Glittering Promises by Lisa T. Bergren

Glittering Promises by Lisa Tawn Bergren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lisa Bergren never ceases to amaze me. Glittering Promises was everything I expected and more. I couldn’t wait to turn the pages.
Cora and the rest of her group are faced with so many challenges during this final leg of their journey. It was an emotional rollercoaster, but in a good way. With each tragedy and crisis they face, it made me look deeper at my own life. We take so many things for granted these days. Life is not like it was back in Cora’s time. We are free to love, vote, work, and wear what we wish. Miss Kensington had to fight all of these issues. She not only had to find her own place in the world as a woman, but she had to constantly prove herself, not only to those reading the papers and her family, but also to herself. Throughout this series, Cora had to face the harsh realities of life and accept who she really is.
I found myself very satisfied at the end of this installment, yet very sad that Cora’s story is over. I wouldn’t mind if Lisa decided to expand this series (hint hint)


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Release Day Launch~Seven Day Fiancé by Rachel Harris

Rachel Harris' SEVEN DAY FIANCE is finally here! 

You can get it in your hands (well, on your ereader) right now! You don't want to miss this fantastic Contemporary Romance from Rachel Harris. Book 2 in the Love and Game Series, SEVEN DAY FIANCE can be read as a standalone. Check out all of the information regarding this fantastic novel and Rachel Harris below! Then, celebrate Rachel's Book Birthday by entering the giveaway for an ecopy of Book 1, TASTE THE HEAT!

Isn't that cover pretty?? Read on and find out everything you need to know below! 

SEVEN DAY FIANCE Synopsis:

Angelle Prejean is in a pickle. Her family is expecting her to come home with a fiancé—a fiancé who doesn’t exist. Well, he exists, but he definitely has no idea Angelle told her mama they were engaged. Tattooed, muscled, and hotter than sin, Cane can reduce Angelle to a hot mess with one look—and leave her heart a mess if she falls for him. But when she ends up winning Cane at a charity bachelor auction, she knows just how to solve her fiancé problem.

Cane Robicheaux is no one’s prince. He doesn’t do relationships and he doesn’t fall in love. When sweet, sultry-voiced Angelle propositions him, he hopes their little game can finally get her out of his head. He doesn’t expect her to break through all his barriers. But even as Angelle burrows deeper into his heart, he knows once their seven days are up, so is their ruse.

Rachel Harris Bio:

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. Taste The Heat is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. She loves hearing from readers! Find her at www.RachelHarrisWrites.com.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Links:

Website: www.RachelHarrisWrites.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RachelHarrisYA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RachelHarrisYA

Goodreads Author: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5347676.Rachel_Harris

SEVEN DAY FIANCE Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17926005-seven-day-fianc?ac=1

Entangled Website: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/

And now for the Giveaway! Go enter to win! 

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My rating

Ahhhhh. What can I say about this book other than absolutely breathtaking! I'm worried about giving too much away in this review and trust me, you want to read it for yourself! Angelle and Cane's story is full of anticipation and surprises. Not only does it have the romance factor, Rachel also deeply develops each character. Both Cane and Angelle have emotional pasts. Pasts that neither thought they could ever overcome. The things that set them apart from each other might just be the things that draw them together, if they can just give it a chance.

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Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Ink Slinger for this review copy.

Review~Written in the Stars by Patricia Rosemoor & Sherrill Bodine

Written in the Stars by Patricia Rosemoor and Sherill Bodine

Book Blurb

In 1601, Lady Elizabeth York's star-shaped birthmark proclaims her a 
child of magic.　When she arrives at Dunham Castle to marry Carlyle, 
heir to the Duke of Lennox, she finds enchantment in the eyes and 
touch of Will Grey, the Duke's bastard son. Bewitched by Elizabeth, 
Will defies all for their love, and his jilted half-brother places a 
curse on them both.

Searching for a treasure ship sunk long ago, present-day marine 
archeologist Cordelia Ward is pursued romantically by both salvager 
Innis Foley and treasure hunter Morgan Murphy. She is haunted by a 
murderous nightmare where one man is the killer and the other the 
victim. But which man is her enemy--which one her soul mate? Can a 
journal that belonged to her ancestress, Lady Elizabeth York show her 
the answers...in time to save her true love?

Chased by evil, two women discover their own magic to fight　a 
villain's curse on the Posey rings that draw them to the men they are 
destined to love.　

My Review: 4.5 Stars

Historical fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres. This particular work also excellently wove together historical fiction, romance, mysticism, suspense, and love. I absolutely adored the characters and didn’t have any trouble relating to the characters or the time
shift.
I found the story and characters easy to identify with. Lady Elizabeth, approached Dunham Castle, ready to accept her fate as Carlyle’s bride, without ever meeting him. She is pleasantly surprised to immediately feel something for the first man she sees. Her stomach flips, first from happiness, then to disappointment as she soon finds out that the man she made a connection with was not Carlyle, but Will, the bastard son of the Duke. Can she accept her place as Carlyle’s wife when she had such a connection with Will? And, Will, well he feels the same as Elizabeth. But does he dare speak of it? He knows the consequences of being a bastard son. Will he risk everything to profess his desires?
Cordelia Ward has two suitors. She must decide for herself if her visions of one being a murderer and the other a victim are true. And if they are, who is who? Can she save them all from this horrible vision she foretells? Maybe the answer lies within the mysterious journal she finds that once belonged to her ancestress, Lady Elizabeth. Can Elizabeth help Cordelia find out the truth? And will she figure out who is who before her true love perishes?

This is an amazing story of two extraordinary women trying to realize their true worth in their own time of troubles. Can they depend on their hearts to show them the right way? Is the future they foresee changeable?
Strong story lines, excellent time shifts, along with the romance and strong female characters have made it easy for me to give this story 4.5 stars!


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5 Stars A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris

A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If one was to look up sixteenth century girls in an encyclopedia, (oh wait do they still have those? Maybe Google images then) you would most likely see someone like Alessandra. On the outside, she is like any other 16 year old from that era. She is willing and exited to be united in marriage to a man many years older than herself. Less is the picture of perfect bliss. She is proper and dutiful, but there is an adventurous side just waiting to get out. That side of her escapes when her dream of a perfect future is destroyed by the very man who inspired it. Alessandra needs an escape from her reality, and quick. If only her cousin, Cat, were here. She could help her make sense of all this. But alas, Cat had returned home to her own time in the future 2 years prior.

Enter Reyna. That quirky, always there at just the right time, riddle giving gypsy. Just as Alessandra felt as if she was as lost as could be, she is given an opportunity of a lifetime. Reyna sends her to stay with Cat, in the future, but is clear that she can only stay until the 3 riddles she has given her have come to pass.

Cat is absolutely shocked to see her sixteenth century cousin at her doorstep, in trousers none the less. For her, it has only been 2 months since she had arrived back from her own adventure, not two years as Less suggests. She immediately sets forth explaining dress, slang, and boys to Less. Now it is Cat's turn to help Less and she is going at it full throttle. She even gets Less enrolled as a foreign exchange student from Italy in her high school for the semester. Should be an educational experience. I mean, what can happen? Less is only here for a short time.

Surprises are just that, a surprise. Cat could not have imagined that in just one day, Less would be flabbergasted over a boy. Well, not just any boy, Austin! From the first time he tapped his fingers on the desk, Less was hooked, even though she didn't know it herself. What was happening to her? Austin was all wrong. He was trouble! He was also, all she could think about.

A Tale of Two Centuries is an imaginative, butterflies in your stomach, leaving you wanting more, read. I easily give it 5 stars and can't wait for my daughter to get just a bit older to read it herself. Rachel, you've done it again, girl! What talent! Congratulations!

WANT SOME FREEBIES?

Anyone who orders a copy of A Tale of Two Centuries this week and forwards a receipt to Rachelharris1 at gmail dot com will receive exclusive swag including an Austin trading card, a ticket to Alessandra's play, and a signed bookplate. And yes, ebook orders count!

Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?

~Special Flirt Squad Excerpt~

After several hours and rejecting more than, as Cat would say, a bazillion selections, we finally make our way home, bags brimming with a half dozen dresses and an array of ankle length skirts. And though our quest to find items that actually cover both my calves and elbows did prove time consuming, that was not really the reason for our extended excursion…it was my complete and utter awe over the vast display of readymade clothing! Modern women no longer have a need to select fabrics and patterns and hire a tailor—they merely step inside a store, choose an item off a rack, and bring it home. Marvelous.

I step inside Cat’s comfortably cool home and slurp the final remains of my creamy beverage. My cousin insisted she needed a ‘sugar fix’ on the way home, so Vivian stopped at a building with bright yellow arches filled with delectable delicacies. A chill seeps down my throat and I close my eyes at the blissful sensation, before recognizing the uncomfortable, full one tightening my stomach.

Wonderful, yet another experience in which to amuse my cousin. Since arriving, I seem to do little else. And though it is quite improper to discuss such topics, I have no other choice but to continue the entertainment now.

I turn to her, my cheeks burning with the ever-present annoying blush, and ask, “Pardon, but may I inquire where your garderobe is located?”

Cat grins in reply—as I expected—and I hang my head, following wordlessly in her wake back to the chamber she called a bathroom. She turns the knob on an interior door, steps inside, and lifts the lid on a bright white object.

“This, my time-traveling ancestor, is a toilet. Much cooler than your stinky garderobe business. See this?” She places her hand on a silver lever located near the top. “This means we have central plumbing.”

She lowers the lever and the toilet goes wild. A loud gurgling, much like the sound of a waterfall, erupts from the basin and I jump back and grip Cat’s arm with a muted squeal. The water pooled inside begins to bubble and fresh water cascades down from the rim above. The rumbling noise recedes to a gentler hiss but just when I think the excitement is over, the basin makes one last hurrah, twirling and whirling the water down the hole at the bottom with a final booming glug.

I slap my hand over my mouth then promptly remove it. “Do it again!”

Cat smiles and rolls her eyes, then pulls me into the tiny alcove. “Yeah, I don’t think so. You can do that when you’re done…using the facilities.”

The need to know where the contents go once they disappear is nearly overwhelming but I refrain from asking, having had quite enough of playing the simpleton cousin for at least one afternoon. But unfortunately, my role as entertaining time traveler plays on, as I do need to clarify matters a bit more. “So I sit on this toilet and, um, use it to…err…. relieve myself?”

My voice rising to a high-pitched squeak at the end does not help the situation.

Pushing my hair from behind my ear and ducking my head to hide my face, I clamp my eyes shut and will this moment over. Oh, why must every new discovery be such an embarrassing revelation?

My cousin, bless her, must take pity on me because I feel her brush past, pausing to give my arm a gentle squeeze. “Yep, nothing to it.” She pauses, and I hear her tap the frame of the door behind me. “So…I’m just gonna be in my room. Er,” she snaps her fingers together, “take your time.”

The door clicks closed and I shake my head. Suddenly, all of Cat’s humorous missteps from when she traveled to my time flash in my mind along with all my resulting merriment and I look to the heavens with a begrudging grin.

Yes, my present embarrassment is an apt form of divine justice.

When my head lowers, my gaze centers again on the silver lever and it is as if my insatiable curiosity is a living, breathing creature inside the alcove with me. I bounce on my toes, gnaw on my lip, and finally give in, shooting my hand out to depress the cool metal. The wondrous performance begins again, and my laughter echoes off the sage colored walls. 

About the Author

As a teen, Rachel Harris threw raging parties that shook her parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels. As an adult, she reads and writes obsessively, rehashes said embarrassing fodder, and dreams up characters who become her own grown up version of imaginary friends.

When she's not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, you can find her homeschooling her two beautiful princesses, hanging out with her amazing husband, or taking a hot bubble bath…next to a pile of chocolate. A Tale of Two Centuries is her second novel.

Author website | Twitter | Facebook |Goodreads

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5 Star Taste the Heat Review

Perhaps a High School crush is just a glimpse into the future.

 We’ve all had them. That hot boy that makes  your stomach turn somersaults just by making eye contact. The disheveled haired boy that accidentally touches you in the hallway. Or the older boy, who is a Senior in High School while you’re still just an 8^th grader. You know the one. He drives a Black Mustang, is super sweet to you and your friends, and even hangs out with you when you are asked to play with the High School band ensemble at contests. Yes, that one was mine.

As an 8^th grader, I didn’t actually realize I had a crush on this particular person. I was young and loved the attention and became great friends with him. My freshman year in High School, Mr Already Graduated boy started hanging out with me and my family. He also helped chaperone my first few dates with some of those other hair flinging, muscled body, closer to my age crushes. Until one day in my second semester as a Junior.  Through boyfriend’s and other emotional times, this boy had always been there. Out of nowhere, one day I became jealous of him trying to secure a date with another lady in town. I mean, he was mine. He had to be there with me all the time. On my dates! Why would he dare try to send someone he didn’t know except from seeing her in a business, roses and then ask her for a date? Why? This just wasn’t right. Then BAM!! It hit me. He had been my crush all along. If a guy wanted to take me out and they didn’t want Stephen along, well, so long buddy. You aren’t the one for me. It all suddenly became clear. One of the guys I dated my freshman year was a mutual friend of Stephen’s. When we broke up he said it was because one day I’d discover who I really loved. I was so confused. But on this day, all of this was suddenly explained. He was the ONE! He always had been. So now what? Well, let’s just say it took time, but after 5 years of dating once we both had the courage to admit our true desires, 13 years of marriage, and 2 children later, we are still giddy around each other as we were on our first official date. I love that man!

5 Stars!

Because of my High School crush story, I was thrilled to get an ARC of Taste the Heat, by Rachel Harris. As soon as I read the blurb about Jason being Colby’s High School crush, I knew I’d fall in love with the story instantly. I mean, who doesn’t want a happy ending like I have? I believe in non-spoiler reviews so if you’re looking for how things turn out in this book, boogey right along, because this book is too good to give away any secrets.

Colby, scarred by her past, escapes from Louisiana to study and live her dream as a big-time chef. What Miss Now Big City Vegas girl didn’t expect when she agreed to help her brother revamp their family restaurant in LA for the summer, were old High School crush feelings to fire back up. And we’re talking in a spicy vengeance. Her spunky sister says go for it. But Colby knows nothing can happen. She’s only here for the summer.

Jason, Mr Crush Himself and now fire chief of Colby’s hometown, didn’t have any expectations of falling in love again. He was perfectly happy with raising his daughter by himself. After all, he had responsibilities as fire chief and his own gym to handle. He didn’t have time to date. That would take more time away from Emma than she deserved. No, he didn’t have plans to fall, but oh how he did when he saw Colby again. But this was wrong. It couldn’t happen. Not with his best friend’s sister! Cane was Emma’s Godfather for goodness sake. This was all wrong.

Taste the Heat is a story about self-restoration as well as romance. Colby and Jason must both face their past in order to embrace their future. Can they afford a summer together without hope for the future? And what about Emma? She’s so young and impressionable. She would be looking for more for her dad. What happens when the summer is over and her dream of a complete family is shattered with Colby’s desire to return to Vegas? Is it all worth the risk?

Grab you something sweet and spicy and jump into this amazing book! Available Today! 

Congrats to Rachel on an outstanding debut into the Adult Romance world! Your success is imminent!

Thank you to 

for providing this advanced review copy.

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Crude Policy by Joel Albert

Crude Policy by Joel Albert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was enthralled with this book from page one. It is an excellent story of current economic situations and one man's attempt at creating its stability, only to discover that everyone working on his project cannot be trusted. Somehow a terrorist has infiltrated his group. Joel has created an outstanding work of fiction that should put him amongst such great authors as Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum.



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Review~My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century~by Rachel Harris

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stars to infinity! How on earth would you rate such a whimsical and amazing work of complete art such as this? Rachel Harris created a character that, in my mind, will become a literary classic. I've always been in love with time travel historical fiction novels and this addition to the genre is a welcome one.

Cat is by no means a typical teenage girl. Most girls spend their evenings with friends, hanging out, getting in trouble, and going on dates. Not so much, for Cat. She is the daughter of a scandalous actress who deserted her and Cat's father when Cat was young. Her scandals are constantly being thrown into Cat's face on the covers of tabloids all over the world. As if that isn't enough for any teenage girl to handle, Cat's father is a well known film director. Although he strives for Cat to live a normal life as much as possible, it simply isn't easy when the paparazzi are always following you, just knowing you will mess up just like your mom.

To make matters worse is Cat's over the top, future stepmother. Miss I-Can't-Wait-To-Use-My Fiance-To-Better-My-Own-Career Jenna. Cat wants to stay out of the media yet party planner Jenna wants to throw her an extravagant sweet sixteen bash. Sounds innocent right? Not! If done correctly, this extravaganza will be broadcast on Mtv and will be the ticket to Jenna's success. Selfish much?

It's no wonder Cat's Dad has agreed to take her on a trip to Italy. He's totally trying to butter her up. Cat has always been in love with Italy and their art. She aspires to be an artist one day, herself. In her spare time, she studies everything she can about Renaissance Artists.

Knowing she will eventually have to give an answer about this dreaded birthday bash, she decides she needs a bit of time for herself in Italy. After assuring her dad she would return for dinner with him and Jenna, he reluctantly agrees. While exploring, Cat stumbles upon a gypsy tent. Very curious and with time to spare, she enters. After what seems to be some normal gypsy mumbo jumbo, Cat feels something unusual happening around her and soon realizes she has been transported back to Renaissance Italy.

Cat finds herself thrown into a conundrum of events. She must pretend to be someone she is not. Perhaps, however, this new person is who she needed to be all along. Is this where she was meant to be, with the chance of love or must she find a way back to her father and her own time?

Thank you, Rachel, for creating a masterpiece I am sure I will reread many times. I'm already looking forward to sharing it with my daughter. Looking forward to the next installment in this captivating series. You rock, girl! Congrats on your debut. You can only go up from here!

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Cascade~by Lisa T Bergren

Cascade by Lisa Tawn Bergren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great sequel to Waterfall. I could not put it down.

The story picks up as Gabi and Lia return to their mother, but leaving behind her love. Gabi convinces her sister and mom to return to medieval Italy, if it is even possible to return to the same time, or accept that her Marcello may be out of her life forever. If they return to the fourteenth century, they will be faced with known battles, illnesses, and the like. They will be leaving all they have ever known behind. Also thrown into the mix is a question. Can another be saved by time traveling? Or should history be left alone?

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Waterfall~by Lisa T Bergren

Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I downloaded this when it was offered free by amazon on my Kindle. I'll be honest, the cover grabbed me and I thought I'd read it eventually no matter the subject matter. I read the description and immediately added it to the top of my list. Then, I stumbled upon Waterfall Wednesdays, a read along. Oh my! What a great way to read and share with other Tribe fans! I soon realized that this would be one of those series I would fall in love with.

Waterfall is a story of two young girls, who are constantly dragged along to archaeological dig sites with their parents. Although Gabi and Lia find the teachings and history of historic Italy to be a bore at the time, it soon becomes absolutely relevant to them. After the tragic death of their father, their mother believes she has found an Etruscan site that she and her husband have always searched for. Knowing full well she should not, Gabi persuades Lia to enter the tomb her mom has found. Seeing two odd handprints on the wall of the tomb, the girls feel compelled to touch them. That's when everything changes, even the time. Medieval Italy, here they come. And they can only survive by trusting each other and by faith.

To say this book was amazing is an understatement. I cannot put into words how this book made me feel. It is refreshing to read a story that compels me to share it with my children. When I fist downloaded Waterfall, little did I know I would be buying the next two in the series within the following two months. Almost a year after I found Waterfall, I am using it as a homeschooling family reading novel with my two kids, who love it. This series is a wonderful young adult medieval time travel series.

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Bourne~by Lisa T Bergren

Bourne by Lisa Tawn Bergren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once in a blue moon there is a series of books when, as soon as another is released, you must immediately purchase and read. The River of Time Books are such a series. One must stop whatever they are currently reading and continue the saga of the She-Wolves! This novella was captivating from page one...enjoy!

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Review~Tributary By Lisa T. Bergren

Tributary by Lisa Tawn Bergren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another amazing installment in the River of Time Series. Lisa snags your attention from the first word written and doesn't let it go. Ever! I'm seriously still thinking about what may happen next. I am not one for spoilers, so this will be kept short.

Marcello, Gabriella, Luca, Evangelina and Rodolfo's story continues a year following the battle in Bourne. Things are quite calm until a stranger literally lands on their side of the border. This stranger, a young girl named Alessandra, soon finds herself torn between the life she once knew, enemies of Marcello and his family, and the life that is now presented to her. She is forced to look at Gabi and the She-Wolves in a different light and it confuses her very being. As if this weren't enough, secrets abound between Gabi and Evangelia. Secrets the enemy must not uncover or they shall once again be in harm's way.

Tributary was everything I wanted in a novella and more. Grab your copy today!

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Review-The Girl Of Fire And Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 stars! Wow. What can I possibly say to give this book justice? This is one of those books that make you think about the story even when you are away from the book. Rae Carson is an exceptional writer and I am so glad I stumbled upon her book.

In this novel, a young princess goes on a journey of self discovery. This is not your ordinary princess story. Elisa was chosen as bearer to the Godstone. As a bearer, Elisa has no idea why she was chosen or what it truly means. She constantly feels unworthy of being the bearer of something so precious. At a young age, she is married in a political agreement and soon finds herself thrown into a whirlwind of events no princess at her age should deal with alone. Hers is a story of love, loss, defeat, and victory. A story of faith.

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Review The Immortal Rules

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

5 of 5 stars!

I believe Kagawa is an outstanding author. I truly have enjoyed the Iron Fey books I have read thus far. When I heard she was writing a series about vampires...well, let's be honest, I almost squealed. (and I'm in my 30's) I couldn't wait until it came out on Netgalley so I could read and review it quickly.

Coming from the older tellings of Dracula, Twilight, and Sookie Stackhouse, I dived into this book with an open mind. There isn't any way to compare Vampire stories. Each one is unique and captures a different audience. I believe as a reader, that every author deserves their own take on a subject matter. No one story line is considered "correct" when it comes to fantasy and vamps.

Julie was able to totally recreate the story of Vampires by setting the story line in the future, unlike many books today. In The Immortal Rules, Vampires rule. Vampires even decide how, what, and when humans can eat. Some humans register with the vamps hoping that by giving themselves into the care of the Vampires, their lives will be spared, but some humans, such as Allie, choose not to register. These unregistered humans are constantly being hunted. I love the idea that it is up to Allie to try to save humanity. Most mortals don't know how to read or even know what a hospital is. Allie hides the fact that she can read, but tries to teach her closest friends. Vampires would not be hapoy with this in the least. If mortals can read and find books about the past, they would know that at one time Humans ruled the earth. Allie learns all she can and has a hatred for the Immortals like others in hiding. That all changes the night Allie is attacked. Everything she knows about Vampires must be reevaluated.

The Blood of Eden series is already powerful with the release of this first novel. Kagawa, once again, engages readers and transports them into another world, where nothing is predictable.

Synopsis

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Review~Bittersweet by Brooke Moss

From the Author's website

Anna Kirkpatrick isn't looking for love. Being a single mom to Bowan, her eight-year-old autistic son, takes up all of her time...leaving no room for romance. Willing to do anything to help her son come out of his shell, Anna agrees to take Bowan to cooking classes with a world class chef.

 Motorcycle-riding pastry chef Leo Mancini isn't exactly searching for"the one", either. After losing every penny he had, his business, and his girlfriend, he's moved to northern Idaho to sulk, restart his
career, and pay his sister back for a loan that no amount of money
could ever really suffice.

 When Anna and Leo discover that Bowan's fondness for the kitchen
extends beyond his peculiar cookbook collection, Leo quickly becomes the one person who can break through his barriers. But will Leo and Anna's attraction lead to more than just a weekly cooking lesson?


 **Novella available in April of 2012 - Proceeds will support AUTISM SPEAKS! (a charity near & dear to my heart, as a mother of an ASD kid)**

Published April 28th 2012 by Entangled Publishing in a charity anthology entitled Love Knows No Bounds 

My Review

Bittersweet is a captivating short read. I absolutely love the fact that Brooke Moss wrote a short, but meaningful story about a single mom with a special needs child. I have several friends who have children with Autism. These kids are some of the kindest kids I know. Many parents, siblings, and other family members feel ashamed to have lives of their own when the Autistic child requires so much themselves. This is a shame, because every individual needs time for themselves as well. This book is a delightful story of one such lady who must realize that her own happiness will actually further her son's progress.

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About Brooke:

"I write because if I don't...my head will explode, and ruin the drapes." ♥

Brooke Moss is the name, contemporary romance, fantasy YA, and women's fiction are the game. 

Brooke writes complex, character-driven stories about kismet, reunited lovers, first love, and the kind of romance that we should all have the chance at finding. She prefers her stories laced with some humor just for fun, and enough drama to keep her readers flipping the pages, and begging for more!

When Brooke isn't spinning tales, she spends her time drawing/cartooning, reading two books a week (ask her who her faves are), watching movies then comparing them to books, and, of course, wrangling four kids, one hubby she lovingly refers to as her "nerd", and attempting to conquer the Mount Everest of laundry that is the bane of her existence.

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Glamorous Illusions

Watch the trailer here!

From Lisa's website

It’s the summer of 1913 and Cora Kensington’s life on the family farm has taken a dark turn. After enduring crippling personal losses, she struggles to make it through, day to day. But then a stranger comes to call. And in one fateful afternoon, Cora discovers that a terrible secret has been kept from her…a secret that will radically change her future. Cora is invited to take the “Grand Tour” of Europe, a journey intended to finish a person’s eduction, to solidify an understanding of culture, history and personal refinement. As she travels from England to France, with kin she’s never known, Cora encounters the blessings of the family name, as well as the curses. But when an unbidden love begins to form, she realizes the journey is only beginning…

From Goodreads

When Cora Kensington learns she is the illegitimate daughter of a copper king, her life changes forever. Even as she explores Europe with her new family, she discovers that the most valuable journey is within. The first book in the Grand Tour series takes you from the farms of Montana through England and France on an adventure of forgiveness, spiritual awakening, and self-discovery

My Review

5 of 5 stars!

First off, let me say how I love Lisa's books. I was fortunate to stumble on a kindle version of Waterfall last August and found a read a long group for the book. I had never thought about blogging, writing a review, being in a book club, conversing personally with an author or much less, even knew what an ARC was before reading Lisa's work. I flew through her YA series and found myself wanting more. When she announced her adult novel, Glamorous Illusions, I was absolutely thrilled and wanted to share it with everyone. I knew it was going to be as exciting as her previous books I had already read. I was not disappointed.

Glamorous Illusions encapsulated me from the first line. A young girl, in 1913, coming home from College, expecting a warm homecoming at the station, is unpleasantly surprised by her father's ailment. This caused the beginning of life-changing events for young Cora. Once just a farm girl from Montana, who had to work for everything she had, Cora is greeted by a mysterious stranger who could change her life forever. A stranger that has a secret to share and it involves Cora.

Cora was quite content with returning to College before this man abruptly entered her life. Now, to save her father, she must accept this man's generous offer of going on such an excursion she could never dream of attending, The Grand Tour. The Grand Tour involves a group of young adults touring foreign countries, attending balls, historic sites, and other cultural experiences with an experienced tour guide. Cora begins the tour heartbroken for leaving her parents.

On The Grand Tour, Cora must make numerous decisions. Decisions that will determine her now open future. No longer the poor farm girl, she must use this experience and God's guidance to discover who she really is, who she wishes to become, and who she loves.

This book was exceptional, easily transporting the reader into Cora's head and I immediately felt comfortable in 1913. It was as if I were actually Cora, myself. It truly made me stop and think about what decisions I would make if placed in her situation. The book inspired me to take a look at my own life and view the world from an entirely different perspective. How would the world be today if each person first had to work hard for everything they had and then experienced life as one who was just given everything. Or reverse the roles. How would that change us? Thought provoking, wouldn't you say? Which decisions would you make?

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Bergren Challenges Readers to Face Their Own Identity Crisis

(via press release)

New series from Lisa T. Bergren leads readers through a journey of inner discovery

Colorado Springs: Glamorous Illusions (David C Cook/June 1, 2012/ISBN: 978-1-4347-6430-0), the first release in Lisa Bergren’s new Grand Tour series, is a beautiful exploration of the covenant connection between God the Father and His children. Through the story of Cora Kensington, Bergren takes her audience on a European adventure of forgiveness, spiritual awareness, and self-discovery.

A person often identifies themself by their family, profession, or circumstances. However, as Christians, what would happen if we began to better understand our true identity in Christ? It is this spiritual journey that author Bergren guides readers through in Glamorous Illusions.

It was the summer of 1913, and Cora Kensington’s life on the family farm has taken a dark turn. Not only are the crops failing, so is her father’s health. Cora is carrying on, helping her mother run their Montana farm until a stranger comes to call, and everything changes. Cora then learns a secret that will radically change her future: she is the illegitimate daughter of a copper king who has come to claim her.

Cora is invited to take the “Grand Tour” of Europe, a journey intended to finish a person’s education, to solidify an understanding of ancient culture and contemporary refinement. As she travels from England to France with half-siblings she’s never known, Cora encounters the blessings of the Kensington family name, as well as the curses. But when an unbidden love begins to form, she realizes the journey is only beginning.

Faced with the challenge of accepting her father, new family, and the identity that comes with it, Cora also struggles to accept that she is also the daughter of the one true King—a Father who is the only One who can truly heal. “Glamorous Illusions is not only Cora’s journey toward understanding true identity in Christ, but it will help every reader understand it better too,” explains Bergren. “It’s an examination of the bond between the Father and his child.”

Each member of the traveling group expects an outer cultural journey of refinement, but each will also wrestle with their own sins and inner conflicts. Ultimately, they explore what truly informs a person’s sense of identity. Readers will be able to join Cora and the other Kensingtons and Morgans as they continue their Grand Tour, discovering new lands, new cultures, and new aspects of themselves, in the upcoming installments Grave Consequences (Spring 2013) and Glittering Promises (Fall 2013).

About Lisa

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 35 books, with more than 2 million copies sold. She recently finished a teen series called River of Time (WATERFALL, CASCADE and TORRENT) and soon will release a follow-up e-novella called BOURNE. She's currently writing a New Adult series called The Grand Tour, and the first release is GLAMOROUS ILLUSIONS (June 2012).

Lisa’s time is split between managing home base, writing, consulting and freelance editing (with a little speaking here and there). She’s married to Tim, a liturgical sculptor, graphic designer and musician. They have three kids–Olivia (16), Emma (13) and Jack (9).

All five of the Bergrens make their home in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Twitter: @LisaTBergren or @TheWorldCalls

Facebook: Lisa, Author Page, The World Is Calling

Goodreads: Goodreads Author

Website: http://lisatawnbergren.com/

Publisher: David C. Cook

I would like to thank David C. Cook and Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced reading copy of Glamorous Illusions and thrilled to write a review for such a wonderful novel.