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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Mask Beneath Her Face: Review

From Goodreads:
During the 1980s, slashers terrorized America. With machetes and masks, these unstoppable killers stalked college campuses, quiet suburbs, and lakeside cabins.

Thirty years ago, Bobbi Metzger survived a massacre at her 16th birthday party. She spent decades putting her life back together.

Tonight, Bobbi will face a new killer: a high-tech slasher hell-bent on opening the doorway to an abyss of unimaginable horror.

How long can Bobbi survive this nightmare? What will she do to protect the people she loves? How much blood is she willing to spill? 

My Review:
I enjoyed this book a lot! Of all the books that I've read, there's not really one that I can think of that fits the slasher genre of movies like Scream. That this book gave a paranormal explanation for the slashers coming back after you think they're dead, yeah, that was pretty cool!

The synopsis made me think that this book would focus on Bobbi, but it was really a cast of characters that were center, 2 others who had survived other slashers, and the girl that they've created a sort of family with.

Each of the slashers had different rules, like Bobbi's one made the blood act like gravity didn't exist, and had her strengths and weaknesses. Jessie can't look into mirrors or his guy will get closer, and eventually get out. Sam had his trapped. They've all had multiple encounters, and know how to deal with them.

But someone wanted to join the ranks. We knew who they were, we were in their head. And I wasn't sure whether or not that they were crazy. I mean, there was a spider talking in their head, and then the ending happened. But there were also pretty elaborate plans and traps, especially that ending!

Loved this book, and that ending was pure horror! Loved it!

Author: Rafael Chandler
Read: January 29th, 2018
Source: RABT Book Tour Review Copy
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a SAC 2018 Book!
Publisher: Neoplastic Press
Published: October 14th 2017
5/5 Hearts
4/5 Books
4/5 Stars
Bio:
Rafael Chandler writes novels (Hexcommunicated, The Astounding Antagonists), video games (SOCOM 4, Rainbow Six: Lockdown, MAG), and tabletop role-playing games (Teratic Tome, No Salvation for Witches, Lusus Naturae). He's a metalhead, gorehound, and kaijuphile. For more information, please visit www.rafaelchandler.com.

Contact and Buy AKA Links:


Waiting on Wednesday #351, January 31st

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
Expected Publication: March 6th, 2018
From Goodreads:
Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch trials in this haunting story about three sisters on a quest for revenge—and how love may be the only thing powerful enough to stop them.

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself. 

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Expected Publication: March 6th, 2018
From Goodreads:
Tomi Adeyemi conjures a stunning world of dark magic and danger in her West African-inspired fantasy debut, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir.

They killed my mother. 
They took our magic. 
They tried to bury us. 

Now we rise. 

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for an enemy. 

Oh, wow, some really fantastic books coming out on the 6th, and some really amazing authors! Really excited for these books! What about you guys? Happy reading!

*Edit*
Apparently I already did all of these in December, so I'm getting rid of Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs, Lake Silence by Anne Bishop, High Voltage by Karen Marie Moning, Four of a Kind by Kate Kessler, Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi, and The Case for Jamie by Brittany Cavallaro. Opps. Gah!

WWW Wednesday #355, January 31st

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing now A Daily Rhythm for starting this meme!

I'm currently reading Tryptych, and yeah, it's so awesome! Really enjoying it! 
I read Death du Jour, and it was a a fantastic mystery, and I really enjoyed it!
I'm going to be reading This Fallen Prey, I hope! I don't have a copy yet, but I really hope I get one! So excited for this book!

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

We Have the Cover of Thorns and Roses #3.1!!!!

Yeah, we have the cover of A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas!

Teaser Tuesday #355, January 30th

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Today's teaser comes from Dark in Death by J.D. Robb, page 205.

"Lots of weird lighting, lots of people, lots of noise, but here I am, pissed and insulted because my ex doesn't have a boner for me. I pick up the drink."

Getting into the head of the victim. Bah! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Monday, January 29, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #347, January 29th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #346
Teaser Tuesday #354
WWW Wednesday #354
WOW #351
Will the Time Come #345
Third Sentence Thursday #336
Random Reads #322
First Lines Friday #350
The Reward Challenge Update #332
Book Blogger Hop #16
How Well I Stuck to It #184
Wrote that Review Update #181

Week 4 Reviews:
Déjà Dead
Faithless
Contagion
Always
The King
The Shadows
My Plain Jane
The Highlander's Promise
Blood Kiss
A Dangerous Game

Random:
We Have the Cover of Dorina Basarab #4!!!!
We Have the Cover of LIFEL1K3!!!!

OK, so I got  posts in 7 days, What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Dark in Death, Death du Jour, The Grift of the Magi, This Fallen Prey, and Triptych.

There's always a reason for murder. But when a young actress is killed in a swift and violent attack at a cinema screening, that reason is hard to fathom - even for Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her team.

It's only when bestselling crime writer Blaine DeLano arrives at the precinct that the shocking truth is revealed. Someone is recreating the murder scenes from her latest series, book by book. With six more novels left in the series, Eve now knows how the killer will strike next. But why has DeLano been targeted? Could her abusive husband be involved?

As fiction is transformed into bloody reality, Eve will need all her skill and experience to solve this unique case. Luckily for her, husband Roarke happens to be a fan of DeLano's work. And he's more than happy to work side by side with his gorgeous and brilliant wife - no matter how dark things become...
Assaulted by the bitter cold of a Montreal winter, the American-born Dr. Temperance Breman, Forensic Anthropologist for the Province of Quebec, digs for a corpse where Sister Elisabeth Nicolet, dead over a century and now a candidate for sainthood, should lie in her grave. A strange, small coffin, buried in the recesses of a decaying church, holds the first clue to the cloistered nun's fate.

The puzzle surrounding Sister Elisabeth's life and death provides a welcome contrast to discoveries at a burning chalet, where scorched and twisted bodies await Tempe's professional expertise. Who were these people? What brought them to this gruesome fate?

Homicide Detective Andrew Ryan, with whom Tempe has a combustive history, joins her in the arson investigation. From the fire scene they are drawn into the worlds of an enigmatic and controversial professor, a mysterious commune, and a primate colony on a Carolina island.
Katarina Bishop is a thief. To many it wouldn't matter that she now uses her considerable skills to re-steal valuable works of art and return them to their rightful homes.

She's still a thief.

So that's why Kat's surprised when an Interpol agent comes to her one snowy evening, asking for Kat's help.

The Magi Miracle Network was set to auction off a very rare, very valuable Faberge egg two days before Christmas, but the egg's been stolen and now the charity's reputation--and their future--is on the line.
Kat's family and Interpol might be opposite sides of most jobs, but someone just stole Christmas.

Now it's up to Kat and her crew to steal it back.

The Grift of the Magi is a Heist Society novella and is approximately half the length of the other novels in the series. It stands alone, but if you want read more about Kat and her crew check out Heist Society, Uncommon Criminals, and Perfect Scoundrels.
When Casey Duncan first arrived at Rockton, the off-the-grid, isolated community built as a haven for people running from their pasts, she had no idea what to expect. There are no cell phones, no internet, no mail, and no way of getting in or out without the town council's approval. She certainly didn't expect to become the town homicide detective. But, the very last thing she expected was for the council to drop a dangerous criminal into their midst without a plan to keep him imprisoned. And she never thought that she'd have to be responsible for him.

The longer Oliver Brady stays in town, the more people seem to die around him. When evidence begins piling up that someone inside Rockton is working as his accomplice, Casey races to figure out who exactly Brady is and what crimes he's truly responsible for committing.
In the city of Atlanta, women are dying—at the hands of a killer who signs his work with a single, chilling act of mutilation. Leaving behind enough evidence to fuel a frenzied police hunt, this cunning madman is bringing together dozens of lives, crossing the boundaries of wealth and race. And the people who are chasing him must cross those boundaries too. Among them is Michael Ormewood, a veteran detective whose marriage is hanging by a thread—and whose arrogance and explosive temper are threatening his career. And Angie Polaski, a beautiful vice cop who was once Michael's lover before she became his enemy.

But another player has entered the game: a loser ex-con who has stumbled upon the killer's trail in the most coincidental of ways—someone who may be the key to breaking the case wide open...

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Wrote that Review Update #181, January 28th

Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!
If you want to participate, set a certain amount of reviews to write, and once you make that goal, you can get a reward!

My reviews to reward is writing all of the reviews of the week, and I motivated myself to write my review for Déjà Dead, Faithless, Contagion, Always, The King and The Shadows, My Plain Jane, The Highlander's Promise, Blood Kiss, A Dangerous Game, so I have 9 of 9 reviews written!

And as always, I want to review this week's reviews!

What about you guys? Happy reading!

How Well I Stuck to It #184, January 28th

So I decided that I should have accountability on sticking to what should be in a week, so I'm doing How Well I Stuck to It every Sunday, because my schedule should be fixed in by now!

Week 5:
Dark in Death by J.D. Robb, Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs, The Grift of the Magi by Ally Carter, This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong, Triptych by Karin Slaughter

Tour Books: NA.

Review Books: NA.

NetGalley: NA.

Edelweiss: NA.

Meme Books: NA.

Rereads: 2. Check.

New Books: 3. Check.

Ok, this is a bit longer then I kinda want to do, but there's some really fantastic books coming out, and I'm going to be reading them right away, so yeah, I think I can do this! Hopefully!

Week 4:
Blood Kiss by J.R. Ward, Faithless by Karin Slaughter, The Highlander's Promise by Lynsay Sands, Mask Beneath Her Face by Rafael Chandler

vs.

Déjà Dead by Kathy Reichs, Faithless by Karin Slaughter, Contagion by Erin Bowman, Always by Lynsay Sands, The King by J.R. Ward, The Shadows by J.R. Ward, My Plain Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows, The Highlander's Promise by Lynsay Sands, Blood Kiss by J.R. Ward, A Dangerous Game by Heather Graham

3/4 plus a whole bunch more, yeah, I'm really happy with it! The short weeks thing works! So yeah, happy for this week! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Week 4 Review: A Dangerous Game

From Goodreads:
Trouble always finds her…
Wrapping up a normal day at the office, criminal psychologist Kieran Finnegan is accosted by a desperate woman who shoves an infant into her arms and then flees, only to be murdered minutes later on a busy Manhattan street.

Who was the woman? Where did the baby come from? Kieran can't stop thinking about the child and the victim, so her boyfriend, Craig Frasier, does what any good special agent boyfriend would do – he gets the FBI involved. And asks Kieran to keep out of it.

But the Finnegans have a knack for getting into trouble, and Kieran won't sit idle when a lead surfaces through her family's pub. Investigating on her own, she uncovers a dangerous group that plays fast and loose with human lives and will stop at nothing to keep their secrets – and they plan to silence Kieran before she can expose their deadly enterprise.

My Review:
I just loved reading this book! It had another different mystery-though there was a death very quickly-but someone handing Kieran a baby and then getting killed? Yeah, that's something new, and I was really excited to read it!

This is the 3rd book with Kieran and Craig, and by now, they're pretty settled into their relationship. Not to say they don't have their problems, all couples do, but it would take something really big to tear them apart. And I'm glad, because they deserve to be happy!

Human trafficking-especially in babies, is pretty horrendous. And add into the fact that lead that she got though the family pub, makes things all the more personal for Kieran. And while it's not really her case, she is invested!

Loved how things were solved, as always, there were some pretty heart-pounding moments there! I don't know why bad guys do what they do, especially when they're basically caught. It just boggles the mind!

This book was really fantastic, and whether there's more books in this series or not, I'm happy!

Author: Heather Graham
Series: New York Confidential #3
Read: January 26th, 2018
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Enjoy her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2018 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Mira Books
Expected Publication: March 13th 2018
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 4 Review: Blood Kiss

From Goodreads:
The legacy of the Black Dagger Brotherhood continues in a spin-off series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author…

Paradise, blooded daughter of the king's First Advisor, is ready to break free from the restrictive life of an aristocratic female. Her strategy? Join the Black Dagger Brotherhood's training center program and learn to fight for herself, think for herself…be herself. It's a good plan, until everything goes wrong. The schooling is unfathomably difficult, the other recruits feel more like enemies than allies, and it's very clear that the Brother in charge, Butch O'Neal, a.k.a. the Dhestroyer, is having serious problems in his own life.

And that's before she falls in love with a fellow classmate. Craeg, a common civilian, is nothing her father would ever want for her, but everything she could ask for in a male. As an act of violence threatens to tear apart the entire program, and the erotic pull between them grows irresistible, Paradise is tested in ways she never anticipated—and left wondering whether she's strong enough to claim her own power…on the field, and off.

My Review:
Oh, I loved reading this book! We were introduced to Paradise's dad recently, and then now to have her book, yeah, I really enjoyed that! And then there was Butch and Marissa having problems, which sucks, but is very entertaining to read!

The process that the Brotherhood put the potential trainees though, to weed the numbers down to more manageable numbers to train, well, that was brutal. But these people would be soldiers in the war, so it's understandable. But still brutal!

Paradise and Craeg come from very different backgrounds, an aristocratic female, and a civilian male. And that his dad died because of selfish aristocrats, well, that added some complications! And then that there's a murder, the victim coming to Marissa's doorstep.

Which made Marissa need to be personally involved. And I'm glad, since it's just another way for her to be herself, not the doll the gylmera wanted her to be. Speaking of, her brother, who could be so kind to patients (well, besides Chosens, apparently) and so cruel to her. Hopefully they can heal, but he has some big apologizing to do first!

One thing I've heard about these books, is that J.R. Ward would have preferred to have Butch and V together, but around the time, it wouldn't have been well received. But I can't see it. Sure, definitely from V's side of things. But not Butch, he's a Catholic boy, and there's Marissa. I'm not the author, most definitely, but I just couldn't see Butch not where he is, you know?

Loved this book, and I can't wait to read more of this series!

Author: J.R. Ward
Series: Black Dagger Legacy #1
Read: January 26th, 2018
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Enjoying the first series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2018 Book!
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: December 1st 2015
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 4 Review: The Highlander's Promise

From Goodreads:
In a spellbinding new Highlands story from New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands, the laird of the Buchanans finds the one woman who is his equal in passion and courage...

Aulay Buchanan has retreated to his clan's hunting lodge for a few days of relaxation. But the raven-haired beauty he pulls from the ocean puts an end to any chance of rest. Though he christens her Jetta, she knows nothing of her real identity, save that someone is trying to kill her. As she recovers, it will not be easy for Aulay to protect her and keep her honor intact when she mistakenly believes they are man and wife.

Jetta sees beyond Aulay's scars to the brave, loyal warrior she's proud to call her own. But as the attempts on her life grow more brazen, Jetta realizes that not all is as she believes. And if Aulay is not her husband, can she trust the desire flaring in his eyes, or his promise to defend her with his life? 

My Review:
Another book in this amazing series! I'm so happy! And that it's Aulay's book, the oldest brother, the one who was scarred in the fight that killed his father and his brother-who we learn, is his twin! So yeah, a pretty tormented guy who deserved happiness! 

This book had a bit of a time jump, since the babies who were 5 months or so if I remember correctly, were born. So it was really great when all of the couples from Jo onward gathered together! There was a totally funny story of how that happened, but I won't spoil, because I'm not good at conveying humour!

If I woke up and had no memories, and assumed the guy caring for me was my husband because he was in the room and it would've been improper for him to be there otherwise, well, yeah, it'd be totally confusing but a bit wonderful, too? I just loved them together, they were just so cute!

One funny comment that was made, is that their sister doesn't have any more single friends, for the remaining brothers to marry, and that there was a certain number of brothers unmarried, but Rory didn't count himself among them!

There were a few moments when I was like, how did they pull this off? But then we got an explanation and things became clear! I'm glad that they were caught! While they might have had some pretty hard knocks, that they were in the situation was partially their fault. Not victim blaming, but I can't explain without spoiling!

This was a really great book with a sweet romance, and I just really enjoyed reading it!

Author: Lynsay Sands
Series: Highlanders #6
Read: January 26th, 2018
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Historical Fiction 2018 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2018 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Avon
Expected Publication: June 26th 2018
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 4 Review: My Plain Jane

From Goodreads:
You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights. 

My Review:
This book was so great! Full of the quirky humour that I just loved in the first one, and an excellent take on Jane Eyre-having both Jane and Charlotte, who wrote the original book-in this one, was a fascinating take, and I enjoyed it so much!

This isn't the same world as My Lady Jane, there's no people turning into animals. Instead, there's temporarily dying and then being able to see ghosts. So I'm thinking that the 3rd book is going to be something else entirely, too. Which is pretty fantastic! So excited for that!

I haven't read, and I most likely will never, read Jane Eyre. I had to look it up, but Alexander apparently was Charlotte in our world's, pen name. Well, Alexander's real name. So that was a cool little piece of adding fact to fiction!

Mr. Rochester was so confusing, because he was hot and cold, and the switches happened so quickly! When what is going on with him is revealed, well, it totally made sense! And gave yet another reason to go after the bad guy! That he was trying to take over England, and killed Alex's dad, just a few other reasons! Glad that he was taken down! Made for a satisfying ending, plus the little twist at the end!

This book was fantastic and I can't wait to see how My Calamity Jane is going to play out!

Authors: Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows
Series: The Lady Janies #2
Read: January 26th, 2018
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Loved the first book and these authors writing, and it's a 2018 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Historical Fiction 2018 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2018 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: HarperTeen
Expected Publication: June 26th 2018
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 4 Reviews: The King, The Shadows


From Goodreads:
J.R. Ward's # 1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood continues as a royal bloodline is compromised by a grave threat to the throne.

Long live the King... 

After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father's mantle—with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sets heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything—and everyone—at risk.

Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure blooded vampire on the planet: An easy ride was not it. But when she decides she wants a child, she's unprepared for Wrath's response—or the distance it creates between them.


The question is, will true love win out... or tortured legacy take over? 

From Goodreads:
Two brothers bound by more than blood fight to change a brutal destiny in the heart-wrenching new novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by #1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward.

Trez "Latimer" doesn't really exist. And not just because the identity was created so that a Shadow could function in the underbelly of the human world. Sold by his parents to the Queen of the S'Hsibe as a child, Trez escaped the Territory and has been a pimp and an enforcer in Caldwell, NY for years- all the while on the run from a destiny of sexual servitude. He’s never had anyone he could totally rely on... except for his brother, iAm.

iAm's sole goal has always been to keep his brother from self-destructing- and he knows he's failed. It's not until the Chosen Serena enters Trez’s life that the male begins to turn things around... but by then it's too late. The pledge to mate the Queen’s daughter comes due and there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no negotiating.


Trapped between his heart and a fate he never volunteered for, Trez must decide whether to endanger himself and others- or forever leave behind the female he's in love with. But then an unimaginable tragedy strikes and changes everything. Staring out over an emotional abyss, Trez must find a reason to go on or risk losing himself and his soul forever. And iAm, in the name of brotherly love, is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice...

My Review:
These books were really great, but they weren't the best of the series for me. These books were a little bit too much real life, with bumpy happy endings, and tragedies. For The King, I had Dark Lover to compare to, and I read books to get away from real life, you know? Not so say I didn't enjoy them, but just not as much as previous books, and hopefully, future ones as well!

While I was reading The King, I was almost trying to skip ahead at parts, because I wanted to get back to Beth and Wrath's story, because, hey, someone's trying to take the kingship away from him. The bits were important to setting up these couples for their books, but gah, I wanted more Beth and Wrath, especially near that 2/3rds bit, when she had ideas about how to beat the bad guys at their own game!

The Shadows was really, really hard to read. I knew that there wasn't going to be a happy ending for one of the couples, the one that we've spent the most time. After all, we don't have the name of iAm's lady in the synopsis. So yeah, it was hard to read, but good, too. The goodness that is this series overcame, but the hard bits are why this book wasn't as good for me!

A lot happened in these books, lots of ups and downs and emotional rollercoasters. It's kinda weird how for a lot of the early books, we were in the heads of the bad guys, but these later books have kinda shifted away. Well, the Band of Bastards doesn't count, even if it's a threat, because they aren't bad guys, their leader is getting a book!

Really enjoyed these books, and I can't wait for more!

Author: J.R. Ward
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #12, 13
Read: January 25th, 25th, 2018
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her books and her series, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2018 Books!
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA), Penguin Publishing Group, Ballantine Books
Published: April 1st 2014, March 31st 2015

The King:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars









The Shadows:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars






Week 4 Review: Always

From Goodreads:
Bastard daughter to the king, Rosamunde was raised in a convent and wholly prepared to take the veil... until the good King Henry showed up with the reluctant husband in tow for her. Suddenly, she found herself promising to love, honor, and obey Aric... 

But Rosamunde's eduction had not covered a wedding night, and the stables were a poor example for an untried girl. Would Aric bite her neck like the animals did their mates? The virile warrior seemed capable of such animal passion, but his eyes promised something sweeter. And Rosamunde soon learned that while she may have trouble with obeying him, it would not be hard to love her new husband forever.

My Review:
Oh, I really enjoyed this book! I've read a few historical fiction books that I've enjoyed, and this time period that they're in, the end of King Henry's rule, since he died in this book, and where the Church had a lot of strict rules, which called for some hilarity!

There was a bit of a mystery in this book, and that was what the heck was happening, was it deliberate, or was it just accident after accident? It turned out to be a lot more involved then that, and yeah, it was a great element in this book!

The biggest element for me in this book, of course, was the romance! As the synopsis says, Rosamunde was supposed to be a nun, so she didn't get educated on things needed for a marriage-like physical relationships. And the advice that she got...lets just say that it half reminded me of Outlander, and how Jamie only had the animals to go on! So hilarious!

Aric has basically sworn off females and romance. His mother basically slept with all the guys in their house, and then his fiance cheated on him. But Rosamunde wasn't those two, and it was so great to watch them fall in love!

This book was fantastic, and I enjoyed it so much!

Author: Lynsay Sands
Read: January 23rd, 2018
Source: Bought
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a Historical Fiction 2018 Book and a SAC 2018 Book!
Publisher: Avon
Published: July 17th 2000
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 4 Review: Contagion

From Goodreads:
It got in us

After receiving an urgent SOS from a work detail on a distant planet, a skeleton crew is dispatched to perform a standard search-and-rescue mission.

Most are dead.

But when the crew arrives, they find an abandoned site, littered with rotten food, discarded weapons…and dead bodies.

Don't set foot here again.

As they try to piece together who—or what—could have decimated an entire operation, they discover that some things are best left buried—and some monsters are only too ready to awaken.

My Review:
Oh, wow, this book was just so incredible! I knew as soon as I saw it was available on Edelweiss, that I had to read it! And I just did, it was so fast-paced, and I wanted answers, and I wanted the characters to be safe, and I got 3/4 of that, at least!

We were in the heads of a lot of the characters, not that there was many. There was the 6 person rescue crew, and the one person that they found on the planet. And we were in most of their heads, seeing more of the action, more of the discoveries, and more of the terror! It was so great!

There was so much that made this book so good, but one part of it was, that there were so many ways that things could've gone better-or gone worse. There were a ton of bad decisions, and some good ones, there was a few times of good luck-and others, bad. The uncertainty of it all, the "I don't know how this'll go" was just so great to read!

The ending, oh, wow, that was just pure evil! I mean, throughout the book, there were little pieces, and some not so little, about the state of the politics of the planets. There were thoughts of war, but it wasn't something that they had to deal with. And then that ending happened! Gah! Need more!

This book was just freaking fantastic, and I can't wait for the sequel! The wait is going to be evil!

Author: Erin Bowman
Series: Contagion #1
Read: January 23rd, 2018
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2018 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Harper Teen
Expected Publication: July 24th 2018
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars