Finding Gabriel by Rachel L. Dementer

Finding Gabriel was my first read by Rachel L. Dementer and it certainly won't be my last from her. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy her story and characters, I loved how she made it a story of redemption about two broken people finding love in the darkest of times. What truly stood out to me however were Rachel’s beautiful prose and descriptive writing as well as the development of her characters.

Set after the destructive Napoleonic wars, Finding Gabriel tells the story of two characters, Ariah and Gabriel, and their journey to heal each other. The book starts out with Gabriel trying to kill himself and even manages to commit the deed until our kind heroine, Ariah, finds him in the river and drags him back to her home. Once he wakes up, Gabriel angrily lashes out at Ariah for ruining his plans but eventually comes to respect her as time goes by. Of course, that respect is also tinged with some form attraction between the two and both characters seem to feel it. However, it appears that Ariah fears this more than Gabriel does. As the book continues on, it becomes rather obvious that Ariah has experienced something traumatic in her life.

In the end, I found myself invested in these two characters and their happiness and wanted them come out of this okay. It was also super romantic—which I loved. Finding Gabriel had passion, intrigue, mystery, action, and PLENTY of heartbreak! Touching on various subjects from suicide, disfiguration, victims of tragedies, and so much more, Rachel’s book made for a very emotional read! I highly recommend it to those who are looking for a different type of historical romance to read.

This arc was kindly provided by Rachel L. Dementer and Momentum in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ★★★★☆

In the Air Tonight (Sisters of the Craft #1) by Lori Handeland

In the Air Tonight is the first installment in the Sisters of the Craft series, as well as my first read by author Lori Handeland, and it is an exceptional one. Handeland's world building, development of her characters, in addition to the mystery revolving around the cult group trying to murder female witches makes for a very interesting story. Although the romance wasn't very profound, I enjoyed Raye and Bobby's interactions. Their attraction to each other felt real and believable.

Individually, Raye and Bobby are awesome characters as they are both independent with a mysterious past. Raye was an enjoyable character with a strong personality and humor who who lives in the moment while Bobby is damaged hero because of his pastis and protective of those he cares about. I truly sympathized with him and Raye realizes what makes him who he is early on. In any case, the book revolves around a huge murder mystery of a witch hunting group who has been killing numerous females who may or may not be witches around the country. I actually enjoyed this part of the book a lot because it had action and plenty of suspense. I guess you could categorize this book as more fiction than romance, but either way, it does have romance between two interesting and realistic characters.

Initially, I thought some of the dialogue between the characters were rather stunted as a result of the constant switch between first person narrative and third person. Of course, I eventually got used to the format and didn't prevent me from enjoying the book but it was definitely weird at first. I had never read anything with format before so I was actually surprised by it. Raye is of course in first person while Bobby and everybody else were told in third person.

To sum things up, I thought In the Air Tonight was a strong debut in Lori Handeland's new series and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book about Raye's sister, Becca Carstairs in Heat of the Moment.

This arc was kindly provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ★★★★☆

A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR #1) by Sarah J. Maas

* * * This review will contain major spoilers * * *

A Court of Thorns and Roses was my first Sarah J. Maas book and I'm ashamed to say that I have not started her Throne of Glass series yet. This book has it all: love, sex (I know; I was definitely surprised), deception, magic, good versus evil, and plenty of action! I fell in love with Prythian, the faerie world in which Tamlin, Lucien (Tamlin's best friend), Rhysand, and eventually Feyre all reside in. Although it may be a dangerous and treacherous world, it's also extruciatingly beautiful as well. Besides being a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, this story also has elements of other mythology in it as well. I'm very interested in what Sarah has in store for us when it comes to the love triangle between Tamlin, Rhysand, and Feyre. I hate love triangles but... I can't help but ship both.

Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court

"I love you," he whispered, and kissed my brow. "Thorns and all."

I don't even know where to begin. There were so many things I loved about Tamlin and Feyre's relationship. Tamlin is literally the beast. He can actually shift into a lion-like creature! At least that's what I imagine him to look like. Unlike Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Feyre initially has a cold and distrustful nature towards the fae. Due to her family's destitute situation, she is forced to hunt for both herself and her family while growing up in order to survive in a world gone mad. Feyre is eventually forced into the world of Prythian due to one of her actions and comes across the path of Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court. What I loved most about their relationship and romance was the slow burn and how it progressed naturally. From Feyre's mistrust of all faeries and Tamlin to her realizing that she loves him and will sacrifice her life just to break his curse. Furthermore, Tamlin and Feyre have some amazing chemistry! Their love scenes were very poetic and sensual. My heart broke for them near the end and I cried for both Feyre's desperate situation and her love for Tamlin.

Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court

"Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all."

Rhysand was such an interesting character! At first I hated him... but there were so many facets to his character that I ended up becoming fascinated with him. He reminded me of Loki, whom I secretly adore, due to his "games" and pranks in the book in addition to his dark and mischievous nature. His relationship with Feyre was an interesting one and I'm sure Sarah will have us guessing and anticipating what will become of them in the next book! As a result of her deal with Rhysand, Feyre will have to spend one week with Rhysand in the Night Court for the rest of her life. Uh oh, that does not bode well for Tamlin! A lot of people have speculated that their relationship resembled Hades and Persephone's and I can actually see it happening. But yes, Feyre's time under captivation in Amarantha's court Under the Mountain was when Rhysand started to grow on me and you'll eventually see how. Let's just say there is more to his character than meets the eye, of course. I've been seeing a lot of people ship Feyre and Rhysand and while that saddens me (since I personally ship Feyre and Tamlin a bit more), we'll just have to see how their relationship will progress in the next book!

A Court of Thorns and Roses ends with a high note with no cliffhangers that has readers anticipating what the author has in store for us next! Feyre is essentially broken by the end of this book as a result of her choices and actions in breaking Tamlin's curse when it comes to saving both the faerie and human world. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those who are looking for a great high fantasy novel with wonderful characters and an intricate world full of possibilities, danger, magic, and even love.

Rating: ★★★★★

Gone For You by Jayne Frost

Jayne Frost's Gone For You is the first book in the Sixth Street Band series and I really enjoyed Cameron and Lily's story. This was actually my first read by the author and I'm definitely intrigued by her. The book immediately thrusts readers into the mind of Cameron Knight, our main hero, and I was frankly overwhelmed at first. I initially felt no connection to the secondary characters, even though Cameron obviously had a history with them. Cameron himself comes off as very arrogant in the beginning, but that's to be expected. He's a famous rock star! One thing I did like was the chase between Lily and Cameron. In addition, I liked how Lily tried her best to resist Cameron's charms and felt like there needed to be a boundary between the too. Although I felt like their romance progressed a little too quickly, the chemistry and connection they had together were rock solid.

Cameron Knight is our male lead character and I honestly had trouble liking him in the beginning. He comes off as a player and I understand why Lily was wary of him. Cameron does undergo some character growth and eventually wants more from his relationship with Lily. There were moments throughout the book where readers can obviously feel his struggle in recognizing his feelings for her. Told through Cameron's point of view, I thought Jayne Frost did a great job in that regard. However, I wished Frost also provided an additional point of view, such as Lily's, in order for readers to connect with the romance a bit more. I wanted to know what Lily was thinking of Cameron, their "situation," and what her feelings for him were. In the end, I thought Gone For You was a great debut for author Jayne Frost and I definitely look forward to reading the rest of the Caged band member's story. If you're looking for a sweet and sexy story about rock stars, I highly recommend this one!

Rating: ★★★★☆

GONE FOR YOU BLOG TOUR 💖✨

I'm excited to announce that I am hosting a blog tour for new and upcoming author, Jayne Frost and her book, Gone For You! This was my first read from her and I'm looking forward to more from her. One thing I found really interesting was that it happens to be written through the main hero's perspective instead of the heroine's. If you're a fan of Olivia Cunning's Sinners on Tour series, you'll love this one for sure! In addition to the book's release, it also happens to have a giveaway for a $100 Sephora gift card and a signed copy of the book for US entries only, as well as three ebooks for international entries.

Summary

As the guitarist for the rock band Caged, I know the rules: no relationships. No complications. Leave ‘em smiling when you go, but always go. Besides, it’s not like I’m ever in one place for more than a few days at a time. As the next hottest thing out of Austin, the band and me are riding the wave, and the music is all that matters.

Until her… 

Lily Tennison has “complication” written across her beautiful face. But I can’t get involved. The timing’s all wrong. But she’s under my skin, and I can’t resist her troubled eyes and sweet smile. And I do have a little time to kill. Not much, just a few days in Dallas.

So I’ll scratch the itch and move on, like I always do. Simple, right?

________________________________________________________________________________________

And that brings me to the end of the blog tour! Thank you to both Jayne Frost and Sixth Street Press for providing me with the opportunity to host my second blog tour as well as an arc of the book.

Gone For You will be available Tuesday, April 28th and you can purchase it here. You can read my review for the book here. Please look forward to the next book by Jayne Frost in the future!

Author Bio

I guess I should start with the basics. The backstory. I was born and raised in California. At this point I’m usually asked what it was like to grow up near the beach, but sadly, I don’t know. I grew up in the “other” part of California. Perfect for an aspiring writer, if you ask me. You learn a lot about keeping yourself busy when the nearest house is a mile away…and it belongs to your grandparents.

I spent all my time with my nose in a book, living vicariously through the characters, until I wrote a book of my own. I was 10 at the time. It was a scintillating piece that cast the family pet as the protagonist. By the time I went to high school, I moved on to romance. Why? Because I met my very own prince charming. I wrote love poems in my journal about the green eyed boy that stole my heart. He promised, the way all storybook hero’s do, to sweep me away and take me on a grand adventure. And he did.

We picked up and moved to the Lone Star State, and began the story of us. The best stories begin without a road map or a compass. Veering off course makes the journey so much more interesting.

True to form, just when I thought my life was set, we started the next adventure. I traded in my cowboy boots and followed my green eyed boy to Las Vegas. My home will always be in Texas, but my heart is anywhere that he is. 

Writing is what I love. I might stray from the romance every now and then if that is what moves me... but I always come back. Some of the stories don’t seem romantic at all. They are gritty stories about flawed characters that find each other and hold on tight. Those are the stories that speak to me. Because that’s life. I believe that every story should have a happy ending-- even the difficult ones.

Where you can find Jayne Frost

Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

The Shadows by J.R. Ward

* * * This review will contain major spoilers * * *

Many hours later, I'm still grieving over the loss and this darn book. The Shadows had me crying from start to finish and I honestly still can't wrap my mind over what just happened. The last 20% had me bawling and I was literally a mess! I've been looking forward to Trez and Selena's story ever since Lover's At Last when they first met and started to fall in love. To have everything end this way devastates me. They were the one couple who deserved the most happiness; and instead, all they got were a few days to enjoy what life had to offer. You can literally feel the love Selena and Trez had for one another while reading this book and just thinking of it now brings me to tears. So no, I am still definitely not okay. But yeah, you'll definitely be needing a box of tissues for this installment. My eyes are still sore from crying, sighs.

Besides iAm, there were a few characters who have played and who will eventually play a bigger role in future books: Layla, Xcor, Rhage, Paradise ( Blood Kiss ), and Assail. Layla and Xcor's relationship made me so mad and sad at the same time. They've been dancing around each other for awhile and in this book, things do escalate a bit. But what Xcor decided to do in the end? God, it made me want to throw a table. Rhage was actually featured a lot throughout the book and it's no surpise that Ward has decided to write the next BDB book about him. Yay! Paradise was introduced in this book and unfortunately, I didn't really care for her even though she does seem like a likeable heroine. Maybe I'll like her a lot better later on. She was just overshadowed by Trez and Selena's story. Assail.... I don't even know what he wants at this point. Just go get your girl back. You're becoming a shadow of yourself and getting into even more dangerous situations all for the sake of your business empire.

As for iAm, he does get his happy ending and it comes in the form of the s'Hibe. While looking for a cure for Selena, iAm comes across a maid named maichen and there is an instant attraction. What she reveals to both readers and iAm will change the course of the entire story forever in future books. Although I was happy for iAm (and I still am), I felt like his story was pushed to the back burner in comparison to Trez. Lots of instalust happening, which was really not fair to fans who have been eagerly waiting for his love story. Hopefully, Ward will resolve this issue because I just can't believe that Trez's beloved QUEEN is gone. I don't want this to be the end. I don't like the fact that Selena will be waiting for Trez in the Fade. Why?! Selena never wanted to die and she never wanted to leave him behind. In the end, I personally believe this book had a tragic ending instead of a happy one. iAm will always feel guilty that he got to live with his mate while his brother lost his one true love. If this is the payment Trez had to pay for everything iAm has done and suffered for him, then it's too high of a price. Even though this book broke my heart into tiny little pieces, Trez and Selena's story deserved no less than 5 stars. They will forever go down as one of my favorite and most heartbreaking couples.

Rating: ★★★★★

Raphael by D.B. Reynolds

* * * This review may contain spoilers * * *

I can't believe it took me this long to read this series and author. Although I did just find out about her last week so I guess better late than never! I'm not even sure where to begin, to be honest. I absolutely adore Cyn and Raphael! I don't believe their relationship was instalust or too fast. It was gradual and slow-paced. The action didn't slow down or overshadow the romance at all! The story was both interesting and exciting. At one point, I was scared for Cyn because she tends to end up in the most dangerous situations. Thankfully, she is no damsel in distress!

CYNTHIA LEIGHTON. Cyn had characteristics I always look for in a heroine: strong, bad ass, confident, witty, and passionate. As a powerful Vampire Lord, Raphael has never met anyone like Cyn before. She fascinates and intrigues him to the point that he decides he wants her for himself. Of course, Cyn tries her best to resist his efforts and I absolutely commend her for that. They had amazing chemistry and the sexual tension between the two was palpable. When Cyn realizes her love for Raphael, my heart broke for her because she comes to the realization that he isn't ready for that kind of commitment yet. It's obvious that Raphael has strong feelings for Cyn, but as someone who has never experienced love before, he's scared.

RAPHAEL. As the story progresses, Reynolds does give her readers a few glimpses of Raphael's past and boy, is it tragic. Not spoiling anything, but this first book is about Raphael's search for his sister, Alexandra, after she was kidnapped by someone he thought trusted. I actually didn't connect with Raphael right away, but as I continued to read more, he grew on me. Like Cyn, he is a strong, powerful, arrogant, and passionate character but also very dangerous. He can be merciful, but one of his people betrays him, he won't hesitate to kill them. Total bad ass, I tell ya!

Raphael is the first book to the Vampires in America series by D.B. Reynolds and it's a strong one. This book ends with a cliffhanger and the story continues in Jabril so I definitely recommend you read that one straight after. I personally loved Jabril more since Raphael and Cyn's relationship gets tested, becomes even more intense, and is fleshed out more. Overall, I highly recommend this series!

Rating: ★★★★★

BOOK SPOTLIGHT : Demonica / Lords of Deliverance by Larissa Ione

I don't usually write updates on this blog considering it's where I usually write reviews... but I'm trying something new and I'd like to be more active on it. So I recently finished the Demonica series by Larissa Ione and I still can't believe it's over! Well, okay, it's not really over. Larissa Ione announced on her website that she will be writing a spinoff of the series for the next generation! Meaning the children of the main characters in the Demonica series. How exciting is that?! Here's the link to 'Not the End.' Meanwhile, we still have Hades to get excited for this May. ;)