Dangerous Deceptions

 

SYNOPSIS:

As a lady in waiting in King George’s London court, Peggy has survived a forced betrothal, royal scandals, and an attempt or two on her life. And now she has a new problem: her horrible fiancé has returned to claim her! To save her neck, or at least her hand in marriage, Peggy joins forces with her cousin Olivia and her sweetheart, Matthew. But if she doesn’t play her cards right, her career as courtier and spy might come to an end at the bottom of the river Thames . . .

REVIEW:

Once again I had many questions left unanswered! UGH! I hate that. I was also disappointed to not receive answers to questions I had about the previous story. But I would continue reading the series even so.

Although I found the mystery more intriguing in the first novel, Palace of Spies, I really enjoyed how much this novel talked about a courtiers life. The friendships, keeping up appearances, gaining trust. It is truly fascinating (to me at least!) 

WHAT TO READ (OR WATCH) NEXT
(OR IF YOU ENJOY THESE YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THIS NOVEL...)

 

Broken Aro Book Blitz (and Giveaway!)

Broken Aro (The Broken Ones #1)

by Jen Wylie 

Release Date: 09/04/12

Untold Press

265 pages

Summary from Goodreads:
Open your eyes to darkness. What do you see? Does the darkness frighten you? Now imagine the darkness being the cargo hold of a slave ship. Your city has fallen. Your family is most likely dead. You don't know anyone around you, and some of them aren't even human. Giving up would be so easy to do, but not for Arowyn Mason. Not after being raised in a military family with seven brothers. Every great story should begin with a plan. Aro's was to escape and to survive.

Escape comes, but at a price. As they reach the shore, Aro and the other survivors learn that freedom doesn't mean safety. The slavers want their property back and will do anything to get it. The party uses every ounce of their brute strength, a hearty helping of cunning, and even ancient magics to keep themselves alive. Sickness, danger, and even love surprise them at every turn. Dealing with danger becomes their way of life, but none of them ever considered that nothing can be quite as dangerous as a prophecy. Running turns into another race altogether as her world falls to pieces again and again.

Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble

***

Untold Press is offering review copies of Broken Aro (The Broken Ones #1) by Jen Wylie for interested bloggers.  Review copies are available in Mobi and ePub formats. Review copies of book one are also available.  Please only sign up if you are interested in providing a review.  Read the terms below before signing up.

 Terms:

-By signing up, you agree to read and review within 2 months of receiving book.
-Please also post your review to Goodreads/Amazon/etc. in addition to your blog.

-Review copies will be sent directly by YA Bound Book Tours.
-Signing up does not guarantee you will receive a copy.
-Review copies will be sent on a bi-weekly basis (depending on sign ups).

About the Author

Jen Wylie was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.

Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.

Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories. 

Jennifer resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her two boys, Australian shepherd and a disagreeable amount of wildlife.

Author Links:

   

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Palace of Spies

Amazon Purchase Link
*This Title is Available to Kindle Unlimited Subscribers

SYNOPSIS:

A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don't.

Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she's impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love...

History and mystery spark in this effervescent series debut.

REVIEW:

Ok let me get the negative out of the way first. There is some sexual content in this novel. The 1st instance is an interrupted assault (BUT Peggy does fight back!) and it is a driving force for telling the story. It also accurately displays what being a female at that time was like. The second instance Peggy stumbles upon two characters having a tryst in the garden. Not a huge part of the story and not entirely necessary.  

Palace of Spies was a really interesting Historical Fiction Novel for YA. I think it is a great introduction to the world of Historical Fiction and has a great protagonist. The mystery that goes on throughout the novel is intriguing and you are never entirely sure who you can trust through out the novel. 

I was left with a lot of questions when I finished the novel and I wish they had been answered. It seems like the story could have been flushed out a little bit more. Despite that the story and characters were really interesting and I really enjoyed the book.

 RATING: For sexual content and too many unanswered questions

WHAT TO READ (OR WATCH) NEXT

(OR IF YOU LIKED THESE YOU'LL PROBABLY LIKE THIS ONE TOO...)

 

 

        
        

 

        

  

         

Henge Book Blitz and Trailer Reveal! (And Giveaway!)

Henge (Le Fay #1)

by Realm Lovejoy 

Release Date: 11/11/14

Summary from Goodreads:

Modern-day Camelot. Where knights no longer carry swords. Magic is dangerous. And those who seek control are not to be trusted.

Sixteen-year-old Morgan le Fay is a fire user. An ordinary girl with an extraordinary skill, she has the ability to create and command fire at will. Her dream is to become the Maven—the right hand of the future King Arthur. In the chance of a lifetime, Morgan is selected to join Arthur’s Round, an elite group of young magic users from which the new Maven will be chosen.

Along with the other fire, water, and wind users in Arthur’s Round, Morgan is rigorously trained and tested. The handsome Merlin, a brilliant water user, takes a particular interest in her. Is his friendship to be trusted, or is Merlin simply trying to win the position of Maven for himself? Among the many rivals Morgan faces is the current Maven, Mordred, who seems determined to see her fail.

But Morgan has a secret—years ago, her mother was executed for using fire magic, and Morgan’s desire for justice makes her more than ready to take on the challenge before her. Can she prevail in Camelot’s tests of survival and magic? Only time—and Morgan’s powerful fire—will tell.
_________

"Camelot meets Hogwarts meets Panem in this intriguing, well-written beginning to a planned YA series."--Kirkus Reviews

Buy Links:

Amazon

About the Author

Realm Lovejoy is a writer and an artist. She was raised in Washington State and the alps of Nagano, Japan. Her father is a Japanese ex-monk and her mother an English teacher from Rhode Island. Her art is influenced by both the East and the West.

Realm aspires to tell stories through her writing and art.
She is agented by Jessica Regel.
Her upcoming YA sci-fi novel is titled CLAN, due 2013.

Author Links:
    

GIVEAWAY:

$20 amazon gift card, 4 ebooks, and 1 paperback (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

My Soul To Keep Book Blitz (And Giveaway!)

My Soul to Keep (Rise of the Fallen #1)

by Sean Hayden 

Release Date: 04/04/12

Untold Press

187 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

It was only a wish. 

Connor Sullivan was painfully average. The very highlight of his existence was going to school, doing homework, and playing video games. He thought nothing would ever change that. Unfortunately, homework usually screws everything up.
A cut, some blood, and a hastily scrawled promise to sell his soul for his fondest wish...and all hell breaks loose. Literally.

The Demons take him up on his offer.

In a last ditch effort to keep his soul, he wishes to become one of the demons, or Fallen as they call themselves. Connor thought he had found a solution to his problem. He never fully understood the meaning of the phrase, "From the frying pan into the fire," until his wish was granted. The biggest catch?

Never ever fall in love with a human...

And then she walked into his school. Beautiful, red-haired, funny...and blind. Connor's heart didn't stand a chance. Neither did the Fallen's rules. He had saved his soul, but could he find happiness without hurting the girl he loved? Or would secrets Jessica didn't even know she had destroy them all?</ div>

Don't miss book 2, Your Soul to Take! Available now!

Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.

Buy: 

Amazon

***

Untold Press </ span>is offering review copies of My Soul to Keep (Rise of the Fallen #1) by Sean Hayden for interested bloggers.  Review copies are available in Mobi and ePub formats. Review copies of book one are also available.  Please only sign up if you are interested in providing a review.  Read the terms below before signing up.

 Terms:

- By signing up, you agree to read and review within 2 months of receiving book.
- Please also post your review to Goodreads/Amazon/etc. in addition to your blog.

- Review copies will be sent directly by YA Bound Book Tours.
- Signing up does not guarantee you will receive a copy.
- Review copies will be sent on a bi-weekly basis (depending on sign ups).

About the Author

Born the son of a fire chief, Sean naturally developed a love of playing with fire. His family and friends quickly found other outlets for his destructive creativity. Writing is his latest endeavor.

Always a fan of the macabre, mythical, and magical, Sean found a love of urban fantasy and horror. After writing several novels in this genre, he found, fell in love with, and immersed himself in steampunk. He has always wanted to rewrite history and steampunk gave him that opportunity.

Sean currently lives in Florida as a fiber-optic engineer as well as an author. He was blessed with the two most amazing children he could ever hope for, has met the absolute love of his life, who coincidentally is his partner in everything. His hobbies include grand designs on world domination as well as a starring role in his own television sitcom. 

Author Links:

  </ a> 

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Zom-B Gladiator and Mission

Zom-B Gladiator Amazon Purchase Link 

SYNOPSIS:

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, B Smith has decided to live-- and to fight for good as long as possible. However, London is overridden with brain-eating undead and swarming with human mercenaries whose sense of right and wrong dissolved when society did. When they lay a trap, B is captured. And it'll take dozens of battles--and the fight of a lifetime-- to escape.

Filled with gripping, bloody action sequences, the sixth book in Darren Shan's horrifying Zom-B series promises the fright-- and the fight-- of your life.

RATING:

Zom-B Mission Amazon Purchase Link 

SYNOPSIS:

B Smith and the other Angels are relieved to finally receive their first mission to safely escort a group of human survivors from the zombie-infested streets of London to New Kirkham, a barricaded safe haven in the country. But after battling through crowds of undead monsters, B discovers that the survivors of the town do not necessarily represent the best of humanity. And when evil influences make their way to New Kirkham, unearthing demons from B s past, the humans will be forced to choose between being honorable and being safe.

Darren Shan continues his adventures of a teenage zombie trying to right the wrongs of a flawed human life, exploring the morality and ills of society through the lens of an apocalypse gone wrong and a terrifying hell on earth reigning."

RATING:
 

REVIEW: 
These books are fairly short, quick reads with intriguing illustrations throughout the novels. Personally I feel like they are possibly a fourth grade reading level but maybe a 5th to 8th grade interest level. The series as a whole is a solid 3/5 star series. I didn't have much to say about either of these individually so I decided to combine my posts about these installments to the Zom-B series.

First of all the Zom-B series as a whole is pretty interesting. It is a great series for Middle Graders who are developing an interest in the horror genre. I should warn you though that some of the subject matter could be disturbing for some readers. So know yourself or the person you are purchasing the book for before picking this series up!

The Zom-B series does more than tell an intriguing zombie story, it also has ethics peppered throughout the series as well. B was raised by a hard core racist and adopted a lot of the same beliefs. Now that B is a mindful Zom-B (compared to the mindless zombies we are used to) we get to see the changes that B goes through in body and soul.The end of Mission even brings the clan into the mix as a new villain for B and the zomheads.

I appreciated the gladiator tale of Zom-B gladiator. Somehow I don't doubt that we would pit zombies that could think against zombies who couldn't in a fight to the death for our own entertainment in this day in age. I could see it becoming a hit new series on fox in the face of a zombie outbreak.

I really like how there are different forms of Zombies in Shan's novels. The intelligent, the mindless, the good, the evil. It brings a new perspective to a popular genre. You are also on your toes a lot throughout the novel, never quite sure who you should or shouldn't trust. Shan also addresses the spread of the virus very very well and how survivors would function in a zombie apocalypse world. He also does a fantastic job of putting everyday people under the microscope and showing that it although we think we can judge who are the monsters (zombies obviously right?) sometimes it is man himself that is the greatest monster of all.

DON'T MISS THESE OTHER TITLES IN THE 

ZOM-B SERIES!

 

Zom-B

Zom-B Underground 

Zom-B City 

Zom-B Angels

Zom-B Baby

Zom-B Gladiator

Zom-B Mission

Zom-B Clans 

Zom-B Family 

Zom-B Circus 

Zom-B Bride 

Defenseless (Diamond Girls Book 3) Release Day Blitz

Defenseless (Diamond Girls #3)

by Elisa Dane 

Release Date: 01/27/15

Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

High school senior, Claire Reilly’s world revolves around All-Star cheerleading. The Diamond Girls, are gearing up for a major competition, which, if they win will allow them to compete at Worlds for the first time. But the unimaginable happens, and both Claire and her team are rocked by a devastating loss. Determined to get to Worlds any way she can, Claire finds help from the last person she imagined would give it—up and coming UFC fighter and notorious bad boy, Ryker Vaughn.

Fouled out of the octagon by a dirty opponent and a vicious kick to the head, Ryker loses control when he learns he may never fight again. Angry over the loss of his mother, an unsupportive family, and the world in general, he gives up, gives in, and unleashes his rage—destroying part of his cousin’s cheer gym in the process. Things go from bad to worse when Ryker is given an ultimatum: help the Diamond Girls compete for a bid to Worlds, or go to jail.

Overwhelmed with anger, sadness, and grief, the unlikely pair learn that what you see is not always what you get, and that the most difficult losses sometimes open the door to a frightening, yet amazing new future.

Excerpt:

Aside from Nationals, our next competition was the most important of the season. If we wanted to compete at Worlds—and hello ... we totally did—we needed to earn a paid bid. An at-large bid would get us there too, but the travel expenses to Florida were hefty so a paid bid was better all around. The Cheer America competition was our best chance at earning that bid. X- Factor Cheer had never competed at the Worlds level before, and the Diamond Girls were ready to make history.

We only had a handful of weeks to perfect our routine. To transform ourselves from a team that was great to a team that was freaking amazeballs. We were going to pull it off. I had faith in my girls.

Livvie and Erin gathered their individual stunt groups together while Tayla and Nev met me at the center of the mat. Coach Shea re-choreographed our stunts a few weeks back after one of our teammates, Cassie, quit. While it is hard on any cheer team when a member quit, I couldn't contain my excitement when I learned Tayla and Nev would be basing me in a two-man group with no back spot.

I'd been flying center elite for three seasons now and worked hard to keep my spot. If cheerleading were my birthday cake, then flying was the freaking icing on top. I loved being in the air. Craved the rush that came every time my group tossed me up into the rafters. Lived for the overwhelming sense of satisfaction that flooded my veins every time I nailed a stunt. I'd never been a quiet, behind-the-scenes type of girl. I loved attention, and when you flew, all eyes were on you.

Tayla pegged me with a "let's get down to business" expression and took position across from Nev. "All right, ladies," she said with a smirk. "Let's show the rest of the team how it's done. That bid is sooo going to be ours."

Buy Links:
Amazon

Companion books in this series:
(each book is a separate story and do not have to be read in order)
 

Links for Ex-Factor:

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble

Links for Unbreakable:
Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble

About the Author
I'm a lover of books (YA & Adult romance), chocolate, reality television, and am a proud mother to three All Star cheerleaders. Woot!

I write Contemporary YA romance with cheerleaders. Yep. I write what I know, and it's my hope that my stories will not only take you on a romantic journey that will warm your heart, but that you'll find a new respect and interest in the sport of Cheerleading you may not have had before.

Author Links:

   

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by: