Review: Son Of The First, by N.S. Armstrong

I'm so excited to share my review of N.S. Armstrong's debut, coming of age, paranormal-fantasy SON OF THE FIRST.

Disclaimer: N.S. Armstrong and I are both part of the WH,WN Community. However, I voluntarily offered to review Son of the First, and all opinions are my own.

With that out of the way… I came in expecting a laugh-out-loud paranormal romp, but got a whole lot more!

Review: Only With You, by Kyra Lennon

 

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

Today, I have a treat for you, as I have not only my review from Kyra Lennon’s newly released contemporary romance ONLY WITH YOU (Oakwood Lane Book Two), but also some teasers from the book.

Read on for more…

REVIEW: Shelter Me From Darkness, by Katie L. Smith

I have a treat for you all today -- my review of Katie L. Smith's witch/shifter paranormal-romance SHELTER ME FROM DARKNESS, along with an excerpt from the book.

Before I begin, a quick disclaimer: Katie and I are both part of the WH,WN Community. However, I voluntarily offered to review Shelter Me from Darkness, and all opinions are my own.

With that out of the way, onto my review. This book gave me serious author envy. Fellow writers will know what I mean. You read a book that's so good it a) makes you wish you'd written it and b) makes you want to improve your own writing.

That's how I felt on finishing Shelter Me From Darkness.

Something I always look out for when reading is lore and world-building, and Katie does it wonderfully. There's a unique magic system, with different abilities and various origins for these abilities (such as pledging yourself to a God or Goddess), which extends not only to the witch characters but the shifters and other paranormal beings too. It's clear Katie is familiar with mythology and folklore, and she weaves it seamlessly into her story, making the magical systems her own. Honestly, I would happily read a whole lore book about Katie's world!

Another thing Katie does wonderfully is making relatable, likeable characters. I quickly fell in love with her main character Piper, empathised with what she'd been through, and was rooting for her to succeed from beginning to end. The side characters, like Piper's Mom and her best friend Lark, are also easy to like and relatable and I'd happily read spin-off books featuring them.

The sexual tension between Piper and her former lover/fated mate, wolf-shifter Dean is OFF.THE.CHARTS and the steamy scenes left me breathless.

Katie perfectly balanced the supernatural mystery in the story, along with the second chance romance, and the over-arching plot of Piper's death curse.

While book one had a clear resolution, not everything is neatly tied up in a bow by the end, and I'm eager for book two, to read what's in store for Piper next.

Overall, SHELTER ME FROM DARKNESS is an excellent debut, and a promising start to one of my new favourite series.

BOOK RELEASE: And It All Comes Down To You, by Kyra Lennon

Author Kyra Lennon presents her latest release, a New Adult Contemporary Romance novella,

"And It All Comes Down To You"

Title: And It All Comes Down To You

Author: Kyra Lennon

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

Two Friends. A music festival. What could possibly go wrong?

Oh right, the Great British weather. 

Marnie Ross swore she wouldn’t get her hopes up when Logan Ryan invited her for a day out, listening to some of the UK’s hottest bands, and soaking up the sun in a field full of drunken revellers. After all, it isn’t a date, right? If only it were that simple. Marnie is in serious danger of setting herself on fire with the torch she carries for Logan. 

When a freak storm puts a dampener on their festival fun, Marnie and Logan are forced to check into a B&B for the night, and the only music they hear comes from the ancient jukebox in the pub down the street. However, will this change of plans be a blessing in disguise? 

Rum and cokes lead to reminiscing, and the sparks flying between them make Marnie’s feelings impossible to ignore. Everything has always come down to Logan, since she first scrawled his initials all over her school books. Will she embrace the chance to make her dreams come true, or will the fear of being burned keep her out in the rain?

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Author Info

Kyra Lennon was born on the South coast of England, and to this day, still lives by the sea. Fiction writing has always been her passion, but she also has numerous articles on a variety of topics published on prolific websites.

Follow Kyra on Amazon (and see her other books!)

Like Kyra's Author Page on Facebook

Twitter (@KLennonWrites)

Follow Kyra on Goodreads

My Review

[Disclaimer: I beta read this for Kyra Lennon prior to release.]

My favourite aspect of Kyra Lennon's books is always how real the characters feel, like people you could meet and they'd become your friends.

And It All Comes Down To You is no different. We've all been where Marnie Ross is, carrying a torch for someone who we're not sure even realises.

Marnie's feelings for Logan Ryan are very real and relatable. Her inner thoughts and conversations with best friend Lydia feel natural, and like something you'd hear between two BFFs in real life.

Logan Ryan is a refreshing change from the usual bad-boy often found in contemporary romance. He's sexy, but sweet, cute and caring too. A perfect drool-worthy combination.

The writing, as always, is superb with great pacing. I loved the two different tenses, with Marnie in the present talking to Lydia about what happened, and then experiencing that in the past in the sections with Marnie and Logan on their way to the festival. 

I think the story, and the message behind the book can be perfectly summed up with this one quote from Marnie:

"Isn't that what everyone wants in a relationship? Not only someone to trust, to confide in, to talk to when times get rough, but someone you can be an absolute twat with, with no concerns they're going to think you're a weirdo?"

This is the perfect embodiment of love, and is what - I think - deep down we're all looking for.

If you want to know if Marnie finds that with Logan, you're going to have to buy the novella ...

Buccaneer Blogfest: Week Three, Day Nine

 

I'm back again with day nine of the month long Buccaneer Blogfest hosted by Sharon Bayliss and Courtney Young.

Before I get started, first I'd like to thank everyone who commented on Wednesday's post. The continued support and words of encouragement are greatly appreciated.

   

Reading: July 27 - Recommend or review a book of choice. Tell the interwebz why you love it!

 

  

I've been waiting for this, because I've so excited to talk about Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series, the third instalment of which was released on July 24th in the US and will be out on August 2nd in the UK.

Before I read the Paranormalcy series I, wrongly, assumed that all paranormal romances were like Twilight, and lacked compelling characters or substance. Kiersten White proved me wrong. The Paranormalcy series is what paranormal romances should be like.

Evie, the protagonist, is compelling. She's independent, while still vulnerable. Sassy, while still caring, and full of life. Her teen voice, which could have become annoying, is actually hilarious and one of the aspects that really drew me in to the series. I love how she says "bleep" instead of swearing.

The boys … oh the boys are something else. While there is a triangle, of sorts, it isn't contrived. Evie isn't flip-flopping between the two in an annoying manner. Her love interest, Lend, is an exceptional typical guy. I won't reveal what his deal is, but he manages to couple the paranormal with the normal. He goes to college, he has lab work to do, they talk about prom. While her ex, Reth, is the bad boy you love to hate, and you know if you just scratch the surface there's a lot of depth and mystery there.

Coupling the normal with paranormal is actually a huge part of the series, and while Evie slays vamps, she still has to go to class and do her homework. Along with the fantastical elements, there's something really releatable about a story of a girl who just wants to fit in, find her place in the world and have a normal life. I think we've all been in that position.

The "monsters" are thrilling, and it's clear Kiersten White knows her stuff. My particular favourites are the vampires, who aren't glamorous, dazzling creatures of the night, but in fact walking corpses under their Glamours. 

Each book is full of twists and turns, and the endings were never obvious, while still been successfully set up for. They left you guessing what happened next, and wanting more, while still offering a sense of completion.

All these reasons, a many more – fantastic supporting characters, a fully realized thought out world (including the concept of the International Paranormal Containment Agency) – are why the Paranormalcy series is one of my favourite young adult urban fantasy series.
 

You can buy the books here: Paranormalcy | Supernaturally | Endlessly