Cover Reveal! The Billionaire & the Barfly, by Adrianne James

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Henry Maximus is a super-hero-loving geek and proud of it. He’s also a genius when it comes to business. It’s how he earned the title of CEO of Maximus Gaming … not to mention the billions of dollars in his bank account. Henry’s tried living the life of a bachelor, but a different girl every night has left him wanting more. Needing more.

Aubrey Vincent is in love with her job. She’ll love it even more if she lands the promotion that gets her out of her parent’s attic. She loves it so much that she has no time for relationships, not that she was ever very good at them to begin with. Aubrey is perfectly happy with the random, nameless men she picks up at the bar.

After a brief encounter with Aubrey on a business trip, Henry packs his bags and moves back to the small town where he grew up. Aubrey’s town. Aubrey attempts to find her way into Henry’s bed, while he tries everything to get into her heart. Will Henry’s plan to break down the walls Aubrey has built around her heart work or will his unbelievable million dollar offer scare her away?

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About Adrianne James

Growing up, Adrianne couldn’t get her hands on enough books to satisfy her need for the make believe. If she finished a novel and didn’t have a new one ready and waiting for her, she began to create her own tales of magic and wonder. Now, as an adult, books still make up majority of her free time, and now her tales get written down to be shared with the world.

During the day, Adrianne uses her camera to capture life’s stories for clients of all ages and at night, after her two children are tucked in bed; she devotes herself to her written work. Adrianne is living the life she always wanted, surrounded by art and beauty, the written word and a loving family.

As a young adult and new adult author, Adrianne James has plans to bring stories of growing characters, a little romance, and perhaps a little magic and mythology down the line for her readers to enjoy.

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Book Review: Bloodlines, by Richelle Mead

Bloodlines
Richelle Mead

Initial Thoughts: I felt like I was at a party where I didn't know anyone.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Summary:
Blood doesn't lie...

Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty - a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning...

My Thoughts:

So, here's the deal. I liked this book, but it took me a while to figure things out. And some things I'm still not sure of, but am too lazy to go back and re-read stuff in the beginning. Yeah, I said it. I'm lazy. If you've read the Vampire Academy series, you're good to go, since this is Richelle's 2nd series, with some returning characters. For about the first 1/4 of the book, I felt like I was with a group of friends who all went out the night before, and had a bunch of inside jokes that left me clueless. I felt like I should have known these characters a lot better than I did. It didn't start off good.

For example, I don't understand why the vampires listen to anything the alchemists say. The vampires are stronger, faster, better. They could crush those little alchemists...right? Maybe not. It's those kind of links I felt I was missing when I read. 

Point 2. It says right in the summary that alchemists dabble in magic, yet when you read the book, the alchemists hate magic, think it's horrifying and unnatural. Magic makes Sydney want to vomit. So again, me scratching my head. 

Anyhoo, once I got past all that...and I did...I enjoyed the story. I liked Sydney, didn't trust her supposedly sweet sister as far as I can spit, adored Adrien who showed the most growth in the book. From what I've read, he was kind of a dick in the VA series, but he totally grew on me here. I hate Sydney's pompous father, wanted to strangle that dick-in-training Keith. No surprise that her father loved him...2 dicks in one pair of trousers. But this is all good. Characters who bring out these emotions in readers is a totally good thing. I love hating and loving characters. Makes the book good.

Did I figure out the plot ahead of Sydney? Yes, I did, but I'm not sure the point of the story was the mystery or a race to figure out 'whodunnit'. But there were some surprises. Not the who, necessarily, but the why. There were just too many bread crumbs on the trail to not figure out the ending ahead of time.

But I still enjoyed it, and will keep reading.

Release Day Blitz!

The Tempering

The Mythology department at prestigious Harvard University is tiny—and Mackenzie Duncan has just been selected as one of the lucky few. Her love for myths and legends is deep, but she never thought any of it could be real.

After being attacked by a large wolf while walking home alone, Mackenzie realizes something is not right. She heals quickly, has suddenly become super strong, and is experiencing mood swings that can't possibly be normal. The myths she's studying aren't myths at all. Werewolves are real, and she's one of them. Fear of what she is, and who she might hurt sends Mackenzie running from the life she’s worked hard to build–and straight into the arms of a handsome Were named Geoff and into the home of his pack. Living with her new pack takes the edge off her confusion and self-loathing, but the arrival of new pack members changes the dynamic, and tests Geoff and Mackenzie’s growing relationship.

The hardest part of being a werewolf is to have no control and no memory of her time as a bloodthirsty beast. When a moon cycle passes, and she is actually able to remember bits and pieces of the night, she starts to ask questions, and the more questions she asks, the more she realizes she doesn’t like the answers. Can she set aside her own sense of morals to belong to a pack that is like a family or will she leave everything behind yet again in search of a life she can be proud of?

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The Enlightening

Mackenzie Duncan found out that pack life wasn’t for her. Now she is running for the second time in the six months since she was bitten and turned into a Werewolf. But this time, she isn’t alone. This time, she has Geoff and Liam with her, two very hot Werewolves vying for her heart.

But her companions aren't her focus. The only thing she can focus on is getting far from her old pack and their murderous ways. Only, she doesn’t just want to run. She wants to warn every pack she can that their lives are in danger too. No one should be turned against their will like she was and no other pack should have to surrender to the ideas of a centuries old, power hungry woman.

Not only does Mackenzie have to deal with her crazy ex-pack leader sending people out to kill her, she has to keep both men at arm’s length (and that proves to be much more difficult than she thought), but she finds out more about her own life and heritage than she ever thought imaginable.

And suddenly, everything makes sense...

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About Adrianne James

 

Growing up, Adrianne couldn’t get her hands on enough books to satisfy her need for the make believe. If she finished a novel and didn’t have a new one ready and waiting for her, she began to create her own tales of magic and wonder. Now, as an adult, books still make up majority of her free time, and now her tales get written down to be shared with the world.

During the day, Adrianne uses her camera to capture life’s stories for clients of all ages and at night, after her two children are tucked in bed; she devotes herself to her written work. Adrianne is living the life she always wanted, surrounded by art and beauty, the written word and a loving family.

As a young adult and new adult author, Adrianne James has plans to bring stories of growing characters, a little romance, and perhaps a little magic and mythology down the line for her readers to enjoy.

Website   Facebook    Twitter   Goodreads

 

Friday Fun! Snow and sleet and funnies, oh my!

I've been away for a while, lots of stuff going on both personal and work. I haven't been reading much, so am behind on my goal. It'll pick up again, I'm sure. For now, let me take the easy way out and post some clever pictures. I guess if you're going to make something that lasts forever (a.ka. plastic bags), may as well be clever about it!