Random Thursday

St. Nick comes tonight!! Not sure how many people acknowledge this holiday. As it's not really so much of a holiday I don't think. True, it's to honor Saint Nicholas. For me, it's also been when St. Nick aka Santa,--or at least that's what I was always told-- visits early a bit and fills the stockings of all good little girls and boys!

Although as I think on it now, it really had to be Santa's brother or something, because Santa is too busy preparing for Christmas!

Saint Nicolas does have the reputation for being a secret gift giver though! He would put coins into shoes that were left out for him. And in fact is what inspired Santa Claus. Guess Santa was in some other sort of business prior to then!

Just did a Google search for St. Nick to give you guys some facts! Have a GREAT day everyone!

Review--Tangled Souls by Jana Oliver

Wiccan Gavenia Kingsgrave’s psychic gift, the ability to talk to the dead, comes with strings attached. As a Shepherd, she escorts them into the hereafter, but not all the souls want to cross over, and some can be downright vicious. When her latest case involves a heart-breaking hit-and-run victim, Gavenia is stressed to the max. The last thing she needs is a no-nonsense private detective on her tail, even if he is a handsome Irishman.

Former homicide detective Douglas O’Fallon possesses his own psychic gift, one he’s denied for years. Hired by a wealthy client to prove that Gavenia’s a con artist, he is sceptical of the witch’s claims she can speak to the dead. If he finds her gift as genuine, then he will be forced to accept his own. When their two cases intersect, opposites attract. But will they be able to set their differences aside long enough to outwit their foes – both the living and the dead?

Jana Oliver's Tangled Souls is her foray into the adult paranormal world and it was quite interesting. This was one she self-published and I decided to give it a go since I adored her Demon Trappers series.  Tangled Souls is definitely one of a different variety than her previous work, but still pretty interesting.

Gavenia is a witch who can see ghosts and generally helps them move on. When one of her customers asks that she help the ghost of a child move on, she is moved, for she's never really had to help a child ghost before. The child who was murdered by a botched kidnapping attempt gone wrong. He wants to see his dog who's gone missing ever since he was killed. Gavenia has a lot of investigating to do to find the missing dog, because there's not much to work on. Standing in her way Douglas O'Fallon.

Douglas is a PI who was hired by the grandmother of the killed child. She thinks Gavenia is having an affair with the father of the boy/her son-in-law (the parents of the child are divorced or nearing divorced) and basically just up to no good. Douglas soon learns that that is not the case. The two definitely are quite the pair, as they are both quick witted and have a fire to them. They were definitely made for one another.

Even after the dog is found, the book is not over. There's still a murderer to find and Gavenia finds herself still immersed in the case even though her part is done. There's a lot more to the case then I can reveal, but basically who Gavenia is and who Douglas is are connected as are the people they know and whatnot get connected to this case. Confused yet? Sorry about that!

It basically turns into a nice little murder mystery to be solved. And there are ghosts and Guardians--spirits that Gavenia sees. Everyone seems to have a Guardian and are basically like guardian angels. But not everyone can see them. So there's some paranormal flavor for you.

The romance between Gavenia and Douglas was pretty good. It was very enjoyable as it was one that took some time to grow. And when it did, wow! 

Some things that nagged at me were the pacing. At times I felt like the book started to drag a bit in some areas, but it would quickly pick back up again. It was with trying to solve the case, there would be a lapse in action and it would be a few more pages til it picked back up, but it did happen pretty quickly each time. The other thing that bugged me, is a pet peeve of mine. Douglas is referred to as O'Fallon, as a few other characters get referred to by their last name and then when the first name pops back up again, I get confused, because I'm like, who is this? Then further reading tells me again. As I said, it's just a pet peeve of mine to refer to characters by their last names. I know lots of authors do this and I still enjoy their work, but I've always been one who likes to use first names first! :)

Overall it was a pretty good read. Something different and intriguing! The characters were pretty awesome. I feel like there were a few things left unsaid. Gavenia has a past to her that does eventually get explained somewhat towards the end, but I felt like these two big events--one that happened as a teen and one that happened six months ago--weren't explained in enough detail. Especially since they both had such an impact on her life. But oh well. I am pretty sure this is just a standalone, so the answers probably aren't really necessary as they were past events. The ending itself was very nice and left everything settled and happy, so I am a happy reader as well!


Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

I hate waiting...

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

Calder and Lily never imagined falling in love would mean breaking apart. But ever since Lily started wearing a glass pendant that once belonged to Nadia, Calder's adoptive mother, she's been having vivid dreams of what life was like for the mermaid matriarch. In fact, she's been dreaming as if she were Nadia! And Nadia, it seems, made a promise before her death. A promise to reunite Calder's biological mother with her son. Lily knows merfolk are bound to keep their promises. Calder's not buying into it, though. He chalks up the dreams to stress. He wants Lily to focus on the future—their future, not the past. Which forces Lily to send Calder away. Calder goes, feeling rejected and more than a little tempted to revert to his hunting ways.  

What both of them overlook is the present: Calder's sisters, Maris and Pavati, are fighting for control of the mermaid clan, and now that Lily and her dad have transformed into mer-creatures, both mermaids vie for daughter and father as allies. Which of the two mermaids can be trusted? Will Lily make costly mistakes, forcing her to descend to the depths of Lake Superior? And if Calder returns, will he be the same merman Lily grew to love? The stakes are high, with many lives at risk, but Calder and Lily must confront the past as well as their darkest impulses if they want a chance at being together.

Soooo excited for this one and yet my memory of the last two is pretty spotty! Hoping it all comes back to me once I dive in! *No pun intended!*

TITLE: Promise Bound
AUTHOR: Anne Greenwood Brown
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
GENRE: Paranormal/Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: January 7, 2014

On a well-deserved hiatus from the ghoulish grind of their TV show, Ghoul Getters, psychic medium M. J. Holliday, her boyfriend, Heath, and her best friend, Gilley, are back home in Boston. But there’s no rest for the weary ghost busters. M. J.’s ex comes to her for help—his fiancée’s brother Luke seems haunted by a sinister spirit.

The crew sets up surveillance cameras to watch for the possessive poltergeist while Luke is sleeping. But when he goes outside in the middle of the night and returns hours later covered in blood, they are all very concerned—especially when the news reports the murder of a young woman in the neighborhood.

Now M. J., Heath, and Gilley must remain self-possessed as they try to stop a wicked ghost whose behavior is anything but neighborly.

 I love love love this series!! So excited to be returning to it soonish!


TITLE: The Ghoul Next Door
AUTHOR: Victoria Laurie
PUBLISHER: Signet
GENRE: Paranormal Mystery
RELEASE DATE: January 7, 2014

Cover Copy Reveal--A Vision in Velvet

Lily Ivory hopes to score some great vintage fashion when she buys an antique trunk full of old clothes. But she may have gotten more than she bargained for...
 
As soon as Lily opens the trunk she feels strange vibrations emanating from a mysterious velvet cloak. When she tries it on, Lily sees awful visions from the past. And when the antique dealer who sold her the cape is killed, Lily suspects a supernatural force might be behind his death.

Then Lily's familiar, Oscar, disappears. Lily will do anything to get him back—including battling the spirit of a powerful witch reaching out from the past. But even with the aid of her grandmother, unmasking a killer and saving Oscar might be more than one well-intentioned sorceress can handle... 

Juliet just released this cover and description for a Vision in Velvet, in her newsletter! So excited! I love this cover too, but absolutely reeling that Oscar is missing!

No release date yet except for a June 2014. Will post again once I find it!

Review--Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

I've finally read Jennifer L. Armentrout's Sentinel, the conclusion to the Covenant series and what was one of my first ARC series! And since no ARCs of this one went to print, it's been a very long wait indeed! Based on the reviews I've been reading for this one, I was expecting the worst--emotionally wise. And while there was definitely a lot of emotions pulling me left and right, it wasn't as bad I as I thought--emotion wise.

Trying to get back into the swing of things was pretty hard. My memory of what went down previously was once again, pretty poor, but luckily Jennifer recaps the important bits and I was able to move along pretty smoothly all things considered.

Ares is Public Enemy number one. The god that needs to be stopped, asap. But Alex and her friends are just not enough to stop him. As Alex knows full well, Ares is one powerful S.O.B. It's not long before help arrives in an unexpected way, and that is Seth. I feel like this isn't a spoiler, for I've read reviews that mention Seth is on the scene, so Seth is back and he's joining Alex's team. But yet, Apollo still says they need more. And that's when an idea forms, they need another powerful deity who specializes in war. They need the Titan, Perses.

I love how Jennifer threads in Greek mythology in this one. We've had the Gods and Goddesses and now we're adding in a Titan! It was so amazingly epic that I never wanted the story to end. And sadly, it does end. Truly and completely as we all know.

There was a good deal of action in this one. It's battle after battle, quest after quest and a good dose of other mundane problems thrown into the mix. Although, when I say mundane, I mean the slightly less important to saving the world but still very important to the characters themselves. There's never a dull moment in this one!

The romance between Aiden and Alex remains to be a heart touching one. I can't decide if I like them better than Katy and Daemon. Probably more so Daemon, because let's face it, he's Daemon! Aiden is definitely the opposite of Daemon. Aiden is the sweet, kind boyfriend every girl wants, and that's all good too! There's still enough going on to cause friction between him and Alex as well. So it's not like it's all sunshine and rainbows. The end is near in this one! Plus with Seth there throwing out random innuendos is enough to cause trouble in paradise!

Sentinel had everything I could want from a series finale. Of course, knowing that Seth gets his own series in 2015 let me knew what his fate would be. So that was one thing off my worried conscience! But of course there's still the whole remaining cast of characters to fret over. And there were deaths, won't lie about that. But in the end, I did like how Jennifer wrapped things up. And I think what she says in her acknowledgements is the absolute truth: "stories never really, truly end". And that is the truth. Even if another spinoff or novella never exists these stories will keep going on in my head--amid thousands of others--and keep me wondering what they are doing with their happy or no so happy ever afters.


Overall Rating 5/5 stars

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a page

3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE

4. Name the title, author, etc.

"'Make one move I don't like, and I'll put a bullet right between your eyes.' My hand didn't shake. Whatever fear lived inside of me was vanquished by the growing, nearly-out-of-control rage. 'I know it won't kill you, but I sure as hell know it will hurt.'" p 75

TITLE: Sentinel
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Armentrout
PUBLISHER: Spencer Hill Press
GENRE: Paranormal YA
RELEASE DATE: November 2, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

This week's topic is: Top Ten 2014 Releases I'm Dying To Read

*in no particular order

Ooooh I like this one!!

1. WHITE HOT KISS

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

You bet it's #1!

2. SIXTH GRAVE ON THE EDGE

by Darynda Jones

  

3. CRUEL BEAUTY

by Rosamund Hodge

  

4. OPPOSITION

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

5. UP FROM THE GRAVE

by Jeaniene Frost

6. DOROTHY MUST DIE

by Danielle Paige

7. VISIONS

by Kelley Armstrong

8. THE FOREVER SONG

by Julie Kagawa

9. THE GHOUL NEXT DOOR

by Victoria Laurie

10. THE CALL OF THE FORGOTTEN BOOK 3

by Julie Kagawa

 After that evil evil evil cliffhanger, I sooooo NEED to read this one like months ago!!

 

Cover Copy Reveals--Hearne & Mead x2!

Acclaimed author Kevin Hearne makes his hardcover debut with the new novel in his epic urban fantasy series starring the unforgettable Atticus O’Sullivan.
 
For nearly two thousand years, there was only one Druid left walking the Earth—Atticus O’Sullivan, the Iron Druid, whose sharp wit and sharp sword kept him alive while pursued by a pantheon of hostile deities. Now he’s got company.

Atticus’s apprentice Granuaile is at last a full Druid herself. What’s more, Atticus has defrosted an archdruid long ago frozen in time, a father figure (of sorts) who now goes by the modern equivalent of his old Irish name: Owen Kennedy.

And Owen has some catching up to do.

Atticus takes pleasure in the role reversal, as the student is now the teacher. Between busting Atticus’s chops and trying to fathom a cell phone, Owen must also learn English. For Atticus, the jury’s still out on whether the wily old coot will be an asset in the epic battle with Norse god Loki—or merely a pain in the arse.

But Atticus isn’t the only one with daddy issues. Granuaile faces a great challenge: to exorcise a sorcerer’s spirit that is possessing her father in India. Even with the help of the witch Laksha, Granuaile may be facing a crushing defeat.

As the trio of Druids deals with pestilence-spreading demons, bacon-loving yeti, fierce flying foxes, and frenzied Fae, they’re hoping that this time . . . three’s a charm.

Cannot wait for this one! Still gotta read the current one though! And can you believe Kevin will be moving into hardcover already?! It's insane! But I love this series so I will be buying!

Shattered releases June 17, 2014

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Eep! Definitely liking the silver color of this one! Cannot wait to see it in all its physical glory! And again, still gotta read the current one!

Silver Shadows releases July 29, 2014

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Vampire Academy and Bloodline series returns with the second installment in her acclaimed Age of X series.

Gameboard of the Gods introduced religious investigator Justin March and Mae Koskinen, the beautiful supersoldier assigned to protect him. Together they have been charged with investigating reports of the supernatural and the return of the gods, both inside the Republic of United North America and out. With this highly classified knowledge comes a shocking revelation: Not only are the gods vying for human control, but the elect—special humans marked by the divine—are turning against one another in bloody fashion.

Their mission takes a new twist when they are assigned to a diplomatic delegation headed by Lucian Darling, Justin’s old friend and rival, going into Arcadia, the RUNA’s dangerous neighboring country. Here, in a society where women are commodities and religion is intertwined with government, Justin discovers powerful forces at work, even as he struggles to come to terms with his own reluctantly acquired deity.

Meanwhile, Mae—grudgingly posing as Justin’s concubine—has a secret mission of her own: finding the illegitimate niece her family smuggled away years ago. But with Justin and Mae resisting the resurgence of the gods in Arcadia, a reporter’s connection with someone close to Justin back home threatens to expose their mission—and with it the divine forces the government is determined to keep secret.

I was intrigued with this story and look forward to seeing where it all goes!

The Immortal Crown releases May 29, 2014 

RELEASE DAY LAUNCH: Bitter Sweet Love

Okay, technically, Bitter Sweet Love released yesterday, but it was better to post the launch post today after the holiday madness! Hope everyone survived the holiday!

Jennifer L. Armentrout's amazing novella in her new The Dark Elements Series, BITTER SWEET LOVE, is out and we are excited to join in the release day launch for it. BITTER SWEET LOVE is the Prequel Novella for The Dark Elements Series and is full of Wardens, fantasy, and romance. The first novel in the series, WHITE HOT KISS, will be released February 25, 2014. Check out what we have for you today! There's also a fantastic excerpt for you to check out below!

EXCERPT:

Moving lightning fast, Dez shifted and I was suddenly underneath him. His arms were on either side of my head, caging me in. Our bodies didn’t touch, but I felt him to the tips of my toes anyway.

                The teasing grin disappeared when I dragged in a deep breath and my chest brushed his. Everything changed in an instant. The playful mood faded, replaced by primal heaviness. Our gazes collided and locked. Neither of us moved. His closeness sent a series of shivers skittering across my skin and made it hard to take slow, even breaths. My body tensed when his gaze dropped to my mouth.

                He tilted his head to the side. “I… I honestly have no idea what we were talking about.”

                “Good. Neither do I.”

                He shifted his weight onto one arm, bring him closer. “Have you enjoyed your trip so far?”

                “Yes.” I felt as if I couldn’t get enough air into my lungs.

                “Good.” He lowered his head. His breath was minty as it moved across my cheek and then my lips. “I’m glad.”

                I wasn’t really following the conversation and I wasn’t sure that he was fully aware of what was coming out of his mouth. I searched my hazy brain for something to say and wet my lips. I-

                The sound that came out of Dez’s chest rumbled through me. A stuttered heartbeat passed and then his lips were on mine. There was nothing slow about this kiss. It scorched my skin and caused my body to stretch tight like a bowstring. The kiss deepened, spinning my senses. I shuddered when his hand curved over my shoulder and drifted down to my waist, his long fingers spreading out under the hem of my shirt, grazing the bare skin of my stomach.

                I gasped, floored by the raw sensations pounding through my blood. My skin felt as if I was about to phase. Maybe I was.

                “Jasmine,” he whispered, the word falling against my lips, and then his body was pressing mine into the mattress, heavy, sweet and hard.

*Amazon*     *Barnes and Noble*     *iTunes*

 
ABOUT BITTER SWEET LOVE (The Dark Elements #.5):

In a sizzling prequel novella to her new series The Dark Elements, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons.

Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.

And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again…

Don't miss White Hot Kiss, book one in Jennifer L. Armentrout's The Dark Elements series from Harlequin TEEN!

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Links:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

BITTER SWEET LOVE Goodreads

WHITE HOT KISS Goodreads

Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads

Jennifer L. Armentrout Amazon

WHITE HOT KISS Buy Links:

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE

iTUNES

It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs (5 stars)

Soar by Alyssa Rose Ivy (5 stars)

Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine (ARC)--Review to come at a later date

Blood Crime by Kim Harrison & Gemma Magno (5 stars)

Currently Reading:

 Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

What I Plan to Read this Week:

Tangled Souls by Jana Oliver

Wild Justice by Kelley Armstrong

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Waiting on Wednesday

Random Thursday

Follow Friday

Top 5 Sundays

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves

This weekly meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!

Sadly I didn't get much this week. And I found out that one of my books that I ordered that released this past Tuesday, won't arrive until this coming Tuesday. Something to do with Black Friday not being a business day apparently...yeah, seriously! I checked it on Friday and it said there were still 2 business days to go to be within the "three" business days shipping speed. If I didn't already have enough books to read, I would be super p-o'ed!

But anyway...:D

So yeah, here's what I did end up buying:

Wild Justice by Kelley Armstrong
Dark Craving by Veronica Wolff

That's it for me! What did you get this week?