Rating: 3/5

Book Summary:

Piper Winchester is fresh out of college. With only three weeks until her father remarries and five weeks until her first business venture launches, she’s got her hands full. She certainly doesn’tneed any distractions to get in the way of building the future her father’s always wanted for her. But when a familiar boy with bright green eyes walks back into her life, she’s thrown for a loop.

Four years ago, Chase MacKenzie left for college without looking back. He didn’t mean to disturb the peace then, and he definitely doesn’t want to do that now. Once he lays his eyes on Piper again, there’s no way he can leave without fixing what went wrong in the past. Although she’s more determined than ever to push him away, he still manages to get under her skin. Regardless of what happens between them, there’s one thing that will always be standing in their way…

He’s about to become her stepbrother.

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My Review:

Can’t Stay Away was a super cute love story about a girl named Piper (slightly spoiled) and a boy named Chase. Piper is on her path to becoming a Wedding Planner and is about to get a new mother-in-law. The only problem is that she’s had a thing for her soon to be step-brother since high school. Chase hasn’t been around for four years and had left Piper on somewhat bad terms, the two of them hadn’t spoken since. But the second they see each other, it’s obvious that there’s some sort of magic between. And though Chase tries hard to set ground rules and keep their relationship as platonic, they just can’t seem to stay away from each other. Plus there’s something Chase has been keeping from her. A reason for why he pushed her away all those years ago.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Their love story was super cute. I enjoyed reading from both their point’s of views. Piper is a bright, people pleaser that has a hard time sticking up for herself, and Chase is courteous, kind, and a dreamy young man. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that there was a little too much adult content. It seemed to be more adult content than story itself, which I would have preferred more story since the story itself was adorable. The author really excels at setting a scene and having her characters interact with each other. I really enjoyed the dialogue between Chase and Piper. And I’m hoping there will be more books to come since it did leave off at a bit of a cliffhanger.

If you like NA, steamy scenes, and a great love story, than be sure to check out Can’t Stay Away!

About the Author:

Lilly Avalon is the author of the RESIST series as well as other romances. She’s somewhere in the midst of her twenties and lives mostly in the stories in her head. When she’s not enveloped in the worlds she creates, she’s out in the real world making stories happen. That or reading other romances. It’s a toss-up.

Author Links:

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Evanescent by Gabriella Lepore
Published by: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing
Publication date: March 15th 2013
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

3.5/4 Stars

Book Summary

“Then it is settled,” Felix declared. “Come hell or high water, when this is all over, at least one of us here will not make it out alive.”

When Bronwen Snow is pulled from her cottage in the middle of the night, she finds herself seeking the help of three mysterious boys who reside in an abandoned castle deep in the hillside. With only a hasty handwritten note and a vague sense of dread to guide her, Bronwen is forced to put her trust in the eccentric and willful Felix Cavara and his eternal curse – immortality.

Purchase Links

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My Review

Evanescent is like a wonderful mixture of supernatural, comedy, and romance. It was incredibly easy to get lost in and I read it in less than a day and throughly enjoyed it. Lepore has a way of effortlessly moving the plot forward with a sense of humor and continued mystery throughout the book.

The basis of this story begins when Bronwen is told by her Ada to leave their cottage immediately and go to the mysterious castle in the woods for protection. Holding a note from her Ada, she runs for her life from a monster that she didn’t know existed until moments ago. There she meets three boys that seem larger than life and learns they are immortal from drinking the blood of a dragon. I really took to Bronwen’s character by the midpoint of chapter one and instantly enjoyed her interactions with the three immortal boys she was stuck with. Felix, Alistair, and Loki reminded me of the lost boys from Peter Pan. They had their own mix of being fearless monster hunters and fearful boys of the outside world. They quite literally have shut themselves away in a castle and when Bronwen suddenly invades their lives, it both hilarious and revealing as to how the boys have been so isolated since they changed.

I do have to say that the romance between Bronwen and Felix comes on very quick and strong. I actually did not mind it since it was quite obvious that they shared a spark from the moment they met. Plus their interactions between each other were hysterical and quite unique from what I’ve usually read. Another drawback was that this book is actually quite short and could have had a lot more detailed involved. I really wanted to know more about the hellhound that was hunting her and more basics into how the supernatural world seemed to fit in this modern one.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I won’t say much about the ending other than I understood the author’s choices on how to complete it. It really is a fun, enjoyable, and quick read and I’d actually recommend it for people with some time to kill and need a good distraction.

About the Author

Gabriella Lepore lives on the coast of Wales in the United Kingdom. She began writing at an early age and grew up with a passion for all things supernatural—especially witches! She currently has six Young Adult books in print: Evanescent, The Blackheath Witches, How I Found You, Secrets In Phoenix, and The Witches of the Glass Castle books 1 & 2.

Author links

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Summary from Goodreads

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My Review

Curse of the Sphinx is exactly one of those books that I enjoy. It’s fast paced story telling with a whirlwind of curses, demigods, monsters, etc. I really love reading about greek mythology and it was interesting having the modern spin of greek characters we all know and its integration in this world’s society.

This storyline has a prequel called Origin of the Sphinx which I would probably recommend reading first as this book could be a bit confusing at times in the beginning. However, once I really got into it, I couldn’t put it down.

The story centers on Hope and her family who have unfortunately been dealing with a rather nasty curse (as Greek Gods tend to do that kind of thing). After losing her mother, Hope ends up running alone and fighting for her life and the sadness of losing all she knows. This book did a really good job of making you sympathetic towards Hope. I really rooted for her and wanted her to find happiness in her life throughout this book. She’s one of those characters that could be frustrating and likable at the same time and was really great to read.

Things get even more complicated, of course, once she meets Athan who is the son of Hermes. Athan has his own agenda to find Hope and bring her back to his father but his interest in her starts to put that in jeopardy. Believing her to be a demigod, they grow closer and spark a young love. Of course, secrets are meant to be discovered and once they find out who they each are, things really start moving. Athan’s actions surprised me and I enjoyed the further development of them both, flaws and all. I really couldn’t get enough of this spin on greek mythology and after a ending on a cliffhanger, I look forward to the next journey Hope must go on.

This book has a great sense of flow in character development, world building, and the strong additional characters that are the best. I’d really be interested in reading the next book to this series and will be adding it to my long list.

Excerpt

“How was your weekend?” Athan asked.

He stood at her locker staring at her. It was the oddest sensation. A mixture of pride and anxiety coursed through her, and she wanted to giggle and run away. “Fine. I hung out with—”

“Hey Hope.” Haley bounced up. “How are you?” She smiled at Athan as if just noticing him.

As if. She turned back to Hope. “Oh, I was going to ask you, have you had any more phone calls?”

And so much for secrets.

“Phone calls?” Athan frowned.

Hope rolled her eyes. “No.” She turned to Athan. “It was nothing. Just a wrong number, but they kept calling back. Kinda freaked me out.” She snapped her locker shut.

“You two hung out?” Athan asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

“Well, yeah,” Haley said. “That’s what friends do, you know.”

“Yes, so I’ve heard.” He gave Hope a hard look.

“What?” She asked him. “We hung out on Friday.” Why was he acting all weird?

“I bet she didn’t have to coerce you to hang out,” he grumbled.

The three of them walked down the hall drawing several stares.

“Of course not,” Haley responded. “My motives aren’t questionable.”

Hope laughed and walked into mythology, but she still heard him . . .

“There is nothing questionable about my motives, either.”

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Obsidian
by Kimberly Loth
Release Date: February 17th 2016
Rating: 3/5

Book Summary (Goodreads):

Aspen—a skydiving, rock-climbing, bear-cuddling—adrenaline junkie, finds herself in real danger when she unwittingly ensnares the heart of Obsidian, the dragon king.

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Buy Links:
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My Review:

Obsidian was a super cute love story about a dragon named Obsidian that becomes the Dragon King despite not wanting to be, and is forced to live ten years as a human as part of his requirements for being king. Aspen loves dragons, has always been drawn to them. She always tries to get close and one day stumbles upon a black dragon. As she get’s close to the dragon a mark is left on her ankle, one that she isn’t sure as to what it means. Obsidian takes on the name of Sid as a human and is drawn to Aspen, the girl that seemed so intrigued by dragons. He still remembers her from the moment he met her, and as a human is eager to know her. But Aspen wants nothing to do with Sid. So Sid finds a way to win Aspen’s heart. In the mean time hikers are being killed and the only obvious cause is a dragon. But which dragon is going against the rules and hunting humans?

Obsidian was just an adorable character, as a dragon and as a human. He’s super sweet, and is very genuine about his feelings towards Aspen. He truly wants to know who she is, despite the fact that she turns him down at every corner. And Aspen, though she’s been incredibly hurt and some what damaged by it in the past, becomes a very strong protagonist. It’s a very cute love story. The story is quick pace, and just flat out adorable.

If you love dragons, love stories, and a little bit of suspense and mystery, then definitely check out Obsidian.

About the Author:

Kimberly Loth can’t decide where she wants to settle down. She’s lived in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, California, Oregon, and South Carolina. She finally decided to make the leap and leave the U.S. behind for a few years. Currently, she lives in Cairo, Egypt with her husband and two kids.

She is a high school math teacher by day (please don’t hold that against her) and YA author by night. She loves romantic movies, chocolate, roses, and crazy adventures. Kissed is her first novel.

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The Black Lotus
by Claire Warner
Release Date:June 29th 2014
Rating: 3/5

Book Summary (Goodreads):

….though I would dearly love to play court to you, I would hurt you more than any other.

It is 1752.
The year that will change the life of heiress Melissa De Vire. As she makes her first fumbling steps into society, she meets the handsome young cad Justin Lestrade and his world tears her perceptions apart. For Justin is more than he appears and his secrets and enemies are manifold. Drawn irresistibly to him, she finds herself sinking into a realm of feuds, magic and old curses and her life will never again be the same.

Buy Links:
Amazon│Amazon UK

My Review:

The Black Lotus is a story that will make you feel like you’re reading a supernatural version of a Jane Austen novel. It’s even written like it came right out of the 1700’s. Just like a Jane Austen novel, there’s dancing, there’s the way they talked back then and used their fancy words to get under each others skin. It’s cleverly written, and the suspense and supernatural element to it was very refreshing for a romance written like this.

The Black Lotus follows a girl named Melissa that is just coming out and being welcomed into society. At her first coming out party, she meets the dangerous and deliciously handsome Justin. She’s warned about him, that he’s seductive and a flirt, and moves on from girl to girl. Still, she’s tempted to talk to him, a talk that leads her to believe he is exactly what everyone says he is. Still, she’s drawn to him, and she can’t explain why. As their flirtatious friendship grows, secrets about Justin begins to uncover. Justin isn’t just some wealthy lad. He is filled with a darkness and a dangerous secret. He tries to keep Melissa away from him, but Melissa does everything she can to discover just what secrets Justin keeps. But she doesn’t realize what price such dark secrets come with.

I am a huge fan of stories written in this time, and I thoroughly enjoyed The Black Lotus. However I wasn’t sold by Justin’s character. He’s a womanizer, and I, personally, am not a fan of these bad boy types. But the story itself is very interesting and Melissa is a very likable character. I’m curious to find out where Justin and Melissa’s story takes us in the sequel.

If you enjoy historical romances with a supernatural twist to it, then be sure to check out The Black Lotus!

About the Author:

When I was a child, I made up games and characters when my sister and I played with dolls. As I grew older, I would make up scenarios and scenes, fully intending to write them down but never finding the time. In my late teens, I discovered the world of role playing and settled into an avid ‘geeky’ life of D&D, comics, sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Years passed and I finally gave voice to the stories in my head. I write romance, fantasy, action and adventure. I love tales of steampunk and history, tales of magical powers and dark curses lurking in the shadows. Though The Black Lotus is not my first attempt at a novel, it is the first I have finished.

And some fun facts about me:

I sew.

My favourite Disney film is Atlantis.

I’ve been a film extra and stood 5 feet away from Sam Rockwell.

Babylon 5 is my fave sci-fi show.

I cried at the end of Toy Story 3.

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Book Summary

2153, Toronto, United Nation of North America (UNNA)A horrific plane crash kills all five hundred and forty-two passengers except one. Kazumi emerges from the wreckage physically unscathed but has lost all her memories. Her miraculous survival has the whole city buzzing but all she wants is to go home, wherever home is.

After waiting a month in the hospital with no one to claim her, Kazumi is deemed homeless. She is about to be sent to a nearby teenage shelter when the nurse she grew to trust ushers her down a mysterious path, one that promises safety and maybe even the chance to recover her memories. With no better options available, Kazumi takes her chance and finds herself in the headquarters of the Sarcomeres, a secret society of genetically advanced humans hidden deep inside the Rocky Mountains. The Sarc’s heightened physical abilities and high-tech gadgets are not the only things that fascinate Kazumi. Finnegan O’Riley, a fellow Sarc she meets along the way also gets her heart racing. When Kazumi discovers that she possesses the genetic potential of a Sarcomere, she jumps at the chance to train with them, not knowing the death defying tests that are involved.

Meanwhile, a centuries-old nemesis of the Sarcomeres begins to stir in the dark, setting their dark plans in motion. Just when Kazumi thinks she can help protect her new found home, past memories surface to threaten her new identity. She soon realizes that layers of deception run deep and everyone has a secret agenda, including herself.

Who can she trust when she can’t even trust herself? One wrong decision could bring forth consequences worse than death.

Shadow of Deception is the gold medal winner at the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award.

 

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About the Author

I had my first adventure at the age of nine when I flew halfway across the globe all by myself, not knowing a word of English. I was lucky my parents didn’t decide to cheap out and ship me as a parcel instead. But all jokes aside, it was because of financial and physical limitations that I had to fly to Canada solo. It was a great adventure for a nine year-old girl to be honest; aside from the puking, the starvation due to inedible raw vegetables and smelly goo of which I later found out were called salad and cheese. But I made it. I reunited with my parents and soon welcomed my baby brother to the world.Twenty-five years later, I have a beautiful daughter of my own and a loving husband. We all live in Toronto, enjoying the cultural diversity the city offers. The only adventures I get to have nowadays is by living vicariously through my characters.

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