The Devil's Flower by Lisa Collicutt

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Date Published: November 19th 2013

Genre: New Adult Supernatural Romance

Series: The Eternal Beings #1
Source: Publisher

Rating: Quirky 3 out of 5 stars

Killing isn’t exactly on Rosalie Lockwood’s list of things to do when she runs away from home. But despite her search for peace; guns and motorcycles become her latest fashion accessories as Divine interference leads her to Steele, co-leader of the Fallen Paladins motorcycle club.

Leathered and tattooed, Steele’s presence scares off most people he comes in contact with — but not Rosalie. She’s immediately drawn into the dangers of his biker world—and into his heart.

But Steele guards a secret that if Rosalie knew, could shatter their new love — along with destroy the human race. And the truth comes at a price.

Will Rosalie risks her soul to prove her loyalty to Steele?

The Dark and Light Realms collide as Rosalie chooses between life, death, and the ever-after to become that which she is fated to destroy.

This book did not grab my attention. I mean, when I saw the synopsis it did, but when I tried to actually read it I got bored and kept switching to other books. I think that was a me problem rather than a book problem, for some of it.

The book started off good. And it was kind of interesting. I just didn't get into it, you know? I kept falling out of place with the book. I do seem to be boring in the paranormal NA genre. It's getting tedious.

I do think that the writing started off well and it did seem to be interesting, it just didn't stay interesting. Maybe that was all me, though. It's hard to tell with books like these, the ones that have been clichéd a lot and you don't know if its the author or the reader.

Maybe if this book had been released a few years earlier before this genre became full I would have been more enthusiastic about this. I feel that it's just worn on me.

Hope someone else has better luck with it.

  

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Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones

Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Publisher: Julie Patra Publishing
Date Published: July 21st 2013
Genre: New Adult Romantic Suspense
Source: Publisher

I had an incredibly hard time reading this book. I ended up not finishing it. I kept trying to read it, but I only managed to drag it out.

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Synopsis:

Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.

At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run.

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

Rocked by Taryn Elliott

Rocked by Taryn Elliott
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Publisher: Rainbow Rage Publishing
Date Published: April 9th 2014
Genre: New Adult Rockstar Romance
Source: Publisher

Rocked is a about a sweet romance and a rock star band, and how they make it big.

Deacon is one of those really big guys that look as ferocious as a grizzly bear but then you realize once you meet them that they're as cuddly as a teddy bear. He is super sweet, and wasn't planning on falling in love, but he doesn't try to run away once he knows what he has.

Harper is determined. She just got out of college and is working for the food company that goes on tour with bands. It's a leg into the business, though she already knew the touring business due to her roadie parents. Now all she wants is to have her own food touring group and she is determined to get it. Falling in love is not in the plan, especially with a rising rock star. Harper has been screwed over by one too many of those.

Together Deacon and Harper find love, even though its not a good time for either of them. Deacon is looking to get signed with his band, and Harper is planning on touring all over the country with the food company until she can get her own company. Their love is strong, but will it survive?

I loved Deacon. I can say that right up. He was such a sweet guy. Harper, on the other hand, was too focused on the future and not on the life she was currently living. Yes, in the end it all works out, but still. She was thinking so far ahead of herself she almost lost what was right in front of her.

The writing was well done and the story flowed nicely. I think I just didn't really like Harper all that much.

Definitely worth reading, if only to meet Deacon. But really, it was just so sweet.

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Synopsis:

Love definitely wasn't on the setlist.Opening for their idols on their first tour, Oblivion is living the dream. Mostly. Frustrated at being shoved out of his mediator role by their new manager, Deacon McCoy loses himself in brutal workouts. He only comes up for air long enough to refuel—and to tease the deliciously cute chef who makes him crave a lot more than what she's offering on her serving plate.

As the child of roadie parents, Harper Pruitt has heard every pickup line twice. To her, musicians are one step above the scraps on her cutting board. All she wants is to get enough experience to run her own catering company, but Deacon and his bottomless stomach are too tempting to resist. He's far from the typical rock star and before long, she finds herself experimenting with him, inside and out of the kitchen.

Apron - and panties - optional.

When Harper sees that Deacon’s dream band with his best friends may be turning into a nightmare, she can't walk away. Deacon's so much more than just a peacemaker and the man behind the bass. But she has her own dreams to chase...even if she's starting to think what she's building with him might be the biggest one of all.

Kacii

The Rules by Stacey Kade

The Rules by Stacey Kade
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
 
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Date Published: April 23 2013
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Source: Publisher

Ariane is a mix of human and extraterrestrial, an experiment. But she escaped the labs she came from and is now hiding among normal people, in plain sight, at a high school. She has to keep her head down, because is she is noticed she'll go back to the labs. But a cruel prank puts her in the spotlight, and into the eyes of the police chiefs son, Zane. Now she has a whole other rule to try not to break.

This book wasn't bad. But there are so many like this out right now (Maximum Ride series, Darkness Rising series, and others). I guess this idea for books is just... dragging for me. The idea has been used and reused and now its gone stale.

Don't get me wrong, the book was well written, the story polished, and I did really like Ariane and Zane. It was a good book. But the idea behind it was lacking for me.

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Synopsis:

1. Never trust anyone.

2. Remember they are always searching.

3. Don’t get involved.

4. Keep your head down.

5. Don’t fall in love.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival—and that of her adoptive father—depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.”

But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening—and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules…

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Kacii

Rival by Lacy Yager

Rival by Lacy Yager
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

Vampires have become so popular and a little too clichéd for vampire stories to ever really be different. This one is a little. A vampire Chaser family, Emily is just about to turn 18. Her mother wants to have a cotillion. Emily hates dresses. She loves to fight. She wants to be a chaser, just like her dad was, until he got killed by a vampire. Brett has juvenile arthritis. But he doesn't want anyone to know, because he doesn't want them to think that he is weak. He's been in love with Emily since he was 14 and she first threw him down on the mat. But he thinks its time to move on. She obviously interested. But some vampire attacks draw them closer together and with the martial arts competition coming up they turn towards each other rather than apart.

Not a bad book, just not a great one either. I think if vampires hadn't been so overused this would've seemed better to me. As it was it was just okay. I wasn't a fan of the insta-love either. But other than that the book was alright.

I'd say read it if you can't find anything good to read, but probably don't go out of your way for it. Maybe pick it up from the library or borrow from a friend.

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Synopsis:

Her destiny. His determination.
Born a fifth generation vampire Chaser, seventeen-year-old Emily Santos wants nothing more than to join the family business. But Emily's mother refuses, so Emily must channel her aggression into her martial arts training.

Black belt senior Brett Carson has decided it's time to rid himself of his unrequited feelings for Emily. But when he finds himself in the middle of an altercation with Emily and a gang of vampires, he is drawn into a world he never expected. And Brett is hiding a secret of his own...

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Kacii

A SEAL's Salvation by Tawny Weber

A SEAL's Salvation by Tawny Weber
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

Not too shabby.

Brody is a wounded soul, from seeing too much and feeling like he had failed not only himself but his fellow SEALS. Genna has a sheriff for a dad who shares control over her life with her mother. Both feel trapped, and the only ones who can open the door and let themselves out could just be each other...

I think this book is decent. You can feel how lost Brody is, and all you want to do is help. And Genna, you got to feel bad for her. But I also got super mad at her. I would never let anyone control my life. I'd put my foot down on that. And I get she feels guilty since her brother is the troublemaker, but someday you've got to start living your life on your own terms.

I think it was a sweet love story. A good read. Definitely something you can chill out with.

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Synopsis:

Subject: Navy SEAL Petty Officer Brody Lane

Current Status: On leave

Obstacle: The one girl who was off-limits…

Where navy SEAL "Bad Ass" Brody Lane goes, trouble follows. Being run out of his hometown years ago for misbehaving with Genna Reilly—the sheriff's daughter—was one thing. Now Brody is about to step into real danger. Not the suggestive letters he's been exchanging with Genna, but the kind of trouble that can send a soldier home injured and broken inside…

Genna's entire life has been orchestrated by her family. The right job. The right friends. Enough! Brody's return offers the promise of lust-filled pleasures. Of flesh teased and tasted. She's not expecting to find a soldier with distant eyes who has secluded himself from the world. But this good girl knows exactly how to bring a bad boy back to life….

Uniformly Hot! The Few. The Proud. The Sexy as Hell.

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Kacii

 

Escape In You by Rachel Schurig

Escape In You by Rachel Schurig
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
 

Publisher: Rachel Schurig
Date Published: October 13th 2013
Genre: New Adult Romance

Jet Taylor, or Taylor, as Zoe calls him, is a total bad boy. But deep inside he's just another wounded soul. And he falls head over heels for Zoe. Zoe had it all. Until her mother's sickness means that Zoe has to quit her life to help her mother. Two messed up people who fall for each other.

Okay, so I'm a little bored with this theme of broken people falling for each other. It's becoming redundant, which is why I'm giving it a three star. Maybe not fair rating a book down for becoming a cliche, but the other star I took off because of the drinking-and-suicidal cliches. It's just one book full of cheesy lines and cliches.

Any book that is written without spelling and/or grammar mistakes deserves at least two stars, and I did give the author credit for not throwing in another cliche I'm finding among New Adult--damsel in distress. At least the girls in this book could take care of themselves.

Like I said. It's an okay book. It's not terrible or anything. I'd read it to pass the time, but I probably wouldn't read it again after that. It's not addictive. There's no shebang flash BOOM! Nothing to hook the reader to the book. I think the novelty of cliches just makes the interest fade. Maybe it's what you need. A good filler-story.

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Synopsis:

This is a complete story with no cliffhanger! 

Jet Taylor is the quintessential bad boy. A womanizer. A fighter. Dangerous. The type of guy most girls do their best to avoid. But Zoe Janes is no saint herself. In fact, she sees in Jet the perfect opportunity to distract herself from her responsibilities at home and the mistakes that keep her trapped there. He’s gorgeous, likes to party, and is clearly only interested in having fun—just like Zoe. 

The more time they spend together, the harder it is for Zoe to stick to her “fun only” mantra. Jet is getting under her skin, making her believe things could actually be different. She knows they’re both trapped by the sins of their past but Jet is starting to make her think freedom might actually be possible. 

And that makes him the most dangerous boy of all.



Kacii

The Heiresses by Allison Rushby

The Heiresses by Allison Rushby
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
 
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Date Published: May 7th 2013
Genre: New Adult Historical Romance

In Allison Rushby's Heiresses, three triplets--estranged since birth--are thrust together in glittering 1926 London to fight for their inheritance, only to learn they can’t trust anyone--least of all each other.

When three teenage girls, Thalia, Erato and Clio, are summoned to the excitement of fast-paced London--a frivolous, heady city full of bright young things--by Hestia, an aunt they never knew they had, they are shocked to learn they are triplets and the rightful heiresses to their deceased mother's fortune. All they need to do is find a way to claim the fortune from their greedy half-brother, Charles. But with the odds stacked against them, coming together as sisters may be harder than they think.

Yes, I realize I copied the summary instead of inventing my own. So I'm saying right now as not to plagiarise that the description is the official synopsis off of Goodreads and I have no part of it. I Just don't have that many creative zings running through me at this hour. So I thought it best to borrow the description rather than write a bad summary.

Anyways, excuses aside, time for the review. I'm usually in love with historical fiction, but this book was just hard to get into. I suppose I usually lean towards pirates and slaves and such when I'm looking for historical fiction, so this may just not have been my taste. Nevertheless, I had a hard time getting into the story.

Other than not getting into the story I did like it. The writing was well done and things didn't seem amiss. I liked the names of the characters more than the characters themselves, I think. Thalia, Erato, and Clio are such cool names. Thalia I especially didn't like. She was trying to hurt her sisters and then she suddenly liked them? Eh, I don't think so. Clio is incredibly sweet. And Erato is super smart and really wants to have these sisters she's just found out about. I liked those two okay.

The storyline was okay, but it didn't pull me in. Thalia is mainly to blame for that. So overall, an okay story but I probably wouldn't buy the book.

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Synopsis:

In Allison Rushby's Heiresses, three triplets--estranged since birth--are thrust together in glittering 1926 London to fight for their inheritance, only to learn they can’t trust anyone--least of all each other.

When three teenage girls, Thalia, Erato and Clio, are summoned to the excitement of fast-paced London--a frivolous, heady city full of bright young things--by Hestia, an aunt they never knew they had, they are shocked to learn they are triplets and the rightful heiresses to their deceased mother's fortune. All they need to do is find a way to claim the fortune from their greedy half-brother, Charles. But with the odds stacked against them, coming together as sisters may be harder than they think.



Kacii

All Fired Up by Kate Meader

All Fired Up by Kate Meader
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
 
Publisher: Forever
Date Published: November 5th 2013
Genre: Romance

Cara DeLuca is an uptight, prissy woman. She has issues, like getting over her anorexia, fear of eating in front of other people, and a fear of letting other people in. She likes having control. But one night in Vegas and she's married to an Irishman who she doesn't even know. Shane is an Irish man with secrets of his own. Like Jack Kilroy, Cara's sister's fiancee, is his brother. But he doesn't know it. He's a mad cook and an even better pastry chef. While Cara wasn't in his plans, the heat between the two sparks and flies. It's too hard to stay away.

This book was okay. I didn't like Cara at all. Shane was awesome. But not Cara. She was really just too stuck-up for me. Even with her walls down, I just couldn't like her. Shane on the other hand was easy going and likeable.

The Vegas thing is kind of cliche. But all books need at least one good cliche. I don't know, it was an okay book but I had a hard time really getting into it, you know? It's not that the writing was bad, it was just kind of plain. But I have read much, much worse stories. So I couldn't give it two stars because I felt it was better than that but not as great as what I usually like.

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Synopsis:

Her sweetest mistake . . .

Cool as a Chicago winter, private events planner Cara DeLuca is a model of self-control . . . until she meets the one temptation she can't resist: Shane Doyle. The sexy, Irish pastry chef is too hot, too sure, too young, and after a crazy night in Vegas - her new husband. While at first Cara wants nothing more than a way out of her sham marriage to Shane, she soon finds that beneath his farm boy demeanor lies a man who can match her drive, both in and out of the bedroom. How can the wrong guy feel so deliciously right?

. . . Tastes so, so good

Shane has carefully structured his career and life around one goal: connecting with the family that doesn't know he exists. Marrying a woman with more issues than a magazine stand wasn't part of the plan, but melting Cara's icy exterior is so worth the detour. Now as the annulment date nears and long-buried secrets are revealed, Shane will have to fight for the one thing guaranteeing the perfect life he craves . . . the current Mrs. Shane Doyle.



Kacii