Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts

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 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!

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

A Sweet Return Trip to One of My Favorite Worlds…

July 25, 2017 0 Comments








First Drop of Crimson tells the story of Denise MacGregor and Spade two characters introduced in the Night Huntress series. Both are close with Cat and Bones, the couple at the heart of the series.  In this story, Denise is recovering from events that cost her a husband and has sworn to stay away from the vampire world. This is impossible as she is targeted by a demon and Spade, a vampire is called in to assist. Both have decided not to tell Cat or Bones about Denise’s peril and are forced to work together to save her life.



The Good:



Denise and Spade have some heat. Denise is rightfully terrified by her situation and still able to evade Spade for most of the book. This scenario offers a fun cat (no pun intended) and mouse game between them.  And when they come together, the pages sizzle.



Spade is charming and enjoyable even though his plan for how he will spend his life with Denise is a bit short sighted.  I listened to this audiobook using OverDrive from my local library and enjoyed the voice actor tremendously. She also read the Night Huntress series and provided enough distinction that I could identify Spade without confusing him for Bones. This is a rare talent as they are both British born vampires.



The Not So Good



Spade’s back story is tragic, but it takes too long to find out the whole story about his previous human lover. I had to wait for almost to end of the book for all the details.  Also, at times the pacing felt a bit too slow and the antagonist in the story wasn’t convincing enough for me. He kept giving Denise chance after chance to find who he was looking for instead of following through on his threats against her family. I like a good villain with real consequences for the main characters. The slow pace forced me to try harder to pay attention to the details of the story.



The Verdict






I really loved the Night Huntress series and am a fan of the author. It was a treat to visit a world that fascinated me for months. While it wasn’t as incredible as Cat and Bones’ story, it was a solid novel.

Friday, July 14, 2017

An Almost Perfect Comical Read…

July 14, 2017 0 Comments





Review of High Stakes by Erin McCarthy

 I held on to this book for over a year. I picked it up during one of my used book runs during grad school and was too busy to give it the attention it so clearly deserved.

 High Stakes introduces readers to Ethan and Alexis. These two meet when Ethan uses influence to persuade Alexis’ younger sister Brittany to move into his casino. Ethan is the President of Vampires and needs Brittany to help secure support for his re-election. Alexis comes to rescue her sister and hilarity ensues.


The Good

Alexis and Ethan are really funny together. Alexis calls him Garlic while he addresses her as BB (Ball Buster). They spend the book sparing both verbally and physically. Plus, their scenes together were hot!!!

I loved that she was a super serious career woman, a prosecutor who has practically raised her baby sister. The character is strong and can take care of herself both physically and mentally.  Alexis is well fleshed out, we know why she feels the way she does. The author uses Alexis and Brittany’s childhood to depict how different the girls are and why.

The story also introduces Brittany, Seamus, the Frenchman, and Ethan’s opponent for the office. I enjoyed their roles and the interactions between them. The story moved between characters well allowing enough time on the main stage for each character.

The Not So Good

The ending!! I hate cliffhangers. I get that the author wants you to follow the story to the next book in the series, but I have some questions.  How does Alexis adjust to her new life?  What about Brittany? Does the next book continue with their story or move the story to another couple?

The story wrapped up a bit too quickly pace wise.

The Verdict

 


I really liked it! There was a good mix of comedy that made the experience lighthearted and fun.  This is my first book by Erin McCarthy and I doubt it will be my last.  

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