Flora's Musings...: netgalley

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Wednesday, 19 April 2017

Flora Reviews... A Fire in the Blood by Amanda Ashley

Flora Reviews...

A Fire in the Blood

by Amanda Ashley

Read: 18^th – 19^th April 2015

Format: Kindle

My Goodreads Rating: 3 Stars

The expected publication date for both paperback and ebook is 25^th April 2017

So, before we get into what I thought about this book, I want you to know that I was lucky enough to be given a digital version of this book for free from the publisher (Kensington Books) via Netgally.com in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks for the advance copy.

...So what’s this book about?

A Fire in the Blood is a standalone novel of approximately 400 pages. I feel that the story is a classic paranormal romance and would happily sit in the young adult genre due to the lack of 18+ content.

If you’ve read any of my reviews before, you’ll know, I don’t post spoilers of any kind or reveal any plot twists in my book reviews, so here’s what the official blurb has to say about the story:

“I see a man. He is old. Very old. He will come into your life in a moment of danger. He will watch over you and protect you.” The gypsy’s hand gripped Tessa’s tighter. “He will bring you death,” she whispered, her voice like the rustle of dry leaves. “And life.”

Ten years later, when Andrei Dinescu saves Tessa from a vicious attacker, she has no idea that the handsome stranger the gypsy fortune teller predicted is not a hunter but a seven-hundred-year-old vampire. Darkly powerful, unbelievably compelling, he is obviously pursuing Tessa, but is it her love he's after or her blood?

...So, what did I like about it?

Amanda Ashley is a new-to-me author and I enjoyed her easy to read, writing style. I never felt lost in this story; the first chapter sets up the world, introduces our leading lady, Tessa Blackburn, and the relevant background for the story.

The pace of this tale isn't fast or frantic and it’s definitely not dark or gritty but it does have suspense and oodles of romantic gestures.

The suspense comes from never knowing when or where Tessa will be attacked by vampires; her blood calls to them. I should mention that the scenes in the book where killings, fighting and hunting take place are never explicit or described using vivid imagery.

The romance element starts very soon after our romantic couple meet, which some reviews have frowned on but don’t we hear about people who experience life threatening incidents forming instant attachments? I think so. Where this book differs from so many others is the fact that our main character, Tessa, believes in (and practices) the Christian value of no sex before marriage, so it was a refreshing change to see the sexual relationship between her and Andrei, being allowed to develop over the chapters; I enjoy it when the physical side of a relationship is allowed to bloom gently, prolonging the sexual anticipation of when they will finally do the deed.

...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

I understand that this book is first and foremost a romance novel, focussing on the evolving relationship between Tessa and Andrei, however, I am disappointed that there wasn’t more made within the story about the mystery of Tessa’s blood. I would have loved them to research it more; why is it so special? Surely all the vampire hunters in town could be tapped for information, the internet maybe or a trusted witch, gypsy or shaman? I just found it a bit frustrating; researching the mystery could have added an extra dimension to the story.

...So, basically what I’m saying is...

This is a good paranormal romance and I enjoyed it. I would recommend this book if you like books in the young adult (YA) genre or sweet paranormal romances. If, however, you are looking for a dark and gritty vampire romance, then this isn’t for you.

So, has my review of A FIRE IN THE BLOOD sparked your interest? Just click on any of the links below to check out the book yourself, or to find out more about other books I’ve read, take a look at my profile on Goodreads.

See A FIRE IN THE BLOOD on Goodreads.com

Buy A FIRE IN THE BLOOD in the usual places including Amazon.com or through Amazon.co.uk

Visit AMANDA ASHLEY‘s own little corner of the web

Saturday, 15 April 2017

Flora Reviews... The Fallen Chronicles: Dark Angel by Amanda Jones

Flora Reviews...

The Fallen Chronicles: Dark Angel

by Amanda Jones

Read: 9^th – 15^th April 2017

Format: Kindle

My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

So, before we go any further I just want to tell you that I was lucky enough to be given a digital version of this book for free after making a request to the author via Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Ms Jones!

...So what’s this book about?

This is basically a paranormal romance novel (approx 298 pages) which feels to me very much like an occult thriller; it features many paranormal characters including, of course, angels, demons and humans. Dark Angel is the first book in Ms Jones’ new series The Fallen Chronicles. The series will follow the seven angels who were cast out of heaven for rising up against The Deity and causing a war; Asmodeus, Azazel, Baliel, Bataryal, Lucifer, Samael and Yetarel – now known as The Princes of Hell.

This book focuses on Lucifer Morningstar; when a human sells his soul to the devil, Lucifer is the one tasked with bringing that soul to Satan in Sheol (Hell). As my regular followers will know, I don’t post spoilers or reveal any plot twists in my book reviews so here’s what the official blurb has to say:

Katia may be a celebrated musician, but she'd always felt a little like an outsider looking in. Who knew that being abducted by a handsome stranger would set her on a crash course with her destiny...

Luc has spent an eternity keeping everyone and everything at a distance as an unstoppable darkness consumes his soul. Will his beautiful captive be his salvation, or will they both be consumed by the ultimate evil...

...So, what did I like about it?

I found this book very easy to read and liked Ms Jones’ writing style; the way she created a very unique interpretation of what Hell is and how she spun her tale. I like the fact that she brought humanity to Lucifer and his fallen angel brothers. My regular followers will know how I crave characters who are a complex amalgam of good and bad, dark and light; I feel it makes them all the more believable.

I liked the fact that although the romance part of the story develops early, we don’t actually see Luc and Katia take their relationship to that physical level until later in the story. The sex scenes were not graphic or OTT but they still managed to convey the feelings of the characters while getting my temperature rising.

As well as our two main characters, Luc and Katia, we have a few important secondary characters too; I liked the way that Ms Jones wrote sections of every chapter from different character’s point of view without making the experience confusing.

Now, I must confess, there were scenes in this book that made me actually laugh out loud like a lunatic, being the soppy soul that I am it also made me shed a tear once or twice too but rest assured dear follower, the smiles did outweigh the tears.

...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

No, I didn’t dislike anything about the story or how it was told. No cliffhanger, so I’m a happy bunny.

I read some reviews that spoke of a few editing and grammar issues but nothing really jumped out enough for me to mention in the copy that I read. I remember a couple of times feeling a bit lost when a scene was being described but again not enough to mention specifically. I just wish that the cover was a real model rather than a drawn one.

...So, basically what I’m saying is...

I really enjoyed this book; it was a wild adventure that kept me reading from start to finish – I was hooked! I look forward to reading Broken Angel, book 2 in this series (we get a chapter 1 at the end of this book) and hope that eventually each of The Princes of Hell get their own book.

I recommend this to anyone who wants read a heart-warming romance with a thrilling story to boot that will keep them turning the pages from start to finish.

So, has my review of THE FALLEN CHRONICLES: DARK ANGEL sparked your interest? Just click on any of the links below to check out the book yourself, or to find out more about other books I’ve read, take a look at my profile on Goodreads.

See THE FALLEN CHRONICLES: DARK ANGEL on Goodreads.com

Buy THE FALLEN CHRONICLES: DARK ANGEL on Amazon.com or through Amazon.co.uk

Visit AMANDA JONES own little corner of the web

Friday, 1 January 2016

Flora Reviews... Grave Attraction (Grave #4) by Lori Sjoberg

Grave Attraction (Grave #4)
by Lori Sjoberg

Read: 24^th – 29^th December 2015

Format: Kindle

My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

...So what’s this book about?

This is a paranormal romance with more than one storyline running throughout but with a HEA (Happily Ever After) conclusion for our romantic couple. It is the fourth book in Ms Sjoberg’s Grave series but I read it without reading the previous books, confirming that it also works as a standalone novel too.

The official blurb says:

He’s a reaper who works by the book. But a sexy shifter will have him changing the course of fate just to be with her—if a killer doesn’t get to her first...

After four years as a reaper, helping souls cross into the afterlife is a job Adam Javorski has finally gotten used to. But when he arrives at the site of a serial killer’s latest victim, finding a living—not to mention gorgeous—hostage is the last thing he expects. The young woman captivates him in a way no one ever has—so much so, he breaks rule number one by helping her escape…

Marlena Walther doesn’t remember the man who rescued her. But when she sees Adam again, she recognizes him instantly as her soul mate. While the two work together to track down a killer determined to finish what he started, their undeniable attraction draws them even closer. Now Adam is the only one who can protect Marlena from a vengeful murderer—if he’s willing to sacrifice everything for her.

Although this book is not being published until 5^th January 2016, I was lucky enough to be given a digital version early from the publisher (Kensington Books) via Netgally.com for free in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you.

...So, what did I like about it?

I haven’t read any of Ms Sjoberg’s books before but found her writing style very easy to read, I appreciated the way the story was told from both Adam and Marlena’s perspectives and I enjoyed the way her tale unfolded. Her world is set here in our time (so it was easy to picture the places where her scenes took place) and is sprinkled with various characters/species with paranormal abilities; reapers, witches, demons, shifters who secretly live among us humans.

I liked the fact that our main male character, Adam, wasn’t a typical alpha male. It was a breath of fresh air; yes he’s had his fair share of romantic liaisons *wink*wink* but he is a decent, good guy; he cares, he’s loyal to his friends, he keeps his head down and just gets on with his job of collecting the souls of the recently departed to move them on to the next phase.

I really enjoy it (begrudgingly) when an author can add depth of character to a story’s bad guy, making me feel sympathy for them and, for me, Ms Sjoberg did it twice in this book, Jeremiah and Adam’s boss, Samuel (ok so Samuel isn’t one of the bad guys per se but it’s made clear in this book that he isn’t liked – by anybody).

My intellect relished the triple storyline running throughout this book; Adam & Marlena’s romance, the threat of a serial killer on the loose, targeting Marlena and Samuel’s predicament. I love puzzles that add pace and depth to a tale and these separate but interwoven threads all added together to keep me absorbed, eagerly turning the pages, keen to find out what would happen next.

...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

Ok, so it didn’t get 5 stars from me, my regular followers will know that it’s the little niggles that take the edge off for me, so what were they here?

As I said above, when an author adds mysteries to their tales of romance, I feel that it adds a further depth and pace. I liked that this book had two such storylines running through it; the serial killer and Samuel’s predicament.

I felt that the serial killer story arc is billed as the main threat to our romantic couple when reading the blurb but, unfortunately, it didn’t live up to all of my expectations. I loved the build up, his relationship with his accomplice and the fact that our killer was so careful, meticulous and patient, I just felt let down with was how it was concluded. I felt it was rushed to make sure that it was finished by the end of the book and I think that it was due to the development/escalation of the “Samuel’s predicament” storyline that the serial killer thread ran out of time.

I understand from a number of authors that word counts and page numbers is a very high priority and tightly restrictive when publishing a book so I accept (begrudgingly) the compromise made here i.e. no romantic or serial killer cliffhanger ending. ;-)

...So, basically what I’m saying is...

I really enjoyed this paranormal romance novel. It has action, romance, twists & turns and some *blushing* smexy scenes, so if that’s the sort of story you like to get lost in then give this one a try – it’s quite a ride.

Just click on any of the links below and read about the book yourself.

Thursday, 24 December 2015

Flora Reviews... Shadow Touched (#1-4) by Erin Kellison

Shadow Touched (#1-4)
by Erin Kellison

Read: 20^th – 24^th December 2015

Format: Kindle

My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

...So what’s this book about?

This is a paranormal romance story (with an urban fantasy feel) about human scientist, Dr Cam Kalamos and human Eleanor Russo, who has unique qualities all of her own. Ms Kellison has combined her Shadow series spin-off novellas, Shadow Touch, Shadow Play, Shadow Hunt and the previously unreleased Shadow Burn to bring us Cam and Ellie’s complete romance story here in this novel.

I haven’t read any of Ms Kellison’s other novels and although I’m sure it would have added a further depth of understanding and knowledge of the cast of characters to this book, I don’t think it’s imperative to have read the other books in the Shadow series to enjoy this one.

The blurb says:

*Shadow Touched is Ellie and Cam's complete story, previously released as Shadow Touch, Shadow Play and Shadow Hunt, ending in the thrilling conclusion, the previously unreleased Shadow Burn.

A darkness looms over humankind, lurks in mirrors, blurs boundaries—a twilight world ruled by powerful mage Houses...

It is bleeding into our world, bringing with it banshees, wraiths, fae from the twisting forests of Twilight. But Eleanor Russo’s problem is a very different kind of phenomenon. Her dark mirror image is a wild thing, willfully seducing the very man Ellie hoped could help her.

Dr. Cam Kalamos has devoted his career to exploring the boundaries between this world and Twilight. But nothing could prepare him for the mischief and mayhem of a soul split in two.

As Ellie and Cam explore their deepest desires and barely escape with their lives, there is only one certainty: Trusting in shadows is a dangerous game.

Although this book isn’t being released until 5^th January 2016, I was lucky enough to be given a digital version for free from the publisher (Kensington Books) via Netgally.com in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you.

...So, what did I like about it?

I found Ms Kellison’s writing style very easy to read and although the cast of characters were aplenty and the world was new to me, I didn’t get lost in the plot. I enjoyed getting to know her take of the world of Fae, Shadow (magic), Mages (magicians who forfeit their soul for magical power), Wraiths (immortal beings who eat souls) and the humans who live and work in this changing world.

I devoured the 1st part/book "Shadow Touch" what an opening! The life that Ellie had lead *sniff* made me quite emotional but I love that she's not a whiny, helpless female! In fact, Ellie and Cam both grew and developed through the four novellas, both in their romantic relationship and in their personal evolution.

I liked the fact that I wasn’t quite sure where the story was going to take us, it doesn’t read like the usual PNR (Paranormal Romance) story arc; it kept me guessing and I found it a real page turner.

I chuckled, I held my breath in horror/tension, I blushed and yes I shed the odd tear – I was engrossed in this book from start to finish.

...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

Not disliked but my main niggle is that this book did not read like a novel, as implied by the blurb but more of a box set of the novellas (the story arc stretches over a 14month or so time frame). That’s not a bad thing; I just feel that a slight change to the wording of the blurb would correct the potential misunderstanding.

...So, basically what I’m saying is...

I really enjoyed this collection of novellas and I will be adding Ms Kellison’s Shadow series to my Amazon wish list – there’s so much more to discover about this world and the cast of characters!

If you’re a fan of tales of the paranormal or fantasy world with a real to life romance story (no insta-romance here) cleverly weaved between the action, mystery and weirdness (or is that wyrdness) all finished off with a satisfactory HEA (Happily Ever After) ending for our romantic couple then I’d recommend this book for you.