Paperbacks And Frosting

The Overnighter’s Secrets

by: J.L. Salter

Published: May 23rd 2012 by Astraea Press

ISBN: 9781621350378

From Goodreads: When Beth left suddenly, it broke two hearts … but she’d had no choice. Shane, a rugged, ex-Airborne biker, handled it badly … but so had she. Three years later and 2000 miles away, she desperately needs her ex-lover’s protection from a violent menace with ‘bad history’ who’ll do anything to reclaim a mysterious suitcase Beth possesses.

Long before Shane acquired that overnighter, a ‘silent movie’ actress kept secrets there … and now several lives are in jeopardy. An ambitious female state senate candidate hires a ruthless investigator to eliminate potential campaign ‘problems’ like her dark family secret — a bizarre 1889 murder.

Is Beth’s terrifying ordeal simply because she unwittingly possesses the overnighter’s secrets? Or is it due to the meth-fueled dumpster-diver’s ‘unfinished business’?

Shane will likely return to California after he resolves this Tennessee ‘situation’ … so Beth struggles to resist her reawakened feelings. But before she can sort out their renewed relationship … Beth is kidnapped! To rescue her Shane enters an obvious trap in a dilapidated hotel. Only with Beth’s help can both survive the violent struggle against her kidnappers.

I enjoyed this novel! I thought it had a little bit of everything. It had suspense, action, history, romance, and mystery. I think that anyone looking for something to keep them on the edge of their seats should pick this up! It’s not too long and there wasn’t any point that threw me out of the story or where I thought, “Okay, I’m done with this for now.” I thought the love story was really good, even if it frustrated me. I didn’t really understand why they had broken up in the first place. I thought at least Shane’s reasons for that were a little lame, but otherwise I loved their connection. I’ve always been a sucker for reunited love. I really enjoyed all of the history and detail that went into everything that was in the overnighter. It was really cool. I felt like I was investigating right along with them. I thought the suspense was just right. It creeped me out, but didn’t freak me out too much. I loved the librarian character, although I felt like he was a little too sensitive. I find it hard to believe that him being black would really matter that much in the setting they were in. (But maybe that’s just my opinion.) It’s really cool that this was based off of a true story and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good bit of action and mystery in their reading.

Cupcakes:

Buy this from Amazon here: The Overnighter’s Secrets

Posted by juliette in Book Review and tagged with Astraea Press, J.L. Salter, Mystery, The Overnighter's Secrets

Sophia: Within

by: Jordana Lizama

Pages: 476

Published: Feb. 17th, 2013

ASIN: B00BHMOQSC

From Goodreads: Only time will tell if Sophia, Alec and the world are ready to accept the mission that has been passed down for many generations. This is more than a story of reincarnation. This is a story that never ended following the reign of the Greek gods.

What has been hidden for thousands of years is about to surface in a small New England town. The impact on this rural village is ageless, but only the chosen time travelers know what is happening, the reason it is happening and how to control the outcome.

The Men of Ages have walked the Earth unnoticed since the time of Greek mythology and have kept their ancient war alive by transporting the lead warrior in a most unusual time machine. There is only one way to stop the cataclysmic demise of the human race and Sophia is the answer. But, Sophia is a teenage girl faced with many human and nonhuman desires that create a tortuous path from antiquity to the present day. Love conquers all; or, so it seems.

There were things I liked and didn’t like about this book. I liked the whole concept of the book. I don’t know nearly as much about Greek mythology as I would like to, so I’m always interested in books that are related to that. I’m also a sucker for YA romances and this definitely had all of the elements of a good romance. I just had trouble with some of the writing and the way everything was presented. I felt like the book could have been a lot shorter if a lot of unnecessary things had been cut out. I got frustrated with Alec because he never seemed to share any answers, even though he knew them all. I felt like he was just holding in all of this information just so there could be some suspense and drama. It drove me a little crazy. I also felt like there wasn’t enough of a connection between Sophia and her connection to the Greek goddess. She only struggled a little bit, but seemed to overcome it easily enough. There were also more than a few simple writing mistakes and grammatical errors. Most of the time I’m willing to overlook these if the story has completely captivated me, but since this wasn’t the case they tended to bother me. I really went into this wanting to absolutely love it. Maybe if everything was cut down and the tension was built up to be more than just someone withholding information, I would be raving about it. As it is I would say it’s a fairly simple YA romance with some fantasy elements. It does read very quickly, but it’s still a long book. I don’t think you’d be able to get through it in one sitting, so you’d have to be looking for something a bit longer to read. I know that my opinion isn’t the same as everyone’s though. So if you’re a fan of this genre, I encourage you to read it for yourself and write a review. I’d like to know other people’s opinions! I do absolutely adore the cover though, it’s gorgeous!

Cupcakes:

Buy this from Amazon here: Sophia: Within

Posted by juliette in Book Review and tagged with Fantasy, Greek, Jordana Lizama, Romance, Self-published, Sophia: Within, Young Adult

In His Own Time

by: Melissa Jarvis

Published: December 28th 2012 by Siren Publishing

ISBN: 1622422376

From Goodreads: There is a traitor in the time travel organization the Lineage, and it’s up to new recruit Victoria Vasquez to discover his identity. After an incident (and stolen kiss) on her first assignment in 1923 Egypt, she suspects she knows who it is. Veteran agent Banderan of Ibile is hiding a secret, one that could endanger everything he holds dear. He will do whatever it takes to ensure his goal, no matter who gets in his way.

Victoria has fought hard for her independence, and has no time for arrogant know-it-all men. When both Victoria and Banderan are assigned to 1848 Gold Rush California, they find themselves entangled in a web of deceit and lies. And when they are cut off from the Lineage, it will be up to Victoria to decide if the man she has come to love is a traitor or a hero.

Oh my goodness! I love this series! I was so excited to read this one. I definitely enjoyed it. I wish I could get a job with the Lineage. Nothing sounds more exciting! That would be a dream job, so just that alone already made me want to completely get absorbed into this world. I thought Victoria was a fantastic heroine. I’ve been having trouble with heroines in a lot of the books I’ve been reading lately, so this one was a breath of fresh air. She was strong and willing to do what she needed to, even when that wasn’t something easy. Banderan took me a little bit longer to warm up to. He seemed a little annoying when I first started reading, but I completely warmed up to him by the end of the novel. There’s lots of action and adventure in this story and it made me want to keep turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. I would definitely recommend this book to science fiction/time travel/romance fans and actually… just anyone looking for a book that will keep them up wanting to finish it! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I really do love this series. I think the whole idea is very creative and it’s they’re great books to sink into and forget about the rest of the world!

Cupcakes:

Buy this from Amazon here: In His Own Time [The Lineage 2] (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

Posted by juliette in Book Review and tagged with In His Own Time, Melissa Jarvis, Romance, the lineage, Time-Travel

Silencing Breath

by: Joanne Brothwell

Published: March 15th, 2013

From Goodreads: Silencing Breath, book two in the Stealing Breath series.

Just as Sarah Ross is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an Indigo Child and settling into a normal life with her beloved Evan, her entire world shatters when Evan disappears without a trace.

Desperate to find him, Sarah’s search leads her to a sadistic serial killer who confirms her worst fears are true; Evan has been kidnapped, and he is once again in the clutches of his abusive family of necromancers.

Sarah uncovers not only Evan’s dark past he tried so desperately to protect her from, but also The Key of Solomon, an ancient text for summoning the dead.

Knowing her abilities are limited in the face of this ancient power, Sarah is forced to face the Malandanti in order to save him. However, one question remains: once he is found, will Evan be the same man she fell in love with?

I was really looking forward to this book. I liked the first one and I was hoping I would completely fall in love with this one. I did, but not at all in the way that I expected. Joanne Brothwell is a very talented author and I think it’s awesome that she was able to take the story in a direction that I didn’t see coming. I finished the book in no time at all because I couldn’t stop turning the pages to find out what was going to happen. I was sad that Evan disappeared. I really fell in love with him in the first book and I wanted to hear more about him in this novel, but instead I learned a lot more about the world these characters live in. Taking Evan away also made me that much more eager to see him reunited with Sarah. I think that Sarah grew up a lot as a character in this installment. She’s a lot more mature emotionally than she was in the first one and I love how devoted she was to Evan and how willing she is to fight for him. We got to see a darker side to Evan and he wasn’t just the hero we fell in love with in the first novel, he became more real and I think that shows the author’s ability for character development. I am still upset that I don’t fully understand the Indigo and Sapphire Child’s powers. But if I knew everything I guess I wouldn’t have anything to look forward to with the third installment. I really can’t wait to read it and I hope that all of you romance/paranormal/young adult fans pick up this book. (And the first one, of course.) It’s a fascinating world with lots of plot twists that keep you turning the pages. Oh, and if you’re anything like me and find the idea of dark magic and necromancy intriguing, you’ll love this book. I would definitely recommend it. Also, the cover is gorgeous! I love it!

Cupcakes:

Buy this from Amazon here: Silencing Breath

Joanne Brothwell’s website:

Posted by juliette in Book Review and tagged with Joanne Brothwell, Paranormal, Romance, Silencing Breath, Young Adult

Taken in the Night

by: Tara Fox Hall

Pages: 250

Published: January 28th, 2013 by Melange Books

ISBN: 9781612355

From Goodreads: When Theo disappears, Sar is left bereft, the uncertain guardian of Theo’s newly born werecougar daughter, Elle. As months pass, clues emerge about Theo’s disappearance, yet the twisting trail ends repeatedly without answer. In her grief, Sar turns to Danial and hesitantly begins to build a life with him and Elle.

This was my favorite book of this series by far. I didn’t have the same issue as I did with the last one. While the reader still might be confused if they chose to pick up this book without reading the other two, I feel like there was enough backstory explained that it wouldn’t have been nearly has confusing as if they had started with the second one. I loved the direction this story has taken. I wasn’t sure what I was hoping for and I didn’t know what was going to happen next. There are definitely times that I want to pick Sar up and shake her. I feel like some of her decisions aren’t necessarily the best ones and it makes me dislike her sometimes. I love the chemistry she has with Danial though. A lot of times in stories like this I can’t feel the chemistry and that makes it much easier for me to stop caring about what happens to their relationship. That has never been the case in this series though. This installment is an emotional roller coaster from start to finish and it was hard to put down. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the paranormal genre. I would, of course, recommend starting with the first one, but if you don’t want to do that, this one is a great one. It won’t leave you disappointed. It’s full of emotion and suspense. I can’t wait for the next book and you won’t be able to wait either once you read the last page of this one.

Cupcakes:

Buy this from Amazon here: Taken in the Night (Promise Me)

Posted by juliette in Book Review and tagged with Melange Books, Paranormal, Promise Me, Romance, Taken in the Night, Tara Fox Hall, Urban Fantasy

Memoirs of a Sith Lord

by: Steven R. Brandt

Link to this story: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9139595/1/Memoirs-of-a-Sith-Lord

I normally don’t post reviews for fanfic. This is an exception. What I really liked about this story is that not only do you get the story from Vader’s perspective, but everything that you know about the Star Wars universe gets flipped around. Padme was evil right along side her husband. I thought that was excellent. I love the idea of evil Padme. This story also makes her death a lot cooler than it was in the movies. I would suggest reading this story just for that. I also loved Jar-Jar’s character in this story. I don’t want to give anything away, but it pretty much fixed the issues I had with the movies, except for maybe Obi-Wan’s character. I didn’t care for him very much in this story, but that’s not really important. I think this is a very creative and well-written fanfiction. Anyone who claims to be a Star Wars fan should check it out. One of my favorite lines: “”Think you can use the Dark Side to do good, do you Lord Vader?” Yoda asks. “What?” I ask. I always have the worst time understanding Yoda. Honestly, I think there’s something wrong with him.” Love it! Check it out.

Cupcakes:

Posted by juliette in Book Review and tagged with Fan fiction, Memoirs of a Sith Lord, Science Fiction, star wars

Vala: Appointed

by: J.F. Jenkins

Published: September 13th, 2012 by Astraea Press

ASIN: B009A2Q1QG

From Goodreads: Identical twins Anj and Zes Willam have always been considered odd, even in a world where myth is real. Their magic is powerful and intense, as well as their secrets. None more so than Anj, who has the biggest secret of them all.

He’s a Fate, and he’s not allowed to tell anyone about what he sees or else the consequences will be great. Which is unfortunate, because it’s been causing a rift between him, his girl-friend Jewl, and his brother. Even more unfortunate because the demons some how have learned about his gift and have made him their next target.

I’ve been a fan of this series from the beginning, but this one is definitely my favorite! Anj and Zes have always been my favorite characters, so I was thrilled when I realized that this book was their story. This book pumps up the drama just as much as the other two books, but I felt like the writing was smoother. Everything flowed at a great pace, and I found myself unable to put the book down. I felt so bad for these characters. I can’t imagine dealing with even part of what they deal with in high school. I liked that we got to see so much more depth to Jewl and Anj’s relationship. When this series started, I wasn’t a fan of them together, but by the end of this book I was completely won over by the two of them and wanted them to be together more than anything. If you’re a fan of this series, pick this book up, it’s the best one yet! This author is definitely growing into her writing and I’m loving the results. I didn’t feel like the resolution was too rushed, and I loved how much we got to learn about the different story lines that have been hinted at since the beginning. I really enjoyed this installment of the series.

Cupcakes:

Buy this from Amazon here: Vala Appointed

Posted by juliette in Book Review and tagged with Astraea Press, Fantasy, j. f. jenkins, Vala: Appointed, Young Adult

Shadow Man (Lash #2)

by: Tara Fox Hall

Pages: 182

Published: 2012 by Bradly Publishing

From Goodreads: A renegade vampire begins amassing a flock of true believers, threatening America’s vampire hierarchy. Weresnake Lash partners with old enemy Danial and new allies Burl and Spiderboy to track down and annihilate them. Betrayed and left for dead, Lash reemerges the victor, edging ever upward in the Assassin’s Ranking, and catching the eye of the sultry nightclub singer Cassandra Nile. Drawn into drugs by Cassie, Lash begins to doubt himself, yearning to leave his life of violence, even as enemies close in from every side. When catastrophe strikes again, and Hill House is destroyed, Lash flees north to Devlin, again pledging service to a Vampire Ruler in return for both safety and revenge. Horrifically injured saving Devlin’s life, Lash is granted a potion to tremendously slow his aging, along with an evil request. Healed yet disheartened, Lash returns to his old friend Jasmine, who urges him to take Devlin’s offer.

Since the first book, I’ve found this series fascinating. I’ve never read anything with a weresnake before. I’ve also never read something with such a diverse amount of creatures in it. I loved the concept of Spiderboy’s character. I think this world is very creative and I love reading about it. I had the same trouble with this book that I did with this author’s other sequel. I wish I’d read the first book and this one back-to-back, because events from previous books aren’t explained. Characters from the previous book are mentioned and it took me a while to remember them. Other than that though, I really liked this book. It is very gritty though. There is a lot of sex and foul-language. If you’re someone who is easily offended, then I definitely wouldn’t suggest this book to you. If you are a fan of the paranormal and you’re looking for something that’s different from the usual, give this series a try. I wouldn’t suggest you start with this one though. You’ll still be able to understand the story, there will just be some confusing parts for you. Lash is a character you aren’t likely to soon forget. He’s a unique blend of characteristics that makes you love and hate him all at the same time. I love when a character can get into your head like that. I can’t wait to read more from this author… and I certainly hope there is more to come in this series.

Cupcakes:

Buy this from Amazon here: Shadow Man

Posted by juliette in Book Review and tagged with Bradly Publishing, Paranormal, Shadow Man, Tara Fox Hall, Vampires, Weresnake

Broken Promise (Promise Me #2)

by: Tara Fox Hall

Pages: 221

Published: September 24th 2012 by Melange Books

ISBN: 9781612354729

From Goodreads: Shocked at Danial’s betrayal, Sarelle returns to her old home to consider her options. Yet even as Sar plans a reconciliation with Danial, Terian arrives, confessing his desire. When Theo witnesses Terian and Sar kiss, he angrily confronts Sar, leading to startling consequences. Will Sar’s heart choose Danial, Terian,…or Theo?

There were a lot of things I enjoyed about the book and also a few things I didn’t. Let’s talk about what I didn’t like first and get that out of the way. I didn’t like that there really wasn’t any refresher at all. I read a lot and there were a lot of books that I picked up between this one and the last one. I found myself getting confused a few times. I had to sort of fill in the blanks as best I could and hope that I remembered something close to what happened. I don’t like books that have too much explanation of what happened in previous books, but a little is necessary. I also had some issues with the fighting between Danial and Sarelle. I’m not going to give too much away, I don’t like having spoilers in my reviews, but I did think that a lot of it seemed too immature. I wanted more out of both of them. Now, that being said, I enjoyed this book. I finished it in one sitting. Things just kept happening that made me want to keep reading. That’s definitely something that an author should strive for. Don’t give the reader an opportunity to want to put the book down! I was surprised with a few of the changes that occurred in the story and I’m still not sure how I’m hoping everything will turn out. But I hope I get to read more because I’m really enjoying a couple of these characters and I want to know more. I thought this title was very fitting, especially considering the previous book. If you enjoyed the last one, then you should definitely pick this up. If you haven’t read the first one in this series, then you NEED to. You can’t start this one without being very confused.

Cupcakes:

Buy this from Amazon here: Broken Promise (Promise Me)

Posted by juliette in Book Review and tagged with Broken Promise, Melange Books, Romance, shapeshifter, Tara Fox Hall, Urban Fantasy, Vampires

Meant for Her

by: Amy Gamet

Pages: 156

Published: September 1st, 2012 by Amy Gamet

From Goodreads: A code that only she can break…
A man that only she was made for…

Ordered to the scene of a fiery homicide, Navy officer Hank Jared wants nothing more than to wrap it up and get to his sister’s wedding. His sense of duty won’t let him walk away from a case, even if he can’t figure out why his boss insisted he handle this one personally.

When the key to a safe deposit box is found among the ashes, Hank finds himself staring at two pieces of paper–on one is a coded message, on the other, a name that will change the course of his entire life.

Julie Trueblood wouldn’t trust a Navy man if he handed her a life jacket on board a sinking ship. Her father was a cryptologist for the Navy, who went into hiding a decade earlier to avoid charges of treason. In his absence, Julie was harassed and interrogated by Naval officers who believed she was a traitor, just like her father.

Hank tracks Julie down and confronts her with the cipher. She can’t stand what he represents and sends him away, insisting she knows nothing about the message. But when she realizes someone is after her, Hank is the only person she can ask for help. He finds the perfect place to hide Julie, right by his side, pretending to be his girlfriend at his sister’s wedding. Now he just needs to remember their relationship is all an act.

The coded message brings Hank and Julie together, but its secrets hold the power to tear them apart. Guided by her generous and quirky Aunt Gwen, Julie will gather the courage to unravel the cipher that was meant for her to decode, as she learns to trust the man she was meant to love.

I read this book in one sitting. I read it during a long road trip and it made the ride feel like nothing at all! I found myself turning the pages quickly and getting completely absorbed in the story. I loved the author’s style of writing. There was nothing about it that I had to adjust to or anything that threw me out of the story. I was always in it and interested in what was happening. I liked that the romance remained strong in the midst of all the action. It didn’t feel like it was being forced or just added on. I also didn’t feel that way about the mystery. Everything flowed very well and I think this author shows a lot of promise. Everything was very enjoyable and believable. I never felt like anything I was being forced to read anything that wasn’t beneficial to the story. The only reason I gave this book four stars was because while I enjoyed the book and there were a few scenes that stuck with me, I didn’t really think about this book after I was done. It didn’t stick with me the way that my favorite books do. But it was a great story nonetheless. I recommend this to any romantic suspense readers. They should definitely pick this up and enjoy a quick and easy, but thoroughly enjoyable read.

Cupcakes:

Posted by juliette in Book Review and tagged with Amy Gamet, Meant for Her, Romantic Suspense

Paperbacks And Frosting

The Overnighter’s Secrets

Sophia: Within

In His Own Time

Silencing Breath

Taken in the Night

Memoirs of a Sith Lord

Vala: Appointed

Shadow Man (Lash #2)

Broken Promise (Promise Me #2)

Meant for Her

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