Wednesday, September 12, 2018

The Lantern's Ember by Colleen Houck





Welcome to a world where nightmarish creatures reign supreme.

Five hundred years ago, Jack made a deal with the devil. It’s difficult for him to remember much about his mortal days. So, he focuses on fulfilling his sentence as a Lantern—one of the watchmen who guard the portals to the Otherworld, a realm crawling with every nightmarish creature imaginable. Jack has spent centuries jumping from town to town, ensuring that nary a mortal—or not-so-mortal—soul slips past him. That is, until he meets beautiful Ember O’Dare.

Seventeen, stubborn, and a natural-born witch, Ember feels a strong pull to the Otherworld. Undeterred by Jack’s warnings, she crosses into the forbidden plane with the help of a mysterious and debonair vampire—and the chase through a dazzling, dangerous world is on. Jack must do everything in his power to get Ember back where she belongs before both the earthly and unearthly worlds descend into chaos.
 







The Lantern's Ember was a book I was really looking forward to. The synopsis combined with the cover had me DYING to get my hands on this book. However, I was disappointed when I actually was able to read this book, because it did not turn out to be at all what I was hoping for. 

One of my major complaints about this book was how young it felt. Instead of it reading like a Young Adult novel, it read like a Middle-Grade novel. I have no qualms with Middle-Grade books, but when I was expecting to read a YA novel, it was a bit disappointing that the book did not live up to that. The plot of the book really focused on the romance, instead of the creepy and dark plot I was hoping for. I am a sucker for romance, but in this case, there was TOO much romance. Since this is being marketed as a novel with the moodiness of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, I was hoping for more of a dark and foreboding vibe. Instead, the book felt like a romance novel with a tiny dash of darkness.

I also had a very hard time connecting with the characters. The characters all felt very juvenile, one dimensional, and shallow. They all seemed to lack common sense 99% of the time, and only wanted to focus on how beautiful and perfect Ember was.

Overall, this was a frustrating read for me. The only thing I really enjoyed about this book was the few glimpses we got of the paranormal elements of this world. Those parts were so intriguing, and I wish there would have been more moments like those throughout the entire story.

This book had so much potential to be The Legend of Sleepy Hollow retelling of my dreams, but it sadly fell flat.

2 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. * 

Monday, September 10, 2018

Intercepted by Alexa Martin


Title : Intercepted
Author: Alexa Martin
Series: Playbook
Publisher:  Berkley Trade Paperback Original
Release Date: September 11, 2018





Marlee thought she scored the man of her dreams only to be scorched by a bad breakup. But there's a new player on the horizon, and he's in a league of his own...



Marlee Harper is the perfect girlfriend. She's definitely had enough practice by dating her NFL-star boyfriend for the last ten years. But when she discovers he has been tackling other women on the sly, she vows to never date an athlete again. There's just one problem: Gavin Pope, the new hotshot quarterback and a fling from the past, has Marlee in his sights.



Gavin fights to show Marlee he's nothing like her ex. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to let her escape her past. The team's wives, who never led the welcome wagon, are not happy with Marlee's return. They have only one thing on their minds: taking her down. But when the gossip makes Marlee public enemy number one, she worries about more than just her reputation.



Between their own fumbles and the wicked wives, it will take a Hail Mary for Marlee and Gavin's relationship to survive the season. 




Advanced Praise For Intercepted:

“I finished this book with a big smile on my face and that gooey, good book feeling in my chest.”
—JASMINE GUILLORY, USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Date

“LOVE IT! All the hot sports and romance action you could hope for.”
—New York Times bestselling author KYLIE SCOTT

“Perfect for readers looking for a fun contemporary.” —Publishers Weekly

“Reading Intercepted is like drinking wine and gossiping with your best girlfriends. It’s fast-paced, flirty, and laugh-out-loud funny, without the hangover the next day.”—HELEN HOANG, author of The Kiss Quotient.







Intercepted was the perfect book to read over the weekend. It was fun, light and with plenty of hilarious situations. I would have finished it earlier but I have a new ten-week old puppy. #NoTimeToReadAnymore or I should say: #NoTimeForAnything

Anyway, Intercepted has a funny heroine, Marlee Harper. Marlee is the girlfriend of Chris Alexander, a pro football player. Her only boyfriend has been Chris. She did have a one-night stand four years ago while they were on a break but she tries to avoid thinking about that night.

Marlee loves marketing but it has been hard to do what she wants to do because she has dedicated herself to Chris. She even attends the Lady Mustangs meetings which usually only football players wives can attend and she's continuously attacked by Courtney, the QB's wife. Chris is nothing but self-involved and when she finds out he's cheating, she breaks their ten-year-old relationship and moves out.

Things get heated when Gavin Pope joins the team as the new QB. He's good at his job, he's hot and it turns out he's Marlee's one night stand! At first, Marlee tries to avoid him because she's with Chris and later on because she doesn't want to date another football player. But, Gavin is unrelenting. He makes it impossible for Marlee not to try to be with him.

As I said earlier, this book is quick, funny and light. It had the perfect combination to entertain you. I love how Marlee defended herself from the mean WAGs. I like how she did have a true friend within the meanies. I like how she went through life using hashtags.  I like how her relationship developed with Gavin. Gavin was just perfect except when he did something which was completely out of character for him. I guess, we needed some drama and that was the only way to create it. Even with his misstep I still ended up liking him.

I'm looking forward to Fumbled, the next in this series.

4/5 Fangs


A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley Romance via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.





Intercepted was a fun, snarky, addictive, and romantic read! I was completely entertained by this book from beginning to end.

Marlee, the main female character, was such a great character to read about. Her inner monologue was just as sassy as it was hilarious. I loved how fiercely independent she was and how she did what she felt was right for herself. She is the type of character that I wish I could be best friends with. I would read 100 more books about Marlee! My only annoyance with Marlee was that I felt like she used hashtags way too often. At first, it was modern and charming, but it did get old kind of quickly. Other than that, I really loved everything about Marlee.

The main male character, Gavin, was a dreamboat. He was the ideal male lead in my opinion. He was charming, kind, appreciative, and hilarious. All of his romantic gestures, even the small ones, made my heart skip a beat. He was a little overprotective at times, but I never found it completely unbearable. 

Considering their situation, I felt the romance between Gavin and Marlee developed at a believable pace, which is sometimes rare for contemporary romance novels. The chemistry Gavin had with Marlee was STEAMY and lead to so many moments brimming with sexual tension. I loved the banter between Marlee and Gavin and how much they genuinely seemed care about each other. 

The combination of romance, humor, drama, and heart made this book an absolute delight! Some of the drama seemed a bit ridiculous and over the top, but as a woman who is obsessed with The Real Housewives franchise, it didn't bother me all too much. If you are in the market for a new contemporary romance novel, I would definitely recommend picking this book up! I cannot wait to see what the author will come out with next!

4 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. * 








Alexa Martin is a writer and stay at home mom. She lives in Colorado with her husband, a former NFL player who now coaches at the high school where they met, their four children, and a German Shepherd. When she's not telling her kids to put their shoes on...again, you can find her catching up with her latest book boyfriend or on Pinterest pinning meals she'll probably never make. Her first book, Intercepted, was inspired by the eight years she spent as an NFL wife.



Friday, September 7, 2018

In Her Bones by Kate Moretti


IN HER BONES by Kate Moretti
Atria Paperback | ISBN: 9781501166471| On sale: September 4, 2018 | 320 pages | $16.00
Atria eBook | ISBN: 9781501166488 | On sale: September 4, 20187 | 320 pages | $11.99
Atria Hardcover | ISBN: 9781982104672| On sale: September 4, 2018 | 320 pages | $28.00




New York Times bestselling author Kate Moretti’s next “exceptional…emotionally astute, [and] deliciously sinister” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) thriller follows the daughter of a convicted serial killer who finds herself at the center of a murder investigation.

Fifteen years ago, Lilith Wade was arrested for the brutal murder of six women. After a death row conviction, media frenzy, and the release of an unauthorized biography, her thirty-year-old daughter Edie Beckett is just trying to survive out of the spotlight. She’s a recovering alcoholic with a dead-end city job and an unhealthy codependent relationship with her brother.

Edie also has a disturbing secret: a growing obsession with the families of Lilith’s victims. She’s desperate to see how they’ve managed—or failed—to move on. While her escalating fixation is a problem, she’s careful to keep her distance. That is, until she crosses a line and a man is found murdered.

Edie quickly becomes the prime suspect—and while she can’t remember everything that happened the night of the murder, she’d surely remember killing someone. With the detective who arrested her mother hot on her trail, Edie goes into hiding. She’s must get to the truth of what happened that night before the police—or the real killer—find her. 

Unless, of course, she has more in common with her mother than she’s willing to admit…

Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, In Her Bones features Moretti’s “riveting and insightful” (Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author) prose and “chillingly satisfying” (Publishers Weekly) twists, and will leave you questioning the nature of guilt, obsession, and the toxicity of familial ties.






Advance Praise for IN HER BONES:

“Kate Moretti is incredibly talented! IN HER BONES is at once chilling and compelling, frightening and insightful—and truly madly deeply satisfying. You'll gasp at every twist, and turn these hauntingly sinister pages as fast as you can.”
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, nationally bestselling author of Trust Me

“Sensational; a stunning psychological thriller that kept me riveted from the first page to the last. A dark and compelling exploration of what it's like to grow up with someone who just may be the worst mother in the world, Moretti's chilling and insightful novel answers the question: If your mother is a serial killer and you're obsessed with her victims, what does that make you?”
—Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of The Marsh King's Daughter

“Suspense at its best: A chilling voice, an unlikely heroine, a haunting story. IN HER BONES is Kate Moretti at the top of her game.”
—Jessica Strawser, author of Not That I Could Tell

“Kate Moretti’s IN HER BONES is a suspenseful, whirling spiral of mysteries within mysteries, plot twists you won’t see coming, and characters linked by deadly fates that stretch across the years. Moretti’s prose is crisp and masterful, her people rich and real. Don’t miss this haunting, wild thrill ride.”
—David Bell, author of Somebody’s Daughter

“We dove head-first into In Her Bones, its riveting twists and turns keeping us up well past our bedtime. Moretti has meticulously crafted this gripping mystery, which begs the question: Is it possible to escape our own fate? Another stellar contribution to the suspense genre.”

—Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, authors of The Good Widow





After reading The Vanishing Year and enjoying it, I knew I had to read In Her Bones. I can't say that it wooed me. On the contrary, I think it was just ok. 

What was the book about?

Edie Beckett is a 30-year-old female. She has a 9 to 5 job that she doesn't care much for. She's a recovering alcoholic and her past has marked her. Edie is the daughter of the famous serial killer Lilith Wade. Usually, serial killers are men, but Lilith is one of the exceptions. She murdered six women while Edie was still a kid. 

Now as an adult, Edie is using her job to track the family members of the victims. She gets to close to Peter, one of the husbands. Next thing she knows, Peter is dead and she's the main suspect. The same cop who took her mother in is after her and she's running out of time to find the truth and save herself from going to prison.

Why didn't it work for me?

The pace for one. It was too slow. 
I felt we were missing pieces of information about Edie and her family.
The resolution the author used to close the plot. I knew who the baddie was from early on. It was too predictable.
Or maybe it was the high expectations I had for this author's work. 

What did I like?

The theme. I was intrigued about having the serial killer's daughter's POV narrate the book. In real life, it has to be horrible to know you're related to someone so evil. I can't even imagine it. I'm sure that the families are seen as guilty too for not recognizing that the people they live with can be responsible for such heinous acts. 
I like Edie. She was resourceful and smart. She was one step ahead of the police. I respected her desire to learn what really happened to Peter. 

3/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by the Atria Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.




Kate Moretti is the New York Times bestselling author of The Blackbird SeasonThe Vanishing YearThought I Knew You, and Binds That Tie. She lives in eastern Pennsylvania with her husband and kids. Find out more at katemoretti.com.



Twitter: @KateMoretti1
Instagram: @katemoretti1


Thursday, September 6, 2018

Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire


Title: Night and Silence 
Series: October Daye #12
Author: Seanan McGuire 
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Publisher: DAW Books




The twelfth installment of the Hugo-nominated, New York Times-bestselling Toby Daye urban fantasy series!


Things are not okay.



In the aftermath of Amandine's latest betrayal, October "Toby" Daye's fragile self-made family is on the verge of coming apart at the seams. Jazz can't sleep, Sylvester doesn't want to see her, and worst of all, Tybalt has withdrawn from her entirely, retreating into the Court of Cats as he tries to recover from his abduction. Toby is floundering, unable to help the people she loves most heal. She needs a distraction. She needs a quest.


What she doesn't need is the abduction of her estranged human daughter, Gillian. What she doesn't need is to be accused of kidnapping her own child by her ex-boyfriend and his new wife, who seems to be harboring secrets of her own. There's no question of whether she'll take the case. The only question is whether she's emotionally prepared to survive it.

Signs of Faerie's involvement are everywhere, and it's going to take all Toby's nerve and all her allies to get her through this web of old secrets, older hatreds, and new deceits. If she can't find Gillian before time runs out, her own child will pay the price. One question remains:

Who in Faerie remembered Gillian existed? And what do they stand to gain? No matter how this ends, Toby's life will never be the same.





Amazon | B&N




Going back to the world of our dear Toby is always a pleasure. I have come to love this series. How can I not when Tybalt makes me want to swoon when he says things from his heart. Le Sigh....

After the events which occurred in The Brightest Fell, Toby is trying to avoid discussing what is troubling her, her relationship with Tybalt. She loves the King of Cats and she's not sure how they're going to move forward after what Amandine did to him. Her friends are worried about her and Tybalt but she rather not think about it. 

Then, her ex-human boyfriend, Cliff comes knocking on her door. He's looking for their daughter, Gillian. She has gone missing (again!). Toby can't believe someone has taken her. She loved Gillian so much that when Gillian chose to be human and stay with Cliff, Toby walked away believing she would be safe in the human world. But, too many people remember that Toby had Gillian and she's sure a fae is involved in her disappearance. 

With the help of her squire and her fetch Mae, she will go looking for Gillian. The search takes her to places where as you can guess, Toby has to fight for her life and she will end up being covered in her own blood. Nothing new there, right? That's mostly why she wears black anyway. There are many close calls and at the same time, I could feel that time was running out for her. 

There's a huge plot changer. The reveal is a WOW moment where I wasn't sure if I read it right and I had to go back and reread it. Holy amazing Batman! I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Yet, it makes perfect sense. Not vague enough for you? I guess you're just going to need to read it. 

The ending is perfect is an imperfect way. It leaves you with so many open questions and without a way to know the answers. 

For all Tybalt fans, the man does make a good entrance. Perfect timing too. It broke my heart to see how hard everything is for him right now. I truly hate Amandine for what she did to him. Despite everything, every heartfelt spoken word by him is beautiful in its deliverance. 

I really can't wait to see what happens next. I truly hope to see more of Gillian in the next book. 

As always the Luidaeg is amazing in a terrifying way. One of my favorite characters in this series. 

I can't finish my review without saying how amazing Seanan McGuire's writing is. It's almost poetic. Her characters are brought to life full of light and darkness.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

One More Moment by Samantha Chase


We are so excited to be bringing you the release of ONE MORE MOMENT by Samantha Chase. ONE MORE MOMENT is the third and final book in the Band on the Run series and one you don't want to miss!



Julian Grayson is taking a break …from his cheating fiancée …from his band …from his life in the spotlight

Charlotte Clark is devoted to her work …to save the world …to help the homeless …to get a broken man back on his feet

When Charlotte Clark offers to pay for Julian Grayson’s coffee, the world-famous drummer assumes she wants something from him. But Charlotte has no idea who he is, and Julian can’t resist keeping up the charade—being incognito is a novelty and a relief. He’ll have to tell her…eventually. But as Charlotte cheerfully undertakes to transform his life, Julian realizes there’s something about her that gives him what he hasn’t felt in years: hope.



Get your copy of ONE MORE MOMENT today! Amazon / iBooks / B&N / Kobo / GooglePlay

   


 



Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina. 



Monday, September 3, 2018

In Her Bones by Kate Moretti



IN HER BONES by Kate Moretti
Atria Paperback | ISBN: 9781501166471| On sale: September 4, 2018 | 320 pages | $16.00
Atria eBook | ISBN: 9781501166488 | On sale: September 4, 20187 | 320 pages | $11.99
Atria Hardcover | ISBN: 9781982104672| On sale: September 4, 2018 | 320 pages | $28.00



New York Times bestselling author Kate Moretti’s next “exceptional…emotionally astute, [and] deliciously sinister” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) thriller follows the daughter of a convicted serial killer who finds herself at the center of a murder investigation.


Fifteen years ago, Lilith Wade was arrested for the brutal murder of six women. After a death row conviction, media frenzy, and the release of an unauthorized biography, her thirty-year-old daughter Edie Beckett is just trying to survive out of the spotlight. She’s a recovering alcoholic with a dead-end city job and an unhealthy codependent relationship with her brother.



Edie also has a disturbing secret: a growing obsession with the families of Lilith’s victims. She’s desperate to see how they’ve managed—or failed—to move on. While her escalating fixation is a problem, she’s careful to keep her distance. That is, until she crosses a line and a man is found murdered.



Edie quickly becomes the prime suspect—and while she can’t remember everything that happened the night of the murder, she’d surely remember killing someone. With the detective who arrested her mother hot on her trail, Edie goes into hiding. She’s must get to the truth of what happened that night before the police—or the real killer—find her. 



Unless, of course, she has more in common with her mother than she’s willing to admit…



Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, In Her Bones features Moretti’s “riveting and insightful” (Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author) prose and “chillingly satisfying” (Publishers Weekly) twists, and will leave you questioning the nature of guilt, obsession, and the toxicity of familial ties.







Advance Praise for IN HER BONES:

“Kate Moretti is incredibly talented! IN HER BONES is at once chilling and compelling, frightening and insightful—and truly madly deeply satisfying. You'll gasp at every twist, and turn these hauntingly sinister pages as fast as you can.”
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, nationally bestselling author of Trust Me

“Sensational; a stunning psychological thriller that kept me riveted from the first page to the last. A dark and compelling exploration of what it's like to grow up with someone who just may be the worst mother in the world, Moretti's chilling and insightful novel answers the question: If your mother is a serial killer and you're obsessed with her victims, what does that make you?”
—Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of The Marsh King's Daughter

“Suspense at its best: A chilling voice, an unlikely heroine, a haunting story. IN HER BONES is Kate Moretti at the top of her game.”
—Jessica Strawser, author of Not That I Could Tell

“Kate Moretti’s IN HER BONES is a suspenseful, whirling spiral of mysteries within mysteries, plot twists you won’t see coming, and characters linked by deadly fates that stretch across the years. Moretti’s prose is crisp and masterful, her people rich and real. Don’t miss this haunting, wild thrill ride.”
—David Bell, author of Somebody’s Daughter

“We dove head-first into In Her Bones, its riveting twists and turns keeping us up well past our bedtime. Moretti has meticulously crafted this gripping mystery, which begs the question: Is it possible to escape our own fate? Another stellar contribution to the suspense genre.”

—Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, authors of The Good Widow






Kate Moretti is the New York Times bestselling author of The Blackbird SeasonThe Vanishing YearThought I Knew You, and Binds That Tie. She lives in eastern Pennsylvania with her husband and kids. Find out more at katemoretti.com.



Twitter: @KateMoretti1
Instagram: @katemoretti1