and a vulnerable rebel with a cause try to let go of the past—and find a future in each other.

Twenty-one-year-old professional snowboarder Z Michaels is the bad boy of Park City, Utah. He’s always had his pick of any girl in town—and on the competition circuit. But underneath his cool exterior is a young man in turmoil, trying to take the edge off tragedy by overindulging in sex and shredding the slopes. In fact, Z’s reckless behavior is a thinly veiled attempt to blunt his emotional suffering with physical pain.

Ophelia Richardson isn’t like any girl Z has ever met. Though she’s from New Orleans high society, she’s no Southern belle—and she’s not shy about being miserable in frozen, godforsaken Park City. But laying low is her only option after her ex, a rich boy who couldn’t take no for an answer, nearly killed her in a jealous rage. Following that terrifying encounter, the last thing Ophelia needs is a boyfriend—especially one as rich and arrogant as Z. But Ophelia soon discovers that he isn’t what he seems. If anything, Z may be even more damaged than she is.

Tormented by their pasts and feeling alone in the world, Z and Ophelia find a connection unlike any they’ve ever known. But with Ophelia hiding the details of her life in Louisiana and Z’s death wish reaching terrifying new heights, their relationship seems to be going downhill before it even begins—unless they can find the strength in each other to trust, grow, and love again

Pro snowboarder Z Michaels has everything. Money, looks and a loyal set of friends he can count on. The problem is he is still haunted by his traumatic past with his family. His father has abandoned him and left him with a huge trust fund. He goes around snowboarding and banging snowbunnies. He also is a huge adrenaline junkie and his affliction to pain isn't helping that.
He stumbles upon Ophelia, a barista at the local lodge where Z and his friends practice. She is the only woman to stand up to him and not fall for his charm, which then leads him to find her very enchanting. Little does he know she is the only one who can help him deal with his issues, his past and accept what has happened and move on.

Shredded was an awesome read! I absolutely loved it. Tracy Wolff reels you in with hot guys, adrenaline junkies, and a lotta powder! I am not a snowboarding fan but this book was so well written I started studying up on it and actually searching the tricks she mentions just to get a feel of what was going on in the book. I can't wait for the third installment which I'm hoping will be Cam and Luc's story.

Review: The Prince's Ex by Nadene Seiters (Warning Spoilers!)

Title: The Prince's Ex
Author: Nadene Seiters
Pages: 200
Publisher: Createspace
Source: Kindle / Author
Amazon | Goodreads | 

Rating:

Amelia Radley thought she had it all when she met a man in a bar and he ended up being royalty. Their love affair was anything but boring, and yet he dumped her almost exactly a year after asking her out to their first dinner date. While the wound was deep and fresh thirty days after their separation, she picked up the morning paper only to see that the man she thought she loved had already become engaged to another woman.

Her best friend, Tina, suggests the only thing she knows would make her feel better. Amelia should start dating any man she meets that she likes so that she can get over her ex. The idea is ludicrous, and yet Amelia agrees to a date with a man she has never met before. All the while, she considers herself nothing more than the prince’s ex, a woman who could not hold the affections of every woman’s dream.

When she finds love in an unexpected place, it’s challenged by the past and the future looks rocky. Amelia’s insecurities might get in the way of her finding true love, in more ways than one.

I was given a copy of this book directly from the author for an honest review.  So here goes...

Story starts outs with meeting the main character Amelia who as the title entails is "Prince's Ex", Malaysian prince that is. Anyway, the story starts out with a coffee conversation between Amelia and her best friend Tina, who is basically a slut (there's no word for it). Amelia is trying to recover from her one sided breakup with Simon, Prince of Malaysia (?) she is then persuaded by Tina to go on various dates with various guys from Tina's phone book. First few dates are an absolute disaster. But then Peter, their regular coffee barista ends up asking her out for a cup of joe (not from his coffee shop) and the two hit it off. After which Amelia ends up ditching him for someone else and the two do not see each other after a few weeks where Peter saves her from a fight with her ex, Simon. The two then reconcile and ends up dating....

But Amelia isn't the only one with issues. Peter has a secret that will break or save their relationship. And from then on the story goes as their adventure to win a happily ever after together.

Now, what I thought about this book. Honestly, it just wasn't for me. I gave it 3 cupcakes but honestly I would give it a 2.5 if even possible on my rating system.

At the start of the book yes, there were parts that were funny and I found myself totally engrossed with the events of Amelia trying to get over her breakup with Simon. Those dates she went on c/o of Tina were freakin' hilarious. BUT after I guess a few chapters in I started disliking Amelia so much I just wanted it to end. I found her character very selfish, self-centered and vain. She seems too obsessed with the political and social status of the peers around her especially guys she will date. At the start of the story you notice her many times putting Peter down or not giving him a chance in the world because she thinks he is just a barista but when she finds out the truth thats when she gives him a chance?!  When she mentions Peter calling her a gold digger, I wanted to scream, Yes, yes, you kind of are. There were parts throughout the story I just wanted to smack her!  I'm sorry. But yes, there are redeeming qualities to her character escpecially how protective she was of Olivia. :)
Peter, I absolutely loved Peter's character. Sweet, charming and loving fellow that he is. 
The character I liked most of all was Tina! I wish she had a story coming up for her it would be very interesting seeing her fall in love. :) 
I also found the story very dragging and basically towards the end it felt like just going through the pages just to get the story done. So few times do you come by a book you think needs a prologue novella and The Prince's Ex is one I would most definitely recommend a novella prologue to be written just to get a better feel of HOW she became the Prince's Ex.
 I feel that the book has so much potential but it just needs to go through a better editor (?) maybe, maybe not. Oh well. I recommend it though for you all! 

Review: The Reflections of Queen Snow White

 

Title: The Reflections of Queen Snow White
Author: David Meredith
Publisher: Author
Pages: 155
Goodreads | Amazon |

Rating:

What happens when "happily ever after" has come and gone?

On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing:

The king is dead.

The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means?

Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.

Excerpts

Erfeut to Queen Snow White


   "There be no shame in tears. God knows I shed enough for me boyos when they passed one right after the other until I was all who was left. I know what you feel lass - a big empty spot right here"
He left off stroking her porcelain hand to thump his chest.
   "It's where the little piece of your heart use to be that ye shared with them. You don't ever get that back, but the pain dulls in time and ye start thinking back to all the good things ye used to share together... That, My Dear One," he smiled at her kindly. "That is when you realize that they aren't all gone together - That they did leave little pieces of themselves with you. That's when you can really cherish it.



Mirror to Queen Snow White

  "It was very difficult for you to make that choice," the mirror commented middly. "You could have stayed and nothing would have ever been any different. Instead, you made a choice to change your life. You decided that you would no longer be ruled by your fear."
  "I fled for my life," Snow White scoffed shaking her head with a bitter chuckle. "You make it sound like some grand, brave thing. What nobility is there in running away? Even deer and rabbits manage it when pursued by the wolf or even the rat when chased by a tabby or stoat."
  "Snow White," countered the mirror with some exasperation finally showing faintly through. "Unlike the rabbit or doe you mention, you had a choice. You chose to flee. You could have remained. Perhaps you were right. Maybe you could have hidden in the storage rooms or an abandoned hall, or an empty tower or belfry. Maybe you could have gone down into the dungeons or wine cells until Arglist's fury had run its course. It is possible that you could have gone on for years and years more just as you always had - living like a beggar and a theif in you own home! But you did not choose that path. You chose the difficult road. You chose the path of greatest risk and uncertainty, but it was also the path that led you to happiness. Do you not see? Arglist thought herself you master. She thought you cowed and harmless but you proved her wrong. You escaped her."

First, I would like to thank the author, David Meredith for giving me this beautiful book for an honest review.

 So here it goes. This is not your typical fairytale story. No, it is not the Snow White you remember from your childhood days. This book tells a story that is dark, heart-wrenching, melancholy and inspirational that it will bring you to tears. This book was so well written the descriptions of scenes were so brilliantly depicted that at times I felt like I was at Castle Wolfejager along with the queen, the mirror and Charming. 

In this story we meet up with Snow White, after her happily ever after with her Prince Charming. Years have passed and now, she is Queen. It has been a year since Charming’s death. Snow White is grief stricken and finds herself, isolated and depressed within the walls of Castle Wolfejager with no way of escape from her forsaken thoughts. She ends up returning to her step mother’s old quarters and discovering the long lost Magical Mirror. Thus, starts the beginning of her journey to discover self-worth, strength and finding refuge in what is left after an awful tragedy, such as the death of your soulmate. 

This was a wonderful turn of the story of Snow White and I would most definitely recommend it to everyone whether you are a fairytale fan or not.

The Author:

David Meredith is a writer and educator originally from Knoxville, Tennessee. He recieved both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from East Tennessee State University, in Johnson City, Tennessee as well and a Tennessee State Teaching license. On and off, he spent nearly a decade, from 1999-2010 teaching English in Northern Japan, but currently lives with his wife and three children in the Nashville Area where he continues to write and teach English.

Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/DavidMeredithWriting

Official Website

http://davidmeredithwriting.com

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7383607.David_C_Meredith

Twitter Page:

http://twitter.com/DMeredith2013

ARC Review: King's Throne (String of Fate #2)

Title: King's Throne (String of Fate #2)
Series: String of Fate 
Author: Bianca D'Arc
Pages: 232
Publisher: Aspendawn Books 
Source: NetGalley
Edition: eARC
Amazon | Goodreads
Rating:

A woman living in secret, hiding her true nature...

Gina is a medical doctor living in the city. What nobody knows is that she’s also tiger-shifter royalty, living in exile. Keeping her secret has kept her safe, but all that is about to change.

An injured soldier who heals in a way that makes him more than he ever was before...

Mitch is injured. Out of the action. He wakes up in a strange place, with a beautiful woman. Normally, not a problem, but this woman is special. She’s a white tiger. Daughter of the lost tiger king. Too good for the likes of him, but there’s an undeniable spark of attraction drawing them closer and closer.

A love that will make the very earth tremble beneath their feet...

When evil Challenges, Mitch will fight to keep Gina safe. A harrowing journey to the side of a living volcano brings secret knowledge and a power none of them ever expected. Will it be enough to prevail?

Only victory will keep his lady safe. And only victory will allow Gina to claim the man she truly loves.

  

ARC from Netgalley for an honest review

So, let me first start with the cover, it's so pretty which is actually why I chose it to review (yes, I judged a book by its cover) But I was not disappointed. This is the first book that I've read by Bianca D'Arc and it won't be the last. I was so impressed with this book. It has a very thrilling storyline that just reels you in.

We meet up with Gina who is a medical doctor and princess to the Tiger shifters. She is in the pursuit to help Mitch, a golden tiger who was previously guard to the Panther queen and was caught in an attack with his friend Cade at a local dojo. Gina's blood is special in that it has healing capabilities but  she had given Mitch another concoction from the tiger clan which is dubbed as Nectar used to heal as well. But with Mitch there was an altering affect. She then transports to her father the exiled king land in the mountain to find help for Mitch. 

And that's where it all begins... 

Soon they find that Mitch is actually an important part of their Clan's salvation to rid them of the evil that has been ruling them for almost a generation. The plot thickens and Mitch is forced into a role that he has never seen himself in. Their savior. 

I know this is a second book in a series, but seriously, it was so good that it could actually be a stand alone. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy reading supernatural genre.

Finding Hart by Ella Fox

 (from tumblr via google images)


 Okay. Wow. My mind is blown!

 I gave the first Hart Family book a 2 star rating. As the story progresses it only gets better. I am giving this one a very well deserved 4 star rating!

I'm guessing this will be the final book of the series? Since the epilogue basically says it all. I loved their happy ending, but boy did the whole family go through a wild roller coaster ride to get there. I seriously pity Dillon and especially Spencer for having been born to such an obnoxious, crazy-ass biatch Tally, though at times I felt really bad for her, she was seriously messed up as well. I absolutely loved the letters parts throughout the story. *spoiler* 7 days apart 


 
((from tumblr via google images)

 Falling in love with this man is the best thing that ever happened to me and I wouldn't change a thing. As Dillon has always said, all of our roads led to each other.

Charming The Prince by Teresa Medeiros

5 MAGNIFICENT STARS!


(from amazon.com)

The story starts out with our heroine Willow at a young age awaiting her new stepmother along with her father. Little does she know her new mother has a “present” for her, a bundle of step brothers and sisters. Her new mother isn’t what she’s always wished for, she is vile and runs the household with greed and no regard for Willow’s welfare as well as her father’s. She has outcast Willow to serve as a nursemaid to her step brothers and sisters. Her father is forced to hail to every whim of the new lady of the house and so forgets his beloved daughter. After almost 20 years, we stumble upon Sir Barron who is back from the war in France and has been hiding in his study to relieve himself of the wrath/pranks of his 10 relentless children. He sends out his right hand man to search for a suitable wife and lady for the household to help him deal with his band of merry tots. His squire comes back with the lovely Willow.. from then on the story goes about on how the children take to Willow. How she wins the hearts of both the master and his subjects in the castle. In an epic battle within the castle involving wooden arrows carved from tables in the lady’s quarters, secret passages in the castle, bowls of fig pudding, singed mustaches and beards, a squealing pig, 10 tiny soldiers, a warlord, an army of full grown soldiers.


Only when the flames shot higher could he make out the gentle swells filling out her breeches and tunic and the inky cap of curls that clung to her head. Lady Willow gazed boldly up at the window, making no attempt to hide the bow in her hand. or the challenging jut of her jaw.
Hollis shook his head torn between shock and amusement. “You’d best devise a new battle plan, my lord. For it appears your lady has decided to join the game.”
Bannor flexed his powerful hands on the window sill. “This is no game, my friend” He swung around, his eyes gleaming with a raw excitement Hollis hadn’t seen since King Edwards signed the treaty with the French. “This I understand. This is war”

Unattainable by Madeline Sheehan

 

LOVED IT. 5/5 STARS!

   

“Most importantly - what I would stress the very most - is that love doesn’t solve a goddamn thing. Love doesn’t erase a broken heart, and it sure as fuck doesn’t change people. But no matter how old, how flimsy, how frayed the rope of love is, it does keep you tethered to the people you love. And I was forever tied to Cage “

In this book we follow the unrequited love story of Tegan and Cage. Tegan is now all grown up and moved to San Francisco living her life as a tatted up,loud mouth, hot tempered and pierced hippie and still trying to forget about her long lost love that is Cage West, prince of Hells Horsemen. Cage is still stuck in Montana livin’ the man whore biker life, hanging at the club, drinking and sexing it up with all the club whores around. But when Tegan comes back to Montana to deal with her mother being shot by one of the Hells Horsemen’s crazy wives, the two end up clashing in a all out verbal, physical and emotional brawl. The book tells their story on how they find they bearings and deal with all the drama that comes with the Hells Horsemen’s lives as well as coming to terms with their past mistakes *cough* Cage *cough* and moving on with their possible future.

Another wonderful story that you will encounter which I actually preferred is the story of Ellie and Horseman Dirty/Michael.

One More Day (The Alexanders #1) by M. Malone

3/5 STARS
ARC copy from Netgalley.
I really wanted to like this book, and at times I did. But I found it to be very dragging.
It’s a very quick read. I absolutely adored Jase and Chris, Jackson’s two sons. As well as the Alexander family, they reminded me of the Chase series books.
The books follows Ridley, who is the shy good hearted girl next door type as compared to her traveling supermodel twin Raina. Ridley, is trying to escape something that is haunting her back in Florida she ends up at her sister’s doorstep in Virginia but finds out that her sister is at a photo shoot in Singapore. She then falls into the arms of next door hunky music producer neighbor Jackson Alexander,who has just lost his wife to a terrible accident and is now a single father raising two boys. The story follows their instant chemistry and their journey to gaining both their trusts and surviving whatever is haunting Ridley.