Thursday, September 10, 2020

Pandemic Frenzy 2020 - Let's Catch Up

September 10, 2020 0 Comments







So 2020 was going to be the best year ever, and then... COVID-19. I was having a fantastic year and planning to catch everyone up on the incredible finds I'd fallen into, and then suddenly, the world went crazy.


My whole world changed overnight, and my time was filled with homeschooling, remote working, and just trying to stay alive, so once again, you know the saying best-laid plans... 
And after six months of this new existence, while my sanity has been questionable at times,  I have thank goodness be able to put my kindle unlimited membership to good use. I read a lot and stumped upon some real gems.
Some of my favorites:
  • Royal Dragon Bind by Ava Ward
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas
  • Andorra Sector by Lexi C. Foss

I admit these are heavy on fantasy and paranormal fiction, but I promise you won't be disappointed. 


The Royal Dragon Shifters series follows Layla, a very well educated bartender who meets the gorgeous, mysterious billionaire Adrian at an event. Quickly charmed by him, she finds herself swept up into the Twilight Realm, a world full of elegant creatures, after being offered a position at the illustrious Red Letter Paris Hotel. Once there, she is introduced to her dragon heritage and her strange connection not just to Adrian but also to his irresistible cousin Dusk.

While initially, I loved the sparks between headstrong Layla and the stubborn Adrian, soon, I was just as enamored with her connection with Dusk. As the series goes on, readers have an opportunity to experience a well crafted, elegant world filled with danger, excitement, and mystery. This is the book that completely transported me out of my now too small apartment into an infinite paradise. 

Just a heads up, this is a series with 8 books so far, be prepared to buckle in for awhile.




My Rating: 



I resisted the Court of Thorns and Roses for quite a while. Every time I visited Barnes and Noble, it was always on display, and I just knew it wasn't for me. I'm not usually into stories about the fey, but truthfully I was captivated by Sarah Maas' storytelling. I read this one at lightning speed because I just couldn't put it down.  And yes, it is part of another series, but there are only three books that deal specifically with these characters.  

 In the story, you meet Feyre, a teenager who has devoted her life to taking care of her good for nothing father and two sisters. Although she is the youngest, she has learned to hunt, which is the only reason her family has been able to survive. In this world, humans are beneath the fey, and they scramble for the little resources they can get. Feyre's story is incredible. All of the characters are written so beautifully that you find yourself caught up long before you know it. I won't spoil anything because I think it's worth discovering her journey all on your own, but it was my favorite find so far this year.

My Rating: 

I don't know how to describe the Andorra Sector except to say at first I struggled with whether I should finish it. This is a genre I've just been introduced to, the Omegaverse, and
these stories are characterized by strong Alphas who can both male and female who need Omegas to be fulfilled period. Betas won't cut it, and in some cases, there is an undertone of abuse and dubious consent. Trust me, it's been a strange journey, but this series won me over. Other things to know, this is a paranormal romance too, so we're dealing with Wolves and a zombie apocalypse

The main characters in the book, Andorra Sector, are Ander Cain and Katriana Cordova. These two were like a match and gasoline on the page. Katriana believes she is just a human and has the misfortune in trying to steal from the X Clan wolves, a sophisticated society of elite wolves. Humans in this world are starving and relegated to living in caves to avoid the infected. 

Katrina is taken by the X Clan's arrogant, overbearing leader and turned into a wolf without her consent. She doesn't take too kindly to the situation and is thrust in a world she doesn't understand while Ander does all the wrong things... all of them. It's a complex relationship with two imperfect romantic leads. I think that is what I loved about the story. For all of their faults, they are trying to figure it out, which requires work on both sides and some groveling, another thing I appreciated. This is an introduction in a world that is further expanded throughout Lexi's other works, and I recommend you check it out.

My Rating:




Sunday, January 12, 2020

The Minis are back too and so am I sooner than I thought.

January 12, 2020 0 Comments




The Minis are back too, and so am I sooner than I thought. This week I'm already ahead of my Goodreads goal and couldn't wait to check in with you about the group I've just finished. Also, it might be a while until I have my life back in order.


The Line Up: 


  • Betrothed to the Dragon by Kara Lockharte
  • Beautifully Brutal by Dani René
  • Son of Chaos by Lexi Foss


Betrothed to the Dragon

The Good

There was so much potential for a great story here. The protagonist Sophie is betrothed to a stranger and is not human. She's Shen, a magical race that came to earth millions of years ago, yet she doesn't have any magic. Her family was killed by a monster years before the story and is now after Sophie. Enter her billionaire fiancé, the Dragon. He is a good character and a perfect alpha male for Sophie without being too overbearing despite her lack of magic.


The Not So Good

I'll just come right out and say it. I wish I liked this book. I wanted to but the story was too fast. Often I felt confused about the importance of the story points and eventually missed some key moments because I wasn't given enough time to invest in the characters. 

The Verdict

While there was good chemistry between the leads, the story should have been paced better. I missed out on the book's most dramatic moments by not being given enough to care one way or the other. 

Rating:





Beautifully Brutal


The Good

There is serious fire between the two leads of this one. The book is the first in the Cavalieri Della Morte series and features Lance Knight, a hitman who falls hard for his boss' only daughter Giuliana. There is some action naturally, as the hitman finds himself being used to dispatch the boss Arthur's enemies.


The Not So Good

Honestly, it was a bit creepy. There is a huge age difference between the characters. He starts to romance her when she's 16 and he's 34. While he doesn't get physical with her then, she's way too young to get involved with him at all and ultimately doesn't get a chance to grow into her adulthood in a way I feel would make her an equal partner in the relationship. I can't buy into their romance the way I want to.


The Verdict

The writing was good, but I couldn't get my head around the age difference and Giuliana's lack of experience. If you're not someone who has an issue with that, you will enjoy this one.


Rating:

 

 

Son of Chaos 



You're going to guess this soon, but this was my favorite of the group. Lexi Foss continues the story of Evangeline and Xai, both fallen Angels who now live on Earth, albeit for different reasons. I recommend reading the first book, Daughter of Death, for the total breakdown of who, what, why, etc.


The Good

I'm soo in love with these two. Their passion for each other and drive to do what's right resonated with me. Also, I find Evangeline' s reactions to her former friends after years away from Earth hilarious. She puts her investigator skills to work again in this book to find the person who framed her as a murderer in the previous installment. The other characters introduced are great additions to the story without slowing the pace. 


The Not So Good

I hate that there are only two books. It went by too quickly due to my faster than normal reading speed. I felt some high stakes moments could have been expanded upon, but again I may just be wanting to spend more time with these characters.  

The Verdict

A great read! I love it just as much as the first one, and I recommend it for anyone who hasn't had a chance to read a book from Lexi Foss, she is now on my favs list.


Rating: 

 

Sunday, January 5, 2020

It's been awhile... but I'll do better

January 05, 2020 0 Comments



Last year, I read a total of 119 books… I know it seems impossible but I did it. For the first time in a while, I spent some time on self-care, despite having an incredibly busy schedule, and I realized that my love of reading keeps me sane.

I didn’t have much time for writing but for 2020, I will change this. I found some amazing new authors through my Kindle Unlimited membership and wanted to share some of my favorites.

If you’re dying to try a new take on paranormal romance, I beg you to read the Children of the Gods series. I’d never heard of the author, I.T. Lucas before ads hit my Facebook feed but she is incredible! I read the entire series totaling 36 books so far and I will continue to read each one she releases. The stories deal with a clan of immortal beings that descend from the gods. You’ll meet so many members that you’ll feel like part of their inner circle. The books continue the stories of previous characters while giving new people to cheer for. In the one I just finished I was still spending time with the first book leads Kian and Syssi. It might feel like a vampire book, but it’s not exactly. It has so much depth, humor that I’ll guarantee you’ll fall in love too.

Kaydence Snow is another author I found through the membership. I read the Evelyn Maynard series and found the characters charming, sexy and fun. You’ll meet Evelyn and her gorgeous guys Ethan, Josh, Tyler and Alec. Alec was my favorite, but you’ll have to read the second and third books to really understand why. The characters are a bit younger, but it has great action and introduces you to a world with Variants and Vitals. Curious? You’ll have to read it to get more details.

I read a lot of titles from Meghan March, who has quickly become one of my favorite authors too. I read the Savage Trilogy, Mount Trilogy, Forge Trilogy, Sin Trilogy and several others. This woman is dynamite! Each of the males is a force of nature and when you meet their women, you’ll be dazzled with their off the charts chemistry. The books are steamy while still having tons of heart. I purchased each of these separately through Kindle, but they were worth every penny. I almost wished they were movies.  

Honestly, after reading so many books, I can’t remember all of my favorites. There were so many fantastic reads. Just so you know, I’m on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/pennedperspective, so feel free to follow me to keep up with me between reviews.

I’m sure you'll be hearing from me soon about my latest favorite!

Cheers and Happy Reading!

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Desperately waiting for the next one!

January 15, 2019 0 Comments

As part of my latest reading binge, I stumbled upon a real gem, Variant Lost by Kaydence Snow. Kudos to whoever does her targeted advertising on Facebook because honestly, that’s where I saw it. It’s a mix of something I haven't read much of lately: romance, suspense, and action and I have to admit I’m impressed.

The Good

The storyline is really good, admittedly it doesn’t initially seem like it’s the most original plot. The book opens with a 17-year old girl fighting with her mother about moving which is something that apparently happens a lot and leaving behind a boyfriend. In the first few pages, it feels just like another angsty YA book until you keep reading and she suffers a sudden and painful tragedy. This change turns the book into a mystery/suspense thriller where the reader is trying to figure out how everything is connected. It introduces Variants, humans with supernatural power and Vitals, essentially human batteries that variants can tap into to use their powers for longer times and with more power. When you add in the scrumptious male leads the wicked Alec, sweet Josh, charismatic Tyler and funloving Ethan its a recipe for magic. I was utterly amazed by the action portion of the story with some of the guys picking up guns to protect their girl. I read this book very quickly even forgoing my Netflix shows to finish it.

The Bad

I’m left with so many questions which isn’t a bad thing unless we don’t have a release date for the next book. And since we don’t, I’m just stuck with all of them. I mean what is up with Alec? That question will probably keep me up longer than I want to admit.

The Verdict:




Wow! This was fantastic! It was the perfect way to start 2019 and I loved Kaydence’s writing style. I’m ready for the next one… so bring it on!

Sunday, November 11, 2018

This Book is Magic!

November 11, 2018 0 Comments

Finally, after many recommendations and my husband’s insistence that I watch the tv show, I finally cracked open the Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.  I admit I was reluctant because most of the time books don’t measure up to the hype, but I spent five days reading this and I can say with all certainty that it did.

The Discovery of Witches is the story of Diana Bishop, a historian studying alchemy at Oxford University and Matthew Clairmont, a French vampire interested in a manuscript she discovers while doing research. Diana is a witch who rarely practices magic and prefers to pass as human. Initially, Matthew studies her, curious about Diana’s discovery which had been missing for years. Eventually, the two become more than friends as Diana learns more about abilities, the paranormal world and why the manuscript she found has placed her in grave danger.

The Good


I really loved Diana! She was impulsive, strong and very much her own woman despite feeling out of place in the not so normal world. While she grew up knowing about the four types of creatures, she detests using magic and often doesn’t notice she is.  Matthew, on the other hand, is very uptight and controlled and just like the reader is pulled towards Diana and the mystery surrounding her.  There is just something about these two that compelled me to continue reading until the book was over.  Magic or not, I’m still fascinated hours later and struggling to wait for the second book from the library.  The world the author created is incredible and I felt like I was right there with Diana and Matthew as they experienced falling in love and even almost losing one another.


The Not So Good


I couldn't really find anything which is rare for me!


The Verdict:




I regret waiting so long to pick it up! I also feel super smart because the author does an amazing job of adding details to the novel which help illustrate the different time periods and locations.

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