Review: Special Offers by M.L. Ryan

Thank you to the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

                                                                     Genre

Paranormal Romance

Series

Coursodon Dimension

(Book 1)

Publication Date

February 11th, 2012

Publisher
Running with Scissors Publishing

Available At
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Format
Ebook

Hailey Parrish is quick-witted, irreverent, and hasn’t had a date in three years. She only wanted an eBook reader because her collection of paperbacks threatened to take over her small living space. Little did she know that the "special offers" that prompted the purchase included much more than a reduced price in exchange for a few ads. The device came pre-loaded with the essence of Sebastian Kess, an erudite womanizer with magical abilities from a parallel dimension. When she inadvertently releases him and he inhabits her body, she finally has a man inside her, just not in the way she imagined. And soon her predicament introduces her to yet another supernatural, the handsome could-be-the-man-of-her-dreams Alex Sunderland. Can Alex and Hailey find a way to return Sebastian to his own body, stay one step ahead of the criminals who want to keep him where he is, and not lose their sense of humor?


Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!


M.L. Ryan gives us a range of characters in Special Offers. The smart, sarcastic female protagonist; the hot, understated male interest; the womanizing, cocky male; the quintessential villain; the loyal friends; and some characters that end up surprising you. A colorful bunch of characters that were extremely fun to read about and really helped round out an already great story. The only issue character-wise that I had was that Hailey considered herself a 'plain jane', that was a little bit of a downer, but other than that she was an awesome character. 

"The truth you can deal with, it's all the speculative crap that makes you nuts"

                                                                                                          
Oh! And I can't forget her cat who was initially named after a Norwegian female swashbuckler. That was an added plus since I'm obsessed with my Norwegian heritage. 


There was a lot of hilarious witty banter (mostly between Hailey and Sebastian) that greatly added to the entertainment of my reading experience. Do you ever wonder what people think when you start to laugh out loud while reading? Something that cannot be helped while reading Special Offers!

" 'Hailey, I'm really sorry, but Harrison has some sort of stomach bug and he's currently curled in the fetal position on the bathroom floor moaning 'kill me', over and over' "

The concept was absolutely amazing and so unique. It was a little twisty, but without being overly complicated. Basically, just enough (complicatedness) to draw you in and keep you hooked. I must admit that I was initially a little disappointed in the subtle romance that happens between Hailey and Alex, but then I came to the realization that Special Offers is, in fact, the first of a series. I should have done a tad bit more research, huh? In my defense, I was really excited to dive into this story. So, after that realization, I was able to look at the romance in a different light and see that it actually fits with the characters perfectly. 

"Seriously, if God had wanted us to to get up when it was still dark out, he wouldn't have given us eyelids"

All in all, Special Offers is a fantastically fun, extremely entertaining read that will have you laughing out loud and eager for the next in the series. I'm anxious to see where the series will take us, especially with the little clue at the end.

Reveiw: Corpalism by Arun D. Ellis

Note: I received my copy of Corpalism from the author in exchange for an honest review

Publication Date
March 26th, 2012

Publisher
Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Format

Ebook

Corpalism is an exciting and often funny mixture of timely political commentary that moves in a believable way, between fact and fiction. 
The book begins in a dystopian world – a casually dark and callous future wrought by unchecked corporate greed. 
The timeline moves back and forth 20 years, using inter connected characters and storylines. Situational humour lightens the mood and the characters are well-crafted, individual and interesting; ranging from the cynically evil, through the surprisingly likeable to the positively evangelical. 
Corpalism remonstrates against the evil of corporate greed, puts forward a credible alternative to the duopoly of current party politics and offers hope of an alternative future if we act now. 
A unique experience – a page turner with a message.


Review
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


Corpalism is an extremely interesting book that I can't even begin to describe. This is the type of book that it won't matter what I say because Corpalism is a book that will give each reader their own perspective and their own opinions. As it should, but with one main focus.


The characters, for the most part, all tie together, but we don't start to see that until we get near the end. There are parts that take place 20 years in the future and there are parts that take place a few months in the future. The main focus of Corpalism, in my opinion, is to bring attention to certain happenings and make people aware, make people more conscious of their economy and government. Make them think. Corpalism takes place in Britain, but in reality, Americans can draw similarities from this story. As the author says, Corpalism is a mix of fact and fiction. Is it humorous? There were moments that had me laughing, but there was a more serious tone to it.


Corpalism was beyond thought-provoking and engaging, and will force you to open your eyes if they aren't already open. There were parts that I loved, characters that I loved, parts that I didn't like, characters that I didn't like, and some characters that I really didn't like. You get the picture, there's a wide range of characters and sub-plots that tie into almost all of the other sub-plots. 


Corpalism would be the perfect read for an economics and government class, or for people who are just graduating into the voting age. It's a story that will challenge you while also holding your attention. It's not my typical read, but I did end up enjoying it more than I thought. Anything that makes me think, will gain my respect. And that is what Corpalism has done. This is a story that will have you thinking even after you are done reading it. I recommend to everyone, even if it's not your genre, it should be read.

Review: First Light by Samantha Summers

Thank you to Samantha Summers for allowing me the opportunity to read and review First Light!

Genre

YA Thriller/Romance

Series

Project Five Fifteen (Book 1)

Publication Date

May 2012

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Smashwords

Format

Ebook

What do you do when you’ve always dreamed of a hero; your knight in shining armour, only to find when he arrives he isn’t a hero at all?

... He’s a killer.

Ronnie Rose is trying to cope with the loss of her father; now it looks like she might lose everything else that’s dear to her too. Huge debts threaten to destroy her family, her childhood home and her future. Only one person cuts through her pain.

Kalen Smith has just moved to town. He’s trouble and everyone knows it. He and his mysterious friends keep to themselves and the town likes it that way.

But when Kalen mourns at her dad’s funeral, Ronnie wants to know why and her investigation plunges her into a dangerous world of murky government secrets, with deadly consequences. Ronnie knows she should walk away from Kalen before it’s too late. Problem is, she’s falling for him…

Can we choose who we fall in love with?

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!

Reading the blurb for First Light, I was instantly attracted and eager to start reading. I could sense the excitement, the struggles and the romance from just that tiny amount of words. You know I love those inner, emotional struggles and First Light did not disappoint! In fact, it way exceeded my expectations. 

I was drawn to the two main characters in an instantaneous moment. Kalen and Ronnie, two opposites in many, many ways, but with one major struggle to overcome. Samantha Summers, in my opinion, successfully portrayed Ronnie and Kalen in a way that showcased their strengths, weaknesses, and sheer determination. In my opinion (and I hope others will agree), Ronnie and Kalen are high-ranking favorites. But let's not forget the surrounding characters, because I found them (even the not-so-nice ones) to be just as well-placed, and pivotal. They were very effectual.

There is one major struggle that both Ronnie and Kalen fight with, and that's the choice between following your head or your heart. This is a key factor for the romance of this book and like it says up above in the blurb, can we choose who we fall in love with? Samantha Summers successfully tackles this hurdle with genuine inner turmoil that will appeal to readers without making it cliche or overly done. It added that much needed tension between characters and will also help the reader see the surrounding characters in a new way. The thriller aspect was absolutely phenomenal! I was constantly on the edge of my seat, held in anticipation and trying to predict the ending outcome. There isn't extreme mystery, but that's a good thing. First Light doesn't need that mystery, the thriller aspect mixed with the heart-tingling romance is what this book is all about. As you read, you'll kind of know what is going to happen, but you won't know the specifics. . . that was what I wanted from First Light, so I was happy to receive that. Plus, mystery would have fogged over the glorious details. Well, actually, Kalen is the mystery, but only because he's such a complex character with many layers to investigate. The flashbacks that Samantha Summers provides (from Kalen's past) are extremely important in digging deeper into his character. First Light would definitely not be the same if those flashbacks were missing. They allowed us to get inside his head, see the inner workings of Project Five Fifteen, and witness his change. 

There is some action, mostly towards the end, but it's still satisfying. First Light is laying the groundwork for the books to come, it's that necessary first step for a series that I know will be insanely good. First Light is introducing us to the important characters, showing us some of the history that we need, but mostly it's all about that decision to lead with your head or heart. A decision that will fuel the series. 

I can openly admit that I'm extremely finicky about endings. A lot of them don't hold up to my expectations, but I can happily say that the ending in First Light is by far one of my favorite endings. It was just pure perfection. I was not left wanting, there was a finality, but it also leads perfectly into the next phase of the story and adventure. Well, that's an assumption since I haven't read the next book, but it's just one of those things that I know. I was grinning ear to ear as I read those last two chapters. 

If you are looking for a book to sweep you off your feet with thrilling entertainment and sweet yet scalding romance then read First Light.

I just have one question: When can I get my hands on the second book?

Pre-Release Party:Bold As Love #3 by Lindsay Paige

Lindsay Paige is partying the month away in celebration of her expected release date of June 13th for Whatever It Takes, the third installment of the Bold As Love series. I wanted to join her in celebrating so this post is dedicated to the Pre-Release Party!

The Bold As Love series introduces us to the two characters of Emily and Jake as we follow them through their senior year of high school and into their freshman year at college. They are thrown through some pretty hefty loops, but hopefully we're headed to that HEA that we all really, really need. 

We first met them in Sweetness. . . 

Emily wished she was invisible. But after moving to a new town with her dad, a charming boy makes it impossible for her to disappear. Despite her feelings of unworthiness, Emily soon finds herself drawn to the safety of Jake's world.

Good looking and the star of the hockey team, Jake has a lot going for him. What most people don't see is the difficult life he has at home. When quiet Emily steals his heart, Jake vows to help her discover she is worthy of love. 

Just when the two of them realize the sweetness of their relationship, they are put to the test. Only together can they overcome their haunted pasts to fight for a future together.

See my review

. . . followed them into I'm Yours. . .

After the incident with Claire, Emily encounters more problems. Conrad is back with explanations and hope. Emily wants to give him a chance to explain himself. She can't help but wonder why he left. However, Jake isn't comfortable with Emily going out to eat with an old lover. 


Will things be too much for Emily to handle? Will Emily do the one thing she knows best and withdraw? Will Emily and Jake's love for one another keep them from shattering?


See my review

 . . . and now into Whatever It Takes.

Their first year of college isn’t what they expected. Emily is still struggling with the loss of her baby, while Jake seems to have no trouble with it at all. Emily is so conflicted about how to deal with the miscarriage. On top of that, she’s having nightmares. 

Can Jake help his Sweetness? Will she allow him? Their relationship is suffering and Jake is determined to do whatever Emily asks of him. But when Emily makes a suggestion that she feels will help with her grief, could it tear the couple apart forever?

See my review

Lindsay Paige is having a giveaway of Whatever It Takes on Goodreads so click here if you want a chance to win one of the three signed copies! Good luck and happy reading!

Review: Whatever It Takes by Lindsay Paige

Thank you to Making Connections (on Goodreads) and to Lindsay Paige for the opportunity to read and review this book

Genre

YA Contemporary

Series

Bold As Love (Book 3)

Publication Date

June 13th, 2012

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

*Not yet available*

Their first year of college isn’t what they expected. Emily is still struggling with the loss of her baby, while Jake seems to have no trouble with it at all. Emily is so conflicted about how to deal with the miscarriage. On top of that, she’s having nightmares. 

Can Jake help his Sweetness? Will she allow him? Their relationship is suffering and Jake is determined to do whatever Emily asks of him. But when Emily makes a suggestion that she feels will help with her grief, could it tear the couple apart forever?

Review

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Another installment with exceptional sweetness when it comes to romance. There was slightly more tension when there were issues that the characters needed to work through and that added more to the story. I felt that the characters were actually struggling instead of going through a preface of struggling without actually walking through it.

I do, however, feel that the characters are put through too many different emotional twists. For me, it takes away from each story as each installment offers pretty hectic things to overcome. It was too much for me. I felt that the stories could have focused on less twists and more characterization growth. The emotions weren't there for me because there was too much happening from book 1 to book 3, I couldn't get attached to the characters with so much going on. I can say, though, that there is greater unexpectedness in Whatever It Takes. 

I may have some issues, but I also did enjoy Whatever It Takes. It's a shorter read than Sweetness or I'm Yours so prepare to read it in one sitting. It also appears (from the ending) that there will be another installment in the Bold As Love series. Which is always a good thing.

Review: I'm Yours by Lindsay Paige

Thank you to Making Connections (on Goodreads) and Lindsay Paige for the opportunity to read and review this book

Genre

YA Contemporary

Series

Bold As Love (Book 2)

Publication Date

November 2011

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Formats

Ebook

Paperback

After the incident with Claire, Emily encounters more problems. Conrad is back with explanations and hope. Emily wants to give him a chance to explain himself. She can't help but wonder why he left. However, Jake isn't comfortable with Emily going out to eat with an old lover. 

Will things be too much for Emily to handle? Will Emily do the one thing she knows best and withdraw? Will Emily and Jake's love for one another keep them from shattering?


Review
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

There is no doubt in my mind that Jake and Emily are completely compatible characters. The romance is, once again, very sugary sweet, making you root for them and that all turns out well. 


I still have some issues though. For one, I really didn't like that the issues in Sweetness were completely dropped in I'm Yours. There is only one mention of Emily's horrendous past in a long, long winded explanation to her ex-boyfriend Conrad. There was also an incident with a snarky character (Claire) that I thought would and should have made a bigger appearance in I'm Yours, but she was silent in one scene. I was curious to see how they would resolve the bullying issue, but there was nothing. Without those teeny references to Sweetness, there really isn't a continuation plot within this series, which isn't always necessary, but I felt that some of the issues could have been further addressed to give the readers a bit more closure.


And just like Sweetness, I felt that the characters didn't go through enough of an emotional struggle as each new curve ball was introduced. I felt that more time could have been spent on that rather than relaying the driving directions that either of the characters were taking. The important little details that I was left craving were replaced by details that didn't pertain to the story or the emotional aspect.




There was also one major thing that I felt was a little embellished, but that I doubt will be glaringly obvious to most readers. It's kind of something you have to go through to even be able to recognize the embellishment, and it was only mildly bothersome. 


As with Sweetness, I did enjoy I'm Yours, I just wanted to be drawn into the story more. 

Review: Sweetness by Lindsay Paige

Thank you to Making Connections (on Goodreads) and Lindsay Paige for the opportunity to read and review this book

Genre

YA Contemporary

Series

Bold As Love (Book 1)

Publication Date

October 2011

Publisher 

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Smashwords

Format

Ebook

Paperback

Emily wished she was invisible. But after moving to a new town with her dad, a charming boy makes it impossible for her to disappear. Despite her feelings of unworthiness, Emily soon finds herself drawn to the safety of Jake's world.

Good looking and the star of the hockey team, Jake has a lot going for him. What most people don't see is the difficult life he has at home. When quiet Emily steals his heart, Jake vows to help her discover she is worthy of love. 


Just when the two of them realize the sweetness of their relationship, they are put to the test. Only together can they overcome their haunted pasts to fight for a future together.

Review
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Sometimes people just instantly connect and that is what happens in Sweetness. Super, super sweet romance. . . predictable, but still really sweet. However, I didn't like that there wasn't a significant struggle between Jake and Emily. For two people that have deep-rooted issues, they both confided and changed too quickly to squeeze out the emotional side to this story.


I also felt jilted on Emily's history. We are given facts (horrific facts), but there was never a tangible struggle (that wasn't rushed) to overcome or work through these facts. I felt that, as a reader, the surface was barely being scratched. I would have liked to see more of the tiny details of each of their pasts tie into the story more. The main focus was the romance and I felt that the realistic issues were added to give the characters depth, but that depth wasn't explored. It was left untapped. That aching emotion that is so addictive to me was missing, but like I said the romance was tender and my attention was captured for the most part. 


With all that said, I did really enjoy the characters. Drake was a quick favorite and I felt that Lindsay Paige did an excellent job in capturing the endearing, exhilirating energy that kids produce. Jake was another great character and I liked the fact that he was a romancer without being a womanizer. And, despite my feelings about the growth of Emily, she was a great character as well, but not my favorite and that is because her growth was just too radical.


Sweetness is a quick read, so make sure you line up I'm Yours for as soon as you're done!

Review: Believe by E. Leighanne Grimm-Weever

Thank you to the Goodreads group Shut Up & Read as well as the author for the opportunity to read and review this book

Genre

YA Paranormal Romance

Series

New England Immortals 
(Book 1)

Publication Date

March 2012

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Smashwords

Format

Ebook

Andrea Dayla is about to start the next chapter of her life, college, leaving the only familyshe’s ever known behind. It was going to be scary enough being away from home in a strange city but little did she know Hanover had far scarier things in residence; the truth.

For Andrea, vampires were just part of the mythical stories her uncle had told her since as long as she could remember. She didn’t believe they exist until she meets the Brennen’s. Uncle Greg had always painted vampires in a bad light; pure evil more like. Andrea refuses to acknowledge Shane or his family as vile creatures. 
Things were bad enough when she fell in love with Shane, she was mortal but of course it had to get worse. She discovers her family secret, they were immortal vampire hunters. Hunting and killing vampires to protect the humans was who she was, it was what she was made fore. Trouble is that the other part of her is ruled by her love for Shane and his family.
Torn between her love for a vampire and her loyalty to her kind, Andrea will have to make choices that will save a part of herself and destroy others. Too bad that’s not all she has to worry about… She’ll just have to believe!


Review
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars


I've had Believe sitting in my TBR pile for awhile and when I had the opportunity to snatch it up on Shut Up & Read, I did. I was eager to start because what can I say? I'm a sucker for vampires vs. vampire hunters. The ultimate forbidden romance, but I have to admit that I had an extremely hard time getting into the story.


The first half of the story I was just not feeling it at all, so I had to set it aside for awhile and consider if I was going to continue reading or not. I did continue reading, and I can say that the story and the writing did get marginally better, but I still wasn't completely satisfied. 


Believe has a great concept behind it, it's interesting and very complex. . . there's a lot going on with many characters, but that great concept is hidden behind the many, many mistakes.


1. Grammatical errors. There are a lot of misspelled words, missing words, misplaced words, and some formatting issues and other editing errors along those lines. My eyes were constantly stumbling across them and it prevented me from being drawn into the story. One example, Chapter 20 has the first 3 paragraphs in bold text then every other paragraph after that.


2. Inconsistencies. Major downfall for a published work. I can understand one or two that were missed during revisions and editing, but Believe was riddled with them. It was quite frustrating, especially because I'm a details person, so those details stand-out to me and these were blinding me in the eyes. There's tiny inconsistencies and big ones. For example, I'm pretty sure that Shane's eyes are blue, but they were also mentioned as copper and honey then it was mentioned (18% through) that since he's a vampire his eyes change colors. But then, after that information his eyes are only mentioned as blue. Another example, Andrea wakes up at 6:20am for her first day of work, class starts at 7pm that night. She works all day then leaves work to make it to her class, then after class goes back to work and works again. I guess that's not an inconsistency, but isn't it highly unlikely? I mean that would have been a 10+ hour shift to begin with and then add in the other hours that she worked after class. There are other instances like this where it seems the author either forgot previous mentioned information or made it to her convenience to fit the story. The tiny ones have to do with time, placement of objects, name changes (two characters are mentioned with different names, only once each though). Frankly, there are lot and it extremely took away from the story, this was way more bothersome to me than the grammatical errors.


3. Some things are glossed over so if they may be apparent to the writer, they aren't going to be apparent to the reader. A popular example, Andrea begins waiting tables, she has two guys at one table who she refers to as 'ken dolls' (yes because they are rich and attractive, that's another issue that I won't get into. Massive stereotyping.) then she miraculously knows one of them is named Drake. Some reviewers have mentioned this and Grimm-Weever has been kind enough to explain that Andrea has class with him and it was kind of a light-bulb moment when she remembers his name. It doesn't read like that at all and those little moments are scattered throughout the book. I understand this problem, it's one I have issues with myself. It's hard to convey certain thoughts into words, but it should have been apparent with a re-read or the beta reader.


Believe does not read as a final draft, but as a first draft prior to revisions or editing. There is massive potential, but Believe really needs to be cleaned up and looked at again. The plot gets a lot better as you continue to read. I'm under the impression that E. Leighanne Grimm-Weever is in the process of going through each chapter to rectify the spelling mistakes, but those aren't the only issues that need to be fixed, so I hope she's taking time to go through the whole book. To me the inconsistencies are far worse than the grammatical errors, but I really enjoyed the plot, especially the second half of the story.

Review: Wilde's Fire by Krystal Wade

Note: I received my copy from NetGalley

Genre
Fantasy


Series
Darkness Falls (Book 1)

Publication Date
May 13th, 2011

Publisher
Curiosity Quills Press 

Available At
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Format
Paperback
Ebook




“There is no pain in this death, only peace, knowing I am going to die with the one I love the most.”—Katriona Wilde.

Katriona Wilde has never wondered what it would feel like to have everything she’s ever known and loved ripped away, but she is about to find out. When she inadvertently leads her sister and best friend through a portal into a world she’s dreamed of for six years, she finds herself faced with more than just the frightening creatures in front of her. Kate’s forced to accept a new truth: her entire life has been a lie, and those closest to her have betrayed her. What’s worse, she has no control over her new future, and it’s full of magic and horrors from which nightmares are made. Will Kate discover and learn to control who she really is in time to save the ones she loves, or will all be lost?

Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!


This is a book where I don't want to give a single detail away because even an iota of extra information will ruin the process of discovery. This book is beyond stellar. The world that Krystal Wade introduces us to in Wilde's Fire will lead you on an adventure of fantasy and romance with evil forces coming out to play. 


Each character is strong, important, and well placed. They each have a part to play, never falling into the background or becoming see-through. The female protagonist, Kate, has moments of extreme difficulty, but her determination is powerful. She refuses to sit back and let life lead, she takes those ever present struggles and battles them. She was amazing to read about.


I loved the foreshadowing that will become more apparent (I'm guessing) as the series continues. Stories that are rich in subtle yet in-your-face little details always succeed in capturing my attention. You know those details, the ones that plant little seeds into your brain that can sprout before the confirming information or sometimes holding back until it all clicks into place. I love those!


Krystal Wade is an author that will captivate each reader by the power of the world she has created. Wilde's Fire is a must read, don't miss out!

Review: Nocturnal by Chelsea Cameron

Thank you Chelsea Cameron for the opportunity to review Nocturnal!

Genre

YA Paranormal Romance

Series

Noctalis Chronicles (Book 1)

Publication Date

February 2012

Publisher

DRC Publishing

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Format

Ebook

Seventeen-year-old Ava-Claire Sullivan isn't one for doing the expected. Especially when she finds out her mother's cancer is terminal. After a crying session in the local cemetery where she's attacked by one strange guy and saved by another, she doesn't call the cops. Because those guys definitely weren't your average hooligans. 


And the one who sort-of saved her? Well, he's odd. He doesn't seem to breathe or smile or have anything better to do than wait in the cemetery for Ava to come back. Which she does. Call it morbid curiosity. Even after he warns her that he's dangerous, she can't stop wanting to see him, talk to him, be with him.


There's something about Peter that provides a much-needed escape from her mother's diagnosis and her tenuous relationship with her father. Even her best friends Jamie and Texas don't know what it's like to face death. But Peter does. He already has. He also made a promise a long time ago that could destroy both of them.


When everything in your life is falling apart, what are you willing to give up to hold onto the one thing that could last forever?


Review
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

"My mind goes to some strange places sometimes."

There are so, so many great aspects to Nocturnal that escalated my reading experience!


One. Chelsea Cameron took the ever popular vampires and spun them into a unique species that captivated me. They are unlike any vampires that I have ever read about and I'm more than interested to learn more about their history.


Two. Ava-Claire Sullivan. Period. She's an amazingly sarcastic, feisty and funny female protagonist that completely entranced me. There are so many lines that I highlighted for many different reasons, but most of all because they struck a chord in me. Chelsea Cameron managed to capture characteristics of a REAL person and portrayed them in a way that brought life to Ava. Here and there I became frustrated with Ava, but this wasn't an author induced flaw, it was more of how Ava chose to handle (or really not handle them) that frustrated me. I actually welcomed the frustration though, because it made Ava even more fleshed-out.

"I just listen and replay the moment when Peter pulled the rug out from under the normal world. Hell, he ripped up the floor of the real world, showing me a basement I didn't know was there, full of creatures I never thought existed."

Three. Tex and Jamie. Simply awesome supporting characters where the loyalty and friendship is palpable. Tex is just something else, she's crazy fun with a somewhat erratic personality but she's so lovable. Tex and Ava fit perfectly together, they are soulmate friends. Chelsea Cameron captured the essence of their deep friendship that they've had since 1st grade. Jamie is also a great character, but he's the more subdued of the three. More serious, but still readers will be falling for him. He's not in Nocturnal a whole lot, but I hope to see more from him in Nightmare (the second book). 


Four. The slow budding romance. It's set at a more natural pace that I greatly appreciated. Peter and Ava appear more intrigued with each other at first and then it starts to evolve into something more.


Five. The snippets that we get from Peter. Am I a male perspective fan? Do you even need me to answer that question? I love being able to get into the male leads head anyway possible. Chelsea Cameron supplied me with that desired male perspective with those little snippets. They successfully added more depth to his character which was needed since he's prone to one-word answers when asked a question. He's quite intriguing despite the one-wordedness and I really want to know more about his life as a Noctalis.


With all that said, I did have some minor issues with some things. There were more than a few grammatical errors, but they honestly never hindered my reading, they were just mild annoyances. Also, there was an inconsistency with a name (not major since she wasn't in the story, just mentioned). Overall, I really enjoyed Nocturnal, more than appreciated the new take on vampires, and am very eager to see where the series will lead. 


Recommended to YA readers who enjoy vampires, want a new breed of vampires, or YA readers who love paranormal romance. Plus, Nightmare (the second book) is already out, so you won't have to wait to continue the adventure!

Review: Infinite Sacrifice by L.E. Waters

Genre

Reincarnation Fantasy


Series
Book 1 of the Infinite Series

Publication Date

November 2011

Publisher

Rock Castle Publishing

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Formats

Ebook

Paperback

Maya’s shocked to discover it’s not the heaven she imagined;in fact, a life of adventure begins the moment you die.

Zachariah, her faithful spirit guide, explains the rules of the dead: in order to regain complete awareness and reunite with loved ones all souls must review their previous lives.


Maya plunges warily into her turbulent pasts as a sociopathic High Priest in ancient Egypt; an independent mother protecting a dangerous secret in glorious Sparta; an Irish boy kidnapped and enslaved by Vikings; and a doctor’s wife forced to make an ethical stand in plague-ridden England.


All the while, Maya yearns to be with those she cares about most and worries that she hasn’t learned all of heaven’s most vital lessons. Will she be forced to leave the tranquility of heaven to survive yet another painful and tumultuous life? Or worse, accept the bitter reality of having to go back alone?


Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!


I'm a details person, what can I say? I love the tiny details of a story that make it complete. Infinite Sacrifice is about all those small details, so I was in heaven!


When L.E. Waters contacted me for a review, I was supremely intrigued by the blurb. Reincarnation will always fascinate me, then she succinctly pointed out out that one life involves vikings. Now, they are Dane's not Norwegian, but vikings are vikings so I was even more interested. With that said, I was mildly hesitant only because I wasn't sure how all the lives were going to be combined into one soul without confusion (that's what I get for reading reviews prior to reading a book, I usually read them after I've read the story because I don't like going into a book with preconceived notions). I was wrong to be hesitant, so very wrong! 


I was quickly entranced by the writing style as I partook in this unique, fascinating adventure. L.E. Waters captures scenery and dialogue with such ease that it's easy to picture in your head, everything rolls naturally. No stilting, no rushing, no forcing. There are a lot of details to take in as we visit four of Lazrina's (soul name) lives, but I found those details to be easy to keep track of (see, preconceived notion that it would be confusing). It wasn't confusing in the least, but then again, I pride myself on having an eye for those kind of details. Any small details, really. Also, L.E. Waters graciously supplies a chart at the end of each life to help the reader keep track of who was who within those four lives. It also helps that we visit each life one after the other without unnecessary spacing. It helps keep the people, or rather their souls, fresh in the readers mind. It also helps that each soul has at least one thing that helps identify them with each new life. You'll see once you read the book.


The concept was well-crafted, tightly woven together so there weren't any gaping holes. Everything fit together perfectly, like matching puzzle pieces. I cannot even imagine how much time went into Infinite Sacrifice, between the researched history and piecing together the lives of not only one person, but the supporting characters as well. It's really four mini stories rolled into a bigger story where everything ties together to make a compelling tale about the lessons a soul learns throughout their existence. I loved piecing together the tiny pieces to figure out who was positive, negative or neutral, but all influencing Lazrina's soul. 


One of the best parts is that L.E. Waters delivers history in a factual sense. She didn't romanticize it, which I greatly appreciated. She wrote about the ways of each life, never masking the ugly with pretty words to disguise the harsh facts. If you betrayed a law, you were killed. If you were a slave, you were owned, with few (if any) sympathizing with you. If you were a female, you had no power, often judged by who you married, owned by the man you married. The harsh realities of history were in your face, and I liked that! 

If you enjoy history, read Infinite Sacrifice. If you enjoy reincarnation, read Infinite Sacrifice. If you want a unique, one-of-a-kind story, read Infinite Sacrifice. Or how about you just read Infinite Sacrifice? It's an absolutely amazing story! And, lucky for us, Infinite Devotion (the second book) is already out!