Nice Dragons Finish Last (Heartstrikers #1) by Rachel Aaron

Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars 

It is quite the task to find a dragon shape shifter book that is A: Not a Alpha male seeking a mate B: Has great amount of action and a fantastic story line and C: Is funny as hell.  Nice Dragons Finish Last is probably one of the best Dragon books I have ever read. If not THE BEST.   I know I am throwing about big words here.. Contenders such as Dragon riders of Pern, Talon and Seraphina make it nearly blasphemous but this really is a read for yourself  kind of statement. Nice Dragons Finish Last is the first book of the Heartstrikers series (which is planned to have 4 or 5 books from what I have been able to find out) and such a creative take on dragons it will give you whiplash however somehow keeps staying true to the classic bad dragon image.

This witty combination of Urban, Fantasy, and Contemporary humor has totally caught me by surprise. Yes, after reading the synopsis I was already quite taken with the promise. A under performing Dragon about to get his ass whooped if he does not live up to the cunning and ruthless Dragon standards. The way Rachel Aaron has woven this story together is simply brilliant.

Breaking Measures by Emma Raveling

Release date is today! You can grab your copy through the below links:
 Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Apple iBooks | Kobo

Breaking Measures by Emma Raveling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Watch the Trailer!

As soon as I heard Emma Raveling was releasing a prequel to another work in the making, I got extremely excited.

She is one of those rare writers that have an incredible talent with words that simply sweep you away with their lyrical descriptions. When I found out this was to be a contemporary novel, I was in two minds. Mostly because I was afraid that there would be a lack of imaginative story telling and leave me wanting.Could it really live up to her other work?

Any fears are completely unfounded though. Whilst Breaking Measures is indeed contemporary and has a completely different feel from her Ondine Quartet work, it still managed to completely capture me.

The story follows a young woman, Leila Cates. An up and coming Pianist who's striving to reach the expectations of her parents and the world around her. Though when one by one the steady parts in her life break, she comes to realize there is more going on behind the scenes then she has allowed herself to see. Pinned with the murder of her supposed boyfriend Carlo she desperately tries to unravel the knots and come to terms with the implications of what she uncovers.

The Silence of Six by E.C. Myers

The Silence of Six by E.C. Myers

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
 

I have a bit of a weakness when it comes to tech/hacker stories. I absolutely love Person of Interest and sometimes I wish my computer skills (and my patience level) would be bad ass enough to go underground and pull down sites to make a point or uncovering secure info from a super secret government  

* kidding of course...  well sort off * 

 I had previously been fooled when I picked up Cipher, expecting a hacker heroin only to be faced with nill action and a case of bad instalove romance.

So when I read the summary of The Silence of Six I was immediately intrigued. Could it be? A book which might actually make true on the promise of hacker action, a believable conspiracy, skirting the edge of today's issues faced regarding transparency and privacy as well as deliver on credibility but keeping it interesting enough to not put you to sleep?

I think The Silence of Six  is the perfect mix of all of the above. 

Undeniably Chosen (Significance, #5) by Shelly Crane

Undeniably Chosen by Shelly Crane
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Shelly Crane's Significance series has had a big impact on me. It was one of the books that reignited my passion for reading and for me to start keeping track of my favourites. A series I frequently recommend to like minded enthusiasts or people asking for recommendations.

 

The first 2 books had me completely in love, however the last couple, ending with Independence and Consequence, had left me a little unsatisfied. I absolutely adored the concept of the fated soul mates an the powers and world that came with it and it felt like those where just a re-chewing of the previous with in mediocre writing.

When Undeniably Chosen got announced, I was thrilled but also a little unsure. Would this be written in the same style? Would it be so cavity inducing sweet I would have to see a dentist (or throw up)? Would it be another copy of Maggie and Caleb's story?

They Call Me Alexandra Gastone by T.A. Maclagan

They Call Me Alexandra Gastone by T. A. Maclagan
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

After having the book blast on 'They call me Alexandra Gastone' a couple of months back, I was immensely intrigued by the synopsis. In this day and age, the story line is anything but far fetched and it definitely drew a cord watching the unrest in the Middle East that has been brewing for such a long time.

Of course the book is not referring to this conflict specifically (though it may have draw inspiration from it in part). Rather, It sets a very strong portrait of the thoughts and feelings a young woman has, being raised with ideals and saddled with a mission that may not have her (or a much wider populace's) best interests at heart. A reminder, if you will, of the heart ache that vengeance and misguided ideals can bring and that we cant see both sides of the same coin at once.

The Dreamer (The Dreamland Series, #1) by E.J. Mellow

The Dreamer by E.J. Mellow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



 

When the cover and synopsis of The Dreamer where announced on my blog, I was brimming with excitement at the prospect of reading it. I couldn't wait to have it in my hands (release date is May 15th, you can buy it here)! This book has probably counted toward my most anticipated reads this year and it has fully lived up to my
 expectations!




The Dreamer is a New Adult story with a contemporary fantasy/paranormal twist. It really is a mixture of all my favorite genres and as such, it brings their best aspects to light. It's written in first person, modern day time.

~ Book Blitz ~ They Call Me Alexandra Gastone by T.A. MacLagan

THEY CALL ME ALEXANDRA GASTONE
by T.A. Maclagan
Book Blast
Hosted by MMSAI Tours April 13^th, 2015

The Curse Servant (The Dark Choir #2) by J.P. Sloan

The Curse Servant by J.P. Sloan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I was lucky enough to pick up The Curse Servant through Netgalley just after I finished The Curse Merchant, which I found was a very entertaining book with some great dark humor. My review of the first book can be found here.

The sequel picks up approximately a couple of months after the previous book ended, or so it seems.

Dorian Lake has picked up his pieces and is finally getting into the groove of his new life. He is of course still in the middle of seeking a way to retrieve his lost soul too.

~ "A man once told me if I make the desires of the flesh my focus, then I'll succumb to them. I'm trying to focus on the things that are a little more permanent."

The Curse Merchant (The Dark Choir #1) by J.P. Sloan

The Curse Merchant by J.P. Sloan
My rating:

The Curse Merchant follows Dorian Lake, a 35 year old man with an unusual occupation. He creates hexes and charms for a living, preferably wielded through Karma.

After a particular scare, he finds himself shaken out of his rut and decides to seek out old friends and pick up his life again. Then his ex Carmen comes to him for help of the Paranomal kind.



She has managed to sell her soul and Dorian may be her only hope of getting it back. Not only that, but she sold it to a practitioner who is currently also trying to take over Dorian's territory of business and already has him in his bad books.