The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe

The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe follows the story of young Lora Jones, a young orphan in London in 1915. Lora is different from everyone else in the orphanage; she hears songs from gemstones and has this voice inside her that is apart from her. When mentioned, this gets her treated as a mental patient, not helped by the fact that she jumped out of a window – and somehow miraculously survives. During the bombing of London, she receives a charity scholarship to Iverson, and is determined to be normal…but things turn out very differently for her.

The Sweetest Dark was a fun read, with many twists and turns. Although it had the typical young adult love triangle, it was done in a rather interesting way. The settings of The Sweetest Dark were very well thought out, giving plenty of detail to ensure that I was really feeling where Lora was at any given moment…and what she was going through. Plus it has dragons, who don’t love dragons?

I give The Sweetest Dark four out of five stars. Very well written, reminding me slightly of a Mercedes Lackey book.

*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher for review purposes. My opinions are my own.

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren is the erotic story of Chloe Mills and her boss Bennett Ryan. Chloe absolutely despises Bennett, even though she finds him attractive – when he keeps his mouth shut. And Bennett hates her just as much, though he wants her just as much if not more than he hates her. They are both very much alike, and things really heat up between them.

Beautiful Bastard is an amazing erotic romance. I love the fact that it really explores things without getting into vulgar territory. It sucks you into the story, into the dynamic relationship between Chloe and Bennett, and refuses to let go until the very end.

I give Beautiful Bastard four and a half out of five stars. Amazing chemistry!

*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher for review purposes. My opinions are my own.

A Christmas Surprise by Janelle Taylor

A Christmas Surprise by Janelle Taylor is the story of what happens after Betsy Reed finds out she’s pregnant right before a romantic Christmas get-away with her beloved husband, Tommy. She’s absolutely convinced that the lab tests were wrong, that her file was switched or it was all a mix-up so she keeps it a secret from Tommy, who knows she’s hiding something.

A Christmas Surprise has a few more layers than that, with a health scare prior and trauma due to seeing a very close relative actually die in childbirth. There is plenty of love and romance between Betsy and Tommy, with lots of acceptance as well.

I give A Christmas Surprise three out of five stars. An entertaining story, but without a lot of meat on it’s bones.

 

*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher for review purposes. My opinions are my own.

The Ambassador's Daughter by Pam Jenoff

The Ambassador's Daughter by Pam Jenoff is the story of Margot, a young German girl who lives and travels with her father, a man who is forced into becoming a diplomat by his brother-in-law during the peace conference of World War I. He was to be a German voice at the table that was not part of the German official group. They are the enemy, constantly suspect, even though Margot’s father was academic and not part of the war. Margot runs into many adventures when she and her father move to France.

The Ambassador's Daughter is epic! Margot is a highly likeable character trying to make her way in a new world, all while trying to figure out who she can trust, and what she is going to do with her life. Torn between her duty to her father, her fiancé Stefan, her new love Georg and the multitudes of new friends she makes…plus her own feelings of right and wrong, Margot will stick in your head. Even though the setting is not one most of us know, her feelings and decisions are things anyone can relate to on some level.

I give The Ambassador's Daughter five out of five stars. This book really takes you on an adventure and won’t let go, leaving you guessing until the very end.

 

*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher for review purposes. My opinions are my own.

Just One Night Part 1 by Kyra Davis

Just One Night, Part 1: The Stranger by Kyra Davis is part one. It’s the steamy book about Kasie Fitzgerald who has a one night stand in Vegas. But that’s not where the story ends, it’s just the beginning. Kasie is a good girl who gets dragged away by her best friend Simone to Vegas as a sort of prenuptial bash. She is semi-engaged to her long term, comfortable boyfriend Dave, who appreciates just how much of a good girl she is. Then she meets Mr. Dade, and all hell breaks loose.

Just One Night, Part 1: The Stranger starts off strong and keeps the pace going throughout the entire story. This is one story that will keep you guessing as to what happens next. It’s captivating watching Kasie go from who she used to be to a more multi-dimensional person. Though I was not expecting such a cliffhanger ending! I almost threw my Kindle across the room, but that would have been very bad.

I give Just One Night, Part 1: The Stranger four and a half stars out of five. There were some minor formatting issues, but since this was an ARC I’m not knocking any points off for that, plus it was easily read even with the minor issues.

*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher for review purposes. My opinions are my own.

Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks

Highlander Most Wanted: The Montgomerys and Armstrongs by Maya Banks is a historical romance, the second book in the Montgomerys and Armstrong series. The first is Never Seduce a Scot: The Montgomerys and Armstrongs . This is the story of Genevieve McInnis, a gently bred young lady who was captured on the way to her betrothed by Ian McHugh, who abused her greatly in his obsession with her. Ian makes a critical mistake when he kidnaps Eveline Montgomery. Enter Bowan Montgomery, who claims the McHugh holdings for his brother to avenge the mistreatment of Eveline. Genevieve finds love and hope in his arms.

Highlander Most Wanted: The Montgomerys and Armstrongs made me laugh, tear up, and want to strangle people. The characters really come to life, and I was annoyed when the book ended as I wanted to know more about what happened. The story unfolds naturally, and reaches the usual ending for the genre. This book will suck you in to the story, so clear plenty of time to read it as you really won’t want to put it down!

I give Highlander Most Wanted: The Montgomerys and Armstrongs four and a half out of five stars.

Highlander Most Wanted: The Montgomerys and Armstrongs will be available on March 19^th, 2013 and is available for pre-order in the Kindle Store.

*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher for review purposes. My opinions are my own.