The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous – a Review

The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous – a Review

 

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Description:
1988. Beth Soames is fourteen years old when her aunt takes her to stay at Raven Hall, a rambling manor in the isolated East Anglian fens. The Averells, the family who lives there, are warm and welcoming, and Beth becomes fast friends with their daughter, Nina. At times, Beth even feels like she’s truly part of the family…until they ask her to help them with a harmless game–and nothing is ever the same.

2019. Sadie Langton is an actress struggling to make ends meet when she lands a well-paying gig to pretend to be a guest at a weekend party. She is sent a suitcase of clothing, a dossier outlining the role she is to play, and instructions. It’s strange, but she needs the money, and when she sees the stunning manor she’ll be staying at, she figures she’s got nothing to lose.

In person, Raven Hall is even grander than she’d imagined–even with damage from a fire decades before–but the walls seem to have eyes. As day turns to night, Sadie starts to feel that there’s something off about the glamorous guests who arrive, and as the party begins, it becomes chillingly apparent their unseen host is playing games with everyone…including her.

 

 

Review:

The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous is a mystery suspense thriller. The story line revolves around two POV’s (there is a third but only few without identification); and switches back and forth between two years; 1988 and 2019.  

In 1988, Beth Soames, who is 14 years old, arrives at Raven Hall as a companion to the Averell family’s daughter Nina, as her aunt makes an agreement for her to stay there.  Beth will become close friends with Nina, and the family (Lenora & Markus) treats her like one of their own. Beth also meets the local boy, Jonas, and with Nina the three of them spend a lot of time together.  After a bit, Beth is surprised when the family asks her to pretend to be Nina (who is under the weather), when the grandfather comes to visit. Beth does not understand when the same thing happens a few times when there are more visits over time.  Beth wonders why is Nina getting sick when company comes?  Is someone poisoning her?

In 2019, we meet Sadie Langton, a struggling actress, who out of the blue is offered to be a guest at a weekend party, with everyone playing different parts in a murder mystery.  Though it is a strange request, Sadie does need money, and accepts the invitation; for which she receives instructions and fancy clothes to play the part, as well as a chauffeured car to the mansion. She arrives at Raven Hall, which has been restored to its old glory, from a fire, decades ago, and slowly meet the other 7 guests who have been invited to Raven Hall and playing the expected part. 

After the first evening, Sadie begins to suspect that something is off, and when one person disappears, the story becomes more chilling, as someone is playing games with them. All the other guests start sensing something wrong, with the suspense escalating, especially with many of them beginning to feel ill.

The third POV was somewhat confusing, as it was a woman’s thoughts in present time, and until we get closer to the end, we begin to realize how the two main POV’s tied together.  To tell too much more would be spoilers, and ruin the mystery.  

What follows is an intense, exciting mystery that has a guessing as we reach the wild conclusion.  The Perfect Guests was filled with twists throughout, tying all three POV’s together, as well as the guests, with many secrets, lies and revenge. I will say I was a bit confused at times nearer to the end, but this was a very intriguing story. The Perfect Guests was very well written by Emma Rous.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

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The Broken Girls by Simone St. James – a Review

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James – a Review

 

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Description:
Vermont, 1950. There’s a place for the girls whom no one wants–the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It’s called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it’s located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming–until one of them mysteriously disappears. . . .

Vermont, 2014. As much as she’s tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister’s death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can’t shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past–and a voice that won’t be silenced. . . .

 

 

Review:

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James is my first book by this author.  When I started this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  Upon completing this book, I now have to research more about St. James, as I loved The Broken Girls

This book revolves around two different time periods, and two POV’s.  The first POV is set in 1950, where 4 young girls are sent by their family to Idlewild Hall, in Vermont.  The boarding school is a place where troubled girls are sent, and we meet Katie, Roberta, CeCe and Sonia, who become roommates.  The school is rumored to be haunted, where both students and teachers fear a ghost called Mary Hand.  We watch and learn about these girls, their lives, their fears, and how they ended up in the dismal spooky Idlewild.  Katie is the strong and beautiful one, CeCe is a follower and Roberta is smart.  Sonia is from Europe, and has no family. 

In 2014, Fiona Sheridan is a journalist, who has grieved for 20 years the death of her sister, who was murdered on the grounds of Idlewild, which is now decaying and closed.  Her sister’s murderer is in jail, but Fiona cannot get past the questions of why her sister’s boyfriend, who still claims his innocence, would murder her.  When Idlewild is purchased with the plan of renovating the school, Fiona’s journalistic mind plans to research and find evidence to help her solve the old murder.   Along the way, a body is found in the well, and the death took place in 1950, which has Fiona also researching that death.  Is there any connection to the two deaths 64 years apart?

This was a terrific suspenseful, dark and at times scary story that had me on the edge of my seat.  Once you get to the half way point, there is no putting this book down. There are so many secrets between both sides, as we go between both pov’s, with the death of the girl in 1950 bringing some things together.  The twists and turns, with an amazing surprising finish were so well done by St. James.  Fiona will find her life in danger, as she continues her investigation into both era’s. 

To tell too much more would be spoilers, and you really need to read this book from start to finish.  St. James not only has created a fantastic amazing Gothic thriller, but she also gives us some wonderful characters that we will not forget;  Fiona, the 4 girls in 1950, Fiona’s boyfriend, the Edens, the Ghost and the villain.

The Broken Girls is an awesome and exciting mystery, that had a slight paranormal element that was done very well, giving this a chilling gothic feel at times.  The mystery has so many surprises, and I fully loved how this ended.  Simone St. James did an amazing job writing this captivating thriller.  I suggest you read this book..now.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Hard Breaker by Christine Warren – Review, Excerpt, Tour & Giveaway

Hard Breaker by Christine Warren – Review, Excerpt, Tour & Giveaway

 

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Description:
Ivy Beckett has a special gift. She can hear voices, feel events, and receive messages from great distances. Which is also a curse. The moment her family is killed by the servants of the Darkness, she knows it. And the only way to fight these evil forces is to align her powers with a Guardian. A legendary warrior of stone who strikes fear in her heart―and fire in her soul…

Baen is a fierce and powerful gargoyle who has sworn to protect all humans from the Darkness. But when this mighty winged warrior swoops down to rescue Ivy from the jaws of death, he is drawn into a battle that is more dangerous―and more intimate―than he ever bargained for. The beautiful, gifted Ivy touches something deep within him, an all-consuming passion that puts both their lives at risk. Can he conquer the armies of evil itself . . . without losing the woman he loves?

 

 

Review:

Hard Breaker by Christine Warren is the 6th and final book in her paranormal suspense Gargoyles series.  A brief refresher: there are seven dangerous demons who have been locked in imprisonment for centuries by a spell.  Should they escape, they will bring the world into darkness.  Seven guardians were created to protect humans, and defeat any demons who escape; but when the world is in peace, these guardians are put into stone cold sleep only to awake when they are summoned by a warden.

In Hard Breaker, Ivy Beckett, our heroine, lost her family to those demons of darkness.  With many of the demons escaping and darkness threatening the world as they know it, Ivy does what she can by helping find wardens and sending them to safety. Ivy has a gift, which she feels is a curse, where she can hear voices from anywhere.  When she is accosted by 3 demons, Ivy is rescued by a giant man who looks like a Gargoyle with wings.  

Baen, one of the seven guardians, wakes out of his slumber by a call of summoning for help.  When he rescues Ivy, he senses she has magic, and is the warden summoned him.  He tries to explain that she is his warden, Ivy refuses to believe she has any ability.  As they find a safe house to hide from the attacks, and for Baen to find the other Guardians, a slow built romance will begin.  Ivy is tough, and finds herself attracted to Baen, (who can switch to looking like a hunky gorgeous human), but she is scared, and does not believe she is a warden. 

Now that 6 of those powerful demons have escaped, the danger escalates and Baen and Ivy must find the other 5 Guardians to help fight the battle of their lives.  It was nice to see all the other heroes from the earlier books join together to find a way to defeat these demons. When they all meet in Paris, they will learn that the 7th Guardian has already been found, long before they even awakened.  He is between realms trying to make sure the 7th and last demon does not escape.

What follows is an exciting adventure where the 6 Guardians, their wardens, and the other wardens that they managed to rescue will devise a plan to save the world from darkness, as the final demons is about to escape.  The final battle is upon them, and they must free the last guardian who has been kidnapped.

Before the final battle, Baen tries to prove to Ivy that he loves her, and she is truly his warden and mate.  Ivy, feels the same about Baen, but her fears keep forcing her to pull back. When she listens to all the other wardens before her, she begins to realize that she belongs with them all, especially Baen.  When things get rough and nasty, she rises up with her fellow wardens and her magic will help bring them all together as the darkness is upon them.  I really did like Ivy and Baen together, and enjoyed seeing all of them for the final time.

Hard Breaker reads very well as a standalone. This entire series, written so well by Christine Warren,  was a fun, exciting, sexy and humorous read.   Since this book ends the series, I suggest you start with the first book, Heart of Stone

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

excerpt

 

Ivy felt a surge of satisfaction. Well, adrenaline, really, but whatever.
“Perfect.” She got to her feet and pitched her voice back to where it could just be overheard— significantly louder, but still natural. Also, a bit wheedling. “Let’s get out of here, Marty. You promised me dinner in a proper restaurant, not a pub, and I’m abso famished.”
Martin r ose awkwardly, sending their glasses to wobbling again. “Lead on, then, darling. Wherever you like.”
She forced a giggle. She hated to giggle. “Oh, you’re such a pudding. But now I’ve got to decide. Hm, Judy told me about this café . . .”
Her mouth continued to babble, spewing nonsense she pulled off the top of her head as she led the way through the crowd— steering well clear of Teddy and his mates— and out the front door. Turning onto the pavement, she kept up the patter until they had stepped well away from the pub en route to the tube station. Even then, though she let the inane drivel dry up, she continued to clasp Martin’s hand in hers and lean into him. They hadn’t been the only ones to leave the pub and the streets continued to bustle with both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. It was important to keep up appearances all the way through this journey.
“Okay, stage two,” she said softly as they strode toward the Underground station. “I have a bag at Left Luggage in King’s Cross that we’ll need to pick up. It has more information you’ll need to look over for your time with Paul, some snacks, and cash and new identification for you hidden in the lining. I’ll show you where. We’re on the last train to night, but we should have plenty of time to make it, so don’t worry about that.”
He nodded, but his gaze was glued to the pavement in front of them. Poor guy really didn’t have the right temperament for all this cloak- and- dagger stuff. But then again, she hadn’t thought she did, either, and look at her now— practically an expert, and armed on top of it.
Under her anorak and tight jeans, a custom- made dagger rode in a sheath at the small of her back. And oddly enough, she knew how to use it. Over the last several months, she hadn’t had much choice but to learn, until these days, it felt so comfortable, she almost forgot it was there.
Until moments like this, that is, when the hair on the back of her neck began to stand up and her senses put her on high alert.
“Bollocks,” she muttered. Faking another giggle, she turned playfully into Martin’s side and pretended to bury her face in his shoulder. In reality, she used the opportunity to take a look at the area behind them. She had felt confident that there had been no nocturnis in the pub with them who might try to follow, but she should have paid a bit more attention to Teddy and his band of happy hooligans. Three of them had exited the bar after Ivy and Martin and now trailed sixty or seventy feet behind them.
Normally, Ivy would have considered such an event no more than a slight bother, but something about their posture niggled at the back of her mind. The aggression she would have expected, but for some reason their stance struck her as more menacing than it ought to be.
Damn it, they didn’t have time for this shit. Or even if they did, Ivy just didn’t have the patience. Even worse, she knew they were coming up on the narrow cross street they would have to traverse to get to the tube. S he’d researched the route. The cross street was largely home to a few small businesses that would have closed down by six o’clock, a couple of daytime shops, at least one vacant building, and a church that had been abandoned a few years ago due to lack of funds available to repair a roof with more holes than tiles remaining. It was a quiet block, and quiet meant fewer people, which meant more opportunity for Teddy et al to try something stupid.
“What’s wrong?” Martin asked nervously as she turned back and casually picked up the pace of their walk. “What’s the matter? Is it nocturnis? Have they found me?”
The last question emerged on a squeak, and Ivy winced. She laughed loudly to cover up his blunder. “Oh, you!” she cried, then lowered her voice. “No, Martin. And you need to stay calm. How about you tell me more about yourself? What’s your main talent? I don’t think you told me that.”
By talent, she was referring to the magical ability that made up the most basic requirement of becoming a Warden. All members of the Guild needed to possess a talent— demonstrate the ability to wield magic—in order to be considered for admission. With luck, Martin’s would have some utility in a fight.
“What? Talent? Oh, er, I’m a dowser. Water dowser. Why?”
Oh, yeah, because a nice, deep aquifer was just what they needed right now.
“No reason,” she gritted out, fingers itching for the hilt of her knife. “No reason at all.”
Which was when she glanced over her shoulder and saw a dark shadow coalesce around Teddy and his friends. A shadow that swirled and twisted and then seemed to dis appear. Inside the three men.
Shit.
“What is it? What’s wrong.”
There went the panic again, creeping back into Martin’s voice at the least opportune of moments. Impatient, Ivy shook her head and urged him to walk a little faster. Not that it was likely to do them much good. “Nothing. Let’s just concentrate on getting to the station, shall we?”
She could hear her accent beginning to fray at the edges, her natural American pronunciation creeping in here and there, but right now that counted as the least of their worries. Much higher on the list was the fact that they were being followed down a now deserted street by three large, loutish men who hadn’t liked her to begin with and who now appeared to have fallen under demonic influence if not outright possession.
You know, one of these days one of her plans was going to have to go utterly smoothly, right? Just the law of large numbers made it inevitable, didn’t it? Well, today would have been a really good day for that to happen.
Instinct had her increasing her pace yet again until she found herself half a step from jogging down the pavement, tugging Martin along by her side.
“Hang on, then,” he protested, pulling against her grip and trying to actually slow her pace. The idiot. “If nothing’s wrong, why are you suddenly running?”
“I think that’s down to us, mate,” a voice snarled, closer behind them than it should have been. Their pursuers had moved fast, faster than normal.
Faster than was natural.
An instant later, something hit Ivy from the side, hard. The impact sent her staggering into the alley that opened up between two buildings at the side of the street. She stumbled into heavy darkness, away from the abandoned Gothic church across the way, away from the sight of anyone else who might wander onto the nearby pavement. To her credit, though, she managed to maintain her grip on Martin in spite of that, so she pulled him into the shadows beside her.
Perfect. Now they could be in deep shit together.
The hit had come as a surprise, but the three shapes rapidly closing in behind her, driving her and Martin deeper into the alley, did not. Ivy’s hand had moved at the first moment of contact with her attacker, fing ers closing around the hilt of her dagger and tugging it out of concealment in a smooth, practiced motion. Now, she held it in front of her as she used her grip on her companion to swing him out of the way b ehind her, placing him between her and the brick building wall.
“Ooh, you’ve brought along a toy, have you?” Teddy asked, grinning as he stalked forward, herding them away from the street and the potential of being seen by passersby. “Want to play, then, do you, luvie? I like a good game now and then.”
Ivy flicked her gaze among the three looming figures. She recognized all of them from the group gathered around the bar earlier, the ones who had witnessed Teddy hitting on her and her subsequent rejection of him. They had laughed at the time and gone right back to drinking, already half- pissed when the w hole thing began. Was it too much for her to hope that she had been mistaken? That this was just a garden- variety assault and maybe potential rape fueled by alcohol and wounded machismo? Because frankly, that would be a relief compared to the alternative.
“Yeh, we like to play,” the second lad hissed as he stepped forward until Ivy could see his face in the dim light of the alleyway. “We especially like to play with his sort.” He bared his teeth, and his eyes lit up with malice.
And Ivy didn’t mean that metaphorically. His eyes actually lit up. As in, started glowing. With a sick, rusty- red light that reminded her of old blood and dried scabs.
Very attractive.
And very much indicative of demonic influence.
Yay. S he’d been right. It wasn’t really her these three were after. They wanted Martin. They wanted the Warden.
Well, they weren’t going to get him. Not until they got past her.
“I’m ready to go, boys.” She took a step forward and flashed a toothy smile of her own. “And you know the rules. White makes the first move.”
Ivy struck with a feint toward Teddy, who stood closest to her, directly ahead. When instinct had him leaping back out of the way of her blade, she spun backward
to her left and landed a heel- first kick directly to the sternum of hissy boy. He grunted and stumbled back in surprise, but bachelor number three was already on the move. He closed in on Ivy from the left and grabbed her around her upper body, effectively pinning her biceps to her sides. She’d been expecting the move and countered by thrusting the dagger in a short, upward dig that buried it deep in number three’s thigh.
“Go, Martin!” she shouted above Three’s scream. “Get to the station! Lost Luggage under your name! Now!”
All of her attackers howled in protest. Three’s cry was still tinged with pain. It gave her a warm surge of satisfaction, even though it rendered her nearly deaf in her left ear, the one closest to his mouth. Jerking the knife back, she freed it from the man’s leg and went limp in his grip, relaxing her muscles until she slid straight
out of his arms to the floor of the alley.
Even as she hit the cobbles, she was already moving. She braced one hand, shifted her weight, and swung one leg around, aiming a heavy kick at the knee of the grabby Three’s wounded leg. He crumpled with a heavy grunt.
Teddy and number two rushed in to take his place, converging on Ivy before she could manage a glimpse to see if Martin had followed her directions. If he h adn’t, he was either dumber than he looked, or part possum and his nervous system had shut down from fear. Neither option would keep him alive, though, and as skilled as she had become in hand- to- hand combat a fter her years of self- defense classes back in New York and her training since taking on her rescue work in England, one human woman against three demonically influenced men didn’t offer her very good odds.
Chances were she wouldn’t leave this alley under her own power. Hell, she’d be lucky if she didn’t leave it in a coroner’s van. Which meant Martin had better be halfway down the steps to the tube already.
She ducked away from a swipe of Teddy’s outstretched hand, trying not to get distracted by the way the skin of his fingertips had split to allow the emergence of glistening black claws that dripped some sort of dark, stinking fluid. The smell of decayed flesh and filthy swamp water suddenly filled the alley, and Ivy had to fight back the urge to gag.
Oh, yeah. S he’d say this officially went beyond the realm of demonic influence. Hell, this went beyond possession. Somehow, demons had not just taken over these men’s’ bodies, they had used the energy of the human bodies to allow them to fully manifest into the human world.
In case anyone wondered, that was a really, really bad thing. Something Ivy wouldn’t have thought pos si ble six months ago.
But then again, six months ago, the world hadn’t quite started coming to an end yet. Today, anything was pos si ble.
With that cheery thought filling her mind, she swung her dagger in a wide arc that managed to catch opponent number two in the side, opening up a wound that audibly sizzled and began to ooze something much darker and slimier than blood. It didn’t smell like blood, either. The ichor reeked of the same foulness that hung around the venom dripping from Teddy’s claws.
Seriously, it was becoming a real challenge not to puke. What she wouldn’t give for a nice, stiff breeze right about then to dissipate some of the stink.
Two— Thing Two, Ivy decided to call him— hissed, his corrupt red gaze flicking between her and her blade with manic hatred. It made her smile in spite of the nausea.
“What’s the matter, pumpkin?” she taunted him. “ Aren’t you a fan of blessed and consecrated silver? Me, I just adore the stuff.”
She demonstrated those feelings with another quick slash of her arm, a motion that sliced through the jacket and shirt Teddy wore and into the flesh of his shoulder. She wasn’t particularly aiming for the brachial plexus nerve or a major artery, but she wasn’t going to cry if he started to bleed out or lost the use of his arm.
He screamed, but Ivy just continued her stroke and caught Thing Two across the cheek, just millimeters away from his left eye. Hm, close call, that. What a shame.
“Bitch!” the demon howled.
Ivy blew him a kiss. “Aw, love you, too, snookums.”
Her mother had always told her that her smart mouth would get her into trouble one day. Somehow Ivy didn’t think this par tic u lar trouble was what s he’d had in mind. You know, the whole “ripped apart by demons in a deserted alley” thing. Dorothy probably h adn’t seen that one coming.
One would hope.
By now, Thing Three was back on his feet, and Ivy knew she was seriously fucked. Three against one. Three demons against one, with no backup on the way. Working alone was one of the keys to protecting the Wardens people like her assisted. Now, it looked like she was going to die alone.
“Sorry, Uncle George,” she muttered, putting her back to the alley wall and keeping her gaze on the man- shaped creatures in front of her. They had realized her predicament just as clearly as she had, and now they were toying with her, watching her with evil, hungry gazes. Not the kind of hunger that would scare most women alone in an alley, but the kind of hunger that scared American turkeys in the middle of November.
“Sorry, Jamie,” Ivy added. “But on the bright side, looks like I’ll be seeing you both again soon.”
Thing Two snapped its jaws at her, jaws that it then unhinged to make room for the second row of pointed teeth that appeared to be growing behind the first, human set.
“Very, very soon.”
Holding her dagger in front of her and carefully balancing her weight on the balls of her feet, Ivy prepared to die fighting.
Oddly enough, that’s not what happened.
One minute, she stared down the face of the Grim Reaper and the next, reality went sideways. Instead of the front of three demons clearly prepared to feast on her living flesh, she felt a rush of cool air, heard a pavement- shaking roar, and found herself staring into a wide barrier the color of dark, aged granite.
She blinked, then shook her head and blinked again. The view didn’t change. Gradually her brain caught up with her corneas, and she realized that what had looked like a barrier of solid stone was actually a pair of wings. Huge wings, each easily twelve or thirteen feet from base to tip, leathery and membranous like a bat’s.
And they were attached to the broadest, most muscular back she had ever seen. A back that could only conceivably belong to one of two things:
A dragon.
Or a Guardian.Copyright © 2017 by Christine Warren and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Paperbacks.


 

theauthor

Christine B&W
CHRISTINE WARREN is the author of Stone Cold Lover and Heart of Stone, as well as the Novels of the Others, including New York Times Bestsellers Big Bad Wolf, Walk on the Wild Side, and One Bite with a Stranger. Born and raised in coastal New England, Christine Warren now lives as a transplant in the Pacific Northwest. When not writing (as if that ever happens), she enjoys horseback riding, playing with her pets, identifying dogs from photos of their underbellies, and most of all reading things someone else had to agonize over.

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giveaway

Christine’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of HARD BREAKER to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

9.. Giveaway runs from October 31 to November 4, 2017


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Hard to Handle by Christine Warren – a Review

Hard to Handle by Christine Warren – a Review

 

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Description:
A SEDUCTION STRONGER THAN STONE

The only male among four sisters, Michael Drummond is no stranger to women’s strength and formidable will. His Dublin pub, the Skin & Bones, is his refuge, a reassuringly masculine retreat. Until a fierce woman warrior from another realm bursts into his life, bringing with her a battle between good and evil…and an explosive dose of desire.

The first and only of her kind, Ash is a lone female gargoyle, a creature destined to protect mankind from Demons determined to unleash their darkest forces. But her arrival on Earth is more confusing than she expected: her bone-deep instinct to do battle is matched only by her untamed attraction to stubborn, stalwart Drum. If they manage to keep the world safe, can they turn the passion crackling between them into a love that will withstand the test of time?

 

Review:

Hard to Handle by Christine Warren is the 5th book in her Gargoyles series.  This is the first book I am reading in this series, and it did read very well as a standalone, as Warren does give us information on the some of the other characters from the previous books.  In the first 4 books, the hero is a male gargoyle , who is a restored from stone, when the threat of demons and hell become real.  They are considered Guardians to protect humans from the darkness. For each Gargoyle, there is a Warden, who helps them.  

In Dublin, Ireland, Michael Drum (Drum)mond is pulled away from the pub he runs, becuase his sister, Maeve, has a vision of extreme danger from monsters.  On the way home, the earth quakes and it is not an earthquake.  What they perceive is a monster with wings, is actually a Guardian being summoned to life, as a terrible darkness is about to endanger all their lives.  Ash, our heroine in this story, is the first female Guardian, and she enlists the aid of both Maeve and Michael to find the warden who requires her help.  Wheras, Maeve, who has the sight and sees visions of the future, is more than ready to help Ash; but Drum wants nothing to do with monsters, demons and wants to head back to his pub.  But then they are attacked, and Ash is able to save them.  Ash is able to take a form of human female, when not being the Gargoyle.  In a short time, she will discover that Drum, who treats her rudely, is in fact the Warden she has been looking for. I thought that early on, Drum was easy to dislike, and even though he is being pulled into something he knows nothing about, I did feel he went overboard in his distaste for Ash, or her quest.

What follows is a very exciting action packed adventure, where Ash and Drum must try to find and kill the demons, and along the way they both begin to have feelings for each other.  When the danger escalates, Maeve will find information on the other Guardians/Wardens, and some will come from America to Ireland to help with the war. I loved meeting two of the previous heroes, and it was fun to watch them learn about each other.  The last third of the book was intense, with lots of action and dangerous situations, which had you sitting on the edge of your seat.  

Hard to Handle has a nice ending, but the war has just begun.  Drum and Ash’s romance heats up with a happy conclusion. The Demons are still around, and all the Guardians and Wardens will find themselves together at some point in future books.  Excellent suspenseful adventure, written very well by Christine Warren.  One day I need to go back and read the earlier books.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Architect of Song by A.G. Howard-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

THE ARCHITECT OF SONG (Haunted Hearts Legacy #1) by A.G. Howard-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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THE ARCHITECT OF SONG
Haunted Hearts Legacy #1
by A.G. Howard
Genre: new adult, gothic, Victorian, paranormal romance
Release Date: August 15, 2016

The Architect of Song

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ABOUT THE BOOK : Release Date August 15, 2016

A lady imprisoned by deafness, an architect imprisoned by his past, and a ghost imprisoned within the petals of a flower – intertwine in this love story that transcends life and death.

For most of her life, nineteen-year-old Juliet Emerline has subsisted – isolated by deafness – making hats in the solitude of her home. Now, she’s at risk to lose her sanctuary to Lord Nicolas Thornton, a twenty-seven-year-old mysterious and eccentric architect with designs on her humble estate. When she secretly witnesses him raging beside a grave, Juliet investigates, finding the name “Hawk” on the headstone and an unusual flower at the base. The moment Juliet touches the petals, a young English nobleman appears in ghostly form, singing a song only her deaf ears can hear. The ghost remembers nothing of his identity or death, other than the one name that haunts his afterlife: Thornton.

To avenge her ghostly companion and save her estate, Juliet pushes aside her fear of society and travels to Lord Thornton’s secluded holiday resort, posing as a hat maker in one of his boutiques. There, she finds herself questioning who to trust: the architect of flesh and bones who can relate to her through romantic gestures, heartfelt notes, and sensual touches … or the specter who serenades her with beautiful songs and ardent words, touching her mind and soul like no other man ever can. As sinister truths behind Lord Thornton’s interest in her estate and his tie to Hawk come to light, Juliet is lured into a web of secrets. But it’s too late for escape, and the tragic love taking seed in her heart will alter her silent world forever.

International and NYT bestselling author, A.G. Howard, brings her darkly magical and visual/visceral storytelling to Victorian England. The Architect of Song is the first installment in her lush and romantic Haunted Hearts Legacy series, a four book gothic saga following the generations of one family as – haunted by both literal and figurative ghosts – they search for self-acceptance, love, and happiness.

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REVIEW: THE ARCHITECT OF SONG is the first installment in A.G. Howard’s new adult, Haunted Hearts romantic, Victorian era historical gothic, fantasy series.

Told from first person point of view (Juliet Emerline) THE ARCHITECT OF SONG follows nineteen year old Juliet, a young deaf woman, as she endeavors to uncover the truth. Following the death of her mother, our heroine witnesses a tragic scene between a man she will come to know as twenty seven year old recluse and architect Lord Nicolas Thornton who rages at a grave marked with the name ‘Hawk’. An unusual flower, at the base of the headstone, catches her eye, and as an amateur gardener, our heroine ‘steals’ the flower for herself. What ensues is a fantasy story line that traverses between the hereafter and earth, wherein the ghost of ‘Hawk’ becomes visible to anyone who touches the petals of the flower. Juliet and Hawk embark on a journey of research and discovery as Hawk searches for the truth about his early demise; his connection to Lord Nicolas Thornton-a man who has offered Juliet a different future, and Juliet’s struggle with her building love for two men- one who is no longer flesh and blood but has the ability to sing like an angel, and one whose secrets could destroy her heart.

THE ARCHITECT OF SONG is a fascinating story; a colorful, energetic, and sensual look at three people connected by the past-a past mired in family secrets, lies, and heartache for two families tethered by a young woman and an accident that happened years before. As Juliet’s love for both men builds, the seeds of doubt and mistrust begin to grow as the truth is slowly revealed.

A.G. Howard’s stunning words, prose and text bring the story line and characters to life. The emotions and drama are palpable; the energy is constant; the description and details so colorful your senses will be amazed. THE ARCHITECT OF SONG is dark but enlightened; gothic but enchanting; romantic but fantastical.

Copy supplied by the tour promoter

Reviewed by Sandy

About The Author Black and Red

A.G.HowardA.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would’ve happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.

When she’s not writing, A.G.’s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

 

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3 – The Architect of Song e-books
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1 – Architect of Song poster
1 – faux leather journal
1 – 5X7 musical print
3 – The Architect of Song swag packs
1 – LitCube Surprise Box

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Compulsion (The Heirs of Watson Island #1) by Martina Boone: Promotion and Giveaway

Compulsion (The Heirs of Watson Island #1) by Martina Boone: Promotion and Giveaway

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Compulsion
The Heirs of Watson Island #1
by Martina Boone
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Genre: YA, gothic, paranormal

Compulsion

Signed copies are available for pre-order from One More Page BooksYou can also pre-order with the special “I have a Compulsion for reading” bookplate from Eight Cousins

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Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead–a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family’s twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

about the author

 

Martina BooneMartina Boone was born in Prague and spoke several languages before learning English. She fell in love with words and never stopped delighting in them.

She’s the founder of AdventuresInYAPublishing.com, a Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers site, and YASeriesInsiders.com, a site devoted to encouraging literacy and all things YA Series.

From her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, children, and Auggie the wonder dog, she enjoys writing contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she’d love to visit. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Website | Blog | Tumblr | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter

 

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– Follow the rafflecopter instructions at The Reading Cafe and enter for a chance to WIN a signed copy of Compulsion by Martina Boone, plus ANY YA novel of your choice — by any author.

-By completing that rafflecopter, you will also get an automatic entry into the Grand Prize drawing for the four books and the gift card, the drawing for which will be across all the blogs.

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Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker – a Review

Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker – a Review

 

Beware of the WildAmazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
It’s an oppressively hot and sticky morning in June when Sterling and her brother, Phin, have an argument that compels him to run into the town swamp — the one that strikes fear in all the residents of Sticks, Louisiana. Phin doesn’t return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out, and now Sterling is the only person in Sticks who remembers her brother ever existed.

Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp’s done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance — and loner boy Heath Durham might be the only one who can help her.

This debut novel is full of atmosphere, twists and turns, and a swoon-worthy romance

 

Review:

Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker is a dark scary gothic tale set in Louisiana. The star of this story is the creepy swamp that has all the town residents living in fear to go anywhere near the swamp. Our heroine is Sterling, who starts the book waiting for her brother, Phin to return. They had a fight, and he went walking into the swamp, from which he has not returned. Sterling keeps her eye on the swamp and in the dark, she sees a figure walk out.

When her mother calls her to come into the house, the girl from the swamp has made herself at home. Lenora May is recognized as her sister, the sister she doesn’t have. This is just the start of the book, and this haunting tale gets creepier by the minute. Because no one knows about Prin, he no longer exists to her family, or anyone in the town; only Sterling remembers her brother, Phin.

Though this is a dark story, it is so well written, that you keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. Sterling is a wonderful heroine, who will stop at nothing, including risking her own life to help find her brother. She is brave, determined, strong and despite the dire situation, Sterling will find someone, who secretly has gone through this. We meet our hero, Heath, and he too has lost his best friend to the swamp, whom no one remembers, except Sterling. The two of them team up in and exciting & chilling story, and a slow build romance starts between them.

The plot was well done, as Sterling, Heath, and even Lenora May must find a way to stop the swamp from luring innocents into the swamp, and also bring them back. I found myself liking Lenora May, and credit goes to Parker for giving us a possible villain, and end up being one of your favorites. There are a few surprises as who is really evil in this story. Very well done.

I was amazed at the writing of Natalie C. Parker, as she was able to take this story and hold on to us throughout. I understand this is her first novel, and all I can say is wow, an incredible start. Beware the Wild is a haunting mystery, that keeps you glued to your seat, and Parker has created some fabulous characters.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Edelweiss

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The Shadows of Stormclyffe Hall by Lauren Smith – a Review

The Shadows of Stormclyffe Hall by Lauren Smith – a Review

 

The Shadows of Stormclyffe HallAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
To defeat a dark evil, they must face his family’s past…

Bastian Carlisle, the Earl of Weymouth, doesn’t believe in ghosts. Even though tragedy and mysterious hauntings have driven his family away from his ancestral home, Stormclyffe Hall, he is determined to restore the castle to its former glory. His plans are disrupted when a stubborn American shows up on his doorstep hoping to pry into his family’s tragic history.

Jane Seyton, an American graduate student, is convinced there’s more to the tragedy of Stormclyffe Hall than history claims. Ever the scholar, she is determined to discover the truth, even if it means putting up with the arrogant, yet sexy, Bastian.

Although Bastian wants nothing to do with the pushy American, it soon becomes clear that something evil is in the house—and that something is targeting both Jane and Bastian. The two must join forces to purge the ghosts of Stormclyffe Hall once and for all—even as they try to fight a physical attraction between them that grows more and more impossible to deny.

 

Review:

I had the pleasure of reading THE SHADOWS OF STORMCLYFFE HALL by Lauren Smith on a dark and stormy night. Lightning and thunder booming overhead greatly enhanced this reading experience! I would classify this novel as a modern gothic novel on par with the greats!

Bastian Carlisle, the Earl of Weymouth has returned to his family’s castle to restore it, even though the castle has only seen tragedy for the past two hundred years. Jane Seyton, an American graduate student has shown up on the castle’s doorsteps to finish her doctoral dissertation. She doesn’t admit to the arrogant Brit that she has been having nightmares about the castle for years.

Together, Bastian and Anya learn the secrets behind the evil that lurks in the hallways and the ghosts that appear to each of them! Bastian tries to make Jane leave, to protect her and his heart, but the castle needs both of them to defeat the curse.

I won’t give away too many spoilers, because everyone needs to experience the hair rising on their necks for themselves! I am a fan of this author and I love a good scare, but I have to say, I’m still questioning every noise I hear in the dark now! This novel is for the reader who loves the paranormal mixed with a hot romance!

Reviewed by Jules

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