Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh

Hey everyone,

I love this series. So when Nalini Singh releases a new book in her Psy-Challenging series I have high expectations. This was no different for Shards of Hope. Also the reason I didn’t read it sooner is because I wanted a solid block of undisturbed time so that I could absorb it properly.

The book:

The “smoldering heat, epic romance, and awesome action” of Nalini Singh’s New York Times bestselling series continues as two Arrows find themselves caught in a chilling conspiracy that spans all three races…

Awakening wounded in a darkened cell, their psychic abilities blocked, Aden and Zaira know they must escape. But when the lethal soldiers break free from their mysterious prison, they find themselves in a harsh, inhospitable landscape far from civilization. Their only hope for survival is to make it to the hidden home of a predatory changeling pack that doesn’t welcome outsiders.

And they must survive. A shadowy enemy has put a target on the back of the Arrow squad, an enemy that cannot be permitted to succeed in its deadly campaign. Aden will cross any line to keep his people safe for this new future, where even an assassin might have hope of a life beyond blood and death and pain. Zaira has no such hope. She knows she’s too damaged to return from the abyss. Her driving goal is to protect Aden, protect the only person who has ever come back for her no matter what.

This time, even Aden’s passionate determination may not be enough—because the emotionless chill of Silence existed for a reason. For the violent, and the insane, and the irreparably broken…like Zaira.

My thoughts:

This is definitely not a series someone can just jump into because with each new book Nalini Singh adds another brilliant layer to an already rich and complex world. Shards of Hope is no different. As two main characters are both prominent Arrows who helped lead the revolution in the squad, with Aden being its Leader, it is no surprise that Shards of Hope offer a more thorough look at the reclusive Arrow Squad. At the start of the knowledge arguably we are witness to a squad in chaos. One being held together through the squads love for Aden and the hope of something better. Even Zaira struggles to see her place in the new Arrow squad. Believing herself too damage and dangerous to ever truly let go of silence. 

“You deserve better.” Rough, broken words. 

“There’s no one better than you.” 

“I’ll be the best soldier you ever have,” she repeated in a shattered whisper. 

“I know.”

It would have to be enough.

Crossroads by Riley Hart

Hey everyone,

My TBR pile is down to 21 books! Considering it was 89 books a few months ago (April) I’m pretty proud of myself. So as a reward I decided to buy a new book… I realise the irony but I don’t care. After browsing Amazon I stumbled across Crossroads by Riley Hart, an m/m romance with a double GFY plot line! How could I resist?

The book:

After divorcing the woman he’d been with since he was seventeen, Nick Fuller is starting over. He owns the restaurant of his dreams and he’s determined to meet new people, find new passions, and experience life to its fullest. Easier said than done—that is until he meets his new neighbor, Bryce Tanner… 

Bryce is all about a good time. He plans to show Nick how it’s done, help him meet a few women, and enjoy the gift of the single life he’s been given. But things don’t go as planned, and soon they realize they’d rather be together than with anyone else. 

Neither man has ever wanted another guy, but there’s a connection between them from the start—a spark they can’t deny. They find themselves navigating an unfamiliar new world and dealing with unforeseen obstacles. Physical desire isn’t enough, and now Nick and Bryce are at a crossroads. They have to decide which way to go: the easy path they’ve always followed, or the one that's determined to trip them up at every turn.

My thoughts:

I’ve never been particularly drawn to the GFY books but the blurb of Crossroads intrigued me enough to indulge. Our first hero Nick Fuller is a recently divorced chef whose life mainly revolves around his restaurant. Yet he’s determined to start over and enjoy his single-hood. Enter our other hero Bryce who’s never settled down and is considered the flighty one by his family. Jumping from one adventure to the next without a care. On paper Nick and Bryce couldn’t be more different. Nick is all about responsibility and doing the right thing, Bryce is about living in the moment. After all why waste time being miserable?

You’re the only risk I’ve ever taken, Nick. Nothing else could hurt me except you. 

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Hey everyone,

As you know, if you’ve been following this blog and my reading antics I’ve started to explore the world of YA fiction… Mainly the romantic YA fiction but what else would you expect?! In that vein I recently rented Cinder by Marissa Meyer from the library and loved it so much I quickly brought Scarlet & Cress from Waterstones. I finally got around to reading Scarlet this weekend, despite it regularly appearing in my Instagram feed for weeks!

The book:

This is not the fairytale you remember.

But it’s one you won’t forget.

Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.

Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive – when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.

As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner . . .

My thoughts:

For those unfamiliar with Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles series Scarlet is book two and is a loose re-telling of Red Riding Hood. It is also finishes exactly where Cinder left off. Yup this is one of those series that has massive cliff-hangers at the end of each book. Making it one of the few series I’m forcing myself to read in order! Whereas Cinder focused on the Cinder Lihn and Emperor Kai, whose plot-lines where by no means resolved, Scarlet focuses on Scarlet Benoit and a mysterious stranger called Wolf. Although Scarlet and Cinder have never met, and in fact live in different continents, they are inexplicably linked in the fight for Earth’s survival against Queen Levena.

Amusement touched the corner of his lips. ‘Animals love me.’

‘Oh, I'm sure they do,’ Scarlet said, beaming with fake encouragement. She shut the door before muttering, ‘What farm animals don't love a wolf?’

Not Safe For Work by L.A. Witt

Hey everyone,

When I read the blurb Not Safe For Work by L.A. Witt on Netgalley I immediately wanted to read it. It has BDSM of the bondage variety, features two guys who’ve been around the block a few times and revolves around a taboo relationship. Could it be any more my type of book? 

The book:

They’re a match made in the dungeon…until their secret gets out.

Bored senseless in a meeting, architectural modeler Jon McNeill amuses himself with a kinky dating app on his phone. Then the app matches him with another user…who’s six feet away. Suddenly Jon finds himself on the same page as someone way above his pay grade: millionaire property developer Rick Pierce. His firm’s biggest—and hottest—client.

The app isn’t kidding either. They’re a perfect match. Jon’s a Dom, Rick’s a sub, and bondage is their thing. Both guys are well into their forties, know their way around the bedroom, and definitely appreciate a good suit. And the best part? They’re a match outside the bedroom too.

But office relationships aren’t easy to keep a secret. When the truth comes out, Jon is certain he’s about to get fired. Instead, his bosses throw him a curve ball—an ultimatum that puts both his job and his relationship in jeopardy.

My thoughts:

If you didn’t already guess from my mention of Netgalley I was sent Not Safe For Work by the publisher in return for an honest review. Always best to get the legal stuff out of the way first, wouldn’t you agree? Now down to the nitty gritty. I adored the start of Not Safe For Work, particularly the opening few chapters. In these early chapters Jon has just discovered that the super important client is not only a sub but also interested in him. I loved the sexual tension between Jon and Rick, which was heightened by the need for secrecy.

‘I can’t focus. Not at work. Not anywhere.’ I took a breath and reached up to rub a phantom crick out of my neck. ‘I can’t... I can’t think. If he’s there, he’s all I can think about. If he’s not there, I want him to be. I-’  

Talk of the Ton by Eloisa James, Julia London, Rebecca Hagan Lee and Jacqueline Navin

Hey everyone,

I actually brought Talk of the Ton by Eloisa James, Julia London, Rebecca Hagan Lee and Jacqueline Navin during my travels around Canada. I completely fell in love with the bookshops in Canada and the incredible romance sections they had! I even started reading Talk of the Ton in Canada, but only finished it a few weeks ago... 

The book:

Nothing sets tongues wagging like a scandalous dalliance...

In the salons of the ton, no tidbit is more delicious than a rumour of amour - the more outrageous, the better. Rakes and rogues, ladies of high station and low morals are all choice fodder for society’s gossips. Now, four of today’s most popular Regency authors titillate the ton with tales of how untoward talk can fan the flames of passion...

My thoughts:

A Proper Englishwoman by Eloisa James tells the story of Emma  Loudan and the Earl of Kerr (Gil) who have been engaged since childhood. Yet in those years of engagement Emma has hardly ever seen her finance, but boy has she heard about him. In particular she’d heard about his love of French woman. So what does any scorned English woman do? Why pretend to be French of course! More specifically pretend to be a French lover from her husband’s past. Not to win Gil’s heart, however, but instead to win control and force him to finally get married.

“I have to win the challenge,” Emma explained, “because otherwise Kerr will see no particular reason not to continue in his indifferent ways. I think it best to take him in hand before we marry.”

Immortal Ever After by Lynsay Sands

Hey everyone,

I’ve read so many books recently but haven’t had time to blog about any of them so be prepared for lots of reviews coming your way! One book I read this week was Immortal Ever After by Lynsay Sands. It is number eighteen I believe in her Argeneau / Rogue Hunter series.

The book:

Valerie never gave much thought to the legends of vampires. That is, until she's kidnapped by a fang-wielding psychopath and kept hostage in an underground dungeon with six other female-dining companions. Able to escape using her martial art skills and her wits, she's picked up by the Argeneau rescue team - and the sexy Anders - only to discover that her captor got away...and is on the hunt again.

When Anders discovers Valerie battered and bruised under a bush, he's not expecting to meet someone capable of defending herself against a vampire attack - or his psychic influence. Immediately taken by this fierce beauty, he's determined to find the vamp responsible for her abuse...and make him pay.

My thoughts:

I remember renting this series from the library when I’d just discovered the romance genre. I use to love this series but in more recent years I haven’t kept up with it. Now I tend to just drop in and out whenever I see one for sale. For me it works because I don’t think this is a series you need to read in order. Of course as Lynsay Sands has now written eighteen books in this series a lot of characters from the previous novels are around. Some of who I honestly couldn’t remember anymore... But I did remember the Vampire mythology and the general premise of these novels. It’s all about the life mates people!

Anders eyed the offering, but didn’t at first open his mouth. She was just about to give up, sit back and eat it herself when he suddenly did. Valerie moved the spoon between his open lips, watching silently as he closed his mouth around the spoon and ice cream.

Twilight Reimagined: Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer

Hey everyone,

Guess who started a new job this week? Exciting isn’t it? I will try and keep the posts as regular but I can’t promise anything. Anyway on with the book review! I’ll be honest when I first heard that Stephenie Meyer was releasing a new book I wasn’t interested, but then I found out she had switched the genders. I was intrigued enough by that idea to at least give Life and Death a go.

The book:

Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Twilight! This special double-feature book includes the classic novel, Twilight, and a bold and surprising reimagining, Life and Death, by Stephenie Meyer.

Packaged as an oversize, jacketed hardcover “flip book,” this edition features nearly 400 pages of new content as well as exquisite new back cover art. Readers will relish experiencing the deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful love story of Bella and Edward through fresh eyes.

My thoughts:

Now I know this book has already been reviewed, and by most condemned, yet I’m hoping I have something slightly new to add. Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer is almost the exact same story as Twilight. Apart from the fact that all characters, except from Renee and Charlie, are a different gender. I actually liked the introduction by Stephenie Meyer mainly because she explained why she didn’t change Renee and Charlie’s genders. 

“My face was burning, and I knew I must look like a gorilla on a greyhound.”