Review ~ The Dragons Saga: Legend of the Oceina Dragon by J.F. Jenkins

TITLE: The Dragons Saga: Legend of the Oceina Dragon

AUTHOR: J.F. Jenkins
COPYRIGHT: 2/21/11
TYPE: y/a fantasy
PAGES: unknown with kindle
SERIES: I’m going with yes

REASON FOR READING: Offered on BLB Tour thought it looked interesting plus I love Dragons!

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):
Darien Oceina is the youngest son of the Great Dragon Lord of the Water. For years he's loved and cherished Tai Dawson from afar. Tai is a simple, ordinary girl who doesn't even know Darien exists. On his eighteenth birthday, he chooses her as his wife. But there’s one problem: She thinks his choice means she's going to be offered as a sacrifice to the Dragon Lord, but instead, she’s forced to move to his home, far away, to give up her life and be his bride.
When she first sees Darien after the ceremony, she doesn’t expect to feel anything but hatred toward him. The two are struggling with the complications of a new marriage when their nation is attacked by a rival dragon species. Together they learn to love one another while they struggle to stay one step ahead in a game where the prize is their survival

THOUGHTS/OPINION:
This book had a lot of potential and I was really shocked that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I found the heroine a little no scratch that really immature. She was offered as a sacrifice to the Dragons which she did props to her. She misses her mom I get that but the night of the sacrifice she sees a really HAWT guy and has sex. Then blames him repeatedly over and over that she is just a glorified breeding tool. She won’t listen to him and she doesn’t believe what he says even though she went into it willingly. I get she is young and so is the hero but, she is wish washy to me. One moment she comments on how nice he was the next she is screaming at him for screwing her when she didn’t need him.

It was a weird combo for me and not something I enjoyed. Now please keep in mind that I am not a strong Y/A reader and it takes A LOT for me to enjoy a y/a book b/c the hero or heroine repeatedly get immature or selfish on me and that annoys the crap out of me. Other than the heroine who couldn’t connect with I found the story to be very entertaining. I love the dragon aspect and the world building that was done with this plot. I would love to read more about this world and would probably enjoy reading about the brothers and their mates or even the mother and father story.

The diary part was the best for me I have to admit that I really enjoyed those scenes and watching Darien come to grips with some heavy information. All in all it wasn’t my favorite but that was simply due to the heroine and not connecting. Where she didn’t connect with me she might with others so I would still recommend this book especially if you enjoy reading Y/A books.

Challenges:
Out Do Yourself Challenge
E-book Challenge





Additional Links: Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours


Disclaimer:


Disclosure of Material Connection: i am a member of the Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours and a copy was provided to me by the author. although payment may have been received by Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

Review ~ Wickedly Charming by Kristine Grayson

TITLE: Wickedly Charming

AUTHOR: Kristine Grayson
COPYRIGHT: 5/1/11
TYPE: fairy tale retake
PAGES: 352
SERIES: no I don’t think so

REASON FOR READING: Sourcebook offered up the ARC and I love me some fairy-tale remakes

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):
Cinderella's Prince Charming is divorced and at a dead-end in his career, so he opens a bookstore and travels the land ordering books and discovering new authors. Still handsome and still charming, he has given up on women, royalty, and anything that smacks of a future.


Mellie is sick and tired of being called the Evil Stepmother. She did her best by her stepdaughter Snow White, but the girl resented her to no end and made all kinds of false accusations.


Neither of them believes in happily ever after anymore, but both of them believe in happily for the moment...

****You can win a copy of this book (or anybook on the giveaway shelf) simply by leaving a comment with your email account. Lucky winner will be picked next Friday!****

THOUGHTS/OPINION:
This is a fairytale retake on the traditional HEA. First off the wicked step-mother is ticked off that we here on Earth think that she is wicked. I mean after all we never got to hear her own story did we? And what about those Prince Charmings we heard all about growing up as a little girl haven’t you ever wondered about their marriages? Did they really get a HEA? I know I was always curious as a child and would ask my mother the HEA questions with a follow up yes I understand they lived that way but how do you know they did?

Needless to say she would tell me to go to sleep. Ms. Grayson however, has decided to answer the above questions in this cute little romantic story. Apparently not every fairy tale creature or story character does live HEA. In fact Prince Charming is divorced who would’ve thought? Not to mention that evil step mother is in fact not so evil. Did we ever wonder if maybe just maybe her ward/child was evil and drove her mad? So I have to say this book managed to hit all the right spots for me.

I loved learning about the fairytale creatures and their not so HEAs I loved learning how the world of Fairy differs from our world and I have to admit that this was a very cute sweet book.

Don’t go into this book expecting much b/c come on people it’s a fairy tale retake but do go into it expecting romance that is realistic, fairy tale characters, and the thought that fairytales don’t always turn out the way we want.

One of my favorite parts is when Charming is explain to the Step mother Mellie that she has to revamp her image like vampires did you know the sparkling ones LOL I howled at that ;)

Are you keeping it or passing it on? While it was cute it’s not going to be a re-read for me so I am giving away my copy to one lucky reader!

Challenges:
Out Do Yourself Challenge
Sourcebook Arc

Review ~ Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon

TITLE: Snowball in Hell

AUTHOR: Josh Lanyon

COPYRIGHT: 2011

TYPE: M/M mystery/romance
PAGES: 191
SERIES: yes apparently this is book one!

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REASON FOR READ:
Love me some Josh Lanyon and I thought the book sounded interesting

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):
It's 1943 and the world is at war. Journalist Nathan Doyle has just returned home from North Africa--still recovering from wounds received in the Western Desert Campaign--when he's asked to cover the murder of a society blackmailer.
Lt. Matthew Spain of the LAPD homicide squad hates the holidays since the death of his beloved wife a few months earlier, and this year isn’t looking much cheerier what with the threat of attack by the Japanese and a high-profile homicide investigation. Matt likes Nathan; maybe too much.


If only he didn’t suspect that Nathan had every reason to commit murder.

THOUGHTS/OPINION:
I have to admit that I am relatively new to the M/M genre that being said I don’t branch out much. Mr. Lanyon is one that I auto buy or try to get every time. In fact his Adrien English series is one of my favorite and the first I’d ever read in this genre. Fan girl squeal over…

Okay I don’t think I ever really thought about how hard it had to be for people in the 40’s or earlier to be different. And by different I mean to follow in love with someone of the same sex. I guess since I’ve grown up with gay and lesbian friends and have been around it a lot I never gave any thoughts to how hard it must have been for people who couldn’t come out over fear of death, beatings, or losing their jobs. To me while they are still fighting to be accepted it has never really sank in at what others before this generation has had to go through.

That being said this book really helped me to open my eyes about it. Mr. Lanyon has painted a world at work in 1943. His two main characters are war weary and tired. Lt. Spain was injured in the war and sent home to his wife who died from cancer recently. During the war he discovered that while he loved his wife he was happier with men. Nathan on the other hand has always know that he prefers men to women. Out of both of these men I felt sorry for Nathan who only wants love but due to society can’t get it, can’t have it in the open without fear, and it appears at times feels he doesn’t deserve it.

The way these two come together is interesting Nathan is a reporter and Matt is a police officer. A murder has been committed that Nathan is covering and discovers that the deceased happens to be someone he saw last alive. But, does he tell Matt this information? Nope. He then goes all Adrien on me and tries to solve the murders on his own. In the meantime Matt tries to protect him while also solving the murder.

The mystery was interesting there were a lot of suspects and it was fun to watch them get crossed off only to be brought back later. I was guessing toward the end and happily I did not guess right (I hate figuring these things out it ruins it for me). I really enjoyed this book.

If I had any complaints it would be that it was too short and the next one isn’t coming out tomorrow!

Favorite Quotes:
Jonesy said, “Lot of things could go wrong with that plan. The fact is the kidnappers might never have received the money.” “It was their plan,” Bob said. “We didn’t get a vote. We had to do it their way.” ~ Not sure on the page due to kindle but I loved how it shows the style of writing Mr. Lanyon has.

Challenges:
Out Do Yourself Challenge
E-book Challenge
Netgalley Review



Reviewing Next:
Wickedly Charming by Kristine Grayson

Review ~ Wayward by Ashley Girardi

TITLE:Wayward
AUTHOR: Ashley Girardi
COPYRIGHT:3/27/11
TYPE: I'm going to go with y/a fantasy...
PAGES:157 on the kindle
SERIES:yes book 1 in 3 I believe

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REASON FOR READING: Was offered on BLB Tours so I jumped at the chance to read it!

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):
Born without magic, seventeen-year-old Helena “Hex” Wayward is an embarrassment to her power-hungry relatives.
As the weakest member of the world’s most deadly magical family, Hex learns early how to avoid confrontation. There’s no defending herself against an errant curse or the pit-demon that her cousins like to summon during family reunions.
When the dark magic inside of her -- magic that she never dreamt even existed -- erupts in a violent display, it kills a member of a rival family.
Now, Hex's family hopes to use her magic for their own sinister purposes and their enemies just want her dead. Abandoning her magic will leave Hex defenseless but she's seen how quickly power corrupts even the best intentions.
Caught between the seductive sorcerer who wants her power for his own and the forbidden love of a human boy, Hex has to make a choice:
Save her life or save her soul.

THOUGHTS/OPINION:
This book had me confused at first then somehow I looked up and I was done 3 hours later. It moved with a wonderful pace, the plot began to pick up, and finally the mystery sucked me in and I had no choice but to sit back and enjoy.

This book completely took me by surprise I was rooting for Hex and at the same time I could sympathize with her which is very unusual for me especially since she was a 17 year old girl. Hex was a real person though she was written in such a way that I wanted to get to know her better, to help her, but most of all I was rooting for her. The best part she didn't do anything TSTL which is a blessing b/c it is getting harder and harder to find solid written y/a books whose females aren't Bella from Twilight (I shall die if the creepy vampire or the love of my life isn't with me.) Hex isn't one of those. She isn't a whiner she is someone in a very difficult position trying to stay alive and have a someone normal life.
This world is very different than what I expected it was a cross between Black Jewels (how dark and dangerous everyone was and figuring out who you can trust if anyone) and Laurell K Hamilton's Meredith Gentry series. Either way Ms. Girardi scored for me and I have to say I can not personally wait until the next one comes out and I really, really, really hope that I get a chance to read it *wink wink*


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Disclosure of Material Connection: i am a member of the Book Lovin' Bitches E-book Tours and a copy was provided by the author. although payment may have been received by Book Lovin' Bitches E-book Tours, i did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was i obligated to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising