Thief Of Shadows Book Review

Book Title: Thief of Shadows (Maiden Lane #4)
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Source: Netgalley
Genre: Adult historical romance
Setting: London, England 1738
Rating: 5/5 Stars











Book Summary:

A masked man...
Winter Makepeace lives a double life. By day he's the stoic headmaster of a home for foundling children. But the night brings out a darker side of Winter. As the moon rises, so does the Ghost of St. Giles—protector, judge, fugitive. When the Ghost, beaten and wounded, is rescued by a beautiful aristocrat, Winter has no idea that his two worlds are about to collide.

A dangerous woman...
Lady Isabel Beckinhall enjoys nothing more than a challenge. Yet when she's asked to tutor the Home's dour manager in the ways of society— flirtation, double entendres, and scandalous liaisons—Isabel can't help wondering why his eyes seem so familiar—and his lips so tempting.

A passion neither could deny...
During the day Isabel and Winter engage in a battle of wills. At night their passions are revealed...But when little girls start disappearing from St. Giles, Winter must avenge them. For that he might have to sacrifice everything—the Home, Isabel...and his life.

My Review:

 I read the first book in the Maiden Lane series sometime last year, so when I saw this on netgalley, and that it was Winter Makepeace story, one of the characters I was really curious about in Wicked Intentions, I was quite excited to read this. And I wasn't disappointed. There's that saying that goes, "Still waters run deep." After reading Winter's story, I totally agree with that saying.

St. Giles is part of London, ridden with orphans, prostitutes, almost every horrible thing one can imagine. Winter the schoolmaster and manager of the orphan home and The Ghost of St. Giles lives to right the wrongs. And then there is Isabel, one of Winter's home patrons. These two are brought together by the fortune event (or misfortune, I do prefer the fortunate) when Isabel saves The Ghost from a riot, and later on when the orphan home is in danger of falling into someone else's hands. As the story advances, so does the romance between these two as well as the mystery surrounding children disappearing in the streets.

I loved Isabel's character. On the outside, she is strong, confident always sure of herself.And she is older and more sexually oriented than Winter.Then her life is revealed through her POV. This is someone who had gone through alot in her life, and is still suffering. I really sympathised with her.

I loved Winter's character as well, maybe a little too much. On the outside, he is the boring, stern schoolmaster who has dedicated his life to the children in his home. On the inside, and also when he takes the role of The Ghost, he is daring, passionate, wields swords like flash of lightning. And he is younger than Isabel, inexperienced in the matters of making love. He is also stubborn, and straighforward. Never minces his words, and oh so gentle (could see that whenever he was with Isabel)

So when these two finally got together, the scenes left me breathless. And what a happy ever after.

I'm really looking forward to Lord of Darkness, which also features a character I adored and felt sympathy for in Wicked Intentions. Yay! In the meantime, I will play catchup with the other book in the series.

Fan of well written, action packed, and scenes which leave one breathless... I recommend this series.

Eye candy Monday featuring Frey and Liese from Truly, Madly Deeply You

Today, Inkspell publishing is featuring the couple from my Novella, Truly, Madly, Deeply, You - Freytag Meier and Liese Hansfield.

Book Summary:

Just when she thought she had lost love, she found her heart and soul.

Four days before Valentine’s Day, Liese Hansfeld is determined to shut the door to her house, as well as her heart, for her annual four days of mourning her one true love. Little does she know her best friend Freytag Meier is just as determined to keep her from her ritual. He’s ready to pick the lock to her apartment door and camp in her living room if that’s what it takes.

What Freytag isn’t prepared for is the surge of deep-rooted emotions he feels for Liese, but two things stand in his way: the grief and guilt she still clutches close to her heart, and a man who threatens to snatch Liese from under Frey’s watchful eye. Frey is determined to distract her into forgetting her pain. But is that enough to ease her grief, or help her see he can be more than her best friend?

To see who Liese and Frey most resemble, head over @ Inkspell page below.

http://www.inkspellpublishing.com/1/post/2012/06/eyecandy-monday-meet-liese-and-freytag-from-truly-madly-deeply-you-by-cecilia-robert.html

Sometimes Mondays can feel like

But don't let that nail you down. 4 more days to the weekend. That's great right?

 Yay!

Hope your Monday is going great, though.  

My weekend was quite busy. On Friday my youngest, Alyssa, and my oldest, Donell had summer parties in both their schools, so we had to attend Alyssa's first  then Donell's. Later on,  the kids took a ride on the canoe down the Donau river channel. I opted to keep my distance from that vast amount of  water. Even though they had swimming vests and everything, plus the water level was just above my knees, I was very distrustful of those rocking canoes, in case, they spilled me into those waters.

(that's Aly and Don in the middle)

Annnddd my son turned fourteen on Saturday. He had over ten friends from school come over, and so you can imagine how busy it was trying to satiate 10 hungry adolescent boys. Thank goodness the weather was super-fine and they took care of entertaining themselves outside in the garden.

By the time I was leaving for work for my afternoon shift everyone was fully watered and fed, save for Mellie, our dog,who was frustrated and excited and thirsty all rolled into one. Lots of activities and new faces popping in and out of the flat. Plus the heat was just too much for her.

I managed to write at least 1500 words from my WIP in the midst of all that was happening, and I'm really proud of myself for that. yay! :) 

How was your weekend? Did anything special?

Easy by Tammara Weber Book Review

Book Summary: from Goodreads

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, stalked by her ex’s frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Her econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor, who shows her that she’s still the same intelligent girl she’s always been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual. There’s just one problem—their only interactions are through email.

Meanwhile, a guy in her econ class proves his worth the first night she meets him. Nothing like her popular ex or her brainy tutor, Lucas sits on the back row, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. At a downtown club, he disappears after several dances that leave her on fire. When he asks if he can sketch her, alone in her room, she agrees—hoping for more.

Then Jacqueline discovers a withheld connection between her supportive tutor and her seductive classmate, her ex comes back into the picture, and her stalker escalates his attention by spreading rumors that they’ve hooked up. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

Author Recommendation: Mature Young Adults (language, drinking, sexual situations

My Review:


Easy, Easy, Easy...*sigh* that was my reaction after reading the last sentence of this emotional and wonderfully written book. One of my favourite books of the year, I'd say.

The story begins with Jacqueline, still nursing a heartbreak, leaving a Halloween party. She's sexually assaulted in the parking lot by none other than a fellow college student, who she knows and never thought he'd ever harm her in any way. Just when things are about to get worse, someone comes to her rescue. That someone is Lucas, a guy in her economics class, who she'd never even seen before. Thing is, Lucas has always seen her, always adored her from a distance.

Oh, Lucas. Where do I begin to describe this guy... He loves to draw, protective, sexy and smart... Behind all that, is a guy who is tortured by his own past and has built a wall, keeping everyone at arms length. That is until Jacqueline comes along. It takes a while for him to open up to her about his past.

Hats off to Ms Webber for writing steamy kissing scenes that left me breathless. :) Lucas and Jacqueline's happy ever after had me smiling and sighing dreamily.

The book deals with rape, breakups, moving on, finding love.. I highly recommend this book.

Review of Improper Relations

Title: Improper Relations
Publisher:  Carina Press
Pub Date: April 23, 2012
Book source: Netgalley
Rating: 4/5 stars

Author website: http://julianaross.com/


Book Summary

Dorset, 1858

When Hannah's caught watching her late husband's cousin debauch the maid in the library, she's mortified -- but also intrigued. An unpaid companion to his aunt, she's used to being ignored.

The black sheep of the family, Leo has nothing but his good looks and noble birth to recommend him. Hannah ought to be appalled at what she's witnessed, but there's something about Leo that draws her to him.

When Leo claims he can prove that women can feel desire as passionately as men, Hannah is incredulous. Her own experiences have been uninspiring. Yet she can't bring herself to refuse his audacious proposal when he offers to tutor her in the art of lovemaking. As the tantalizing, wicked lessons continue, she begins to fear she's losing not just her inhibitions, but her heart as well. The poorest of relations, she has nothing to offer Leo but herself. Will it be enough when their erotic education ends?

Review: 

In this short story, Hannah, a widow, is portrayed as naive when it comes to the art of lovemaking. Leo on the other hand is experienced, and readily offers to demonstrate - yes demonstrate - to Hannah that whatever she has been told all along about women not supposed to enjoy themselves during sex is all wrong. 

What begin as lessons driven by curiosity, soon develop deeper meaning, and create conflict for both, given that, Leo is meant to marry someone else.

The story was well written, the scenes steamy in a leave-me-breathless kind of way (a good way).  All in all, this was a fantastic read. I'll be sure to check out Ms Ross books in the future.. 

My Friday Fantastic Feature

Happy Friday, Friends! Hope you all had a great week. Today, I'm delighted to have Julia Crane, the author of the Young Adult paranormal book series Keegan Chronicles. hanging out with me. 

 About the author:

Julia Crane is the author of the YA paranormal fiction novels: Keegan's Chronicles, Mesmerized and Eternal Youth. Julia was greatly encouraged by her mother to read and use her imagination, and she's believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Julia has traveled far and wide to all the places her grandmother told her about, gaining inspiration from her journeys to places like Nepal, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, Italy, France and many more. And who knows? Maybe the magical creatures she writes about are people she met along the way.

Julia Crane has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Although she's spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children. 

CeCe: Welcome, Julia. It's great to have you here. Please tell us a little about yourself.

Julia: Thanks for having me. Every time I hear/read “Tell us a little about yourself,” it reminds me of being in school when you had to stand up and tell the class your name and something about you. I was beyond shy growing up, so that was always dreaded! Let’s see. I’m a young adult author, married with three children—two teens and a toddler. We currently live in Dubai, and I am so pleased to have made my dream of writing a reality.

CeCe: Which project are you currently promoting? 

Coexist: Keegan’s Chronicles
 

Book Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends--she's an elf, descended from a long line of elves that live in secrecy alongside humans.

In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen. Against tradition, Keegan's brother Thaddeus told her Rourk's name because his visions warned him she'd need Rourk's protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves.

Rourk finds himself drawn to Keegan's side every time she thinks his name. He wants to talk to her but remains in the shadows, silently guarding her every time she mentally beckons him. A twist of fate thrusts the two of them together when Rourk is forced to step up his protection and make his presence known.
 An ancient prophecy deeply entwines Keegan's family and the future of their society. Somehow they must find a way to thwart fate and win the battle...without losing Keegan. With war brewing, and dark forces aligning, will Keegan and Rourk ever have the life together that they both desire?


 CeCe: How did you come up with the book titles Conflicted, Consumed and Co-exist?

Julia: Usually, when I’m trying to come up with a title, I find the word that I think is the main theme of the book, and then I open a thesaurus and make a list of synonyms. From there, I narrow it down. I never intended the books to all start with C, but once I thought of Conflicted, I decided to keep the same first letter.

 CeCe: Your book covers are an absolute treat. May I ask who designed them for you?

Julia: Thanks! I am so lucky. I have found so many great artists to work with. Kadri Umbleja did the image manipulation, and Christine from Flip City Covers did the fonts, back and spine.

CeCe: Let’s talk about the main character in Keegan’s Chronicles? Tell us a little about Keegan. How old is she? Her astrological sign? Her hobbies...

Julia: Keegan starts the series out at the age of 16 and turns 18 in the last book, and she’s a Libra. On her birthday, a big event takes place. I don’t want to give away a spoiler, but it’s a matter of life and death. 

CeCe: How difficult was it creating this character?

Julia: It wasn’t very difficult. I have a teenage daughter, and I took a lot of characteristics for the character from her and her friends.
 

CeCe: How difficult was it doing the research for this project? 

Julia: I know this sounds odd, but I really didn’t research. I don’t think I’ve ever read an elf book before. I did google light/dark elves, but there wasn’t a ton of information. I had the story in my head and just sat down and wrote it.

CeCe: Are you working on any other project at the moment?

Julia: Too many projects it seems. I just finished Anna, which is a spin off from Keegan’s Chronicles. I’m in the revision stage of a co-written project with Talia Jager called Dark Promise. I’ve been taking notes on two upcoming novels, and I plan to start one this month. One will be about Lauren, a character from Keegan’s Chronicles, and the other is a new series about water sprites.

CeCe: Please share with us the book you are reading currently.

Julia: Forbidden by Syrie James and Ryan M. James. It’s great, I’m totally sucked in already.

CeCe: What do you do when you are not writing? 

Julia: Hang out with my husband and kids, walk, bike rides, read and try not to eat too many carbs.
 
CeCe: I try to minimise my carbs intake as well. Can't say I'm very successful though.. haha. Where can readers and fans find you online?

www.juliacraneauthor.com

Amazon

Nook

iBooks

Want to know more about Julia, her current projects or what she is generally up to? Please hope over to her website. 

Have a great weekend!

Jolene Perry's Knee Deep blog tour

Author:  Jolene Perry
Source: Tribute Blog Tours 
eBook
ISBN: 9780983741886
ISBN: 9781476060316
Pages: 240
Release: May 1, 2012

Rating: 5/5 stars

Knee Deep Summary

Shawn is the guy Ronnie Bird promised her life to at the age of fourteen. He's her soul mate. He's more uptight every day, but it's not his fault. His family life is stressful, and she's adding to it. She just needs to be more understanding, and he'll start to be the boy she fell in love with. She won’t give up on someone she’s loved for so long.

Luke is her best friend, and the guy she hangs with to watch girlie movies in her large blanketopias. He's the guy she can confide in before she even goes to her girlfriends, and the guy who she's playing opposite in Romeo and Juliet. Now her chest flutters every time he gets too close. This is new. Is Ronnie falling for him? Or is Juliet? The lines are getting blurry, but leaving one guy for another is not something that a girl like Ronnie does.

Shawn’s outbursts are starting to give her bruises, and Luke’s heart breaks as Ronnie remains torn. While her thoughts and feelings swirl around the lines between friendship and forever, she’s about to lose them both. 

Jolene Perry's Bio:

Jolene grew up in Wasilla, Alaska. She graduated from Southern Utah University with a degree in political science and French, which she used to teach math to middle schoolers.

After living in Washington, Utah and Las Vegas, she now resides in Alaska with her husband, and two children. Aside from writing, Jolene sews, plays the guitar, sings when forced, and spends as much time outside as possible.

She is also the author of Night Sky and The Next Door Boys.

My Review:

What a fantastic story! So heartbreaking and real. Loving someone is easy, especially if you've known them like forever. Letting go is hard,and finally when you take a deep breath and exhale, there's that big, bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Like the previous books I've read written by Jolene Perry, this one had me turning the pages, experiencing the MCs conflicts, emotions and her life.

Ronnie and Shawn have been in love since their childhood years, and to Ronnie, their love is meant to last forever. Lately it seems Shawn has changed, and become more aggressive and possessive of Ronnie. On the other hand, Shawn's life isn't perfect. He works for his bad-tempered father after school. His life at home is not a peaceful one with his parents fighting like every night.

Then there is Luke, Ronnie's bestfriend who loves her, but never showed her his true feelings, that is until both take part in Romeo and Juliet. He is like a knight with some sort radar, always sensing when Ronnie needs to be rescued from very tight spots, and always from Shawn. Luke is also the kind of easy going guy who stops by your house to have a chat your parents, help with stuff. And the parents adore him. I wish I had one of like him. instead of the ones who had a habit of sneaking around in the backyard.

Being Ronnie isn't easy, and the kind of situation she finds herself in is quite a strain, and I guess emotionally confusing. It was great to see Ronnie finally stop defending Shawn after realising her love for him will never surpass his need to be possessive and his aggressiveness. I highly recommend this book, and in the process, checkout other books by Ms Perry.

Buy Links:

 

Kindle buy link - $2.99  Kindle Link

Nook buy link - $4.95 Nook Link
 

 iBookstore buy link - $4.99 Coming soon

Google buy link - $3.79 Google Link

Smashwords buy link - $4.99  Smashwords

PDF buy link - $4.95 https://www.payloadz.com/go/sip?id=1587563

 Knee Deep web site:
 
http://knee-deep-book.blogspot.com/
 
Knee Deep Twitter hashtag:
#KneeDeep

Knee Deep GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12987551-knee-deep

Jolene Perry's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002038196677

Jolene Perry's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/JoleneBPerry

Jolene Perry's Website:
http://www.jolenebperry.com/

Jolene Perry's Blog:
http://www.jolenesbeenwriting.blogspot.com/

Jolene Perry's GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4944599.Jolene_B_Perry

Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com

Tribute Books Facebook:
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Tribute Books Twitter:
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